Cronan McNamara (Creme)
28-11-2007, 01:51 PM
A large number of articles on food, chemical and product safety were published in the media this month. Topics as diverse as lead in lipstick, hazardous popcorn ingredients, the health benefits of organic food, Bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic, nutrition, physical activity and the risk of cancer were covered. We have provided links to some of these and discussed the issues here.
Industry and government are expected to protect consumers from potentially harmful chemical exposures. How can industry and policy makers constantly stay abreast of new developments and monitor the impact of these developments on consumer health?
There are a number of stakeholders in this area including industry, retailers, government, the scientific community, consumer organisations and most importantly consumers themselves.
Do these stakeholders have enough knowledge about the current level of exposure of different demographic groups to various chemicals from their diverse consumption habits?
BPA in plastic bottles
This Reuters article (http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/9CBB9680-832F-11DC-B813-6643C42983E0.html) explains that a chemical found in plastics used for everything from babies’ bottles to dental fillings poses a health risk. This chemical is Bisphenol A (BPA), and is routinely added to hard clear plastic bottles. Studies have suggested that BPA may act as an endocrine disrupter causing serious health problems for consumers.
In what quantities does BPA leach from the plastic into the food under normal usage conditions? Is the resultant consumer exposure a significant risk? This question can be addressed using the packaging chemical exposure models in CREMe Food Safety (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/food/).
World Cancer Research Fund Report
A comprehensive report (http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research_science/expert_report.lasso) on research carried out on cancer risk reduction was published by the WCRF this month. This research took six years to complete and an initial 500,000 studies were screened for inclusion in the report.
Food composition (e.g. salt or sugar content) and consumption levels of foods play a central role in the risk of consumers developing cancer.
Based on this research, the WCRF UK has developed 10 recommendations based on the conclusions of the report panel on how food and lifestyle habits affect the risk of cancer. The WCRF UK’s recommendations for cancer prevention can be read here (http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research_science/recommendations.lasso).
Organic food and health
A £12M (GBP) European Union project headed up by Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University aims to address the question: is buying organic better for you? The research has shown that organically produced crops and dairy milk usually contain more “beneficial compounds” - such as vitamins and antioxidants believed to help combat disease.
According to this research, there are up to 40% more beneficial compounds in organically produced vegetable crops and up to 90% more in organic milk. The project also found high levels of minerals such as iron and zinc in organic produce. More information on this project can be found in this article (Times UK online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753546.ece)).
Andrew Wadge, the FSA’s chief scientist, said the agency had ordered a review of evidence on the nutritional content of organic and conventional produce. He also said that even if the review found significant differences, the government would still need to assess any possible impact on health. With CREMe Nutrition, a cost-benefit analysis for the entire UK consumer population on the use of organic produce in terms of economic costs and health benefit savings can be produced.
Multiple chemical exposure
Food and chemical safety questions are often assessed individually, but consumers are exposed to multiple chemicals on a daily basis from the diverse range of product used and foods consumed. Are these chemicals safe in aggregate?
The databases and tools that are required to tackle these more complex exposure and nutritional intake questions are now available through CREMe. For more information on CREMe Food Safety (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/food/) or CREMe Nutrition (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/nutrition/) please contact us.
CREMe works with all stakeholders in the food safety and nutrition market to ensure that information is made available in order to make the best decisions possible for the greatest impact on increased public health.
Industry and government are expected to protect consumers from potentially harmful chemical exposures. How can industry and policy makers constantly stay abreast of new developments and monitor the impact of these developments on consumer health?
There are a number of stakeholders in this area including industry, retailers, government, the scientific community, consumer organisations and most importantly consumers themselves.
Do these stakeholders have enough knowledge about the current level of exposure of different demographic groups to various chemicals from their diverse consumption habits?
BPA in plastic bottles
This Reuters article (http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/9CBB9680-832F-11DC-B813-6643C42983E0.html) explains that a chemical found in plastics used for everything from babies’ bottles to dental fillings poses a health risk. This chemical is Bisphenol A (BPA), and is routinely added to hard clear plastic bottles. Studies have suggested that BPA may act as an endocrine disrupter causing serious health problems for consumers.
In what quantities does BPA leach from the plastic into the food under normal usage conditions? Is the resultant consumer exposure a significant risk? This question can be addressed using the packaging chemical exposure models in CREMe Food Safety (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/food/).
World Cancer Research Fund Report
A comprehensive report (http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research_science/expert_report.lasso) on research carried out on cancer risk reduction was published by the WCRF this month. This research took six years to complete and an initial 500,000 studies were screened for inclusion in the report.
Food composition (e.g. salt or sugar content) and consumption levels of foods play a central role in the risk of consumers developing cancer.
Based on this research, the WCRF UK has developed 10 recommendations based on the conclusions of the report panel on how food and lifestyle habits affect the risk of cancer. The WCRF UK’s recommendations for cancer prevention can be read here (http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research_science/recommendations.lasso).
Organic food and health
A £12M (GBP) European Union project headed up by Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University aims to address the question: is buying organic better for you? The research has shown that organically produced crops and dairy milk usually contain more “beneficial compounds” - such as vitamins and antioxidants believed to help combat disease.
According to this research, there are up to 40% more beneficial compounds in organically produced vegetable crops and up to 90% more in organic milk. The project also found high levels of minerals such as iron and zinc in organic produce. More information on this project can be found in this article (Times UK online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753546.ece)).
Andrew Wadge, the FSA’s chief scientist, said the agency had ordered a review of evidence on the nutritional content of organic and conventional produce. He also said that even if the review found significant differences, the government would still need to assess any possible impact on health. With CREMe Nutrition, a cost-benefit analysis for the entire UK consumer population on the use of organic produce in terms of economic costs and health benefit savings can be produced.
Multiple chemical exposure
Food and chemical safety questions are often assessed individually, but consumers are exposed to multiple chemicals on a daily basis from the diverse range of product used and foods consumed. Are these chemicals safe in aggregate?
The databases and tools that are required to tackle these more complex exposure and nutritional intake questions are now available through CREMe. For more information on CREMe Food Safety (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/food/) or CREMe Nutrition (http://www.cremesoftware.com/products/nutrition/) please contact us.
CREMe works with all stakeholders in the food safety and nutrition market to ensure that information is made available in order to make the best decisions possible for the greatest impact on increased public health.