Suchergebnisse

International audience ; In 2005, 76 samples of non-alcoholic beverages were found to contain the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin out of 177 analysed samples. The content of cyclamate did in no cases exceed the now permitted maximum level in the European Union (EU) of 250 mgl-1 in soft drinks. The estimated intake of the sweeteners was calculated using the Danish Dietary Survey based on 3098 persons aged 1-80 years. The estimated intake with 90th percentiles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.2 mgkg-1body weight (bw)day-1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin , respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI) values of 15, 40, 7 and 2.5 mgkg-1bwday-1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin, respectively and on the same level as in the similar investigation from 1999. In contrast to the 1999 investigation, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1-3 year olds with 3.7 mgkg-1bwday-1 was in 2005 lower than the ADI value of 7 mgkg-1bwday-1. However, the 99th percentile for 1-3 year olds with 7.4 mgkg-1bwday-1 still exceeded the ADI value slightly. The 90th percentile for the whole population with 0.9 mgkg-1bwday-1 was halved compared with 1999. The reduction in EU of the maximum permitted level for cyclamate from 400 to 250 mgl-1 has brought the intake of cyclamate in small children down well below the ADI value.

A mathematical model is presented, which addresses individual hygiene practices during food preparation and consumption patterns in private homes. Further, the model links food preparers and consumers based on their relationship to household types. For different age and gender groups, the model estimates (i) the probability of ingesting a meal where precautions have not been taken to avoid the transfer of microorganisms from raw food to final meal (a risk meal), exemplified by the event that the cutting board was not washed during food preparation, and (ii) the probability of ingesting a risk meal in a private home, where chicken was the prepared food item (a chicken risk meal). Chicken was included in the model, as chickens are believed to be the major source of human exposure to the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the probability of ingesting a risk meal was highest for young males (aged 18–29 years) and lowest for the elderly above 60 years of age. Children aged 0–4 years had a higher probability of ingesting a risk meal than children aged 5–17 years. This difference between age and gender groups was ascribed to the variations in the hygiene levels of food preparers. By including the probability of ingesting a chicken meal at home, simulations revealed that all age groups, except the group above 60 years of age, had approximately the same probability of ingesting a chicken risk meal, the probability of females being slightly higher than that of males. The simulated results show that the probability of ingesting a chicken risk meal at home does not only depend on the hygiene practices of the persons preparing the food, but also on the consumption patterns of consumers, and the relationship between people preparing and ingesting food. This finding supports the need of including information on consumer behavior and preparation hygiene in the consumer phase of exposure assessments.

The general aim of the ENHR II project is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date report on the nutrition and health situation in Europe that focuses on diet, physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. The European Nutrition and Health Report 2009 will contribute to the identification of major nutrition and health problems in the EU regions and to the monitoring and evaluation of food and nutrition policies already in place within the Member States. The method implies collecting and critically reviewing available data on the most common indicators used for the assessment of nutrition and health situation of 25 European countries. The European Nutrition and Health Report 2009 will provide information on dietary habits, diet related health indicators as well as established food and nutrition policies in European countries.