Industrial processing of condiments and seasonings and its implications for micronutrient fortification.

Opportunities exist for micronutrient fortification of condiments and seasonings to combat vitamin or mineral deficiencies. This paper reviews the available technologies for industrial processing of condiments and seasonings and their fortification with micronutrients. The industrial processes to manufacture commonly consumed condiments and seasonings, such as soy sauce, bouillon cubes, fish sauce, spices, and other relevant products, are described. The impact of processing on fortification is evaluated, considering both the type of vehicle and the fortificant used. The analyzed technologies represent effective strategies for mineral fortification, particularly with iodine and iron. However, fortification with vitamins has been more challenging, owing to sensory changes of the finished product and a poor stability of the fortificant when using certain vehicles. Therefore, more studies are needed in this area in collaboration with governments, the food industry, and vitamin suppliers. Despite the technical difficulties encountered, the current processing technologies for the production of condiments and seasonings can be adapted and refined to allow their successful fortification with micronutrients.

Olive oil consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in US women.

BACKGROUND: Olive oil has been shown to improve various cardiometabolic risk factors. However, to our knowledge, the association between olive oil intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has never been evaluated in the US population. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the association between olive oil intake and incident T2D. DESIGN: We followed 59,930 women aged 37-65 y from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and 85,157 women aged 26-45 y from the NHS II who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline. Diet was assessed by validated food-frequency questionnaires, and data were updated every 4 y. Incident cases of T2D were identified through self-report and confirmed by supplementary questionnaires. RESULTS: After 22 y of follow-up, we documented 5738 and 3914 incident cases of T2D in the NHS and NHS II, respectively. With the use of Cox regression models with repeated measurements of diet and multivariate adjustment for major lifestyle and dietary factors, the pooled HR (95% CI) of T2D in those who consumed >1 tablespoon (>8 g) of total olive oil per day compared with those who never consumed olive oil was 0.90 (0.82, 0.99). The corresponding HRs (95% CIs) were 0.95 (0.87, 1.04) for salad dressing olive oil and 0.85 (0.74, 0.98) for olive oil added to food or bread. We estimated that substituting olive oil (8 g/d) for stick margarine, butter, or mayonnaise was associated with 5%, 8%, and 15% lower risk of T2D, respectively, in the pooled analysis of both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that higher olive oil intake is associated with modestly lower risk of T2D in women and that hypothetically substituting other types of fats and salad dressings (stick margarine, butter, and mayonnaise) with olive oil is inversely associated with T2D.

Effect of NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce on zinc absorption in children.

NaFeEDTA has been applied in many foods as an iron fortificant and is used to prevent iron deficiency in Fe-depleted populations. In China, soy sauce is fortified with NaFeEDTA to control iron deficiency. However, it is unclear whether Fe-fortified soy sauce affects zinc absorption. To investigate whether NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce affects zinc absorption in children, sixty children were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to three groups (10 male children and 10 female children in each group). All children received daily 3 mg of (67)Zn and 1.2 mg of dysprosium orally, while the children in the three groups were supplemented with NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce (6 mg Fe, NaFeEDTA group), FeSO4-fortified soy sauce (6 mg Fe, FeSO4 group), and no iron-fortified soy sauce (control group), respectively. Fecal samples were collected during the experimental period and analyzed for the Zn content, (67)Zn isotope ratio and dysprosium content. The Fe intake from NaFeEDTA-fortified and FeSO4-fortified groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.0001). The daily total Zn intake was not significantly different among the three groups. There were no significant differences in fractional Zn absorption (FZA) (P = 0.3895), dysprosium recovery (P = 0.7498) and Zn absorption (P = 0.5940) among the three groups. Therefore, NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce does not affect Zn bioavailability in children.

Application of acid whey and set milk to marinate beef with reference to quality parameters and product safety.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of acid whey and set milk as a marinade in the traditional production of fermented eye round. METHODS: Studies involved assaying pH value, water activity (aw), oxidation-reduction potential and TBARS value, colour parameters in CIE system (L*, a*, b*), assaying the number of lactic acid bacteria and certain pathogenic bacteria after ripening process and after 60-day storing in cold storage. Sensory analysis and analysis of the fatty acids profile were performed after completion of the ripening process. RESULTS: Analysis of pH value in the products revealed that application of acid whey to marinate beef resulted in increased acidity of ripening eye round (5.14). The highest value of the colour parameter a* after ripening process and during storage was observed in sample AW (12.76 and 10.07 respectively), the lowest on the other hand was observed in sample SM (10.06 and 7.88 respectively). The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was higher in eye round marinated in acid whey by approx. 4% in comparison to other samples. CONCLUSIONS: Application of acid whey to marinade beef resulted in increased share of red colour in general colour tone as well as increased oxidative stability of the product during storage. It also increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the product. All model products had high content of lactic acid bacteria and there were no pathogenic bacteria such as: L. monocytogenes, Y. enterocolitica, S. aureus, Clostridium sp.

Development of food-grade nanoemulsions and emulsions for delivery of omega-3 fatty acids: opportunities and obstacles in the food industry.

Consumption of biologically active amounts of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to improved human health, which has partly been attributed to their important role in brain development and cardiovascular health. Western diets are relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids and many consumers turn to supplements or functional foods to increase their intake of these healthy lipids. Fish oil is one of the most widely used sources of omega-3 fatty acid for supplementation and has greater health benefits than plant sources because of its higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids into foods and beverages is often challenging due to their low water-solubility, poor oxidative stability, and variable bioavailability. Nanoemulsions offer a promising way to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into liquid food systems like beverages, dressing, sauces, and dips. Nanoemulsions are colloidal dispersions that contain small oil droplets (r<100 nm) that may be able to overcome many of the challenges of fortifying foods and beverages with omega-3 fatty acids. The composition and fabrication of nanoemulsions can be optimized to increase the chemical and physical stability of oil droplets, as well as to increase the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids.

Atypical sources of childhood lead poisoning in the United States: a systematic review from 1966-2006.

BACKGROUND: Lead poisoning from atypical sources, which excludes the well-established lead-based paint ingestions and exposure in occupational settings, are increasingly reported in medical literature. Our objective is to increase awareness on atypical sources of lead exposure and to formulate recommendations for their detection based on actual reported cases. METHODS: We systematically retrieved and reviewed reports on pediatric lead poisoning in the U.S. from atypical sources by searching Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, AltHealth, websites of state lead poisoning prevention programs, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission database for reports published from January 1966 to December 2006. RESULTS: We retrieved 28 published reports that met our inclusion criteria. Of these reports, 20 are case reports and 8 case series, documenting a total of 82 incidents of lead poisoning in children from atypical sources. CONCLUSION: There are varied sources of atypical lead exposure among U.S. children. The sources were grouped in the following categories based on their utility: fashion accessories, folk remedies, imported condiments & candies, pellets & bullets, and lastly, recreational & domestic items. Based on these findings, we have formulated a questionnaire that may assist in the identification of atypical lead sources in the home.

Subchronic oral hepatotoxicity of turmeric in mice--histopathological and ultrastructural studies.

Dietary administration of the whole spice turmeric (0.2%, 1.0%, 5.0%) or ethanolic turmeric extract (ETE, 0.05%, 0.25%) for 14 days, at doses reported to be cancer preventive in model systems, were found to be hepatotoxic in mice. Histopathological evaluation showed coagulative necrosis accompanied by a zone of regenerating parenchymal cells of liver. The ultrastructural changes in liver parenchymal cells were non-specific reaction to injury. Results suggest mouse to be a susceptible species for turmeric induced toxicity.

Effect of red pepper and black pepper on the stomach.

Spices have long been implicated as a cause of gastric mucosal injury. We assessed the effects of red and black pepper on the gastric mucosa using double-blind intragastric administration of test meals containing red pepper (0.1-1.5 g) or black pepper (1.5 g) to healthy human volunteers; aspirin (655 mg) and distilled water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Serial gastric washes were performed after test meal administration and gastric contents were analyzed for DNA, pepsin, blood, sodium, potassium, parietal cell secretion, and nonparietal cell secretion. Both red pepper and black pepper caused significant increases in parietal secretion, pepsin secretion, and potassium loss. Gastric cell exfoliation (as reflected in DNA loss into gastric contents) was increased after red or black pepper administration; the increase after red pepper administration was dose dependent. Mucosal microbleeding was seen after spice administration and one subject had grossly visible gastric bleeding after both red pepper and black pepper administration. There were no significant differences from control between the test meals, in nonparietal volume, fractional recovery of the gastric secretions, or sodium secretion. Finally, no spice was significantly different from aspirin in any parameter studied; indeed, aspirin was comparable to the higher doses of pepper. The long-term result of daily pepper ingestion is unknown. Whether spices are detrimental, beneficial (e.g., inducing an adaptive cytoprotective response), or have no significant long-term effect on the gastric mucosa is unknown and deserves further study.

[The celery-carrot-mugwort-condiment syndrome: skin test and RAST results]. / Das "Sellerie-Karotten-Beifuss-Gewürz-Syndrom": Hauttest- und RAST-Ergebnisse.

Celery is a frequent food allergen: not only raw, but also cooked and as a spice it can produce various reactions of immediate type, from oral contact urticaria to anaphylactic shock. Most celery-allergic patients suffer from hay fever and show a skin sensitization to mugwort. An associated allergy to several spices is quite common, and therefore the term "celery-mugwort-spice-syndrome" has been proposed. The authors have investigated 35 patients, 85% of them women, in whom a current celery allergy of varying severity was diagnosed during the first 8 months of 1984. A positive skin test to celery was seen in 16 patients who denied any symptoms from it. Thorough skin testing and RAST screening with different celery preparations, other foodstuffs and mugwort-pollens were performed on all patients. The modified prick test with native celery-root proved to be the best method for detecting celery sensitization, showing a positive result in 88.6%. The scratch test with celery-salt was positive in 70.5%, intracutaneous testing with commercial extract in 63.5% and the RAST with celery-sticks in 66% of the patients. Sensitization to mugwort was absent in 8 patients only. The mugwort-sensitive group frequently showed a positive test to ragweed-pollens, a common plant in North America, and this appears to indicate cross-reactivity amongst the family of the Asteraceae. Cross-reactivity amongst the Apiaceae is the cause of the many positive results obtained with carrot, parsely, anise, fennel and caraway, the carrot allergy being of clinical importance in 50% of cases, including one with a history of anaphylactic shock after ingestion of raw carrots.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immediate skin test reactions to spices.

Scratch tests with common spices were performed in 1,120 atopic and 380 non-atopic patients. Positive skin test reactions were seen almost exclusively in atopics. Curry and paprika produced reactions most frequently, and when the components of curry were tested separately, coriander, caraway, cayenne and mustard were responsible for the vast majority of the skin reactions. A high correlation between positive skin test reactions to spices, especially to curry and its components, and tree pollens, fruits and vegetables was demonstrated, suggesting that there may be a group of cross allergies. Clinical symptoms from ingested spices were noticed by five patients. When small amounts of spices were spread on the oral mucosa, local reactions, especially in the mouth and nasopharynx, were found in 14 out of 35 unselected patients with positive skin test reactions. Peroral challenges with spices in gelatin capsules were negative in 20 nonselected patients.

Staining calcified dental tissues with food.

The discoloration of enamel caused by food substances was found to be superficial and for dentin and cementum ingressive. Discoloration of cementum exceeded that of dentin, and dentin stained more than enamel. Coffee and soy sauce stained the calcified dental tissues more than the cola beverage and tea. The longer the staining time, the deeper was the discoloration.