The Nutritional Quality of Lunch Meals Eaten at Danish Worksites.

Monitoring the nutritional environment is important to help inform future initiatives to improve access to healthy foods. The objective was to examine the nutritional quality of lunch meals eaten at 15 worksite canteens and then to compare with results from a study conducted 10 years before. The duplicate-portion-technique with subsequent chemical analysis was used to quantify 240 customers' lunch intake. Estimated mean energy intake was 2.1 MJ/meal (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9 to 2.4 g/meal) and estimated energy density 599 kJ/100 g (95% CI 550 to 653 kJ/100 g). Energy density of the male participants' meals were significantly higher compared with the female participants' meals (+55 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: +12 to +98 kJ/100 g, p = 0.012), whereas no gender differences were found in macronutrient distribution or fruit and vegetable intake. Compared to the study conducted 10 years before several significant changes were observed, including an increase in mean estimated intake of fruit and vegetables (+38 g/meal, 95% CI: 19 to 57 g/meal, p < 0.001) and a decrease in energy density (-76 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: -115, -37 kJ/100 g, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study suggests an equalization of gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and a possible improvement in the nutritional quality of canteen lunch meals over a 10-year period.

The Salt Content of Lunch Meals Eaten at Danish Worksites.

Monitoring levels of sodium (salt) in meals consumed out-of-home is needed to support effective implementation of salt-reduction strategies. The objective of the study was to examine lunch salt intake at 15 worksite canteens and to compare with results from a comparable study conducted 10 years before. A duplicate-portion-technique with subsequent chemical analysis was used to quantify 240 customers' lunch salt intake. Estimated mean salt intake was 2.6 g/meal (95% Cl: 2.2 to 3.0 g/meal) and 0.78 g/100 g (95% Cl: 0.69 to 0.88 g/100 g). Salt intake measured both as g per meal and per 100 g was found to be significantly higher for male compared with female participants (+0.10 g/100 g, 95% Cl: +0.02 to +0.17 g/100 g, p = 0.011). Compared with the study conducted 10 years before, there was a significantly lower estimated salt intake of 0.5 g/meal (95% CI: -0.8 to -0.2 g/meal, p = 0.001), suggesting a possible reduction in canteen lunch salt intake during a 10-year period. Still, 40% of the meals exceeded the Nordic Keyhole label requirements of maximum 0.8 g salt per 100 g for ready meals. A further reduction of salt intake is warranted to comply with salt reduction targets.

Iodine excretion has decreased in Denmark between 2004 and 2010--the importance of iodine content in milk.

Fortification with the essential trace element iodine is widespread worldwide. In the present study, results on iodine excretion and intake of iodine-rich foods from a cross-sectional study carried out in 2004-5, 4 to 5 years after the implementation of mandatory iodine fortification, were compared with data in a study carried out in 2008-10. The 2008-10 study was a follow-up of a cross-sectional study carried out before iodine fortification was implemented. Participants in the cross-sectional studies were randomly selected. Both studies were carried out in the cities of Aalborg and Copenhagen in Denmark. The median urinary iodine concentration decreased in women from 97 µg/l (n 2862) to 78 µg/l (n 2041) (P< 0.001). The decrease persisted after adjustment for age, city and education, and if expressed as estimated 24 h iodine excretion. The prevalence of users of iodine containing dietary supplements increased from 29.4 to 37.3 % (P< 0.001). The total fluid intake increased in women (P< 0.001), but the intake of other iodine-rich foods did not change. The median urinary iodine concentration did not change in men (114 µg/l (n 708) and 107 µg/l (n 424), respectively), while the total fluid intake decreased (P= 0.001). Iodine content was measured in milk sampled in 2000-1 and in 2013. The iodine content was lower in 2013 (12 (sd 3) µg/100 g) compared with that in 2000-1 (16 (sd 6) µg/100 g) (P< 0.001). In conclusion, iodine excretion in women has decreased below the recommended level. The reason might probably, at least partly, be a decreased content of iodine in milk.

Discrimination of conventional and organic white cabbage from a long-term field trial study using untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics.

The influence of organic and conventional farming practices on the content of single nutrients in plants is disputed in the scientific literature. Here, large-scale untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics was used to compare the composition of white cabbage from organic and conventional agriculture, measuring 1,600 compounds. Cabbage was sampled in 2 years from one conventional and two organic farming systems in a rigidly controlled long-term field trial in Denmark. Using Orthogonal Projection to Latent Structures-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), we found that the production system leaves a significant (p = 0.013) imprint in the white cabbage metabolome that is retained between production years. We externally validated this finding by predicting the production system of samples from one year using a classification model built on samples from the other year, with a correct classification in 83 % of cases. Thus, it was concluded that the investigated conventional and organic management practices have a systematic impact on the metabolome of white cabbage. This emphasizes the potential of untargeted metabolomics for authenticity testing of organic plant products.

Stability of vitamin D in foodstuffs during cooking.

We investigated the retention of vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in eggs, vitamin D3 in margarine, and vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 in bread. Our set-up illustrated the cooking methods usually performed in households i.e. boiling, frying in pan and oven, and baking. All experiments were performed three times independently of one another. The retention of vitamin D compounds in eggs and margarine during heat treatment in an oven for 40 min at normal cooking temperature showed retention at 39-45%, while frying resulted in retention at 82-84%. Boiled eggs were found to have a similar level of retention (86-88%). For bread baked, as recommended in the recipe, the retention of vitamin D3 in rye bread at 69% was lower than the retention in wheat bread at 85%. A similar observation was made for vitamin D2, although the retention was slightly higher, 73% and 89%. No difference between retention of vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in eggs was shown. Cooking may cause detrimental loss of vitamin D, but it depends on the actual foodstuffs and the heating process. Further research is needed to optimise cooking procedures to enhance retention of vitamin D. Vitamin D retention should be taken into account in future calculations of dietary intake of vitamin D.

Evaluation of Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children: comparing reported fruit, juice and vegetable intakes with plasma carotenoid concentration and school lunch observations.

Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC) was developed to estimate dietary intake in a school meal intervention study among 8- to 11-year-old Danish children. The present study validates self-reported fruit, juice and vegetable (FJV) intakes in 8- to 11-year-old children by comparing intake with plasma carotenoid concentration, and by comparing the reported FJV intake to actually eaten FJV, as observed by a photographic method. A total of eighty-one children, assisted by parents, reported their diet for seven consecutive days. For the same five schooldays as they reported their diet, the children's school lunch was photographed and weighed before and after eating. In the week after the diet reporting, fasting blood samples were taken. Self-reported intake of FJV and estimated intake of carotenoids were compared with plasma carotenoid concentration. Accuracy of self-reported food and FJV consumption at school lunch was measured in terms of matches, intrusion, omission and faults, when compared with images and weights of lunch intake. Self-reported intake of FJV was significantly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration (0·58) (P< 0·01). Fruit and juice consumption showed higher correlations than vegetables with plasma carotenoid concentration (0·38 and 0·42 v. 0·33) (P< 0·01). A total of 82 % of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quartiles when cross-classified by FJV intake and carotenoids biomarkers. WebDASC attained 82 % reporting matches overall and a higher percentage match for reporting fruits compared with beverages. The present study indicated that WebDASC can be used to rank 8- to 11-year-old Danish children according to their intake of FJV overall and at school meals.

Effects of organic and conventional growth systems on the content of carotenoids in carrot roots, and on intake and plasma status of carotenoids in humans.

BACKGROUND: The demand for organic food products has increased during the last decades due to their probable health effects, among others. A higher content of secondary metabolites such as carotenoids in organic food products has been claimed, though not documented, to contribute to increased health effects of organic foods. The aim was to study the impact of organic and conventional agricultural systems on the content of carotenoids in carrots and human diets. In addition, a human cross-over study was performed, measuring the plasma status of carotenoids in humans consuming diets made from crops from these agricultural systems. RESULTS: The content of carotenoids in carrot roots and human diets was not significantly affected by the agricultural production system or year, despite differences in fertilisation strategy and levels. The plasma status of carotenoids increased significantly after consumption of the organic and conventional diets, but no systematic differences between the agricultural production systems were observed. CONCLUSION: The expected higher content of presumed health-promoting carotenoids in organic food products was not documented in this study.

Effects of organic and conventional growth systems on the content of flavonoids in onions and phenolic acids in carrots and potatoes.

The demand for organic food products is steadily increasing partly due to the expected health benefits of organic food consumption. Polyphenols, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, are a group of secondary plant metabolites with presumably beneficial health effects, and contents in plants are affected by, for example, plant nutrient availability, climate, pathogen infection, and pest attack. In the current study, onions, carrots, and potatoes were cultivated in two-year field trials in three different geographical locations, comprising one conventional and two organic agricultural systems. The contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids in plants were analyzed by pressurized liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet quantification. In onions and carrots, no statistically significant differences between growth systems were found for any of the analyzed polyphenols. On the basis of the present study carried out under well-controlled conditions, it cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones.

Comparison of polyacetylene content in organically and conventionally grown carrots using a fast ultrasonic liquid extraction method.

A rapid and sensitive analytical method for quantification of polyacetylenes in carrot roots was developed. The traditional extraction method (stirring) was compared to a new ultrasonic liquid processor (ULP)-based methodology using high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) and mass spectrometry (MS) for identification and quantification of three polyacetylenes. ULP was superior because a significant reduction in extraction time and improved extraction efficiencies were obtained. After optimization, the ULP method showed good selectivity, precision [relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.3-3.6%], and recovery (93% of falcarindiol) of the polyacetylenes. The applicability of the method was documented by comparative analyses of carrots grown organically or conventionally in a 2 year field trial study. The average concentrations of falcarindiol, falcarindiol-3-acetate, and falcarinol in year 1 were 222, 30, and 94 mug of falcarindiol equiv/g of dry weight, respectively, and 3-15% lower in year 2. The concentrations were not significantly influenced by the growth system, but a significant year-year variation was observed for falcarindiol-3-acetate.

Salt content in canteen and fast food meals in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: A high salt (=NaCl) intake is associated with high blood pressure, and knowledge of salt content in food and meals is important, if the salt intake has to be decreased in the general population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the salt content in worksite canteen meals and fast food. DESIGN: For the first part of this study, 180 canteen meals were collected from a total of 15 worksites with in-house catering facilities. Duplicate portions of a lunch meal were collected from 12 randomly selected employees at each canteen on two non-consecutive days. For the second part of the study, a total of 250 fast food samples were collected from 52 retail places representing both city (Aarhus) and provincial towns. The canteen meals and fast food samples were analyzed for chloride by potentiometric titration with silver nitrate solution, and the salt content was estimated. RESULTS: The salt content in lunch meals in worksite canteens were 3.8+/-1.8 g per meal and 14.7+/-5.1 g per 10 MJ for men (n=109), and 2.8+/-1.2 g per meal and 14.4+/-6.2 g per 10 MJ for women (n=71). Salt content in fast food ranged from 11.8+/-2.5 g per 10 MJ (burgers) to 16.3+/-4.4 g per 10 MJ (sausages) with a mean content of 13.8+/-3.8 g per 10 MJ. CONCLUSION: Salt content in both fast food and in worksite canteen meals is high and should be decreased.

Pressurised liquid extraction of flavonoids in onions. Method development and validation.

A rapid and reliable analytical method for quantification of flavonoids in onions was developed and validated. Five extraction methods were tested on freeze-dried onions and subsequently high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was used for quantification of seven flavonoids. The extraction efficiencies were lowest for the conventional water bath extraction compared to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), ultrasonication, ultrasonic liquid processor, and microwave extraction, which yielded similar efficiencies. The reproducibility was in the same range (RSD: 1-11%) for all tested extraction methods. However, PLE was the preferred extraction method because the method can be highly automated, use only small amounts of solvents, provide the cleanest extracts, and allow the extraction of light and oxygen-sensitive flavonoids to be carried out in an inert atmosphere protected from light. The method parameters: extraction temperature, sample weight, flush volume and solvent type were optimised, and a clean-up step was integrated in the PLE procedure by in-cell addition of C18-material to the extraction cells, which slightly improved the recovery and reproducibility of the method. The one-step PLE method showed good selectivity, precision (RSDs=3.1-11%) and recovery of the extractable flavonoids (98-99%). The method also appeared to be a multi-method, i.e. generally applicable to, e.g. phenolic acids in potatoes and carrots.

Carotenoids: actual knowledge on food sources, intakes, stability and bioavailability and their protective role in humans.

Carotenoids are one of the major food micronutrients in human diets and the overall objective of this review is to re-examine the role of carotenoids in human nutrition. We have emphasized the attention on the following carotenoids present in food and human tissues: beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; we have reported the major food sources and dietary intake of these compounds. We have tried to summarize positive and negative effects of food processing, storage, cooking on carotenoid content and carotenoid bioavailability. In particular, we have evidenced the possibility to improve carotenoids bioavailability in accordance with changes and variations of technology procedures.

Iodine content in bread and salt in Denmark after iodization and the influence on iodine intake.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the iodine content in bread and household salt in Denmark after mandatory iodine fortification was introduced and to estimate the increase in iodine intake due to the fortification. DESIGN: The iodine content in rye breads, wheat breads and salt samples was assessed. The increase in iodine intake from fortification of bread and the increase in total iodine intake after fortification were estimated. SUBJECTS: Iodine intake before and after fortification was estimated based on dietary intake data from 4,124 randomly selected Danish subjects. MAIN RESULTS: Approximately 98% of the rye breads and 90% of the wheat breads were iodized. The median iodine intake from bread increased by 25 (13-43) microg/day and the total median iodine intake increased by 63 (36-104) microg/day. CONCLUSIONS: The fortification of bread and salt has resulted in a desirable increase in iodine intake, and the current fortification level of salt (13 ppm) seems reasonable.

Effects of red grape skin and seed extract supplementation on atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Epidemiological studies have suggested an association between consumption of red wine and other polyphenolic compounds and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits were used to investigate the effects of polyphenols in a red grape skin and seed extract (GSE) on the development of atherosclerosis. WHHL rabbits received either semisynthetic diet (casein based) or semisynthetic diet added GSE over a period of 15 wk. Plasma lipids and aortic cholesterol accumulation were measured. Feeding semisynthetic diet was associated with increasing hypercholesterolemia, which was developing slower in GSE group compared to the controls as recorded by significantly lower plasma cholesterol in dosage week 7 (males: P < 0.05, females: P < 0.01) and 11 (males: P < 0.01). Aortic atherosclerosis evaluated as the cholesterol content in aortic tissue was comparable in the control and GSE-dosed females, but it was significantly reduced in the abdominal part of GSE-dosed male compared to the controls (P < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding GSE extract to WHHL rabbits had no significant effects in females but was associated with transient less hypercholesterolemic response to semisynthetic diet and, furthermore, retarded the development of aortic atherosclerosis in males as demonstrated by significantly lower cholesterol content in the abdominal part.

Flavonoids in baby spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.): changes during plant growth and storage.

The variation in flavonoid concentration and composition was investigated in baby spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) cv. Emilia sown on three occasions, each harvested at three growth stages at 6-day intervals. After harvest, leaves were stored in polypropylene bags at 2 or 10 degrees C. Flavonoids were analyzed by reversed phase HPLC. Twelve flavonoid peaks were detected. The main flavonoid, making up on average 43% of the total flavonoid concentration, was identified as 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-6:7-methylenedioxyflavone-4'-glucuronide. Four other flavonoids each contributed 7-12% of the total flavonoid content. Total flavonoid content was relatively stable during normal retail storage conditions, although some of the individual flavonoid compounds showed considerable variation. The youngest plants had the highest flavonoid concentration, indicating that by harvesting the baby spinach a few days earlier than the current commercial stage of harvest, the flavonoid concentration in the product may be increased and the content of potentially health-promoting compounds enhanced.

Anthocyanins increase low-density lipoprotein and plasma cholesterol and do not reduce atherosclerosis in Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Anthocyanin-rich beverages have shown beneficial effects on coronary heart disease in epidemiological and intervention studies. In the present study, we investigated the effect of black currant anthocyanins on atherosclerosis. Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic rabbits (n = 61) were fed either a purified anthocyanin fraction from black currants, a black currant juice, probucol or control diet for 16 weeks. Purified anthocyanins significantly increased plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Intake of black currant juice had no effect on total plasma cholesterol, but lowered very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol significantly. There were no significant effects of either purified anthocyanins or black currant juice on aortic cholesterol or development of atherosclerosis after 16 weeks. Probucol had no effect on plasma cholesterol but significantly lowered VLDL-cholesterol and decreased aortic cholesterol accumulation. The erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase was significantly increased by purified anthocyanins and superoxide dismutase was increased by both anthocyanin-containing treatments. Other markers of plasma antioxidant capacity, antioxidant enzymes, protein and lipid oxidation were not affected by any of the anthocyanin treatments. Adverse effects of purified anthocyanins were observed on plasma- and LDL-cholesterol. These effects were not observed with black currant juice, suggesting that black currants may contain components reducing the adverse effects of anthocyanins.

Urinary total flavonoid excretion but not 4-pyridoxic acid or potassium can be used as a biomarker for the intake of fruits and vegetables.

To gain better insight into the potential health effects of fruits and vegetables, reliable biomarkers of intake are needed. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of flavonoid excretion in both 24-h and morning urine samples to reflect a low intake and moderate changes in fruit and vegetable consumption. Furthermore, the urinary excretions of 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) and potassium were investigated as other potential biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake. The study was designed as a 5-d randomized, controlled crossover study. On d 1-3, the men (n = 12) consumed a self-restricted flavonoid-free diet. On d 4, they were provided a strictly controlled diet containing no fruits or vegetables (basic diet). On d 5, they consumed the basic diet supplemented with 300 or 600 g of fruits and vegetables. The total excretion of flavonoids in 24-h urine samples increased linearly with increasing fruit and vegetable intakes (r(s) = 0.86, P < 1 x 10(-6)). The total excretion of flavonoids in morning urine also increased, but the association was weaker (r(s) = 0.59, P < 0.0001). Urinary 4-PA in 24-h and morning urine samples increased significantly only with the 600-g increase in fruit and vegetable intake, whereas the excretion of potassium in urine did not reflect the changes in fruit and vegetable intake. We conclude that the total excretion of flavonoids in 24-h urine may be used as a new biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake.

Effects of commonly consumed fruit juices and carbohydrates on redox status and anticancer biomarkers in female rats.

Administration of apple juice, black currant juice, or a 1:1 combination of the two juices significantly decreased the level of the lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde in plasma of female rats, whereas the protein oxidation biomarker 2-amino-adipic semialdehyde, was significantly increased following administration of orange juice, black currant juice, or the 1:1 combination of apple and black currant juice. A significant increase in 2-amino-adipic semialdehyde was also observed in control rats given sucrose, fructose, and glucose in the drinking water at concentrations approximating the average carbohydrate levels in the employed fruit juices. None of the fruit juices were found to affect the activities of antioxidant enzymes in red blood cells or hepatic glutathione S-transferase. Hepatic quinone reductase activity, on the other hand, was significantly increased by grapefruit juice, apple juice, and black currant juice. The total daily intake of a selected subset of flavonoid aglycones ranged from 0.2 to 4.3 mg, and quercetin was found to be a minor constituent of all the juices investigated. In a parallel study, rats were fed quercetin at doses ranging from 0.001 to 10 g/kg of diet. However, no effects were observed on hepatic glutathione S-transferase or quinone reductase activities, plasma redox status, or the activity of red blood cell antioxidant enzymes. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that commonly consumed fruit juices can alter lipid and protein oxidation biomarkers in the blood as well as hepatic quinone reductase activity, and that quercetin may not be the major active principle. The observation that natural carbohydrates are capable of mediating oxidative stress in vivo warrants further studies due to the central role refined and unrefined carbohydrates play in human nutrition.