Dietary Guidance and New School Meal Standards: Schoolchildren's Whole Grain Consumption Over 1994-2014.

INTRODUCTION: Since 2005, the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans have recommended at least half of total grain intake be whole grains. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated school meal regulations to align with this recommendation. METHODS: Nationally representative food consumption survey data spanning 1994-2014 were analyzed in 2018 to construct a sample of 17,016 schoolchildren aged 5-19 years. Regression models were used to examine changes in whole grain/total grain intake by food source. For school-obtained foods, changes in whole grain intake are decomposed into changes in propensity (proportion of students consuming whole grains) and intensity (amount consumed by whole grain consumers). RESULTS: The whole grain/total grain ratio from all sources fell from 9.67% (1994-1998) to 7.6% (2005-2006) before climbing to 13.48% (2013-2014). Home-prepared foods topped the whole grain/total grain ratio among all sources until surpassed by school foods in 2013-2014 (17.16% vs 21.48%). The whole grain/total grain ratio from school rose from 4.02% to 21.48% during 1994-2014. Among those consuming school foods, increased intensity contributed more than propensity to increases in whole grain intake from school between 2005-2010 and 2011-2012; the opposite occurred between 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 because of increasing propensity, from one in four to one in two students consuming whole grains. CONCLUSIONS: During 1994-2006, the whole grain/total grain ratio of schoolchildren's diets declined, contrary to expert advice. Following the 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture school meal regulations, both the propensity and the intensity of whole grain consumption from school rose considerably, demonstrating the important role school meals may play in improving children's diets.

Mycotoxins in infant/toddler foods and breakfast cereals in the US retail market.

The objective of this study was to conduct a mycotoxin survey of commercial infant/toddler foods (cereals and teething biscuits) and breakfast cereals in the United States. A total of 215 retail samples were collected from three geographical locations and analysed for aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, HT-2 toxin, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone using a stable isotope dilution liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. One or more mycotoxins were found in 69% (101/147) of the infant/toddler foods and 50% (34/68) of breakfast cereals. Mycotoxin co-occurrence was observed in 12% of infant/toddler foods and 32% of breakfast cereals. However, the concentrations of detected mycotoxins were lower than the current FDA action and guidance levels. Aflatoxins and HT-2 toxin were not detected in any of the samples, while deoxynivalenol was the most frequently detected mycotoxin. Rice-based cereals appeared to be less susceptible to mycotoxin contamination than other cereal types.

Azúcar en alimentos infantiles. La normativa española y europea, ¿a quién protege? / Sugar in infant food. Spanish and European regulations, who are they protecting?

El elevado consumo de azúcar en la infancia contribuye a la actual epidemia de caries dental y de obesidad infantil, además de influir de forma negativa en las bajas tasas de lactancia materna. Entre las medidas para controlar este consumo está la determinación, por parte de las autoridades sanitarias, de la cantidad máxima de azúcar existente en los alimentos infantiles elaborados por la industria alimentaria. El presente artículo inspecciona las normas que regulan en Europa y en España la presencia de azúcar en alimentos infantiles distintos a fórmulas lácteas (preparados para lactantes o preparados de continuación): la Directiva 2006/125/CE y el Real Decreto 490/1998. Tras revisar la técnica legislativa y de compilación o refundición de normas, el respeto de plazos y la idoneidad de los procedimientos, podemos concluir que la falta de rigor es patente. Con respecto a las cifras de azúcares permitidos en alimentos infantiles, distan mucho de ser idóneas, hasta el punto de que pueden considerarse un factor obesogénico y de promoción de malos hábitos alimentarios en la infancia. Por ello, cabe preguntarse a quién protege la legislación, si a la salud infantil, o más bien a los intereses de la industria azucarera (AU)

The high level of sugar intake in infancy and childhood contributes to the current epidemic of tooth decay and childhood obesity, influencing negatively, as well, on low rates of breastfeeding. One of the measures to control this consumption is the determination by the health authorities of the maximum amount of existing sugar in infant foods produced by the food industry. This article inspects the law in Europe and Spain governing the presence of sugar in baby foods other than infant formula: Directive 2006/125/EC and Royal Decree 490/1998. After reviewing the legislative and compilation or consolidation technical rules, the respect of deadlines and the suitability of the procedures, we can conclude that the lack of accuracy is evident. Regarding the amount of sugars allowed in baby foods, they are far from ideal, to the extent that they can be considered an obesogenic factor and an issue that promote bad dietary habits throughout childhood. Therefore, we can question if the law protects infant’s health or the interest of sugary industry (AU)

Diversity trends in bread wheat in Italy during the 20th century assessed by traditional and multivariate approaches.

A collection of 157 Triticum aestivum accessions, representative of wheat breeding in Italy during the 20(th) century, was assembled to describe the evolutionary trends of cultivated varieties throughout this period. The lines were cultivated in Italy, in two locations, over two growing seasons, and evaluated for several agronomical, morphological and qualitative traits. Analyses were conducted using the most common univariate approach on individual plant traits coupled with a correspondance multivariate approach. ANOVA showed a clear trend from old to new varieties, leading towards earliness, plant height reduction and denser spikes with smaller seeds. The average protein content gradually decreased over time; however this trend did not affect bread-making quality, because it was counterbalanced by a gradual increase of SDS sedimentation volume, achieved by the incorporation of favourable alleles into recent cultivars. Correspondence analysis allowed an overall view of the breeding activity. A clear-cut separation was observed between ancient lines and all the others, matched with a two-step gradient, the first, corresponding roughly to the period 1920-1940, which can be ascribed mostly to genetics, the second, from the 40s onward, which can be ascribed also to the farming practice innovations, such as improvement of mechanical devices and optimised use of fertilizers.