Actualización sobre aspectos científico-técnicos y regulatorios de los edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías / Update for scientific-technical and regulatory data about low and non-calorie sweeteners

FUNDAMENTOS: El término edulcorante ha tenido desde hace más de 40 años una gran presencia en la información científico-técnica, en la legislación alimentaria, así como en la información dirigida a los profesionales de la salud, alimentación, nutrición y dietética y, en los medios de comunicación. MÉTODOS: Se ha realizado un trabajo de análisis bibliográfico en las bases de datos PubMed, Science Direct, Bucea (Biblioteca Complutense de Madrid) y Google Académico. Se han consultado las bases de datos oficiales, la legislación y regulación vigente, tanto a nivel de la Unión Europea como de España. Además, se han analizado los datos en las encuestas de ingesta dietética de ámbito nacional. RESULTADOS: Existe legislación específica en la Unión Europea que regula la autorización de edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías, no hay encuestas dietéticas en España que reflejen a nivel cuantitativo la presencia de edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías en los productos alimenticios, a excepción del estudio ANIBES. CONCLUSIONES: Las autoridades de seguridad alimentaria y nutrición, en España y Unión Europea, deben seguir velando por la aprobación, regulación y monitorización de los edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías

BACKGROUND: For more than 40 years, the term sweetener has had a great presence in scientific and technical information, in food legislation, as well as the information aimed at health, food, nutrition and dietetic professionals and in the media. METHODS: The analysis has been carried out in the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Bucea (Biblioteca Complutense de Madrid) and Google Académico. The official databases, legislation and regulations in force have been consulted, both at the level of the European Union and Spain. In addition, for the national dietary intake surveys have been analyzed the data. RESULTS: There is specific legislation in the European Union that regulates the authorisation of low and non-calorie sweeteners. There are no dietary surveys in Spain that quantitatively reflect the presence of low and non-calorie sweeteners in food products, with the exception of the ANIBES study. CONCLUSIONS: Food safety and nutrition authorities, European and Spanish level, must continue to ensure the approval, regulation and monitoring of low and non-calorie sweeteners

Advancing probiotic research in humans in the United States: Challenges and strategies.

This is a summary from a workshop convened as part of the 13(th) annual meeting of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. A group of 24 stakeholders, including clinical experts, researchers, federal government officials, funding agencies, lawyers and industry experts met to review the challenges of the current regulatory approach to human research on probiotics in the USA and to discuss ways to move research forward. There was agreement that some of the current regulatory requirements imposed on probiotic research in the United States hindered research progress and increased cost without improving study subject safety. Many situations were outlined by clinical investigators demonstrating the impact of regulatory delays on research progress. Additionally, research is compromised when study designs and outcomes require manipulation so as to invoke less burdensome regulatory requirements. These responses by investigators to regulatory requirements have placed United States' researchers at a disadvantage. The public ultimately suffer when research to clarify the role of these products on health is stalled. Workshop participants concurred that regulatory oversight should balance study subject vulnerability with documented safety for the intended use for the probiotic strain, and that human research on foods and supplements should not be be regulated as drug research. Challenges and potential improvement strategies are discussed.

XV Congreso SEINAP. Alegaciones de salud en el etiquetado y publicidad de los alimentos: del reglamento a la práctica / XV Congreso SEINAP. Health claims in the labeling anda advertising of foods: the regulation into practice

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Programa de investigación de la calidad sanitaria de los alimentos (ICSA): 30 años de vigilancia sanitaria de los alimentos en Barcelona / The ICSA Program: 30 Years of Health Surveillance of Foods in Barcelona

La Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona (ASPB) dispone, desde 1984, del Programa de Investigación de la Calidad Sanitaria de los Alimentos (ICSA) como instrumento para la vigilancia de determinados parámetros químicos y microbiológicos relacionados con el estado sanitario de los alimentos comercializados en la ciudad. Este trabajo analiza la importancia de la vigilancia en salud, particularizando con el análisis de la utilidad y beneficios del programa ICSA. El objetivo principal del programa es valorar si, una vez en el mercado, los alimentos cumplen con la ausencia y/o niveles de tolerancia establecidos para determinados parámetros. No obstante, su carácter abierto permite incorporar o suprimir parámetros o alimentos reflejando nuevos peligros emergentes o intereses más allá de lo legislado. Además, el programa no solo obtiene una visión puntual de los parámetros estudiados en cada edición sino que la acumulación de datos en el tiempo permite evaluar riesgos, realizar cálculos de ingestas de contaminantes a través de la dieta, analizar tendencias, valorar la efectividad de las normativas para la reducción de contaminantes o ayudar en la planificación de programas de control. La información resultante se divulga local e internacionalmente, formando parte de los trabajos de recopilación de contaminantes de agencias de salud estatales y europeas, lo que muestra que es posible desarrollar un sistema de vigilancia a nivel local pero con alcance y objetivos globales y con información útil para gestores, administraciones, operadores económicos y consumidores (AU)

The Food Health Quality Research Program (Investigación de la Calidad Sanitaria de los Alimentos [ICSA]) of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona [ASPB]) was initiated in 1984 to carry out surveillance of certain chemical and microbiological parameters related to the sanitary and safety of foods sold in the city. The present article analyzes the importance of health surveillance and provides details of the uses of the ICSA program. The main aim of this program is to evaluate whether marketed foods comply with the absence and/or established tolerance levels of specific parameters. Nevertheless, the program is able to incorporate or suppress parameters or foods that pose emerging dangers or interests not represented in current legislation. Besides, the program not only obtains a view of the parameters studied at a specific time period in each report, but also accumulates data over time, allowing risk assessment, calculation of dietary intake of contaminants, analysis of tendencies, and evaluation of the effectiveness of regulations to reduce contaminants. The program can also help in the planning of food control programs. The information obtained is disseminated nationally and internationally and is included in dossiers of contaminants issued by national and European health agencies. This demonstrates that a locally-developed surveillance system can have a wider scope and broader objectives and can provide useful information for managers, administrations, economic operators and consumers (AU)

[On the improvement of the legal support of the food safety in the conditions of trade and economic integration of states-members of the Customs union and the Russian Federation's accession to the WTO].

In the article priority activities of The Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare on improvement of standard legal support of safety of foodstuff and control of compliance of foodstuff to legislation requirements are reported. The main documents directed on harmonization of the international requirements with national ones and requirements of the Customs union on safety of foodstuff are submitted. Work within a framework of Russian Federation's accession to the WTO is described. And data on control of quality and safety of foodstuff are provided also.

European and German food legislation facing uncommon foodstuffs.

In Europe, uncommon foodstuff (UFS, i.e., traditional foods from specific European regions and uncommon ethnic foods from non-EU countries) have been contributing to a diversification of the food supply. E-commerce and specialized retail shops are the main sources for UFS. This article discusses the legal bases for UFS introduction and evaluation. By means of 35 representative UFS, this article analyses the possibilities of trade and veterinary inspection of these products in Germany, comparing European Union and national food legislation with the many idiosyncrasies the UFS presents. Conservatory legislation bans the trade with endangered species (primates, cetaceans, songbirds), but for many other species, this is a complex matter that may ban only subpopulations from trade. Although introduction of legal UFS is regulated (yet complicated), the lack of appropriate definitions, intra-European trade harmonization, and of sufficient scientific knowledge hampers a satisfactory evaluation of many UFSs, for example, reptile meat or terrestrial insects. In these cases, official inspection would only be very basic.

Exploring policy compliance of the South African informal milk-producing segment.

Our study assessed whether municipal health services were informed about and exerted adequate control over the informal milk-producing sector in South Africa. The results indicated that municipal health services had limited control. Only one municipality was authorised to allow the sale of raw milk in its area. In most metropolitan and district municipalities, the distribution of raw milk continues, even where no statutory investigations assessed the ability to control the practice. The national and provincial government should recognise and support capacity building to enable municipalities to exercise power and perform their functions regarding informal milk distribution, part of the informal sector that has provided opportunities for employment and additional income. This constitutes a challenge particularly in monitoring and control of high-risk foods.

Compliance of local government towards controlling the informal milk-producing sector in South Africa.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the compliance of local government (LG) (metropolitan and district municipalities) with legislative requirements concerning the control of milk hygiene at production level. Municipal health services (MHS) managers are playing an increasingly important role through legislation to ensure the health and well-being of consumers and to secure consumer trust in the product. A survey questionnaire targeting 52 MHS managers or designated persons (directly responsible for milk control) at the various metropolitan municipalities (metros) and district municipalities (DMs) in South Africa was conducted. At the time of the survey the majority of metros and DMs had not been authorised by the Ministry of Health in accordance with Section 23(1) of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972) in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Respondents indicated that a notable number of metros and DMs had not authorised their environmental health practitioners (EHPs) to administer the provisions of the above-mentioned Act. In accordance with this Act, this study concludes that the respective national and provincial governments, through their various departments, have to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to exercise power and perform their functions in this regard.

Authenticating production origin of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) by chemical and isotopic fingerprinting.

Recent EU legislation (EC/2065/2001) requires that fish products, of wild and farmed origin, must provide consumer information that describes geographical origin and production method. The aim of the present study was to establish methods that could reliably differentiate between wild and farmed European gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The methods that were chosen were based on chemical and stable isotopic analysis of the readily accessible lipid fraction. This study examined fatty acid profiles by capillary gas chromatography and the isotopic composition of fish oil (delta(13)C, delta(18)O), phospholipid choline nitrogen (delta(15)N) and compound specific analysis of fatty acids (delta(13)C) by isotope ratio mass spectroscopy as parameters that could reliably discriminate samples of wild and farmed sea bream. The sample set comprised of 15 farmed and 15 wild gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), obtained from Greece and Spain, respectively. Discrimination was achieved using fatty acid compositions, with linoleic acid (18:2n-6), arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), stearic acid (18:0), vaccenic acid (18:1n-7) and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) providing the highest contributions for discrimination. Principle components analysis of the data set highlighted good discrimination between wild and farmed fish. Factor 1 and 2 accounted for >70% of the variation in the data. The variables contributing to this discrimination were: the fatty acids 14:0, 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n-9, 18:1n-7, 22:1n-11, 18:2n-6 and 22:5n-3; delta(13)C of the fatty acids 16:0, 18:0, 16:1n-7, 18:1n-9, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3; Bulk oil fraction delta(13)C; glycerol/choline fraction bulk delta(13)C; delta(15)N; % N; % lipid.

Politicization and institutional unclarity: the case of the Portuguese food agency.

Recent changes in the institutional framework of food safety in Portugal have been initiated by BSE scandals and by EU legislative impact. Portuguese consumers have only recently moved from a poverty-related fear of food scarcity to modern fears of safety-related problems with food. Food safety is now highly politicized in Portugal, and the organization of food safety policies has been the topic of several parliamentary debates and of governmental reform. The chapter describes the political conflicts generated by the planned establishment of a new Food Agency-controversies which have so far hindered institutional change.

Organización de la nutrición artificial domiciliaria / Organization of home artificial home

La nutrición artificial domiciliaria supone la administración a domicilio de nutrientes y demás agentes terapéuticos adjuntos a través de la vía digestiva (nutrición enteral domiciliaria) o intravenosa (nutrición parenteral domiciliaria), con la finalidad de mejorar o mantener, en el ambiente domiciliario, el estado nutricional de un paciente. Los candidatos a nutrición enteral domiciliaria son los pacientes que disponen de un aparato gastrointestinal funcionante, pero no pueden cubrir sus requerimientos nutricionales mediante la ingestión de alimentos. Los pacientes que no posean un sistema gastrointestinal funcionante para recibir los nutrientes necesarios para cubrir sus requerimientos nutricionales serán candidatos a nutrición parenteral domiciliaria. En ambos casos se precisa cumplir una serie de requisitos para garantizar el éxito de la intervención nutricional. El tratamiento nutricional debe estar planificado de forma individual, y en él deben incluirse un objetivo claramente definido, tanto a corto plazo como a largo plazo, un programa de seguimiento de la eficacia del tratamiento y una reevaluación periódica de la indicación del tratamiento. La logística del programa de nutrición artificial domiciliaria debe incluir un programa de formación del paciente y/o cuidadores, una logística de suministro del material necesario para la nutrición artificial domiciliaria, un plan estratégico de evaluación, cuidados y detección de complicaciones, y un plan de atención ante posibles urgencias. Por último, es imprescindible que el programa cuente con la financiación suficiente para que pueda llevarse a término (AU)

Aspectos legislativos generales de las políticas de seguridad alimentaria / General legal aspects of Food Safety Policies

Las distintas crisis alimentarias producidas en los últimos años en el entorno europeo han venido a poner de manifiesto la ineficacia de la legislación existente para prevenir, o al menos paliar adecuadamente las consecuencias negativas para la salud de dichas crisis. El antecedente tal vez más recordado en España hasta fechas cercanas fue el del aceite de colza, pero las vacas locas volvieron a recrear el temor de los consumidores respecto a la seguridad de los alimentos. En el presente trabajo se pretende poner de manifiesto los problemas que plantea la existencia de una legislación profusa y dispersa en materia de nutrición, especialmente en el ámbito europeo. El objetivo que se persigue es analizar las bases establecidas en el recientemente publicado Reglamento 178/2002, por el que se establecen los principios y requisitos generales de la legislación alimentaria y se crea la Autoridad Europea de Seguridad Alimentaria; pero también se pretende señalar el marco jurídico general que en materia de protección de consumidores fue establecido en nuestro País a través de la Ley General de Consumidores y Usuarios de 1984. (AU)