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Vitamin D deficiency prevalent in children, study finds
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At least 40 percent of American infants and toddlers aren't getting enough vitamin D, according to researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston.
Twelve percent of the youngest U. S. children are already deficient in vitamin D, and another 28 percent are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, according to a study in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The study included 380 children between 8 and 24 months old. About 80 percent were from urban areas, and most were black or Hispanic. |
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Researchers defined “severe deficiency” as blood levels of less than 8 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) and “deficiency” as less than 20 ng/mL. Breast-feeding without vitamin D supplementation is a risk factor for infants, since breast milk lacks adequate quantities of the vitamin.
Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” is produced naturally when the body reacts to sunlight, but skin-cancer precautions (use of sunscreen, staying out of the sun) may reduce vitamin D levels. Only a few foods such as fatty fish (tuna, salmon) naturally contain it; foods fortified with vitamin D, such as dairy products and breakfast cereals, may help offset this but taking a supplement is also recommended. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, helps the body absorb calcium, and supports the immune system. Vitamin K, needed to absorb vitamin D, can easily be obtained from common oils (olive, soybean, canola) and green leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, broccoli).
How much vitamin D a person needs daily is under discussion. At its annual meeting (June 2008) the AMA adopted a policy asking that recommended levels set in 1997 be re-evaluated. According to AMA Board Member Steven Stack, M.D., "It's time to take a good look at the current daily recommended level of vitamin D, and ensure that Americans know the appropriate levels so they can reap the full health benefits," including reduced risk of breast cancer and heart disease.
For more, see http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/18693.html.
Research Briefs
Then and now: changing U.S. eating habits
Food consumption changes over time, but gradually, so the American consumer may not realize how differently he behaves today than he did 35 years earlier. However, thanks to the recordkeeping and data analysis of the USDA’s Economic Research Service, we have a detailed snapshot of what Americans ate and drank in 1970 vs. 2005.
Using the “Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System,” analysts estimated the volume consumed by food types. Most went up. For example, in 2005 each American consumed (on average) 80 more pounds of commercially grown vegetables than in 1970, plus 56 more pounds of grain products and 34 more pounds of fruit. On the other hand, the numbers show the average American ate 55 fewer eggs and drank 10 gallons less milk and nine gallons less coffee. Protein intake shifted in favor of poultry (40 more pounds), cheese (20 more pounds), and fish (4 more pounds of boneless, trimmed equivalent), but with a 17-pound drop in red meat.
Does this correlate to more health-conscious eating habits? There does not appear to be consistent evidence to that effect, since the same period saw a 31-pound gain in fat and oil additives plus a 23-pound rise in sweeteners. What we eat is driven, of course, not just by price and income but by social factors: family structure, cultural norms, time constraints and food-assistance programs. No one is more affected than children, and here the news is not comforting to nutritionists. Consider the switch from milk to soft drinks: for each ounce of milk that American children have stopped drinking, they consume an estimated 4.2 more ounces of soft drinks. This represents a net gain of 31 calories, a loss of about 34 milligrams of calcium, and may contribute to what nutritionists see as rising levels of calcium deficiency, especially in “female adolescents.”
For more on the USDA ERS studies, go to http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Consumption/.
“Before and after bagging” advice from USDA
An article entitled “Safe Leafy Greens — Before & After Bagging” looks at studies leading to new food-safety intervention strategies. Published in the USDA’s Agricultural Research, and drawing on studies by its Agricultural Research Service’s Produce Quality and Safety Laboratory (PQSL), the article examines precautions to curb bacterial pathogens on produce. Findings include:
- When water is reused during washing, waterborne organic matter rapidly accumulates and compromises the efficiency of sanitizers.
- Combining sanitizers with ultrasound (to aid removal of contaminants) before bagging can dramatically reduce bacterial contamination. In the lab, bacteria decreased from about 300,000 colony-forming units to less than 10.
- When MAP is used under low-oxygen conditions at 15 degrees C (59 degrees F) or above, bacteria became more resistant to synthetic gastric juice — but no resistance is induced among bacteria stored under low-oxygen conditions at 10 degrees C (about 50 degrees F) or below.
The full text of the July 2008 Agricultural Research article can be accessed at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul08/greens0708.htm.
Number of “food-insecure” people increases worldwide
The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has released “Food Security Assessment 2007,” a study which finds that the number of food-insecure people in the 70 lowest-income countries rose between 2006 and 2007 — from 849 million to 982 million. Food-insecure people are those consuming less than the nutritional target of 2,100 calories per day.
The food-security situation of these countries is projected to deteriorate over the next decade. The distribution gap, an indicator of food access, is projected to rise from 44 million tons in 2007 to more than 57 million tons in 2017. This is more than seven times the amount of food aid received by these countries in 2006. Sub-Saharan Africa, already the most vulnerable region with the lowest-calorie intake levels, will suffer the greatest deterioration in food security.
To learn more, visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/GFA19/.
Keeping a food diary may double weight loss
According to a new study, keeping a food diary can double a person’s weight loss. “The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,” said lead author Jack Hollis Ph.D., a researcher at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. “Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories.”
The study’s 1,700 participants were classified as either overweight or obese. Participants were fed a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The DASH diet is rich in fruits and vegetables plus low- or non-fat dairy products. The study also provided weekly group sessions and moderate-intensity exercise at least 30 minutes a day, in addition to a maintaining a food diary. After six months, the average weight loss among the nearly 1,700 participants was approximately 13 pounds. The findings will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Tips: Keeping a food diary
Company News
Anheuser-Busch takeover battle heats up
In a suit filed this week, St. Louis-based brewer Anheuser-Busch called Brussels-based InBev's attempted buyout an "illegal plan and scheme" to acquire the company at an undervalued-price. The suit follows InBev’s attempt on Monday to unseat Anheuser’s board by filing a preliminary consent solicitation statement for the removal of the board with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. InBev stated that the filing was an attempt to provide Anheuser-Busch shareholders an opportunity to have a direct voice in the proposed combination with InBev. In a statement, InBev proposed its own slate of directors.
Anheuser’s lawsuit also states that InBev is deceiving Anheuser shareholders about the takeover bid by concealing a number of facts, including the claim that InBev did not disclose that it operates a brewery in Cuba.
InBev, the maker of Beck's and Stella Artois, had a previous offer of $46.35 billion ($65 per share) for Anheuser-Busch rejected in June. Anheuser-Busch holds nearly 49 percent share of U.S. beer sales, whose popular brands include Budweiser and Michelob. A successful acquisition of Anheuser would make InBev the world’s largest brewer.
Bloomberg Article
Anheuser-Busch Press Release
InBev Press Release
Low-temperature, BOPP-grade sealing film
A new low-temperature sealing film is intended to increase output for bakery and chocolate manufacturers, while reducing their environmental impact. Named Walothen C25XLS E, this BOPP-grade (biaxially oriented polypropylene) uncoated film can be sealed at temperatures as low as 65 degrees C.
Polypropylene, resistant to most chemical solvents, is tasteless, odorless, and safe for contact with food, according to the film’s manufacturer, Wipak. The film is also intended to be cost-effective at a time when rising polymer costs are affecting packaging manufacturers.
Glanbia eyes profitable 2008
Boosted by global demand for whey and protein products, Ireland-based Glanbia believes 2008 is shaping up to be a very good year. The ingredients and nutritionals division, the company’s largest, has had two strong quarters and is outpacing 2007’s sales, which themselves were up 30 percent over 2006.
The company sees especially good potential from weight management, infant formula, and sports nutrition segments as the worldwide nutritional business continues to "perform well." Glanbia produces cheese, butter, casein, and protein ingredients at facilities in Ireland and the U.S., and also does business in the U.K., Germany, Canada, and China. Full results for the first six months of 2008 are expected on August 27.
Full Article http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a4v5NdOFolC0&refer=uk
Regulatory News
HHS announces international food- and drug-safety programs
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today two programs designed to enhance the safety of food and medical products exported to the United States.
Leavitt made the announcement at an Import Safety Summit in Washington, D.C., and described the initiatives as steps in a government-wide shift to implement the Interagency Import Safety Action Plan of November 2007.
The first initiative is a project undertaken by HHS’s FDA to cooperate more closely with European Union and Australian counterparts in planning, allocating for, and conducting inspections of drug-manufacturing facilities. The second initiative is a third-party certification pilot program involving aqua-cultured (farm-raised) shrimp. Certification bodies currently certifying foreign processors of aqua-cultured shrimp are expected to comply with FDA's seafood regulations, and the project is designed to help FDA learn how to evaluate such certification programs.
Additional information about import safety initiatives is available at http://www.importsafety.gov/. HHS press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
FDA food safety director to speak at International Tomato Congress
Dr. Nega Beru, director of the FDA’s Office of Food Safety, will speak at the International Tomato Congress in Mexico later this month. Dr. Beru will comment on the recent salmonella outbreak in the U.S., its impact on tomato growers in both the USA and Mexico, and what the FDA has learned from these events.
The salmonella scare has had serious repercussions for growers in Mexico, which last year exported nearly $1 billion of fresh tomatoes to the U.S. According to Jess Ennis, publisher of Productores de Hortalizas magazine. “Dr. Beru will talk about the controversial decisions that the FDA has made concerning the outbreak, and what this means going forward for growers and consumers.”
For information about the International Tomato Congress, visit http://www.elcongresodeltomate.com/.
Mississippi added to Peanut Board
USDA has added producer representatives from Mississippi to the National Peanut Board, following its most recent review of peanut production nationwide. Mississippi, which produces 2% of the annual U.S. crop, is now the seventh-largest producing state after Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and North and South Carolina. To access the Federal Register online, go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
IFT & Meeting News
Food production is getting greener; are you ready?
Green Food Production Webcast
July 30, 2008
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. CST
Food production is getting greener, and this trend is one that the industry cannot ignore. Food processors are taking the necessary steps to make their processes greener, and agricultural models using green food production processes are resulting in less pollution and top-soil loss than conventional systems. Green food is grown and processed with the health of the earth in mind, promoting soil fertility, soil structure, and agricultural sustainability.
Hear from leading industry professionals on how to:
- Identify basic green practices best suited for your company or organization
- Develop implementation plans for green production
- Measure the positive impact green production has on the environment and your local community
Register for this webcast and gain a deeper understanding of the benefits for your products, your company, and the environment that green production offers. For more information and to register, visit ift.org/knowledge. When registering, please enter this code: 0708EM1218
Wellness 09 call for proposals
You are invited to help shape the content of the Food Technology Presents Conference, Wellness 09 - At the Forefront of Food & Health, by submitting a proposal. Submit your proposal by Friday, August 15, 2008. http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1001597
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