Die Weiterentwicklung der Codex Alimentarius Standards für Öle und Fette

Further Development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for Oils and Fats Further development of Codex Alimentarius standards for oils and fats, which was discussed at the 7th meeting of the Codex Committee in London, is reported. Limits of fatty acid composition of individual oils and fats, problems of solvent residues as well as the development of new standards for lowerucic rapeseed oil, low calorie spreads, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil were discussed at the above meeting. It has already been realized that the Recommended Standards have a significant impact both on harmonization work within the European Community and international development of food legislation.     

Die weitere Entwicklung der Codex Alimentarius Standards für Öle und Fette

Further Development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for Oils and Fats The present status of Codex Alimentarius Standards for oils and fats is reviewed. Further development of these standards is reported, based on discussions at the 8th meeting of the codex committee for oils and fats in London. The discussions concerned standards for low-erucic rapeseed oil, low-fat spreads, coconut-, palm-, palm kernel-, babassu-, grape seed- and marine oils as well as issues involving the range of application, fatty acid composition of individual oils and fats and use of solvents in the recovery and processing of fats.     

Die Weiterentwicklung der Codex Alimentarius Standards für Öle und Fette

Further Development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for Oils and Fats A report is given on the further development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for oils and fats, which was discussed in the 9th meeting of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils from 28th November to 2nd December 1977 in London. Topics discussed were a collaborative report by FAO and WHO on the role of fats in human nutrition, the general standard for oils and fats, and standards for reduced fat margarine, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, babassu oil, grape seed oil as well as marine oils. Furthermore, the limits of fatty acid composition as criteria for identification of specific oils and fats were discussed.     

A simple,graphic procedure for authentication of commercial fats and oil based on fatty acid compositions in codex standards

It is likely that fatty acid compositions as derived by gas liquid chromatography will soon become one of the mandatory criteria for authentication of individual (unmodified) commercial fats and oils in the standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization/ World Health Organization’s Codex Alimentarius Committee on Fats and Oils. A simple graphical procedure for using the Codex Committee’s fatty acid composition standards to identify fats and oils has been devised and tested. Except for one sample, the fatty acid-based standards have not been found to conflict with some presently accepted mandatory standards (i.e, iodine value, refractive index, and saponification value).     

Status on development of codex alimentarius standards for vegetable proteins

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1962 to implement the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. The purpose is to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair practices in food trade, promote coordination of food standards, and to draft, finalize, and publish standards. At the Twelfth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1978, the establishment of a Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins was accepted. The terms of reference for the Committee are “to elaborate definitions and worldwide standards for vegetable protein products deriving from soyabeans, cottonseed, groundnuts, cereals, and from other vegetable sources as they come into use for human consumption; and to elaborate guidelines on utilization of such vegetable protein products in the food supply system, on nutritional requirements and safety, on labeling, and other aspects as may seem appropriate.” The first meeting of the Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins was held in Ottawa, November 1980. The Committee considered proposed international standards for vegetable protein flours, concentrates and isolates; reviewed draft guidelines for the use of vegetable proteins in foods; and considered labeling declarations concerning the use of vegetable proteins in other foods. In preparation for a second meeting of the Committee, a future program of work was established.     

Fatty acid composition as a basis for identification of commercial fats and oils

Gas liquid chromatographic analyses of 200 samples of commercial fats and oils were compared to the standard ranges specified by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Codex Alimentarius Committee on Fats and Oils at its seventh session, London, England, March 25, 1974. Only six samples fell notably outside the standard ranges. On the basis of this information, the U.S. delegation is offering for consideration by the Committee at its next meeting a method for using the fatty acid composition of a fat or oil to determine its authenticity.     

Codex alimentarius commission

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established to facilitate international trade in foods through the development of specifications which assure the identity and quality of the item. The history, accomplishments and current status of Codex Alimentarius deliberations on fats and oils is reviewed through the Eleventh Meeting held in London during June 1980.     

What we know and what we should know about virgin oils – a general introduction

On international scale the Codex Alimentarius Standard for Named Vegetable Oils differentiates between virgin oils and cold‐pressed oils, while in Germany virgin, non‐refined and refined oils are available. Here cold‐pressed is an additional quality feature. The paper explains and comments the various definitions for vegetable oils other than olive oil obtained by mechanical extraction only, because they are partly contradictory. Resulting from gentle processing virgin oils are often appreciated by the consumers as the better oils. The answer of the present paper to the question which type of oil is better is that there is no better or worse oil, but only a better or worse suitability of an oil for application in food processing or the kitchen. Finally, the paper picks up the upcoming debate on the potential ’?new' contaminant, 3‐MCPD‐fatty acid esters, which were found in refined oils.     

Das künftige Lebensmittelrecht im nationalen und internationalen Bereich

Food Regulations in the Future at National and International Sphere All over the world it has been felt during the past decade that owing to industrialization and environmental changes a greater protection should be afforded to the consumer by way of food regulations. Federal Republic of Germany has already taken the first step in this direction in the supplementary laws of 1958 governing impurities in foods. The work directed towards comprehensive reform of the entire food law (foodstuffs, tobacco products, cosmetics and articles of daily requirement) which was started in 1964 is nearing completion now. This reform will provide improved protection against hazards to health and adulteration. Also in international level work is in progress towards evolving uniform food laws amongst individual countries. Especially the efforts by European organizations and the Codex Alimentarius Commission of FAO/WHO should be mentioned. The Federal Republic of Germany is actively participating in these works. This country might succeed in getting its principles of progressive food laws accepted in international sphere.     

Formulation and Characterization of Human Milk Fat Substitutes Made from Blends of Refined Palm Olein,and Soybean,Olive, Fish,and Virgin Coconut Oils

The simplest and the most cost-effective way of human milk fat substitute (HMFS) production is formulating of suitable vegetable oils at proper ratios. To do this, the D-optimal mixture design was used to optimize the HMFS formulation. The design included 25 formulations made from refined palm olein (35–55%), soybean oil (5–25%), olive oil (5–20%), virgin coconut oil (5–15%), and fish oil (0–10%). Samples were produced in laboratory and characterized in terms of fatty acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions, free fatty acid content, peroxide value, iodine value, and oxidative stability index (OSI). HMFS samples were also compared with Codex Alimentarius (CA) and Iran National Standards Organization (INSO) standards. Each characteristic of HMFS samples was then expressed as a function of ingredient ratio using regression models. Finally, using numerical optimization, four optimized blends (PB₁-PB₄) were selected, made in the laboratory (HMFS₁-HMFS₄), characterized, and compared with CA and INSO standards. The properties of all the optimized blends (except the palmitic acid content of HMFS₂ and the monounsaturated fatty acid [MUFA] content of HMFS₃) met the standards. HMFS₄ showed the highest OSI in Rancimat and the lowest oxidation rate in Schaal oven tests. POL (19.53–21.73%), PPO (20.77–21.73%), OOO (9.11–11.16%), and OPO (8.84–9.46%) were the main (totally about 60%) TAG species found in HMFS samples. In conclusion, the HMFS₄ formula (55% palm olein, 13.5% soybean oil, 16% refined olive oil, 15% virgin coconut oil, and 0.5% fish oil) was suggested as the best formula for HMFS production.     

Report of progress towards the development of a performance standard for aerosol sampling instruments used in occupational hygiene

Working groups of the European Standards Organization (CEN) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) are currently jointly engaged in drafting a standard entitled ‘Assessment of the performance of instruments used for the health-related sampling of particles in workplaces’. This report describes the main requirements of the current draft standard and discusses aspects of its implementation. The author is the secretary of both the CEN and ISO working groups, and the draft standard described is the result of the collective work of the members of those working groups.     

Chitosan interaction with iron from yoghurt using an in vitro digestive model: comparative study with plant dietary fibers

The objective of this work was to investigate the interaction of chitosan with iron from yoghurt by an in vitro gastrointestinal tract model. Taking into account that chitosan is a polysaccharide included in fiber definition by Codex Alimentarius; chitosan behavior was studied and compared with different plant fiber (wheat, bamboo, apple, psyllium and inulin) behaviors, in the same in vitro conditions. Ferrous sulfate was added to yoghurts with each type of fiber. The gastric environment was simulated with HCl (pH 1.0-2.0). The duodenal environment was simulated with NaHCO(3) (pH 6.8-7.2) and a dialysis tubing cellulose membrane. Results showed that chitosan had the highest iron retention percentages (53.2% at 30 min; 56.8% at 60 min) interacting in a more pronounced manner with iron than the plant fibers used in this work.     

Mischungen von Fetten und Ölen im internationalen Lebensmittelrecht und Einfluß der Harmonisierung in der EWG auf bundesdeutsches Recht

Blends of Fats and Oils in International Food Legislation and the Influence of EEC Harmonisation on German Federal Law Blends of fats and oils are of particular interest in terms of food legislation when milk fat is incorporated. In contrast to the existing standards of the Codex Alimentarius, the national legislation of each EEC member state contains far-reaching restrictions on this point which, however, are being or have been given up under the influence of the Cassis de Dijon judgement of the European Court of Justice. In 1988 France was the first EEC country to change its laws, the Federal Republic of Germany followed suit in 1990. At EEC level, the umbrella organisations of the dairy industry and the margarine industry have put forward suggestions for structuring the market for yellow fat spreads, which is to form a basis for EC legislation. In anticipation of EF legislation of this kind, Germany now permits, by virtue of an Order concerning margarine and mixed fat products of 31.8.1990, the production of mixed fat products consisting of fats fit for human consumption and a proportion of milk fat. The total fat content of these products must be 20–62% or at least 80%. The milk fat content must be between 15 and 25%, 45 and 55%, or 65 and 75% of the total fat content, but must account for at least 8% of the product weight.     

Bioactive Compounds and Stability of Organic and Conventional Vitis labrusca Grape Seed Oils

The aim of this study was to determine the differences between organic and conventional grape seed oils extracted from different grapes (Bordô and Isabel). The physicochemical quality, bioactive compounds and oxidative stability of the oils were investigated. The organic samples exhibited the best color parameters, and all samples were within the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius regarding their quality parameters. Only Bordô grape seed oils presented lutein and the best results regarding α‐ and β‐carotene and α‐tocopherol contents. All samples exhibited the same antioxidant activity results, but the Bordô ones exhibited higher oxidative stability. Overall, the results from this study suggest no differences between organic and conventional grape seed oils but between the grape varieties.     

Evaluation of the potential adulteration of commercial honey distributed in Costa Rica compared with artesanian honey samples coming from specific apiaries

Honey is the principal apiculture product, produced by Apis mellifera bee. This, as any other food product, has to accomplish certain quality standards, including physicochemical, organoleptic and microbiological properties. Within these parameters, different measures are considered as adulteration indicators, including hydroxymethylfurfural and diastase enzyme activity which are associated to overheating, and the sucrose, glucose and fructose content. In this study, a determination of previous parameters, additional to glucose, fructose and fructose/glucose index was performed to 35 artisan samples, obtained directly from beekeeper, previously characterized as having good productive practices and 25 commercial samples. Same time, the results obtained were compared and interpreted, in order to determine the kind of adulteration present in the honey sample. The 89% of artesian samples accomplished the parameters established by the Codex Alimentarius for HMF content, diastase activity, sucrose and simple sugars content. Nevertheless, only 20% (5) of the commercial samples accomplished the international and national normative. 24% of these samples presented succrose addition, 32% overheating or inverted sugar syrup addition, and 24% were adulterated with inverted sugar syrup.     

Trace metal content of a herring oil at various stages of pilot-plant refining and partial hydrogenation

Samples of a typical Atlantic herring oil at various stages of pilot-plant processing were analyzed for cadmium, selenium, arsenic, mercury, copper, lead, and zinc. The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius requirements for low levels of specific metals in edible oils were always difficult to meet completely in either a washed and bleached oil or in two lots of oil processed from one crude oil by the additional steps of partial hydrogenation and deodorization. The mercury content of the crude oil was relatively low and was not greatly affected by processing. The selenium level of 47 ppb in the crude oil was significantly lowered by hydrogenation and deodorization. Arsenic was removed by alkali refining. The lead content was reduced by only 40% upon refining, probably because lead was present as an organometallic material. The concentration of the other heavy elements was generally lowered during processing.     

Purity Criteria in Edible Oils and Fats

A review is presented of edible vegetable oil purity criteria developed at the Leatherhead Food Research Association. Most of the work involved accurate determination, by modern GLC techniques, of the fatty acid compositions of oils extracted in the laboratory from oilseeds of known origin and history. All of the main production areas throughout the world were represented in the collection of over 600 samples of commercial oilseeds. No botanial curiosities or hand picked specimens were included as the work related to commercially available edible oils. The fatty acid compositions of the major vegetable oils are reviewed, and the influence this had on the revision of Codex Alimentarius Fats and Oils Specifications is discussed. The development of purity criteria based on the composition of fatty acids at the triglyceride 2-position, triglyceride compositions by high temperature GLC, sterol compositions and tocopherol concentrations are also reviewed. In the case of maize oil a significant new development is the authentication of the oil by stable carbon isotope ratio measurement. The possibilities of this exciting new technique are reviewed in the light of 40 results on maize oils of various origins, together with over 60 results on a selection of other oils and fats.     

Design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to assure the safety of a bologna product produced by a meat processing plant

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic integral program used to identify and estimate the hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) and the risks generated during the primary production, processing, storage, distribution, expense and consumption of foods. To establish a program of HACCP has advantages, being some of them: to emphasize more in the prevention than in the detection, to diminish the costs, to minimize the risk of manufacturing faulty products, to allow bigger trust to the management, to strengthen the national and international competitiveness, among others. The present work is a proposal based on the design of an HACCP program to guarantee the safety of the Bologna Special Type elaborated by a meat products industry, through the determination of hazards (microbiological, chemical or physical), the identification of critical control points (CCP), the establishment of critical limits, plan corrective actions and the establishment of documentation and verification procedures. The used methodology was based in the application of the seven basic principles settled down by the Codex Alimentarius, obtaining the design of this program. In view of the fact that recently the meat products are linked with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, these were contemplated as microbiological hazard for the establishment of the HACCP plan whose application will guarantee the obtaining of a safe product.     

The Quality,Stability, and Bioactive Compound Composition of Virgin and Refined Organic Grape Seed Oil

Samples of virgin and refined organic grape seed oil were studied for their physicochemical quality, oxidative stability, and the bioactive compounds they contained. All of the samples were within the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius with regard to their quality parameters. Lutein, zeaxanthin, β‐carotene, α‐tocopherol, and catechin were the bioactive compounds analyzed, and the virgin oil afforded more significant results. No measurable amounts of zeaxanthin and β‐carotene were observed in the refined oil, most likely due to the refining process that was carried out at high temperatures. The oxidative stability index decreased with increasing temperature, whereas the air flow had no effect on the stability index. The optimal parameters for the oxidative stability are 80 °C and a flow rate of 15 L h^?1, and the virgin oil sample showed the best oxidative stability, possibly because it was not subjected to any treatment after extraction. The results from this study suggest that it would be preferable to consume virgin instead of refined grape oil because it is a better source of bioactive compounds and has a higher stability when heated.     

Effect of microencapsulation and spray drying on oxidative stability of flaxseed oil and its release behavior under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Flaxseed oil is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acid (α-linolenic acid, ALA). It contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, making it extremely susceptible to oxidation. In the present study, flaxseed oil was stabilized using microencapsulation followed by spray drying and studied for its oxidative stability in terms of peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid, and p-anisidine value at room temperature (35 ± 1°C) and low temperature (4–7°C) storage for 6 months. Results revealed that the developed flaxseed oil powder was stable throughout the storage period and PV remained below to the maximum permissible limit (≤5 mEq/kg oil) prescribed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The fatty acids profile measured by gas–liquid chromatography indicated a 14.28–15.13% decrease in ALA content in flaxseed oil as a result of microencapsulation and storage at room temperature. In vitro digestion behavior of microcapsules showed 4.39 ± 0.53 to 19.87 ± 0.47% release of flaxseed oil under simulated gastric continued, whereas under gastrointestinal conditions it was 20.00 ± 3.66 to 59.99 ± 9.29%.