Exposure assessment to synthetic food colours of a selected population in Hyderabad, India

An exposure assessment of synthetic food colours was carried out among 1-5- and 6-18-year-old individuals by the food frequency method. Children had an intake of solid food consumption in the range 2-465 g day^-1 and liquid food consumption in the range 25-840 ml day^-1 with added colours. Among the eight permitted colours in India, six were consumed by the subjects of the study. The intakes of some subjects exceeded the acceptable daily intake for colours such as tartrazine, sunset yellow and erythrosine, which is 7.5, 2.5 and 0.1 mg kg^-1 body weight, respectively. Therefore, a uniform permissible limit of 100 mg kg^-1 prescribed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act in India for all foods is not justified. The limits need to be revised according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which permits different maximum levels of additives to various food categories based on both the extent of consumption and the technological justification for its use.     

A U.S. population dietary exposure assessment for 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) from foods containing caramel colour and from formation of 4-MEI through the thermal treatment of food

ABSTRACT

4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI) is formed in caramel colours produced using ammonium compounds (Class III and Class IV caramel colours). 4-MEI can also form in food through Maillard reactions between reducing sugars and amino acids during cooking, roasting or dry-heating. The USFDA has analysed over 700 food and beverage samples collected from 2013 to 2015 for the presence of 4-MEI. These samples include foods containing added caramel colour and foods that are not labelled as containing added caramel colour, but which may contain 4-MEI resulting from thermal treatment. The 4-MEI levels in all food samples were quantified using LC-MS/MS. These data were used to develop a comprehensive dietary exposure assessment for 4-MEI for the U.S. population aged 2 years or more and several sub-populations, using two non-consecutive days of food consumption data from the combined 2009–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and 10–14-day food consumption survey data for 2009–2012 from the NPD Group, Inc. National Eating Trends–Nutrient Intake Database. Dietary exposure estimates were prepared for each category of foods labelled as containing added caramel colour and of foods not labelled as containing added caramel colour, but which may contain 4-MEI from thermal treatment. Exposure to 4-MEI from consumption of foods containing added caramel colour was higher than that from foods that contain 4-MEI from thermal treatment for all population groups. Cola-type carbonated beverages were the highest contributors for most populations from foods containing added caramel colour. Coffee was the highest contributor for most populations from foods in which 4-MEI could be formed from thermal treatment. An overall combined exposure to 4-MEI was also estimated that included all foods identified as containing added caramel colour and foods in which 4-MEI could be formed by thermal treatment.     

Safety assessment of antioxidants and color fixatives for the Korean population using dietary intake monitoring

Food additives such as antioxidants and color fixatives are substances used in food intentionally for technical effect, such as decolorizing or intensifying the color of food. Based on the necessity of re-evaluating food additives for safety and to improve consumer perception, we conducted safety assessments for food additives according to the Risk Assessment Guidelines of the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. These safety assessments evaluated new risk information based on toxicology data and estimates of dietary intake exposures to food additives in comparison with the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Estimated daily intakes (EDI) of food additives were calculated using food consumption data for the Korean population derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and monitoring data based on the analysis of food additives in food products. Unlike contaminants, antioxidants and color fixatives are purposely added as food additives, and they are largely consumed in processed foods. Therefore, EDI was compared with ADI to investigate the likelihood of potentially hazardous effects in humans. The risk likelihoods of food additives, evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, were less than 2% in the total population. Thus, exposure levels to antioxidants and color fixatives do not exceed the ADI. Based on the safety assessments conducted in this study, we estimate exposure to food additives to be within safe limits for all population groups.     

Safety assessment of 16 sweeteners for the Korean population using dietary intake monitoring and poundage method

ABSTRACT

A sweetener is a food additive that imparts a sweet taste to food products. Sweeteners have been increasingly used in Korea since the approval of sodium saccharin and d-sorbitol in 1962. Unlike food contaminants, humans are exposed to food additives only through the consumption of processed food products. For exposure assessments of sweeteners, the dietary intakes of food products containing acesulfame-K, aspartame, saccharin-Na, and sucralose were determined, and the resulting calculated estimated daily intake (EDI) values were compared directly with each additive’s ADI. The poundage method was used to calculate the daily intake per capita for 12 additional sweeteners, such as lactitol, for which appropriate analytical methods for food products do not exist. The risk, as evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, was determined to be 2.9% for acesulfame-K, 0.8% for aspartame, 3.6% for saccharin-Na, 4.3% for steviol glycosides, and 2.1% for sucralose. No hazardous effect was predicted for the other 11 sweeteners, including lactitol.     

Analysis and risk assessment of 4(5)-methylimidazole in brown colored foods and beverages

In this study, the 4(5)-methylimidazole (4(5)-MI) levels in various 144 brown coloured foods and beverages were determined. The brown coloured foods and beverages were 62 processed sauces, 40 coffee, 9 caramel syrups, 18 red ginseng juice and 15 Japanese apricot fruit juice. The amount of 4(5)-MI in brewed coffee (1821.3 ng/g) was the highest level among the samples. The 4(5)-MI concentration in processed sauce (47.6 ng/g) was the lowest level among the samples. The levels of 4(5)-MI in various samples were found as follows: 47.6–1748.5 ng/g in processed sauces, 64.1–1821.3 ng/g in commercial coffee, 115.5–491.9 ng/g in caramel syrups, 91.0–854.1 ng/g in red ginseng juice and 137.6–587.4 ng/g in Japanese apricot fruit juice. Based on the 4(5)-MI levels, the estimated daily intake (EDI) and chronic daily intake (CDI) were calculated. EDI and CDI of red ginseng juice was the highest among all samples, and they were 1618.6 and 1256.8 ng/kg bw/day, respectively.     

Usage pattern and exposure assessment of food colours in different age groups of consumers in the State of Uttar Pradesh,India

The present study aims to investigate the nature and levels of colours in food items and to undertake risk assessment vis-à-vis intake among different age groups of consumers in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 478 edible foodstuffs were analysed, and of six permitted colours, Sunset Yellow FCF (SSYFCF) and Tartrazine were most popular, and two non-permitted colours, namely Metanil Yellow and Rhodamine B, were encountered. The study showed a marked improvement in the trend of use of non-permitted colours over previous surveys, with 90% foods now resorting to approved food colours. However, 59% of foods employing permitted colours exceeded the maximum allowable limit, with average quantities crossing the threshold of 100 mg kg^?1 in most food commodities. The intake of SSYFCF exceeded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for children and adolescents by 88% and 39%, respectively, and was statistically significant when analysed by error bars and distribution curves. In adults, SSYFCF saturated 59% of the ADI. For Carmoisine, Tartrazine and Ponceau 4R, saturation of ADI ranged from 27.4% to 90.3% in children and adolescents and from 10.8% to 47.6% in adult subjects. These results indicate that children and adolescents are more vulnerable to higher intakes of food colours compared with the adult population. Allowing a uniform level of all colours in foods under Indian rules, notwithstanding wide variations of 250-fold in their allocated ADIs, could be one reason for the higher intake and hence only technological need-based levels of individual colours are desired to be prescribed.     

Association of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) with feed intake,growth, fatness and carcass composition in pigs raised in Poland

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is involved in feed intake regulation. A missense mutation G/A in position 1426, which causes Asp-Asn substitution at position 298 in the MC4R gene has been associated with feed intake, fatness and growth, however published results of its effect are inconsistent. In our study we evaluated an effect of missense mutations on carcass composition, growth traits and meat quality in 1191 gilts of five breeds: Polish Large White, Polish Landrace, Pu?awska, Pietrain and Duroc. G/A 1426 MC4R mutations were genotyped using a 7500 Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystem). Our observations confirm that the G allele is frequent in breeds selected for lean meat content (Pietrain – 92.4%) and rare in breed with a fat carcass (Duroc – 31.5%), which has been previously reported. Our study revealed that the A allele was associated with increased daily feed intake (AA – 2.51 kg; GG – 2.31 kg in the Pu?awska breed, P < 0.05), daily gain and backfat thickness (AA – 1.67 cm, GG – 1.52 cm in PL, P < 0.01) and decreased lean meat content (total weight of ham was 0.5 kg greater in G/G than in A/A Pu?awska animals). We obtained an unexpected result for IMF: higher percentage of IMF was observed in the G/G genotype.     

氯化铵和磷酸二氢钠对小球藻增殖的影响

通过小球藻一次性培养试验,研究了不同氯化铵浓度和无机磷浓度对小球藻增殖的影响.结果表明,氯化铵和磷酸二氢钠对该藻增殖具有极显著作用,且这两种营养盐之间存在交互作用.此小球藻生长所需的NH4 -N最适浓度为150μmol/L;相应的无机磷最适浓度为10μmol/L;二者的比例是15:1.营养盐浓度过高或者过低均不利于小球藻的增殖.     

Dietary exposure and risk assessment of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins,polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls of the population in the Region of Valencia (Spain)

Dietary exposure of the Valencia Region population to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and PCBs was assessed in the Region of Valencia in 2010–2011. A total of 7700 food samples were collected. Occurrence data were combined with consumption data to estimate dietary exposure in adults (>15 years of age) and young people (6–15 years of age). The estimated intake was calculated by a probabilistic approach. Average intake levels (upper-bound scenario) were 1.58 and 2.76 pg toxic equivalent (TEQ) kg^?1 body weight (bw) day^?1 for adults and young people, respectively. These average intakes are within range of the tolerable daily intake of 1–4 pg WHO-TEQ kg^?1 bw day^?1 recommended by WHO, and slightly above the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 14 pg TEQ kg^?1 bw week^?1 and the Provisional tolerable monthly intake of 70 pg TEQ kg^?1 bw month^?1 set by the Scientific Committee on Food and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food, respectively. These results show that the contamination levels in food and therefore the exposure of the general population to PCDD/Fs and PCBs have declined in this region and therefore show the efficiency of the European risk-management measures. In terms of risk characterisation, the results showed that, under the upper-bound scenario, 22% of the adult and 58% of the young people population could exceed the TWI.     

Principles for the risk assessment of genetically modified microorganisms and their food products in the European Union

Genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) are involved in the production of a variety of food and feed. The release and consumption of these products can raise questions about health and environmental safety. Therefore, the European Union has different legislative instruments in place in order to ensure the safety of such products. A key requirement is to conduct a scientific risk assessment as a prerequisite for the product to be placed on the market. This risk assessment is performed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), through its Scientific Panels. The EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms has published complete and comprehensive guidance for the risk assessment of GMMs and their products for food and/or feed use, in which the strategy and the criteria to conduct the assessment are explained, as well as the scientific data to be provided in applications for regulated products. This Guidance follows the main risk assessment principles developed by various international organisations ( and ). The assessment considers two aspects: the characterisation of the GMM and the possible effects of its modification with respect to safety, and the safety of the product itself. Due to the existing diversity of GMMs and their products, a categorisation is recommended to optimise the assessment and to determine the extent of the required data. The assessment starts with a comprehensive characterisation of the GMM, covering the recipient/parental organism, the donor(s) of the genetic material, the genetic modification, and the final GMM and its phenotype. Evaluation of the composition, potential toxicity and/or allergenicity, nutritional value and environmental impact of the product constitute further cornerstones of the process. The outcome of the assessment is reflected in a scientific opinion which indicates whether the product raises any safety issues. This opinion is taken into account by the different European regulatory authorities prior to a decision regarding authorisation to commercialise the product.     

Exposure of the Irish population to PBDEs in food: consideration of parameter uncertainty and variability for risk assessment

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are brominated flame retardants used to retard the ignition and/or spread of fire. PBDEs are used in various consumer products, such as textiles, mattresses and TV screens. This study presents a chemical risk assessment for the Irish population based on exposure to PBDEs from food. Special regard is given to the influence of parameter uncertainty and variability on the margins of safety. To quantitatively model uncertainty and variability in concentration data and variability in consumer behavior, a hierarchical probabilistic model was constructed. This model was evaluated using a two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation (2D-MCS) approach. By considering uncertainty and variability in concentration data, margins of safety (MOS) were derived that are lower by a factor of ～2 compared to MOS based on dose estimates that only consider variability. The lowest MOS is 7.5?×?10⁴ for BDE-99, with impaired spermatogenesis as toxic endpoint. Assuming an MOS of 10⁴ as acceptable, we conclude that there is no significant risk for human health through intake of contaminated food. To investigate whether additional measurements could improve the quality of dose estimates, the statistic “uncertainty-to-variability (UVR)” was developed. By applying the UVR to our dose estimates, we show that, in our case, the datasets contain little uncertainty and additional measurements would not significantly improve the quality of dose estimates.     

掺杂SO4^2-对In2O3电导和气敏性能的影响

用超声分散浸渍法制备了掺杂SO2-4的In2O3半导体气敏材料,并对其电导和气敏性能进行了研究.结果表明:SO2-4的掺入改变了N型半导体In2O3材料的导电性能;少量SO2-4(w(SO2-4)≈2%)的存在,能提高材料的比表面积和表面吸附氧On-2量,187℃下对乙醇有较好的选择性和灵敏度.     

掺钴锂锰氧化物的合成机理及红外光谱与磁性研究

用TG-DTA-DTG,XRD,IR谱方法研究了掺钴锂锰氧化物LiCoxMn2-xO4的合成机理及红外光谱变化规律,并通过磁化率的测定考查了化合物中Co3+,Mn3+的价电子填充规律.结果表明蒸发Li2CO3,Co(CH3COO)2@4H2O,Mn(CH3COO)2@4H2O混合溶液之后,对其烧结制备LiCoxMn2-xO4的过程大致可分为吸附水的失去,结晶水的失去,Li2CO3,Co(CH3COO)2,Mn(CH3COO)2的分解并生成LiCoxMn2-xO4 4个阶段,烧结产物LiCoxMn2-xO4的红外光谱图形状基本相同,但吸收峰的位置随烧结温度和钴含量(摩尔分数)的不同而略有变化,但其磁化率的变化只与温度有关.     

Amino acid-dependent formation pathways of 2-acetylfuran and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3[2H]-furanone in the Maillard reaction

The formation pathways of two furanoids, 2-acetylfuran and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3[2H]-furanone (DMHF) were studied by GC–MS in the Maillard-type model system based on glucose and selected amino acids. The reaction was performed in 0.01 M phosphate buffer by heating a 1:1 mixture of [¹³C6] glucose and [¹²C6] glucose with amino acid. There is only one major formation pathway for DMHF in which the glucose carbon skeleton stayed intact. Formation pathways for 2-acetylfuran were more complicated. They formed either from glucose or from glucose and glycine. In the presence of glycine, the [C-5] unit of glucose combined with formaldehyde from glycine leads to 2-acetylfuran. For other amino acids, either cyclisation of intact glucose or recombination of glucose fragments can lead to 2-acetylfuran formation. These results indicate a competitive trend in controlling Maillard reaction. Therefore, besides changing Miallard reaction impact factors (temperature, time, pH etc.), inhibiting or preventing the competitive reaction cascade may direct desired pathways of Maillard reaction.     

The sequence of a 21·3kb DNA fragment from the left arm of yeast chromosome XIV reveals LEU4, MET4, POL1, RAS2, and six new open reading frames

The nucleotide sequence of a fragment of 21 308 bp from the left arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XIV has been determined. Analysis of the sequence revealed 13 open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 300 bp, four of which correspond to the previously identified genes LEU4, MET4, POL1 and RAS2. One putative protein, N2160, shares considerable homology (32% identity) with a hypothetical protein encoded by a gene located on chromosome XV as well as with human OCRL protein (36% identity), involved in Lowe's syndrome. N2185 contains ten predicted transmembrane segments and is similar to another putative protein (YKL146) from yeast. The sequence of the reported DNA fragment has been submitted to the EMBL data library under Accession Number Z50161.     

Studies on the occurrence and formation of 2-(hydroxymethyl)-N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (HMNTCA) and 2-(hydroxymethyl)-N-nitrosothiazolidine (HMNTHZ) in various cured smoked meats,fish and cheese

Abstract : Because of the carcinogenic nature of many N-nitroso compounds, there is concern about their presence in foods. This paper presents some data on the levels of two non-volatile compounds (2-(hydroxymethyl)-N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (HMNTCA) and 2-(hydroxymethyl)-N-nitrosothiazolidine (HMNTHZ)) in various smoked foods such as 25 cured meats, eight smoked fish and seafoods, 15 smoked poultry products, and 17 smoked cheeses. All samples were negative for HMNTHZ, but 11 of the cured meats, six poultry products and two smoked fish contained HMNTCA at levels of 10–260 μg kg^?1. Upon frying, appreciable levels of HMNTHZ were formed in only one of 10 samples of cured meat products. The smoked cheeses were all negative for HMNTCA.     

Synthesis,characterisation and analytical application of Fe3O4@SiO2@polyaminoquinoline magnetic nanocomposite for the extraction and pre-concentration of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in food samples

This work describes a novel Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@polyaminoquinoline magnetic nanocomposite and its application in the pre-concentration of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions. The parameters affecting the pre-concentration procedure were optimised by a Box–Behnken design through response surface methodology. Three variables (extraction time, magnetic sorbent amount and pH) were selected as the main factors affecting the sorption step, while four variables (type, volume and concentration of the eluent, and elution time) were selected as main factors in the optimisation study of the elution step. Following the sorption and elution of analytes, the ions were quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FASS). The limits of detection were 0.1 and 0.7 ng ml^?1 for Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. All the relative standard deviations were less than 7.6%. The sorption capacities of this new sorbent were 57 mg g^?1 for Cd(II) and 73 mg g^?1 for Pb(II). Ultimately, this nanocomposite was successfully applied to the rapid extraction of trace quantities of these heavy metal ions from seafood and agricultural samples and satisfactory results were obtained.     

VII. Yeast sequencing reports. The sequence of a 27 kb segment on the right arm of chromosome VII from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals MOL1, NAT2, RPL30B,RSR1, CYS4, PEM1/CHO2, NSR1 genes and ten new open reading frames

The DNA sequence of a 26 677 bp fragment from the right arm of chromosome VII from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals 18 open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 300 bp. Eight ORFs correspond to previously characterized genes. G6620 is the 3′ end of the MOL1 gene coding for a polypeptide similar to stress-inducible proteins from Fusarium; G6630 is the NAT2 gene which encodes a methionine N-acetyltransferase; G6635 is the RPL30B gene coding for the ribosomal protein L30; G6658 is RSR1 encoding a ras-related protein; G6667 is CYS4, the gene for cystathionine β-synthase; G6670 is identical to ORF2 located close to CYS4; G6673 is PEM1/CHO2 encoding a phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase; G7001 is the NSR1 gene coding for a nuclear signal recognition protein. G6664 shares significant homology with the ORF YKR076w from chromosome XI. The other nine ORFs show no significant homology to any protein sequence presently available in the public data bases. The sequence has been deposited in the EMBL data library under Accession Number X85807.     

Separate roles for N- and C-termini of the STE4 (β) subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae G protein in the mediation of the growth arrest. Lack of growth-arresting activity of mammalian βγ complexes

Mating pheromone signal transduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves a G protein composed to Scg1p (Gpa1p), Ste4p and Ste18p subunits, homologous to the α, β and γ subunits of mammalian G proteins. Growth arrest in G1 phase is activated by the Ste4p/Ste18p complex via a downstream pathway and it is negatively controlled by the Scg1p subunit. Here we explored whether mammalian β or γ subunits could functionally substitute for their yeast homologues. While no evidence was obtained for functional replacement of Ste4p and Ste18p, we found that overexpression of Ste18p potentiated the effect of hybrid proteins in which the N terminus of the Ste4p subunit was replaced by that of the mammalian β, ste4 mutants having deletions in the N terminus showed a decreased activity in signalling to the downstream effector of the pheromone response. This defect was totally cured by overexpression of Ste18p, indicating that the truncated forms of Ste4p have retained their ability to form an active complex with Ste18p. Removal of six amino acids from the C terminus of Ste4p rendered a completely inactive subunit and this defect persisted in hybrids where the C terminus was placed by that of the β subunit, indicating that the C terminus of Ste4p is essential to trigger the effector of the yeast pheromone response pathway.     

The Sequence of a 36·7 kb Segment on the Left Arm of Chromosome IV from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals 20 Non-overlapping Open Reading Frames (ORFs) Including SIT4, FAD1, NAM1, RNA11, SIR2, NAT1, PRP9, ACT2 and MPS1 and 11 New ORFs

A 36 688 bp fragment from the left arm of chromosome IV of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was sequenced. Sequence analysis identified 20 complete non-overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) of at least 100 amino acids. Nine of these correspond to previously identified and sequenced genes: SIT4/PPH1, FAD1, NAM1/MTF2, RNA11, SIR2/MAR1, NAT1/AAA1, PRP9, ACT2 and MPS1/RPK1. Three ORFs show homology to previously sequenced genes. One ORF exhibits a hypothetical yabO/yceC/yfiI family signature and one has the ATP-dependent helicase signature of the DEAD and DEAH box families. Six ORFs show no appreciable homology to any proteins in the database. One of these is identical to yeast expressed sequence tags and therefore corresponds to an expressed gene. In addition, two partial ORFs and 11 ORFs that are totally internal and are not likely to be functional were detected. The sequence has been submitted to the EMBL data library under Accession Number Z71781. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.