Microbiological quality of vanilla ice cream manufactured in Caracas, Venezuela

A total of 122 samples of vanilla ice cream, the base product used for all flavors, prepared by eight different large firms at the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, Venezuela, were analyzed for aerobic mesophilic and psicrophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Filamentous fungi. Findings revealed that within the sampling, 56.6% complied with the international standards proposed for aerobic mesophilic bacteria, 68% for Staphylococcus aureus, and 23% for Enterobacteriaceae. Three serotypes of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, one of Salmonella, and one of Shigella were found. Ten genera of Filamentous fungi were isolated and identified.     

From food basket to food security. The food factor in nutritional surveillance

One important indicator of nutritional surveillance is the one devoted to monitor food security. The experience toward the development of one of such indicators is presented. This includes the development of a food basket, defined as the group of foods that meet the characteristics such as is now consumed by important population segments of the community; it contributes a substantial portion of the calories and proteins purchased, and is responsible for an important proportion of the food budget. The concept implies a dynamic food basket, the quantities of which are calculated in a way that simulates the behavior of the consumer and the best nutrition knowledge. For this purpose we use linear program techniques. A measure of the risk of being unable to buy the foods needed for a family is presented, and is used as a proxy for food security risk. In the appendix, the mathematical expressions of the model used for a linear program is also presented.     

腐植酸有机硒肥与食品安全及食疗健康

丽对高血压、心肌病及多种癌症有防治效果，因此，硒肥是一种功能性肥料。其施用对土壤臊酶，转化酶和磷酸酶有激活作用．能减少作物体内自由基，提高抗逆性．是一种安全肥料。施用硒肥能提高作物的含硒量，其中．粮食作物含硒量增加2.352～134.0倍，以大豆和小麦含量为最高;蔬菜作物含硒量增加6.78～74.50倍．以西兰花，菜花、红萝卜和莱豆角含量最高。硒肥的施用使玉米产量提高1１．27％～26.06％．大豆产量提高9．63％～12．00％，且能改善大豆品质，异亮氨酸、甘氪酸、缬氨酸、亮氨酸和谷氟酸等含量增加4．07％～10.00％，保健功能明显增强。     

腐殖(植)酸与食品源头安全--腐殖(植)酸是构筑食品源头安全的最佳选择

腐殖（植）酸（Humic Acid，以下简称HA）是天然有机化合物。在农业应用上十分广泛，主要有土壤改良剂、肥料、农药、植物生长剂、兽药、饲料添加剂、水产养殖剂等产品。从狭义的角度说，食品生产源头指土、水、肥、药、种等主要生产环节的硬条件。HA与食品生产源头诸要素之问关系密切。HA与土壤：土壤是种植业依赖的生命基础；HA是土壤有机质中的重要组成部分，也是最活跃的部分。HA与水：水是生命之源；HA在水生体系中普遍存在，是转运大多数生命必需物质甚至毒性物质的一种非常好的工具。HA与肥料：肥料是植物的粮食；HA在改良肥料、增加肥效、提高肥料利用率、协调各种营养等方面具有非常重要的作用。HA与农药：农药是植物的保护伞；HA具有提高农药药效、降低农药毒性、保护农业环境的基本条件。HA与种苗：种苗不好，作物不保；HA是孵化种苗的“保育剂”。除土、水、肥、药、种外，HA因其具有生理活性特征，而与种植业相关的诸多因素均有良好的协同作用。在此基础上，由HA开发的农用产品，涉足改土、活水、制肥、制药、种苗处理及其他衍生制剂等6大类产品，足以构筑起立体农业的防护体系，也是构筑食品源头安全的最佳选择。     

Factors associated with household food security of participants of the MANA food supplement program in Colombia

The objective of this study was to explore demographic and economic characteristics associated with household food security of 2,784 low-income households with pre-school aged children receiving food supplements from the Colombian Plan for Improving Food and Nutrition in Antioquia - MANA (Mejoramiento Alimentario y Nutricional de Antioquia) in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia. Included in the study was a 12-item household food security survey was collected from a cross-sectional, stratified random sample of MANA participants in which households were characterized as food secure, mildly food insecure, moderately food insecure, and severely food insecure. It was hypothesized that household food security status would be strongly associated with demographic characteristics, food expenditure variables, and food supplement consumption by children in MANA. Food insecure households were characterized by more members, older parents, and lower income (p < 0.0001). Rural residence and female head of households had higher rates of food insecurity (p < 0.01). Food insecure households had the lowest monthly expenditures food (p < 0.0001). Severely food insecure households saved the highest percentage of per capita food expenditure from consuming MANA supplements (p < 0.0001), similarly, MANA food supplement intakes were greatest in households reporting the most food insecurity (p < 0.001). The results of this study are important to describe characteristics of the population benefiting from the MANA nutrition intervention by their unique level of household food security status.     

Relative validation of a food frequency questionnaire for national health and nutrition monitoring

Background  

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is important as incorrect information may lead to biased associations. Therefore the relative validity of an FFQ developed for use in the German Health Examination Survey for Adults 2008-2011 (DEGS) was examined.     

肥料和食用农产品安全的若干问题

从农业化学角度和对某些习惯思维的反思,阐述肥料对农产品产量、品质及食用安全性的影响,说明不论是化肥或有机肥,都可能在一定条件下对食用农产品的安全产生影响。因此,迫切需要出台相应的更为科学的、可操作的法规与检测体系。     

Dynamic modeling and validation of a biomass hydrothermal pretreatment process—a demonstration scale study

Hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a cost effective technology for second generation biorefineries. The process occurs in large horizontal and pressurized thermal reactors where the biomatrix is opened under the action of steam pressure and temperature to expose cellulose for the enzymatic hydrolysis process. Several by‐products are also formed, which disturb and act as inhibitors downstream. The objective of this study is to formulate and validate a large scale hydrothermal pretreatment dynamic model based on mass and energy balances, together with a complex conversion mechanism and kinetics. The study includes a comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, with parameter estimation from real‐data in the 178–185°C range. To highlight the application utility of the model, a state estimator for biomass composition is developed. The predictions capture well the dynamic trends of the process, outlining the value of the model for simulation, control design, and optimization for full‐scale applications. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 4235–4250, 2015     

Relation between food habits and nutritional status of preschool children in a rural community

Food habits in regard to the nutritional status of preschool children and their socioeconomic situation were analyzed in this research. The study was carried out in Cuetzalan, State of Puebla; all families were studied and, besides the presence of a preschool child in the home, both father and mother should also be living in the same house. Forty children considered as well nourished and 40 malnourished in the opposite case, were selected, taking the limits of the Gómez classification. In order to define socioeconomic differences between the two groups, the sample population was divided into different levels, with the following results. The socioeconomic level of the well-nourished children did correlate with a good living standard of their families; in the other case, families with a low socioeconomic status, presented more nutritional problems. A questionnaire was applied to every mother selected. This included two items: a) In the first case, we tried to assess the mother's attitude towards food habits and children's illnesses. b) In the second case, the mother's knowledge concerning pregnancy, breast feeding, feeding of the child during the first year of life, taboos, beliefs and other aspects which could be related to nutrition. On the whole, the main objective of this study was attained, because significant differences were found between these two groups. Firstly, a good relationship between food habits and good nutritional status of the children was found. Secondly, mother with well-nourished children had better food habits and better socioeconomic status than mothers having children with poor health status, and therefore, of a lower socioeconomic status.     

Biomarker validation of a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid food frequency questionnaire

Long-chain omega-3 PUFA (LC n−3 PUFA) are beneficial for health. To date there is no specific food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess LC n−3 PUFA intakes. The objective of this study is to validate our newly developed FFQ by comparison with LC n−3 PUFA content of both red blood cells (RBC) and plasma, expressed as a percentage of total FA. Fifty-three healthy male and female subjects were recruited from Wollongong, Australia. Average LC n−3 PUFA intakes (mg/d) were estimated using the new FFQ. RBC and plasma FA were assessed using GC. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess the linear relationship between FFQ intakes and both RBC and plasma FA. The results show that there were significant Spearman's correlation coefficients between the FFQ intakes and RBC (and plasma) FA for total LC n−3 PUFA, EPA, and DHA (0.50 (0.54), 0.39 (0.54) and 0.40 (0.48), respectively) but not for docosapentaenoic acid. The FFQ was also an effective ranking tool. The FFQ is a valid method based on erythrocyte and plasma FA as biochemical markers. In conclusion, the new FFQ is a valid method that can be used to estimate the LC n−3 PUFA intake of adults.     

The sintering temperature of ash, agglomeration, and defluidisation in a bench scale PFBC

Five Australian black coals were studied in a bench scale pressurised fluidised bed combustor (PFBC) to investigate the agglomeration propensity. It was found that coals with higher proportions of calcium aluminosilicate showed higher propensity for agglomeration and defluidisation. The pressure-drop sintering technique can predict the agglomeration propensity for coals. Samples with a sintering temperature lower than the operating temperature of the PFBC showed agglomeration. The laboratory ash can be a good representative of the PFBC ash when studying agglomeration and defluidisation.     

Fertilizer use in Asian agriculture: implications for sustaining food security and the environment

This paper studies the role of chemical fertilizers in sustaining the growth in foodgrain production in the major rice growing countries in Asia. The trends in fertilizer consumption are reviewed, the yield response and change in policies in the fertilizer sector and their impact on fertilizer prices are assessed and factors affecting fertilizer demand are analyzed. The implications of sustaining food security and the environment on fertilizer use are critically examined, future projections on food and fertilizer demand are made and areas of research needed to achieve the targets are suggested.     

Variations in the individual consumption of table salt with or without chili in food, in a community of México

The present study was carried out in a rural community in the central plateau of Mexico, with the objective of estimating the mean daily consumption of table salt at the family and individual level, and to determine if the individual taste to salt added to the food at the table, varied with the presence or absence of a hot species, "chile", to the food. Our results showed variability in three "barrios" of the community, which go from the central, more urban-type (Temascalcingo) to an intermediate-type (Boquí), and to a more rural-type (Bonshó), showing the highest mean consumption of salt at the family level in the most urban barrio (47.2 g/day), while the mean family consumption in the other two barrios (28.2 and 33.9 g/day, respectively) was lower. At the individual level, there were differences in salt consumption associated to sex and age. The highest consumptions were found in the more urban-type barrio, in which men in the 15-22 year-old group consumed a mean of 9 g/day, and women in the 7-14 year-old group consumed a mean of 6.37 g/day. When the individual taste for salt added to foods commonly prepared in the community were studied, we found a statisticaly significant difference in individual taste associated with the presence or absence of chile in the food. In two of the study meals (breakfast and lunch) the total grams of salt added to the food which did not contain chile was significantly higher than the salt added to the food which contained chile, suggesting that the presence of the specie may account for a great part of the need to enhance food flavor. This in turn could explain the smaller consumption of table salt in the more rural-type section of the population noted in the first part of the study, in which families tend to add more chile to their food than in the urban-type settings.     

Muscle and fat indicators in boys of the upper socioeconomic strata of Caracas

A sample of 271 boys, aged four, eight and 12 years, belonging to the upper socioeconomic strata of Caracas, was studied in order to test the sensibility and specificity of arm muscle and fat indicators, as evaluators of the muscle and fat tissues development, as well as of the nutritional status. Weight, height, arm circumference and triceps skinfold were measured following standardized techniques; muscle and fat areas were calculated from arm circumference and skinfold measurements. For statistical analysis, results were compared with North American reference standards, and correlation and regression analyses were performed. Nutritional assessment was performed using weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height, arm circumference and skinfold, plus the two derived areas. Malnourished children were identified using WHO guidelines in height and weight. Prevalences were compared and the sensibility, specificity and predictive values were studied. Malnourished children were analyzed individually. Arm circumference was the best predictor of nutritional status and triceps skinfold the worst predictor; muscle and fat areas were moderate predictors. On the average, four-year olds were smaller, lighter and much leaner than the reference, and eight and 12-year olds were taller, heavier and more muscular than the reference. Low fat was most prevalent in four-year olds, while high muscle increased with age and was highest at age 12, consistent with pubertal development. Obesity was most prevalent in eight-year olds. Twenty-eight per cent of the 50 children identified as malnourished in weight and height according to WHO, were normal in muscle and fat, and 66% of the 100 identified as malnourished in muscle and fat were normal according to WHO guidelines. Furthermore, 24% of children classified as overweight by weight-for-height were not obese but high in muscle. It is concluded that muscle and fat areas reflect muscle and fat components but are poor indicators of malnutrition, expressed in terms of weight and height. On the other hand, weight and height do not measure body composition. Weight-for-height should be used in combination with muscle and fat areas. National reference standards are needed and cut-off points should be revised, in order to maximize the efficiency and predictive values of these indicators.     

Mineral content of the honey produced in Zulia state, Venezuela

The mineral content of the honey produced in five zones of the Zulia state, Venezuela, during dry and rainy seasons was determined. The analyzed elements were: sodium, potassium (by emission spectroscopy), calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese (by atomic absorption spectroscopy), phosphorus (phosphate ions, by colorimetric method), and ash content of raw honey samples directly collected from different beekeepers. The mean values for Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, and P were 353+84; 1774+138; 237+66; 52+24; 0.76+0.43; 13.5+10.23; 0.92+0.42 and 1642+323 mg/kg respectively. The mean ash content was 0.431+0.15%. Potassium was the most abundant of the elements determined. This results confirm that Zulian honey can be considered a good source of minerals.     

Development and validation of a quantitative choline food frequency questionnaire for use with drinking and non-drinking pregnant women in Cape Town,South Africa

Background

Although animal and human studies have demonstrated interactions between dietary choline and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, dietary choline deficiency in pregnancy is common in the US and worldwide. We sought to develop and validate a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to estimate usual daily choline intake in pregnant mothers.

Methods

A panel of nutrition experts developed a Choline-QFFQ food item list, including sources with high choline content and the most commonly consumed choline-containing foods in the target population. A data base for choline content of each item was compiled. For reliability and validity testing in a prospective longitudinal cohort, 123 heavy drinking Cape Coloured pregnant women and 83 abstaining/light-drinking controls were recruited at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 3 prenatal study visits, each gravida was interviewed about alcohol, smoking, and drug use, and administered a 24-hour recall interview and the Choline-QFFQ.

Results

Across all visits and assessments, > 78% of heavy drinkers and controls reported choline intake below the Dietary Reference Intakes adequate intake level (450 mg/day). Women reported a decrease in choline intake over time on the QFFQ. Reliability of the QFFQ across visits was good-to-acceptable for 2 of 4 group-level tests and 4 of 5 individual-level tests for both drinkers and controls. When compared with 24-hr recall data, validity of the QFFQ was good-to-acceptable for 3 of 4 individual-level tests and 3 of 5 group-level tests. For controls, validity was good-to-acceptable for all 4 individual-level tests and all 5 group-level tests.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative choline food frequency screening questionnaire to be developed and validated for use with both heavy and non-drinking pregnant women and the first to be used in the Cape Coloured community in South Africa. Given the high prevalence of inadequate choline intake and the growing evidence that maternal choline supplementation can mitigate some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, this tool may be useful for both research and future clinical outreach programs.

     

Nutritional status in preschoolers attending a public day-care center in Valencia, Venezuela

With the purpose of evaluating nutritional status in a group of preschoolers attending a public day care center in Valencia, Venezuela (2002), a research was made for social stratus, anthropometric variables; weight, height and arm circumference, hemoglobin, seric retinol, presence of parasitosis and food consumption, as well as the mother's educational level. The program SPSS 11.0 and the t Student, ANOVA Post Hoc from Bonferroni and Fisher (p < 0.05) were used. A predominance of the female sex was presented (52%). According to the social stratus, 23.3% was located in the middleclass, and 76.8% on some level of poverty. 60% of the middleclass mothers had finished their high school education, while only 9.8% of the mothers in poverty had reached that level. According to the Z values (H/A, W/H and AC/H), high percentages under -1.00 were observed (27.3%, 25.6% and 24.5%, respectively). The W/H and AC/H of children of mothers studying in a university presented discrepancies when compared with children of mothers with a primary educational level. A 25.9% of anemia was presented, and there were differences between anemic and non-anemic groups for H/A and AC/H. Protozoaries were observed in 61.0%, helmintos in 16.9% and both in 22.1%. There was a 2.6 times higher risk of presenting nutritional deficiency for AC/H in the group found with parasites. An adequate consumption of energy and iron was found, with an excessive consumption of proteins and vitamin A. It is concluded that there exists a nutritional risk evaluated through hematologic parameters, the presence of parasitosis and social stratus.     

Anemia and deficiency of vitamin A in children evaluated in a nutritional attention center from Caracas

In order to determine the prevalence of anemia and the deficiency of vitamin A in children under 10 years, the concentration of hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, serum iron and the nutritional state of vitamin A were studied between 1999 and 2000, in 124 children with moderate malnutrition and 98 healthy children who attend triage consultation in the Centro de Atención Nutricional Infantil Antímano (CANIA, Caracas) by means of plasma retinol test (high performance liquid chromatography), relative dose response test (RDR) and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC). The dietary intake was analyzed by 24 hour recall. The Student t and Chi-square test were used for the statistical analysis of the data. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was approximately 10% in malnourished and healthy children, the CIC test discriminated a proportion of vitamin A deficient children superior to 25% and RDR test detected a significantly smaller percentage of deficiency in healthy children (p < 0.05). The prevalence of anemia was significantly higher in malnourished (34.2%) than in healthy children (19.2%). In children under 2 years the percentage of anemia reached 75.8% in undernourished children and 50% in healthy children. The consumption of macronutrients and micronutrients was inadequate; more than 40% undernourished children had caloric and macronutrients intake adequacy below 85%, whereas this level of adequacy in healthy children was around 30%. These results indicate there were problems of moderate anemia and moderate vitamin A deficiency in the studied infantile population, without significant differences between moderate undernourished and healthy children.