In 2019, an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives revealed major infant food conglomerates had products with high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, posing concerns for infants’ vulnerability...In 2019, an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives revealed major infant food conglomerates had products with high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, posing concerns for infants’ vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of these metals. Trends of laboratory-detected heavy metals were analyzed in children aged zero to five from 1999-2020, providing insights on heavy metal contamination in infant food products. Utilizing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, mean heavy metal levels in children were calculated, considering gender, race, and income-to-poverty ratio as proxies for assessing associations with increasing heavy metal rates in infant food. Findings indicated an overall decrease in mean concentrations over time, though remaining elevated. Black children exhibited higher lead levels than the overall average, while the Asian subgroup displayed higher levels of total blood mercury and cadmium levels. Lack of internal standards in regulatory bodies, particularly the FDA, exacerbates the issue, with no legally enforceable guidelines or strict maximum levels for heavy metals in infant foods. Urgent FDA interventions are needed, addressing contamination at the sources of raw materials, implementing transparent and extensive product testing, and comprehensive manufacturer labeling to inform consumers about elevated heavy metal levels in infant products.展开更多
This study established a method using gas chromatography-electrostatic field Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(Orbitrap GC-MS)for the simultaneous determination of 70 organic pollutants across 4 categories:or...This study established a method using gas chromatography-electrostatic field Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(Orbitrap GC-MS)for the simultaneous determination of 70 organic pollutants across 4 categories:organochlorine pesticides(OCPs),polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs),and phthalates(PAEs)in infant cereal-based supplementary foods.Techniques integrating cryogenic centrifugation and lipid and protein adsorbent(LPAS)purification were employed.The precise mass numbers of target compounds were determined by Orbitrap GC-MS in full-scan mode(Full MS),which effectively minimized matrix interferences in these foods.Method validation on rice flour samples demonstrated that the 70 compounds exhibited excellent linearity within their respective mass concentration ranges,with correlation coefficients all exceeding 0.995.The detection limits for this method ranged 0.10–1.00μg/kg,while the quantification limits varied 0.3–3.0μg/kg,meeting the established detection requirements.The average spike recovery of the 70 compounds at 3 spiked levels(5,20,and 100μg/kg)ranged 75.3%–119.3%,with relative standard deviations ranging 1.8%–10.8%.Both inter-day and intra-day precision demonstrated relative standard deviation values below 15%.This method was applied to analyze 100 samples of commercial infant cereal-based supplementary food,revealing the presence of PAEs and PAHs in 12.0%of the samples.Notably,no OCPs or PCBs were detected.The detected concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene(Ba P)and dibutyl phthalate(DBP)were(4.2±0.1)and(1.8±0.3)μg/kg,respectively.This method is straightforward,highly sensitive,and suitable for the rapid screening and confirmation of 70 organic pollutants in infant cereal-based supplementary foods.展开更多
The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends that by 8 months of age, children should eat the same types of foods consumed by the other members of the family. Thus, this study sought to evaluate whether the nutritional...The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends that by 8 months of age, children should eat the same types of foods consumed by the other members of the family. Thus, this study sought to evaluate whether the nutritional composition of meals specially prepared (SM) for children aged 7 to 18 months in low-income families was superior to that of meals adapted (AM) from the family’s table foods. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, dietary fiber, iron, sodium and sodium chloride values, were determined by chemical analyses and compared to dietetic guidelines. The infants’ hemoglobin levels were also investigated. In total, sixty samples of the infants’ lunch meal (51 AM and 9 SM) were taken for during a home visit. The values of protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber and energy of the AM were significantly lower, while the sodium and sodium chloride values were significantly higher, compared to those of the SM. The AM also contained significantly more water. No differences were seen with regard to iron values. Sodium chloride amounted for most of the sodium content. Neither the SM nor AM was adequate in terms of iron and sodium. All SM were adequate for protein and fat, whereas AM showed significantly more samples with inadequate energy levels. SM fell within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, while AM fell below the lower value for fat and slightly above the upper value for carbohydrate. The prevalence of anemia was 60% in the study population (36/60). In conclusion, meals adapted from the family’s table foods showed a lower nutrient density and a less balanced macronutrient range when compared to meals specially prepared for infants. The main nutritional shortcomings, for both AM and SM, were the extremely low content of iron and the high content of sodium.展开更多
Objective: To investigate the true incidence of Bacillus cereus(B. cereus) in food and children diarrhea cases. Methods: A total of 110 samples of various dairy products such as raw milk, long life pasteurized milk, y...Objective: To investigate the true incidence of Bacillus cereus(B. cereus) in food and children diarrhea cases. Methods: A total of 110 samples of various dairy products such as raw milk, long life pasteurized milk, yoghurt and infant powdered milk formulas, raw rice, and feces were examined for the presence of B. cereus by selective plating on mannitol-egg-yolk-polymyxin agar. Confirmation of B. cereus was carried out by biochemical tests and PCR. Identification of non-B. cereus isolates was carried out by 16 S r DNA sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility was done by disk diffusion method.Results: Overall 35 samples(31.8%, n = 110) yielded Bacillus-like growth. Of which 19 samples(54.28%) were positive for B. cereus. All isolates were positive for enterotoxin production. No psychrotolerant B. cereus strains were detected in all samples. All B. cereus isolates were resistant to penicillin G, but susceptible to vancomycin, erythromycin and clindamycin. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm the importance of including B. cereus in disease control and prevention programs, as well as in routine clinical and food quality control laboratories in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt.展开更多
Objective To assess the effectiveness of complementary food supplements with protein and multi-micronutrients on hemoglobin and anemia in infants and young children. Methods In 5 poor counties of Gansu, 984 children a...Objective To assess the effectiveness of complementary food supplements with protein and multi-micronutrients on hemoglobin and anemia in infants and young children. Methods In 5 poor counties of Gansu, 984 children aged 6-12 months were enrolled and divided into two groups. In addition to the usual home-made complementary food, all the children were fed one sachet of either Formula Ⅰ or Formula Ⅱ supplements each day. Protein and micronutrients were provided in Formula Ⅰ, while the same energy intake was secured in Formula Ⅱ as in Formula Ⅰ. A massive dose of vitamin A was supplemented to all the children every 6 months. Hemoglobin test was done at the same time. Results Prevalence of anemia was about 35% in both Formula Ⅰ and Formula Ⅱ group at baseline, and there were no differences in hemoglobin concentration between the two groups, During the 6-month and 12-month supplementation, hemoglobin of children in Formula Ⅰ group was higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）, and hemoglobin increase in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.001）. After 6- and 12-mouth supplementation, the prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group dropped to 19.1% and 8.2% respectively, and it was 28.0% and 12.4% in Formula 2 group. The prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly lower than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）. After adjusting age and hemoglobin level at baseline, the hemoglobin increase at age of 24 months in formula 1 group was higher （10.7 g/L vs 7.9 g/L, P〈0.0001）. Conclusion Micronutrient fortified complementary food supplements, with large-dose vitamin A, is effective for children aged 6-12 months in terms of iron deficiency prevention.展开更多
Nutritional oil for infant formula food was microencapsulated by the spray drying method with coating materials including maltodextrin （MD）, soy protein isolate （SPI）, and emulsifier （soy lecithin）. Vegetable oi...Nutritional oil for infant formula food was microencapsulated by the spray drying method with coating materials including maltodextrin （MD）, soy protein isolate （SPI）, and emulsifier （soy lecithin）. Vegetable oil blend was prepared by mixing coconut oil, safflower oil and soybean oil at a ratio to achieve a fatty acid profile comparable to human milk fat （HMF）. The fatty acid composition of the product was determined by capillary gas chromatograph. As a result, the composition was as close as possible to that of HMF, it could be used for infant fomular food to make up some deficiencies of milk powder in nutrition and functional properties. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature （Tg） of the wall material was determined by DSC and its Tg was 66.42℃. It provided a theoretical basis for the storage of the product at the normal temperature.展开更多
Almond pudding is a common traditional Iranian complementary food for infants after starting solid foods. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the leading pathogenic microorganisms that cause serious foodborne disease i...Almond pudding is a common traditional Iranian complementary food for infants after starting solid foods. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the leading pathogenic microorganisms that cause serious foodborne disease in different populations including infants. The large intestine of breast-fed infants is colonized predominantly by bifidobacteria, which have a protective effect against acute diarrhea. The study objective of this research was to screen the survival characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 as well as four strains of Bifidobacterium subspecies (spp.) in almond pudding. The bacterial strains were studied after three and six hours of incubation at 37℃ in-vitro. Luria-Bertani (LB) broth was used as a basic medium for both Bifidobacterium spp. and E. coli experiments in anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively. The viability of Bifidobacterium spp. increased from 2.46 ± 0.2 to 6.57 ±1.3 log10 CFU/ml in low inoculum and from 4.53 ± 0.7 to 7.2 ± 0.4 in high inoculum experiments in 6 hours. However, the growth of E. coli O157:H7 from 3.12 ± 0.2 to 4.99 ± 0.1 log10 CFU/ml was significantly (P < 0.05) lower compared to Bifidobacterium spp. The results illus- trate impaired growth of E. coli O157:H7 and enhanced growth of Bifidobacterium spp. in almond pudding. The finding demonstrated that almond pudding in infant’s diet may indirectly enhance the protection against survival and growth of E. coli O157:H7 by increasing the Bifidobacterium spp. populations in infant’s gastrointestinal system.展开更多
The infant food market has expanded rapidly over the past two decades.However,the industry faces significant chal-lenges,including concerns over the health effects of infant food additives and issues with food safety....The infant food market has expanded rapidly over the past two decades.However,the industry faces significant chal-lenges,including concerns over the health effects of infant food additives and issues with food safety.However,new evidences suggest that certain food additives,such as those used to preserve and transport infant formula to keep it fresh for longer,should be avoided.Science into the effects of additives on human behavior makes up a sizable sector of the additives market.Problems such as hypernatremic dehydration,malnutrition,and obesity in infants are directly linked to faulty formula production.The Food and Drug Administration(FDA)has established the toxicity types and chemical tests necessary for evaluating the safety of food additives and GRAS(Generally Recognized as Safe)compounds.These tests are crucial in understanding the food safety aspects of food additives.The health effects of different types of food additives on infants are discussed in this context.The article gives an outline of various national and global agencies that provides recommendations and standards to gauge the quality of baby food.The immunological responses,allergic reaction pathways and other related health hazards among the infants and young children caused by the food additive are discussed in this article.展开更多
Aflatoxins, are one of over 200 known mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi. They are toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic and may be present in many raw and processed food commodities including cereals and milk used...Aflatoxins, are one of over 200 known mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi. They are toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic and may be present in many raw and processed food commodities including cereals and milk used as ingredients in infant food products. Consumption of these commodities may pose a potential risk to the health of infants. The mycoflora of 84 samples of baby food commercially available in North Africa was determined. The feeds were screened for mycotoxins using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and further analyses were carried for the total aflatoxins by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a Kobra cell to derivatise the aflatoxins (B1, G1, B2 and G2). Twenty-four fungal isolates were recovered from the samples consisting of 5 Aspergillus. spp, 13 Penicillum. spp, 5 Mucor. spp and an unidentified species Of these, 45.8% of the isolates were found to be mycotoxigenic however only 2.4% of the samples contained aflatoxins (19 to 70 μg·kg–1) and the remaining contained undetectable levels of the toxin. Storage at elevated relative humidity for 7 days showed a slight increase in the fungal counts but the toxin levels were unaffected. The results show the importance of periodic testing regime of ingredients used infant food formula for the presence of fungal contamination.展开更多
A series of safety incidents related to domestically-produced infant formulas(DIFs) almost destroyed Chinese consumer confidence in domestic dairy products. Understanding consumer confidence and its effect on consumpt...A series of safety incidents related to domestically-produced infant formulas(DIFs) almost destroyed Chinese consumer confidence in domestic dairy products. Understanding consumer confidence and its effect on consumption behavior is important to restore consumer confidence and enhance the competitiveness of domestic dairy industry. This article first measures Chinese consumer confidence in DIFs safety using a two-dimension scale(optimism and pessimism) and then investigates its effect on consumers’ preferences for DIFs through a choice experiment. Involving 450 consumers residing in Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, the experiment elicited information on their preferences for DIFs with six attributes(organic raw milk, farm-to-table traceability, region of origin, quality certification, animal welfare, and price). Our analysis yields four findings. First, Chinese consumers still lack confidence in DIFs safety. Second, quality certification is the most preferred product characteristic, followed by organic raw milk and farm-to-table traceability. Third, serving as a signal of high quality, price exerts a positive impact on choices of DIFs for pessimistic consumers. Finally, consumer preferences for farm-to-table traceability and region of origin are significantly influenced by consumer confidence.展开更多
This study assesses the nutritional composition as well as the availability and affordability of infant flour found on the market and in the households of Benin. To do that assessment, a two-step cross-sectional surve...This study assesses the nutritional composition as well as the availability and affordability of infant flour found on the market and in the households of Benin. To do that assessment, a two-step cross-sectional survey based on food ethnography methods was used. A total of 61 marketplaces were visited in seven towns and rural districts as part of the availability and affordability survey, while 400 children (aged 6 to 59 months) were surveyed to track the uses of infant flours at the household level. The results obtained reveal that pre-manufactured infant flour is sold more in urban areas (Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou) than in rural ones. The average infant flours price did not vary (p = 0.985) in any given year (regardless of abundance or lean periods) nor does it vary (p = 0.133) from one point of sale to another (drugstore or supermarkets). However, the average price is found to be expensive considering the purchasing power of the households surveyed. On the other hand, the amount of ingredients used in the production of the flour types found on the market complies with the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius, unlike the homemade ones. Pre-manufactured infant flour is found to be outside of the economic reach of most households (92%) who rely heavily on the homemade ones to feed their children. In light of the above, public authorities should help improve geographic access and pricing affordability to quality infant flour for low-income households in urban and remote areas. Moreover, awareness should be raised among mothers relative to the importance of complementary feeding through education on good nutrition practices.展开更多
文摘In 2019, an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives revealed major infant food conglomerates had products with high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, posing concerns for infants’ vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of these metals. Trends of laboratory-detected heavy metals were analyzed in children aged zero to five from 1999-2020, providing insights on heavy metal contamination in infant food products. Utilizing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, mean heavy metal levels in children were calculated, considering gender, race, and income-to-poverty ratio as proxies for assessing associations with increasing heavy metal rates in infant food. Findings indicated an overall decrease in mean concentrations over time, though remaining elevated. Black children exhibited higher lead levels than the overall average, while the Asian subgroup displayed higher levels of total blood mercury and cadmium levels. Lack of internal standards in regulatory bodies, particularly the FDA, exacerbates the issue, with no legally enforceable guidelines or strict maximum levels for heavy metals in infant foods. Urgent FDA interventions are needed, addressing contamination at the sources of raw materials, implementing transparent and extensive product testing, and comprehensive manufacturer labeling to inform consumers about elevated heavy metal levels in infant products.
基金funded by National Key Research and Development Program for Young Scientists of China(2022YFF1102900)Hebei Province High-level Talent Funding Project(C20221009)。
文摘This study established a method using gas chromatography-electrostatic field Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(Orbitrap GC-MS)for the simultaneous determination of 70 organic pollutants across 4 categories:organochlorine pesticides(OCPs),polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs),and phthalates(PAEs)in infant cereal-based supplementary foods.Techniques integrating cryogenic centrifugation and lipid and protein adsorbent(LPAS)purification were employed.The precise mass numbers of target compounds were determined by Orbitrap GC-MS in full-scan mode(Full MS),which effectively minimized matrix interferences in these foods.Method validation on rice flour samples demonstrated that the 70 compounds exhibited excellent linearity within their respective mass concentration ranges,with correlation coefficients all exceeding 0.995.The detection limits for this method ranged 0.10–1.00μg/kg,while the quantification limits varied 0.3–3.0μg/kg,meeting the established detection requirements.The average spike recovery of the 70 compounds at 3 spiked levels(5,20,and 100μg/kg)ranged 75.3%–119.3%,with relative standard deviations ranging 1.8%–10.8%.Both inter-day and intra-day precision demonstrated relative standard deviation values below 15%.This method was applied to analyze 100 samples of commercial infant cereal-based supplementary food,revealing the presence of PAEs and PAHs in 12.0%of the samples.Notably,no OCPs or PCBs were detected.The detected concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene(Ba P)and dibutyl phthalate(DBP)were(4.2±0.1)and(1.8±0.3)μg/kg,respectively.This method is straightforward,highly sensitive,and suitable for the rapid screening and confirmation of 70 organic pollutants in infant cereal-based supplementary foods.
文摘The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends that by 8 months of age, children should eat the same types of foods consumed by the other members of the family. Thus, this study sought to evaluate whether the nutritional composition of meals specially prepared (SM) for children aged 7 to 18 months in low-income families was superior to that of meals adapted (AM) from the family’s table foods. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, dietary fiber, iron, sodium and sodium chloride values, were determined by chemical analyses and compared to dietetic guidelines. The infants’ hemoglobin levels were also investigated. In total, sixty samples of the infants’ lunch meal (51 AM and 9 SM) were taken for during a home visit. The values of protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber and energy of the AM were significantly lower, while the sodium and sodium chloride values were significantly higher, compared to those of the SM. The AM also contained significantly more water. No differences were seen with regard to iron values. Sodium chloride amounted for most of the sodium content. Neither the SM nor AM was adequate in terms of iron and sodium. All SM were adequate for protein and fat, whereas AM showed significantly more samples with inadequate energy levels. SM fell within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, while AM fell below the lower value for fat and slightly above the upper value for carbohydrate. The prevalence of anemia was 60% in the study population (36/60). In conclusion, meals adapted from the family’s table foods showed a lower nutrient density and a less balanced macronutrient range when compared to meals specially prepared for infants. The main nutritional shortcomings, for both AM and SM, were the extremely low content of iron and the high content of sodium.
文摘Objective: To investigate the true incidence of Bacillus cereus(B. cereus) in food and children diarrhea cases. Methods: A total of 110 samples of various dairy products such as raw milk, long life pasteurized milk, yoghurt and infant powdered milk formulas, raw rice, and feces were examined for the presence of B. cereus by selective plating on mannitol-egg-yolk-polymyxin agar. Confirmation of B. cereus was carried out by biochemical tests and PCR. Identification of non-B. cereus isolates was carried out by 16 S r DNA sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility was done by disk diffusion method.Results: Overall 35 samples(31.8%, n = 110) yielded Bacillus-like growth. Of which 19 samples(54.28%) were positive for B. cereus. All isolates were positive for enterotoxin production. No psychrotolerant B. cereus strains were detected in all samples. All B. cereus isolates were resistant to penicillin G, but susceptible to vancomycin, erythromycin and clindamycin. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm the importance of including B. cereus in disease control and prevention programs, as well as in routine clinical and food quality control laboratories in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
文摘Objective To assess the effectiveness of complementary food supplements with protein and multi-micronutrients on hemoglobin and anemia in infants and young children. Methods In 5 poor counties of Gansu, 984 children aged 6-12 months were enrolled and divided into two groups. In addition to the usual home-made complementary food, all the children were fed one sachet of either Formula Ⅰ or Formula Ⅱ supplements each day. Protein and micronutrients were provided in Formula Ⅰ, while the same energy intake was secured in Formula Ⅱ as in Formula Ⅰ. A massive dose of vitamin A was supplemented to all the children every 6 months. Hemoglobin test was done at the same time. Results Prevalence of anemia was about 35% in both Formula Ⅰ and Formula Ⅱ group at baseline, and there were no differences in hemoglobin concentration between the two groups, During the 6-month and 12-month supplementation, hemoglobin of children in Formula Ⅰ group was higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）, and hemoglobin increase in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.001）. After 6- and 12-mouth supplementation, the prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group dropped to 19.1% and 8.2% respectively, and it was 28.0% and 12.4% in Formula 2 group. The prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly lower than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）. After adjusting age and hemoglobin level at baseline, the hemoglobin increase at age of 24 months in formula 1 group was higher （10.7 g/L vs 7.9 g/L, P〈0.0001）. Conclusion Micronutrient fortified complementary food supplements, with large-dose vitamin A, is effective for children aged 6-12 months in terms of iron deficiency prevention.
文摘Nutritional oil for infant formula food was microencapsulated by the spray drying method with coating materials including maltodextrin （MD）, soy protein isolate （SPI）, and emulsifier （soy lecithin）. Vegetable oil blend was prepared by mixing coconut oil, safflower oil and soybean oil at a ratio to achieve a fatty acid profile comparable to human milk fat （HMF）. The fatty acid composition of the product was determined by capillary gas chromatograph. As a result, the composition was as close as possible to that of HMF, it could be used for infant fomular food to make up some deficiencies of milk powder in nutrition and functional properties. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature （Tg） of the wall material was determined by DSC and its Tg was 66.42℃. It provided a theoretical basis for the storage of the product at the normal temperature.
文摘Almond pudding is a common traditional Iranian complementary food for infants after starting solid foods. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the leading pathogenic microorganisms that cause serious foodborne disease in different populations including infants. The large intestine of breast-fed infants is colonized predominantly by bifidobacteria, which have a protective effect against acute diarrhea. The study objective of this research was to screen the survival characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 as well as four strains of Bifidobacterium subspecies (spp.) in almond pudding. The bacterial strains were studied after three and six hours of incubation at 37℃ in-vitro. Luria-Bertani (LB) broth was used as a basic medium for both Bifidobacterium spp. and E. coli experiments in anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively. The viability of Bifidobacterium spp. increased from 2.46 ± 0.2 to 6.57 ±1.3 log10 CFU/ml in low inoculum and from 4.53 ± 0.7 to 7.2 ± 0.4 in high inoculum experiments in 6 hours. However, the growth of E. coli O157:H7 from 3.12 ± 0.2 to 4.99 ± 0.1 log10 CFU/ml was significantly (P < 0.05) lower compared to Bifidobacterium spp. The results illus- trate impaired growth of E. coli O157:H7 and enhanced growth of Bifidobacterium spp. in almond pudding. The finding demonstrated that almond pudding in infant’s diet may indirectly enhance the protection against survival and growth of E. coli O157:H7 by increasing the Bifidobacterium spp. populations in infant’s gastrointestinal system.
基金support received from Centre for Research(MRP-DSC 1936),CHRIST(Deemed to be University),India.
文摘The infant food market has expanded rapidly over the past two decades.However,the industry faces significant chal-lenges,including concerns over the health effects of infant food additives and issues with food safety.However,new evidences suggest that certain food additives,such as those used to preserve and transport infant formula to keep it fresh for longer,should be avoided.Science into the effects of additives on human behavior makes up a sizable sector of the additives market.Problems such as hypernatremic dehydration,malnutrition,and obesity in infants are directly linked to faulty formula production.The Food and Drug Administration(FDA)has established the toxicity types and chemical tests necessary for evaluating the safety of food additives and GRAS(Generally Recognized as Safe)compounds.These tests are crucial in understanding the food safety aspects of food additives.The health effects of different types of food additives on infants are discussed in this context.The article gives an outline of various national and global agencies that provides recommendations and standards to gauge the quality of baby food.The immunological responses,allergic reaction pathways and other related health hazards among the infants and young children caused by the food additive are discussed in this article.
文摘Aflatoxins, are one of over 200 known mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi. They are toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic and may be present in many raw and processed food commodities including cereals and milk used as ingredients in infant food products. Consumption of these commodities may pose a potential risk to the health of infants. The mycoflora of 84 samples of baby food commercially available in North Africa was determined. The feeds were screened for mycotoxins using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and further analyses were carried for the total aflatoxins by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a Kobra cell to derivatise the aflatoxins (B1, G1, B2 and G2). Twenty-four fungal isolates were recovered from the samples consisting of 5 Aspergillus. spp, 13 Penicillum. spp, 5 Mucor. spp and an unidentified species Of these, 45.8% of the isolates were found to be mycotoxigenic however only 2.4% of the samples contained aflatoxins (19 to 70 μg·kg–1) and the remaining contained undetectable levels of the toxin. Storage at elevated relative humidity for 7 days showed a slight increase in the fungal counts but the toxin levels were unaffected. The results show the importance of periodic testing regime of ingredients used infant food formula for the presence of fungal contamination.
基金funded by a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (05162130111242003)Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Centre (SDDDC2017R02)
文摘A series of safety incidents related to domestically-produced infant formulas(DIFs) almost destroyed Chinese consumer confidence in domestic dairy products. Understanding consumer confidence and its effect on consumption behavior is important to restore consumer confidence and enhance the competitiveness of domestic dairy industry. This article first measures Chinese consumer confidence in DIFs safety using a two-dimension scale(optimism and pessimism) and then investigates its effect on consumers’ preferences for DIFs through a choice experiment. Involving 450 consumers residing in Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, the experiment elicited information on their preferences for DIFs with six attributes(organic raw milk, farm-to-table traceability, region of origin, quality certification, animal welfare, and price). Our analysis yields four findings. First, Chinese consumers still lack confidence in DIFs safety. Second, quality certification is the most preferred product characteristic, followed by organic raw milk and farm-to-table traceability. Third, serving as a signal of high quality, price exerts a positive impact on choices of DIFs for pessimistic consumers. Finally, consumer preferences for farm-to-table traceability and region of origin are significantly influenced by consumer confidence.
文摘This study assesses the nutritional composition as well as the availability and affordability of infant flour found on the market and in the households of Benin. To do that assessment, a two-step cross-sectional survey based on food ethnography methods was used. A total of 61 marketplaces were visited in seven towns and rural districts as part of the availability and affordability survey, while 400 children (aged 6 to 59 months) were surveyed to track the uses of infant flours at the household level. The results obtained reveal that pre-manufactured infant flour is sold more in urban areas (Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou) than in rural ones. The average infant flours price did not vary (p = 0.985) in any given year (regardless of abundance or lean periods) nor does it vary (p = 0.133) from one point of sale to another (drugstore or supermarkets). However, the average price is found to be expensive considering the purchasing power of the households surveyed. On the other hand, the amount of ingredients used in the production of the flour types found on the market complies with the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius, unlike the homemade ones. Pre-manufactured infant flour is found to be outside of the economic reach of most households (92%) who rely heavily on the homemade ones to feed their children. In light of the above, public authorities should help improve geographic access and pricing affordability to quality infant flour for low-income households in urban and remote areas. Moreover, awareness should be raised among mothers relative to the importance of complementary feeding through education on good nutrition practices.
