The Total Diet Study: Changes in Food Safety Since the First TDS

This article discusses what we know about some of the main food safety risks in China. The focus is on role of the China Total Diet Study（TDS） as a tool for food safety risk assessment and the selection of priorities for monitoring. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the TDS with those of two other major sources of information about food safety and nutrition： the National Food Safety Contamination Monitoring Network（FSCN） and the China Health and Nutrition Survey（CHNS）, showing how the different methods they use produce different but complementary information. We then use an analysis of lead, cadmium and pesticide residues to demonstrate that, despite its shortcomings, the TDS provides the most reliable source of information about the actual dietary intake of harmful substances.

Dietary Exposure of the Chinese Population to Acrylamide

Objective To assess the current status of the acrylamide in the Chinese food supply, the dietary acrylamide exposure in the Chinese population and to estimate the public health risks of the current consumption. Methods The acrylamide content in the total diet study （TDS） food samples was analyzed using an LC-MS/MS method. Based on the analytical results, the dietary exposure calculations were performed using a deterministic method, combining mean acrylamide concentrations from the food group composite with their associated food consumptions. Results Acrylamide was detected in 43.7% of all samples collected and acrylamide concentration varied from ND to 526.6 I^g/kg. The estimated dietary intakes of acrylamide among Chinese general population given as the mean and the 95th percentile （P95） were 0.286 and 0.490 iJg.kg1 bw.day1, respectively. The margins of exposure （MOEs） for the population calculated using both benchmark dose lower confidence limit for a 10% extra risk of tumors in animals （BMDL10） 0.31 and 0.18 i^g.k8-1 bw-dayz, were 1069 and 621 for the mean dietary exposure, and 633 and 367 for the high dietary exposure respectively. Conclusion These MOE values might indicate a human health concern on acrylamide for Chinese population. Efforts should continue to reduce acrylamide levels in food in order to reduce the dietary risks to the human health.

True cicadas (Cicadidae) as prey for the birds of the Western Palearctic: a review

Background:True cicadas(Cicadidae)are large and temporarily abundant insects.Their availability may produce demographic and behavioural effects on bird populations,as happens with forest avifauna feeding on periodical cicadas in North America.In Europe,the Near East and North Africa,knowledge of cicada predation by birds is sparse.Methods:To help fill this gap,I consulted Cramp’s Birds of the Western Palearctic,conducted a search of online databases and used search engines to generate a database of Western Palearctic birds known to eat cicadas.Results:A total of 105 species(16%of those occurring in the region)belonging to 13 orders,and comprising 20 of the 33 passerine families,were found to consume cicadas.I estimated that 69 of these bird species are known to consume cicadas within the limits of the Western Palearctic.Many terrestrial birds predate on cicadas,preferably on adults.Avian predators include cuckoos,owls,bee-eaters,woodpeckers,falcons,reed-warblers,larks,crows and jays,buntings,shrikes,pipits and wagtails,flycatchers and chats,tits,sparrows,leaf-warblers,starlings,warblers and thrushes,but also terns and gulls.Nymphs are consumed by some passerines,owls and herons.Cicadas can make up as much as 70%of food items delivered to nestlings.Analysis of stomach contents and neck collar samples are the most common methods used in diet studies.Conclusions:Available knowledge is biased towards species that have been more intensively studied,and often lack proper quantification of prey items.More studies about the relative importance of cicadas as prey for birds in the Western Palearctic are needed.I suggest using non-invasive studies based on pellets and droppings and prioritizing declining bird species.