Risk Analysis of Sulfites Used as Food Additives in China

This study was to analyze the risk of sulfites in food consumed by the Chinese people and assess the health protection capability of maximum-permitted level （MPL） of sulfites in GB 2760-2011. Sulfites as food additives are overused or abused in many food categories. When the MPL in GB 2760-2011 was used as sulfites content in food, the intake of sulfites in most surveyed populations was lower than the acceptable daily intake （ADI）. Excess intake of sulfites was found in all the surveyed groups when a high percentile of sulfites in food was intaken. Moreover, children aged 1-6 years are at a high risk to intake excess sulfites. The primary cause for the excess intake of sulfites in Chinese people is the overuse and abuse of sulfites by the food industry. The current MPL of sulfites in GB 2760-2011 protects the health of most populations.

The Use and Exchange of Biological Control Agents for Food and Agriculture

The report sets out to summarize the past and current situation regarding the practice of biologicalcontrol inrelationtothe use and exchange of genetic resources relevant for BCAs.It considers the twomain categories of biological control:classical and augmentative.Allowing access to BCAs for use inanother country imposes no risk of liability to the source country.Local scientific knowledge abouthabitats,fauna andflora,can be

Functional food products in Japan:A review

Japan has a long history of using foods with health benefits and Japanese people are well-known for their longevity.In 1991,the Ministry of Health,Labor and Welfare introduced a functional food regulation called“foods for specified health uses”(FOSHU)in Japan.After the introduction of the functional food system,many clinically proven FOSHU products with health benefits have been developed and launched in the market.As a result,the net sales of FOSHU products reached 6.2 billion dollars in 2007.Most of the health claims relate to improving gastro-intestinal health using probiotics.Triglycerides,high blood pressure,high LDL-cholesterol,and high blood glucose are mainly associated with the related health claims.After 2007,the market for FOSHU products was almost saturated.However,a novel functional regulatory system\called“Foods with Function Claims”was established in 2015 based on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act system established in the USA.Major health claims in the new regulation system are associated with fatigue,eyes,memory,stress,sleep,joints,blood flow,body temperature,muscles,and Body Mass Index.After the introduction of the new system,the total sales for functional foods including FOSHU products reached 8 billion dollars in 2018.The new functional regulatory system is more flexible in terms of health claims,the protocol for clinical studies,and the required results.Therefore,the market for new regulatory products is still growing.In the present paper,the potential of both regulatory systems and some related issues will be discussed.

Antimicrobial Profile of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Vegetables and Indigenous Fermented Foods of India against Clinical Pathogens Using Microdilution Method

In dairy and food industries lactic acid bacteria （LAB） have been used in form of starter culture that plays vital role in fermentation; as flavouring and texturizing or as preservative agents. There is increasing evidence that lactobacilli which inhabit the gastrointestinal tract develop antimicrobial activities and participate in the host＇s defence system[1]. During fermentation, most of the LAB produces a number of different compounds like organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide, polysaccharides, and proteinaceous compounds called bacteriocins or bacteriocinogenic peptides.

Omega-6 for Body,Omega-3 for Brain:Balance for Brain Development in Children

Food must supply a balance of nutrients to support both brain and body.The human brain makes us uniquely human.Essential fatty acids are part of the metabolic pathways that define tissue structure and function.Omega-6(O6)linoleic acid(LA6)has long been known to be required for skin structure,and as a precursor for inflammatory,thrombotic,immune,and other signaling molecules.Omega-3(O3)alpha-linolenic acid(ALA3)and particularly its long chain product docosahexaenoic acid(DHA3)has a key structural role in the brain,retina,and related neural tissue.In the 20 th century western world,inexpensive,high quality oils primarily from LA6-rich/O3-poor vegetable seed oils became dominant fats produced by the food industry.Provision of LA6-rich/O3-poor oils as the sole source of fat in the diets of pregnant animals causes O3 deficiency and poor brain development,primarily because high LA6 antagonizes metabolism of all O3,creating an artificial metabolic demand for O3.Data developed over the last 2~3 decades show that provision of low LA6 combined with preformed DHA3 optimizes brain function.Recent studies emphasize the importance of nutrition to support brain development,with newer findings showing particular importance of fatty acid balance in malnourished children.The World Health Organization(WHO)through the Codex Alimentarius(“Code for Food”)is increasingly recognizing the primacy of brain health and in part on that basis recently acted to recommend balanced fat for Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Foods used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition.Similar principles are likely to be important in older persons.Industry now has the tools to adjust the composition of oils to support brain health throughout the life cycle.

Medicinal and Edible Plant——Physalis alkekengi L.and Its Cultivation Techniques

Botanical morphological characteristics of Physalis alkekengi L.is first introduced,and its medicinal and edible value is elaborated.Cultivation techniques of P.alkekengi L.are mainly introduced.The research aims to provide a certain basis for the better development and application of P.alkekengi L.

Belowground Tritrophic Food Chain Modulates Soil Respiration in Grasslands

Edaphic biota significantly affects several essential ecological functions such as C-storage, nutrient turnover, and productivity.However, it is not completely understood how belowground animal contribution to these functions changes in grasslands subject to different land use types. A microcosm experiment was carried out to test the effect of a tritrophic food chain on CO_2 release from grassland soils. Soil was collected from three differently managed grassland systems(meadow, pasture, and mown pasture) located in three distinct German regions that cover a north-south gradient of approximately 500 km. The tritrophic food chain comprised natural edaphic microflora, nematodes, and predatory gamasid mites. The experimental design involved a full factorial combination of the presence and absence of nematodes and gamasid mites. Nematodes significantly increased the CO_2 emissions in most treatments,but the extent of this effect varied with land use type. The fact that grazing by nematodes stimulated the metabolic activity of the edaphic microflora over a wide range of grassland soils highlighted the critical impact of the microfauna on ecosystem services associated with soil organic matter dynamics. Gamasids slightly amplified the effect of nematodes on microbial metabolic activity,but only in the pastures. This effect was most probably due to the control of nematode abundance. The fact that gamasid addition also augmented the impact of environmental conditions on nematode-induced modulation of soil respiration highlighted the need for including land use differences while evaluating soil fauna contribution to soil processes. To conclude, the differential response of the investigated tritrophic food chain to different grassland management systems suggests that adverse effects of land use intensification on important soil processes such as atmospheric C-release could potentially be reduced by using management methods that preserve essential features of the belowground food web.