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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Clinical and laboratory investigation of allergy to genetically modified foods.

Technology has improved the food supply since the first cultivation of crops. Genetic engineering facilitates the transfer of genes among organisms. Generally, only minute amounts of a specific protein need to be expressed to obtain the desired trait. Food allergy affects only individuals with an abnormal immunologic response to food--6% of children and 1.5-2% of adults in the United States. Not all diseases caused by food allergy are mediated by IgE. A number of expert committees have advised the U.S. government and international organizations on risk assessment for allergenicity of food proteins. These committees have created decision trees largely based on assessment of IgE-mediated food allergenicity. Difficulties include the limited availability of allergen-specific IgE antisera from allergic persons as validated source material, the utility of specific IgE assays, limited characterization of food proteins, cross-reactivity between food and other allergens, and modifications of food proteins by processing. StarLink was a corn variety modified to produce a (Italic)Bacillus thuringiensis(/Italic) (Bt) endotoxin, Cry9C. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 51 reports of possible adverse reactions to corn that occurred after the announcement that StarLink, allowed for animal feed, was found in the human food supply. Allergic reactions were not confirmed, but tools for postmarket assessment were limited. Workers in agricultural and food preparation facilities have potential inhalation exposure to plant dusts and flours. In 1999, researchers found that migrant health workers can become sensitized to certain Bt spore extracts after exposure to Bt spraying.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2002

Impact of small scale fermentation technology on food safety in developing countries.

Fermentation is one of the oldest technologies used for food preservation. Over the centuries, it has evolved and been refined and diversified. Today, a variety of food products is derived from this technology in households, small-scale food industries as well as in large enterprises. Furthermore, fermentation is an affordable food preservation technology and of economic importance to developing countries. In the report of an FAO/WHO Workshop (FAO/WHO, 1996), fermentation was reviewed and the nutritional and safety aspects of fermentation technologies and their products were assessed. Fermentation enhances the nutritional quality of foods and contributes to food safety particularly under conditions where refrigeration or other foods processing facilities are not available. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) studies of some fermented products have demonstrated that depending on the process and the hygienic conditions observed during preparation, some fermented foods, e.g. togwa prepared in Tanzania, may pose a safety risk. Fermented foods must therefore be studied following HACCP principles and small-scale food industries and households must be advised on the critical control points of fermentation processes and the control measures to be applied at these points. This paper reviews the risks and benefits of fermentation and demonstrates the application of the HACCP system to some fermented foods in developing countries.

Consumer Product Safety↗
PubMed2004

Freezing: an underutilized food safety technology?

Freezing is an ancient technology for preserving foods. Freezing halts the activities of spoilage microorganisms in and on foods and can preserve some microorganisms for long periods of time. Frozen foods have an excellent overall safety record. The few outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with frozen foods indicate that some, but not all human pathogens are killed by commercial freezing processes. Freezing kills microorganisms by physical and chemical effects and possibly through induced genetic changes. Research is needed to better understand the physical and chemical interactions of various food matrices with the microbial cell during freezing and holding at frozen temperatures. The literature suggests that many pathogenic microorganisms may be sublethally injured by freezing, so research should be done to determine how to prevent injured cells from resuscitating and becoming infectious. Studies on the genetics of microbial stress suggest that the induction of resistance to specific stresses may be counteracted by, for example, simple chemicals. Research is needed to better understand how resistance to the lethal effect of freezing is induced in human pathogens and means by which it can be counteracted in specific foods. Through research, it seems possible that freezing may in the future be used to reliably reduce populations of food-borne pathogens as well as to preserve foods.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1998

[Dietary fiber-- a new chapter in the chemistry and technology of food].

In the last years the number of publications, devoted to composition, structure, properties, technology and use of food fibres, has much increased. It is caused their important physiologic role in a feeding and functions of digestion system and extending potentialities of them introduction as the additives in various kinds of food-stuffs. It is possible already today to allocate all accumulated information on food fibres in independent section of chemistry and technology of food and to carry out their systematization. Proposed systematization allows to expand opportunities of creation and allocation of the composition additives on the basis of food fibres, to establish interrelation between a structure, properties, medical-biological efficiency of these additives, to solve problems of formulas and sales of new kinds of food and etc.

Dietary Fiber↗
PubMed2002

An overview of small-scale food fermentation technologies in developing countries with special reference to Thailand: scope for their improvement.

Small-scale food fermentation technologies in developing countries have evolved through years of experience rather than through scientific breakthroughs. Many small-scale manufacturers are, therefore, reluctant to accept change and modify fermentation processes. Upgrading the quality and safety of fermented foods, while reducing their production cost and maintaining their authenticity and uniqueness, is of utmost importance. One strategic approach, which has been successfully implemented for the improvement of small-scale soy sauce fermentation in Thailand, is the consortium approach. This approach has allowed industry to work closely in sharing knowledge and common problems, which in turn has provided scientists with the research direction that would best benefit the industry. This consortium approach has brought about changes in the methodologies used in the production of soy sauce, by shortening processing times, introducing fiberglass tanks as bioreactors instead of the traditionally used small earthenware containers and introducing cost-effective waste management systems. One barrier to the application of starter cultures in the small-scale fermentation industry is the loss of uniqueness of fermented products. However, the advent of molecular biology techniques has allowed science to tailor starter cultures to the specific requirements of the manufacturer. Using the techniques of molecular biology, it has been shown that microflora of a specific product vary according to origin and sensory quality. A cell bank is being developed to serve as a resource base for Thai fermented pork sausage in order to facilitate the application of starter cultures in the manufacture of that product.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2004

Active food packaging technologies.

Active packaging technologies offer new opportunities for the food industry, in the preservation of foods. Important active packaging systems currently known to date, including oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide emitters/absorbers, moisture absorbers, ethylene absorbers, ethanol emitters, flavor releasing/absorbing systems, time-temperature indicators, and antimicrobial containing films, are reviewed. The principle of operation of each active system is briefly explained. Recent technological advances in active packaging are discussed, and food related applications are presented. The effects of active packaging systems on food quality and safety are cited.

Food Contamination↗
PubMed2005

A perspective on DNA microarray technology in food and nutritional science.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The functions of nutrients and other foods have been revealed at the level of gene regulation. The advent of DNA microarray technology has enabled us to analyze the body's response to these factors in a much more holistic manner than before. This review is intended to overview the present status of this DNA microarray technology, hoping to provide food and nutrition scientists, especially those who are planning to introduce this technology, with hints and suggestions. RECENT FINDINGS: The number of papers examining transcriptomics analysis in food and nutrition science has expanded over the last few years. The effects of some dietary conditions and administration of specific nutrients or food factors are studied in various animal models and cultured cells. The target food components range from macronutrients and micronutrients to other functional food factors. Such studies have already yielded fruitful results, which include discovery of novel functions of a food, uncovering hitherto unknown mechanisms of action, and analyses of food safety. SUMMARY: The potency of DNA microarray technology in food and nutrition science is broadly recognized. This technique will surely continue to provide researchers and the public with valuable information on the beneficial and adverse effects of food factors. It should also be acknowledged, however, that there remain problems such as standardization of the data and sharing of the results among researchers in this field.

Consumer Product Safety↗
PubMed2001

Biotechnology--updates and new developments.

Areas of priority for intensive discovery would be the agbiotechnology and biomedical sectors using gene technology as a platform. The use of genetic manipulation in farming and the use of plants as 'pharma' factories to manufacture therapeutics would be on the rise. The human genome will continue to have a powerful impact on research and development of human diseases and healthcare. Discovery of genetics and pharmacogenomics will have great impact on drug development and will allow the prediction of the patient' s response to various drugs as well as the onset of individualised or 'designer drugs'. Human stem cells could have their cellular clocks reset by the cloning process, enhancing opportunities to grow young cells, tissues and organs for an aging population. The cellular clock could also be reset by therapeutic cloning. Bioinformatics would be a technology which would be synonymous with biotechnology. The analyses of biotechnology research would be conducted in silico and would involve the exchange of information among sophisticated computer databases. Applications of biotechnology would be even more evident in environmental technology, food development and food processing. In electronics, the use of the specificity of proteins in biochips is underway. In tandem with the explosions in research, regulatory issues, legislation and intellectual property rights will evolve to enhance the climate of discovery and innovation. Public education will have to be continually enhanced as awareness could negate any fear resulting from novel and innovative improvements from biotechnology.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Women's access to food-processing technology at the household level is associated with improved diets at the pre-harvest lean season in The Gambia.

BACKGROUND: Women's access to food processing technology at the household level may have positive dietary benefits during the pre-harvest lean season when households are most stressed from food shortages and higher energy expenditures from agricultural work. OBJECTIVE: This study in rural Gambia was conducted to determine if women's access to small manually operated oil presses (ram) for sesame oil extraction had any significant effects on seasonal fluctuations of household oil supply and on dietary intakes of women and children. METHODS: Participants were 40 women and children with access to community-based motorized oil press expellers (Expeller-control), 37 women and children with access to village-based ram presses (Press-experiment), and 43 women and children with access to both ram press and motorized expeller (Combination). Dietary data were collected at baseline, at peak oil-pressing, at pre-harvest lean, and at the post-harvest seasons. RESULTS: Households in the Press-experiment and Combination groups consumed 37 and 51 percent more oil, respectively, than those in the Expeller-control group during the pre-harvest lean season. Women from the Press-experiment and Combination groups consumed more energy at the lean season than those in the Expeller-control group. Similarly, children from the Press-experiment and Combination groups consumed more protein at peak oil-processing season than those from the Expeller-control group. At the pre-harvest season children from these two groups also consumed more protein, however, only the consumption of the Combination children was statistically significant compared with that of the Expeller-control group (p < .05). Press-experiment children consumed more nutrient-dense weaning foods during the pre-harvest lean season than Expeller-control children. CONCLUSIONS: Women's access to appropriate technology can provide the means to "add value" to their agriculture product, which may serve as an economic stabilizer with potential to increase dietary intakes and incomes, especially during the pre-harvest lean season.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Alternative food-preservation technologies: efficacy and mechanisms.

High-pressure processing, ionizing radiation, pulsed electric field and ultraviolet radiation are emerging preservation technologies designed to produce safe food, while maintaining its nutritional and sensory qualities. A sigmoid inactivation pattern is observed in most kinetic studies. Damage to cell membranes, enzymes or DNA is the most commonly cited cause of death of microorganisms by alternative preservation technologies.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Current and future benefits from the use of GM technology in food production.

For the current generation of genetically modified (GM) crops the improvement of agronomic traits (e.g. herbicide tolerance, insect resistance) has been a major objective. The lack of obvious and direct benefits for the consumer has been a main point of criticism. Future trends will increasingly encompass the modification of quality traits, such as the improvement of sensory and especially nutritional properties. Some of the ongoing developments try to meet the desire of consumers for 'healthy' or 'high-tech' foods in developed countries. Others are intended to assist in adjusting the nutritional status of foods to the needs of consumers in developing countries. Considering the increasing world population and the limited amount of arable land, GM technology may also become a valuable tool to ensure food security. The major prerequisite for the applicability of the technique is the safety of the resulting products. The increasing complexity of modifications intended might require adjustments and improvements of the strategies applied to the safety assessment of GM foods. Present research activities try to meet these new challenges.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

The new nutrition science: sustainability and development.

OBJECTIVE: To show that nutrition science is anchored in food systems and is influenced by the social, through the environmental to the cosmological, life's connections and rhythms. To indicate that an integrative approach is now becoming possible with advances in food technology, in the understanding of food choice and of human behaviour, and in a preparedness to recognise nutritional inputs in the full sweep of life-long well-being and health outcomes. METHOD: An analysis of the much broader understanding of nutritionally related diseases from an ecological perspective, with attention to economic development, beginning with poverty alleviation. Recognition that the biological dimension of nutrition science is undergoing a profound reappraisal; that technologies will allow us to change the course of nutritionally related diseases for the better; and that nutrition science will find partners in information technology and telecommunications, food technology and energy technology. CONCLUSION: A new generation of nutrition scientists can help build a new economy that supports development amongst communities, whether close or distant from each other. The opportunities for this kind of development to be realised between Asia, Latin America and Africa are considerable. At all times, however, nutrition scientists must uphold the paramount importance of good governance, conflict resolution and maternal literacy if their work is to achieve its growing potential.

Developing Countries↗