regional medical center: UN Sets New Standards For Liquid Infant Formula, Seafood, Melons, Dried Figs And Labeling

UN Sets New Standards For Liquid Infant Formula, Seafood, Melons, Dried Figs And Labeling

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Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 05 Jul 2012 - 19:00 PDT

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The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), has announced new standards for the maximum level of melamine in liquid infant formula. Melamine can be deadly at high concentrations and has in the past been used to increase the protein content of infant formula and milk powder.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission celebrates its 49th birthday this year, and is meeting from the 2nd to 7th July with 600 delegates from 184 countries, plus the European Union. It's recommendations are relatively common sense.

After melamine tainted milk caused death and illness in a number of infants two years ago, the Codex Commission announced a maximum level of 1mg/kg for powdered infant formula and 2.5mg for other foods and animal feed. The Commission has now reduced the level to 0.15mg/kg in liquid infant milk. Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, and for other industrial applications, so it's hard to understand how any level of the chemical is acceptable, least of all in baby milk.

The new levels will help both government and consumers to ensure that deliberate contamination is not occurring, whilst leaving manufacturers some breathing room for accidental occurrence of the chemical in their products.

Another toxic and possibly carcinogenic substance the commission looked at are aflatoxins. These are a group of mycotoxins produced by molds. Dried figs fruit, nuts, spices and cereals can accumulate to high levels if they are not stored properly. The maximum agreed level is now 10mg/kg for dried figs - they also gave information on how to test and quantify this level to their standards.

Last summer there were problems with bacterial contamination in melons. Pre-cut slices are becoming particularly popular, with shoppers not wanting to waste money on a complete melon that partially goes to waste, but these of course allow contamination to occur more easily. Exposed fruit pulp provides a great breeding ground for bacteria and has been linked to both salmonella and listeria outbreaks.

With this in mind, the commission recommends that pre-cut melons be stored below 4â° C as soon as possible after being cut, and that they should be wrapped or packed immediately. In addition, knives used for cutting the fruit should be regularly disinfected.

Seafood can also cause problems in food, with hygiene and cold storage being particularly important in mollusks, such as muscles and oysters. Hepatitis A and norovirus are of particular concern, because viruses transmitted via fecal-oral route can be particularly resistant and have been known to survive in mollusks, soil and sediments for months. Viruses can even survive freezing, refrigeration, UV radiation, and disinfection. They are, however, sensitive to heat.

The main problem with seafood is related to the water quality the organisms grow in. Cultivation areas that are suspected of being contaminated should be closed, and heat treatment of harvested mollusks is recommended. The Codex also recommended that food manufacturers around the world label nutritional content on their products, to keep consumers better informed. The WHO has produced a strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health - the recommendations are in line with WHO's strategy and constitute a major step towards promoting healthy eating worldwide.

Written by Rupert Shepherd
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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regional medical center

Kamis, 05 Juli 2012

UN Sets New Standards For Liquid Infant Formula, Seafood, Melons, Dried Figs And Labeling

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