DNT 200 NUTRITION FOR HEALTH SCIENCES

DNT 200NUTRITION FOR HEALTH SCIENCES CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD ”Opportunities multiply as they are seized." - Sun Tzu, Chinese author, 500-320BC

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Food-borne illnesses are illnesses transmitted to human beings through food -- are caused by either an infectious agent (food-borne infection) or a poisonous substance (food intoxication) • Millions of cases are treated each year • Infection from one major food supplier can cause many thousands of illnesses

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Food-borne infections • Caused by eating foods contaminated with infectious microbes • Symptoms include abdominal cramps, fever, and diarrhea • Food intoxications • Caused by eating foods containing natural toxins or, more likely, microbes that produce toxins • Symptoms are similar to food-borne infections

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Common Food-borne illnesses

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Common Food-borne illnesses (con’t)

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen • Keep hot foods hot • Use a thermometer • Cook stuffing separately • Do not cook large cuts of meats or turkeys in a microwave oven • Cook eggs before eating • Maintain hot foods over 140 degrees F • Heat leftovers thoroughly

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Keep cold foods cold • Leave perishables in the car no longer than is absolutely necessary • Buy only those foods that are solidly frozen • Keep cold foods at 40 degrees F or less • Refrigerate leftovers promptly; use shallow containers • Thaw meats or poultry in a refrigerator,not at room temperature

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Keep a clean and safe kitchen • Use hot soapy water to wash hands, utensils, dishes, non-porous cutting boards, and countertops • Avoid cross contamination by washing all surfaces that have been in contact with raw meats, poultry, or eggs

FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES Safety in the kitchen (con’t) Keep a clean and safe kitchen Mix foods with utensils, not hands; keep hands and utensils away from mouth, nose, and hair Avoid coughing or sneezing over food. A person with a skin infection or infectious disease should not prepare food CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Others • Wash and sanitize or replace sponges or towels regularly • Clean up food spills and crumb-filled crevices • Do not taste food that is suspect

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Others • Throw out food with danger-signaling odors; be aware however, that most food poisoning bacteria are odorless, colorless, and tasteless • Do not buy or use items that appear to have been opened • Follow label instructions for storing and preparing packaged and frozen foods

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • For specific items • Canned goods -- discard food from cans that leak or bulge • Cheeses -- aged cheeses such as cheddar and swiss do well for an hour or so without refrigeration but should be refrigerated for longer periods • Eggs • Use clean eggs with intact shells • Do not eat eggs raw

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Honey • May contain dormant bacterial spores which can produce botulism • Can be a danger to infants under 12 months • Mayonnaise • May help foods resist spoilage because of acidity • Should be chilled after opening

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES • Safety in the kitchen (con’t) • Mixed salads • Have extensive surface area for bacteria to invade • May have been subject to cross-contamination • Chill before, during, and after service • Picnic foods -- choose foods that can last without refrigeration such as fresh fruits and vegetables, breads and crackers, and canned spreads and cheeses that can be opened and used immediately

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY OF FOODS AND DIETS • “New” foods are available today • Are designed to appeal to people’s tastes, not necessarily to deliver a balanced assortment of needed nutrients • Include convenience, fats, and fabricated foods • FDA’s labeling regulations designed to help consumers combine foods into healthful diets

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS • A contaminant is a substance that does not normally occur in a food • Example • Methylmercury • 1953 case from Japan resulted in 46 deaths from ingesting methyl mercury in fish • Originated from manufacturing plants discharging mercury into the waters

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS • Example • PBB (polybrominated biphenyl) • Is a toxic organic halogen • 1973 case was accidentally mixed in livestock feed resulting in 97% of Michigan’s residents being exposed, some experiencing nervous system aberrations and liver disorders

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD PESTACIDES • Pesticides are chemicals used to control insects, diseases, weeds, fungi, and other pests on plants, vegetables, fruits and animals • Includes • Herbicides (to kill weeds) • Insecticides (to kill insects) • Fungicides (to kill fungi)

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD PESTACIDES • Actions • Kill pests’ natural predators • Accumulate in the food chain • Pollute the water, soil, and air • Occur in nature as well as produced in laboratory but are less damaging to other living things and less persistent • Require EPA approval; FDA monitors and enforces them

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Additives are substances not normally consumed as foods but added to food either intentionally or by accident • Intentional additives are those intentionally added to foods, such as nutrients, colors, and preservatives • Indirect additives are substances that get into food as a result of contact with foods during growing, processing, packaging, storing, cooking or some other stage before foods are consumed

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Are regulated by the FDA • GRAS List • Established in 1958 • Generally Recognized as Safe • Criteria • Extensive long term use in food OR • Current scientific evidence • Subject to ongoing review

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Delaney Clause • Part of the Food Additive amendment to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act • States that no substance known to cause cancer in animals or human beings at any dose shall be added to foods • “Zero risk” criteria has been replaced by the “minimal risk” (one in a million) criteria by the FDA

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives • Anti-microbial agents • Prevent microorganisms from growing • Most widely used are sugar and salt -- prevent microbial use of the food’s water • Others include nitrates and nitrites which also preserve color and inhibit rancidity • Use is controversial • Can be converted into nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic in animals

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • Antioxidants • Protects from color and flavor changes caused by exposure to oxygen • Examples • Vitamin C • Vitamin E

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • Antioxidants • Examples (con’t) • Sulfites • Are salts containing sulfur • Prohibited on foods intended to be consumed raw (except grapes) • Requires declaration on label • Destroys thiamin -- are prohibited on important sources of this vitamin such as enriched grain products

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) -- slows development of off-flavors, odors, and color changes caused by oxidation • Artificial colors -- examples • Carotenoids -- color margarine, cheeses, and pasta • Caramel -- tints cola beverages • Blue • Green • Red • Yellow

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • Artificial flavors and flavor enhancers • Are the largest single group of food additives • Required to be itemized on food labels • Example -- MSG • Monosodium glutamate • Widely used in Asian food as a flavor enhancer • May cause Chinese Restaurant Syndrome • Burning sensations • Chest and facial flushing or pain • Throbbing headaches • Effects 1-2% of population

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • Nutrient additives -- appropriate uses: • Correct dietary deficiencies known to result in deficiency disease • Restore nutrients to levels found in the food before storage, handling, or processing • Balance the vitamin, mineral, and protein contents of a food in proportion to the energy content • Correct a nutritional inferiority in a food that replaces a more nutritious traditional food

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Intentional additives (con’t) • Examples • Thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and iron in grain products • Iodine in salt • Vitamins A and D in milk • Vitamin C in fruit drinks

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Indirect food additives • Packaging • Materials from packaging migrate at high (microwave) temperatures • Tin from a can • Dioxins • Are compounds formed during chlorine treatment of wood pulp during paper manufacture • Are toxic and known to cause cancer in laboratory animals • Levels used appear to pose no health risk to people

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Indirect food additives (con’t) • Decaffeinated coffee • Methylene chloride often used to remove caffeine-- residual trace amounts remain in final product • Methylene chloride is carcinogenic • Also found in hair sprays • Paint stripping solutions • No label declaration required

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Hormones • BGH (bovine growth hormone) • Hormone treated meat animals produce leaner meat • Hormone treated milk animals produce more milk • Enable smaller herds on smaller plots of cleared land • Produced naturally in animals’ pituitary gland -- no harmful effect on humans • Associated with udder infections -- results in more antibiotics which show up in meat and milk

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Radiation • Approved by FDA and is treated as an additive • Kills microorganisms and insects in post-harvest wheat, spices, and teas • Vitamin loss is minimal • In many cases there are no flavor, texture, or color changes • Does not make foods radioactive • When radiation strikes the atoms in the molecules of food, they loose electrons and form ions or free radicals • How these particles react with one another is subject of continuing research

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD FOOD ADDITIVES • Food biotechnology • Also known as biogenic engineering, is the use of biological systems or organisms to create or modify products • Examples -- tomatoes that stay fresh much longer • Offers solutions to enhance the quality, nutritional value, and variety of foods

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY • Sources • Surface water -- from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs • Ground water -- from underground aquifers and pumped up from private wells

CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY • Contamination (lead, asbestos, bacteria, dirt) can occur via plumbing • Public water systems treat water (usually with chlorine) to remove contaminants • Bottled water is an alternative

HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS HUNGER IN THE UNITED STATES • Is not always easy to recognize • Has many causes • Poverty • Alcohol abuse • Drug abuse • Physical and mental illnesses • Lack of awareness of available food assistance programs • Reluctance of people (particularly the elderly) to accept what they perceive as welfare or charity

HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS HUNGER IN THE UNITED STATES • Ten States with the highest percentage of households uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food because of insufficient money or other resources Utah 15.2% New Mexico 14.3% Mississippi 14.8% Idaho 13.7% Texas 14.8% Oregon 13.7% Arizona 14.6% Louisiana 13.1% Oklahoma 14.3% Georgia 12.9% USDA Governing Feb 2004

HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS HUNGER IN THE UNITED STATES • Assistance programs • Federal • School lunch and breakfast • WIC • Congregate meals • Meals on wheels • Food Stamp program • Local • Community based soup kitchens and shelters

HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WORLD HUNGER • Causes of famine • Drought • Flood • Pests • Social causes -- people loose their ability to obtain food • Sudden increase in food prices • Drop in workers’ incomes • Change in government policy • Armed conflict

HUNGER AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WORLD HUNGER • International food assistance -- available since 1950’s • Chronic malnutrition • Suffered by estimated over 800 million people in developing countries • Results in lowered life expectancy • Overpopulation vs. food production • Food production no longer keeping pace with population growth

DNT 200 NUTRITION FOR HEALTH SCIENCES