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All posts by: Camille Vanasse
Determining the Safety of Microbial Cultures for Consumption by Humans and Animals
Published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
In July 2015, the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology published “Determining the safety of microbial cultures for consumption by humans and animals.” This paper, which was recently made open source, serves as a valuable asset to ingredient manufacturers operating within the microbial cultures space. In providing a comprehensive approach for determining the safety of microbial cultures that lack an established history of safe use for their intended new applications, this resource serves as a decision tree for the safety assessment of microbial strains to be used in food applications. Access and download the full paper below.
Abstract
Fermented foods and feeds have been consumed for millennia, and microorganisms isolated from traditional fermentations have been used as probiotics. There is interest in developing new microbial cultures for these uses, but to date safety evaluation procedures have only been discussed in general terms. We propose a comprehensive approach for determining the safety of microbial cultures that lack an established history of safe use for their intended new applications. Three scenarios are considered: (1) substantially increased exposure to a culture that has an established record of safety in a more limited application; (2) a new strain without a history of safe use that was isolated from a food or feed that has a history of safe use; and (3) a new strain isolated from a non-food or non-feed source. Our safety evaluation process is based on scientific procedures and is in the form of a decision tree composed of 13 questions. Our decision tree for determining the safety of microbial cultures for consumption by humans or animals is modeled on previous decision trees that are used worldwide to evaluate the safety of microbial enzymes for use in human food or animal feed.
IFAC Publishes Research on Phosphorus Intake and Health Using NHANES Data
Findings from a new two-part research study supported by IFAC
Research supported by the International Food Additives Council (IFAC) recently examined trends of dietary phosphorus intake in Americans and potential implications for health and physiology.
Phosphorus is an essential mineral, naturally present in many foods. The body uses phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth, maintain a normal pH balance, deliver oxygen to tissues, convert food into energy, and maintain muscle function. Naturally-occurring phosphorus is found primarily in protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish and dairy, as well as in whole grains, beans, lentils, and nuts. It is found in smaller amounts in vegetables and fruits. Phosphorus may also be added to foods through the use of phosphate food additives. Common foods containing added phosphorus include cheese and other dairy products, soft drinks, bakery items, and processed meats
A two-part study by Kristin Fulgoni, Victor Fulgoni, and Taylor Wallace examined trends in phosphorus content in foods using NHANES data and the effects of dietary phosphorus intake on human health and physiology. The first study found the average total phosphorus intake for adult Americans is 1,400 milligrams per day, which is well below the tolerable maximum of 4,000 milligrams per day. In addition, added phosphorus accounts for around 12% of total phosphorus intake among American adults over age 19.
One finding was that increased phosphorus correlated with higher bone mineral content and bone density. However, for every 100 milligrams of added phosphorus consumed, adults had a 21% greater chance of having lower HDL cholesterol (or “good” cholesterol) levels. Finally, higher total phosphorus intake was found to be correlated with a 3% decrease in the risk of high blood pressure.
These new findings bolster transparency within the food industry by illustrating how much phosphorus in the form of phosphate food additives is added to foods. In the interest of public health and safety, food companies should continue to examine the possible impacts their products have on consumer health and physiology.
Abstract: Trends in Intake Paper
Dietary phosphorus intake in the USA has been consistently greater than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) with several studies reporting associations between intake and health risks as well as all-cause mortality within healthy subjects and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The current study utilized a novel approach to calculate added phosphorus content in foods to determine sources (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES 2001–2016, n = 39,796) and trends in consumption (NHANES 1988–1994, 2001–2016, n = 55,744) of total, naturally occurring, and added phosphorus. Among adults (19+ years), the mean intake of total and natural phosphorus (mg/day) in 1988–1994 as compared with 2015–2016 increased (total: 1292 ± SE 11 vs. 1398 ± SE 17; natural: 1113 ± SE 10 vs. 1243 ± SE 16 mg/day); in contrast, added phosphorus intake decreased during this time (178 ± SE 2.9 vs. 155 ± SE 4.1 mg/day). Added phosphorus as a percent of total ranged from about 14.6% in 1988–1994 to about 11.6% in 2015–2016. The top five sources of total and naturally occurring phosphorus, representing approximately 20% of intake, were cheese, pizza, chicken (whole pieces), reduced-fat milk, and eggs/omelets. The top five sources of added phosphorus were cheese, soft drinks, cakes/pies, rolls/buns, and cookies/brownies, representing 45% of added phosphorus in the diet. Consumption of added phosphorus has decreased over the past few decades, possibly due to increased demand for foods with less additives/ingredients but may also be due to inaccurate phosphorus values in nutrition databases. Further studies are needed to validate the added phosphorus calculations utilized in this study and nutrition databases should consider providing added phosphorus content.
Abstract: Association with Health Paper
Dietary phosphorus intake in the USA has been consistently greater than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) with several studies reporting associations between intake and health risks as well as all-cause mortality within healthy subjects and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The current study utilized a novel approach to calculate added phosphorus content in foods to determine sources (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES 2001–2016, n = 39,796) and trends in consumption (NHANES 1988–1994, 2001–2016, n = 55,744) of total, naturally occurring, and added phosphorus. Among adults (19+ years), the mean intake of total and natural phosphorus (mg/day) in 1988–1994 as compared with 2015–2016 increased (total: 1292 ± SE 11 vs. 1398 ± SE 17; natural: 1113 ± SE 10 vs. 1243 ± SE 16 mg/day); in contrast, added phosphorus intake decreased during this time (178 ± SE 2.9 vs. 155 ± SE 4.1 mg/day). Added phosphorus as a percent of total ranged from about 14.6% in 1988–1994 to about 11.6% in 2015–2016. The top five sources of total and naturally occurring phosphorus, representing approximately 20% of intake, were cheese, pizza, chicken (whole pieces), reduced-fat milk, and eggs/omelets. The top five sources of added phosphorus were cheese, soft drinks, cakes/pies, rolls/buns, and cookies/brownies, representing 45% of added phosphorus in the diet. Consumption of added phosphorus has decreased over the past few decades, possibly due to increased demand for foods with less additives/ingredients but may also be due to inaccurate phosphorus values in nutrition databases. Further studies are needed to validate the added phosphorus calculations utilized in this study and nutrition databases should consider providing added phosphorus content.
What Is “Processed” Food?
The phrase “processed food” is often mischaracterized as something people should avoid. This mischaracterization has unfortunately become too common and accepted by too many. When used to describe food, the word “processed” means a product that has been changed by being prepared, canned, frozen, packaged, or combined with other ingredients. Processed foods can undergo physical changes including chopping, mixing, baking, or frying, as well as chemical changes which can include fermentation, leavening, and preservation.
Examples of Processed Foods
Using this definition, “processed” describes many of the foods that help make up a balanced diet such as yogurt, sauces, low-fat cheese, and cut fruit. The food you cook from scratch can be described as processed.
Take a loaf of homemade sourdough bread for instance. To start, you need a sourdough starter, made by fermenting flour and water. From there you add more flour and some salt, followed by several rounds of proofing (leavening through fermentation), kneading, and folding. Before you even put the bread in the oven, you’ve made both chemical and physical changes to the ingredients that you started with – water, flour, and salt. By then, baking your dough in the oven you’ve once again changed your dough by adding heat.
But do you think of your fresh homemade sourdough as being processed? Likely not.
Or what about the dried pasta you may have stocked in your pantry at the onset of COVID-19? Similar to your homemade sourdough, the ingredients for the pasta – flour, salt, water, oil, and eggs – were mixed together in a large-scale mixer, pressed through a pasta dye, dried, and boxed so that you could buy it from your local store and keep it in your pantry until you need it.
The level of processing that a food product goes through isn’t always telling of nutrient levels and doesn’t have a direct association with the quality of a food product. Processed foods have gone through one or more changes before reaching the store shelf, and are typically designed to produce a food that is tasty, affordable, shelf-stable, and easy to access.
What Is the Role of Food Additives in Processed Foods?
Food additives are used in processed foods for many reasons, including to improve texture and stability, increase shelf-life, and enhance flavor. Food additives can be used for one or more reasons depending on the type of ingredient and the desired functionality in the processed food.
Food ingredients, including food additives, have been used in foods for hundreds of years for those same reasons. All ingredients listed on food labels are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or have been determined to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by qualified experts after a review of the scientific evidence supporting their safety and intended use in foods.
What Does This Mean About the Food I Eat?
At the end of the day, processed foods, whether packaged, canned, jarred, or frozen, are an important part of the American diet, allowing us to buy foods that are more affordable, have longer shelf lives, and reduce preparation time. Food additives also help make the wide selection of tasty organic, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and other diet-specific food options possible.
Processed foods are can be part of a balanced diet and shouldn’t be thought of as something to fear. When it comes to a balanced diet, it’s about eating nutritious foods, not necessarily monitoring the processing level of the foods you eat.