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Codex Commission makes major decision in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios
The Codex Commission ratified new maximum aflatoxin levels and sampling plans
In response to the growing concern on aflatoxins in the nut industry over the last years, the INC implemented a comprehensive strategy to provide both producers and importers with a better understanding on the incidence of aflatoxins and its management. Several actions have been taking place over the last 12 years, such as promoting research on aflatoxin occurrence, sampling procedures, engagement of industry members and government officials, regulatory issues and data collection and analysis. The INC has also contributed on the development of international standards by the Codex Committee Contaminants, GAP (good agricultural practices), and GMP (good manufacturing practices).
After 12 years of unceasing efforts, the INC position regarding the Sampling Plan and the maximum levels for total aflatoxins for further processing (15 ppb) and ready-to-eat (10 ppb) almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios, has been accepted by the Codex Commission, and it is now under way for EU implementation. The same positive result has been achieved for dried figs.
During the 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, held in Geneva, Switzerland, 30 June - 4 July 2008, the Codex Commission has approved the proposed sampling plans and maximum aflatoxin levels in these nuts approved at the 2nd Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (The Hague, March 31 – April 4, 2008):
- 10 ppb for these nuts intended for direct consumption;
- 15 ppb for these nuts to be subjected to sorting or other physical treatment before human consumption or use as an ingredient in foodstuffs.
Regarding the adopted sampling plans for aflatoxin contamination in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios intended for direct consumption and for further processing, the sample sizes agreed are the following:
- For the following tree nuts intended for further processing:
- 1 laboratory sample of 20 kg for shelled almonds, shelled hazelnuts and in shell pistachios;
- 1 laboratory sample of 10 kg for shelled pistachios.
- For the following tree nuts intended for direct consumption:
- 2 laboratory sample of 10 kg for shelled almonds, shelled hazelnuts and in shell pistachios;
- 2 laboratory sample of 5 kg for shelled pistachios.
In order to avoid the rejection of the lot, each of these 2 samples must be below 10 ppb - the average of the 2 levels will not be taken into account.
The Codex Commission also adopted the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Dried Figs.
The success of these actions confirms the effectiveness of the nut industry and its scientific engagement.
As Official Non-Government Observers, the INC was represented in both sessions by Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, and Julie Adams, Vice-Chairman.
As preparation of the meeting, the INC circulated among attendees a report on the high ratio aflatoxin B1/aflatoxin total and the effect of processing (roasting, salting, blanching, peeling, etc.) on the reduction of aflatoxin in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. The report, developed by the INC along with FRUCOM, included 679 tests collected from the INC Centers of Excellence in Italy and Turkey, the TUBITAK Research Institute (Turkey) and the EU RASFF notifications.
The report on the effect of further processing (roasting and/or salting and/or blanching etc.) on the reduction of aflatoxin in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios, initially confirms that there is a considerable reduction of aflatoxin levels after the above listed processes.
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UNECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards
Specialized Section on Dry and Dried Produce, Geneva, Switzerland, 23-27 June 2008
The INC, represented by Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, attended the meetings of the UNECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards, Specialized Section on Dry and Dried Produce, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 23 to 27 June 2008.
The Working Party reviewed UNECE recommendations for pistachio kernels, peeled pistachio kernels and blanched almond kernels and UNECE standards for hazelnut kernels and inshell walnuts. The Working Party also discussed new standards for inshell macadamia nuts and macadamia kernels.
We will inform on the outcomes of the meetings as soon as the report is published.
The in-session documents are available at: www.unece.org/trade/agr/meetings/ge.02/2008-in-session.htm.
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Conference "Selected Topics in Primary Care: Nutrition and Updates in Family Medicine"
The INC is sponsoring the Conference “Selected Topics in Primary Care: Nutrition and Updates in Family Medicine” to be undertaken by Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition in the School of Public Health in Loma Linda University, California.
Dr. Sabaté, a world-renowned nut researcher for his pioneering nutritional studies, will be joined by Barbara Orr, MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, and Sebastiano Andreana, DDS, MS, Professor at the Department of Periodontics, in Loma Linda University as well.
The aim of this conference is to offer continuing medical education credits. There are 150 people registered, mainly physicians and health care providers who hold faculty positions and will be relaying the information to patients, students and colleagues. The program is accredited for 12 AMA PRA Category 1 credits and has been planned and implemented in accordance with ACCME essentials and standards.
The conference will be held aboard the Royal Caribbean’s, Legend of the Seas, Greece & Eastern Mediterranean Cruise, from 11 - 20 July 2008, and will consist of 11 speeches:
Friday, July 11
9.00 - 10.00am - Nut Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes and Obesity
10.00 - 11.00am - Nut Consumption, Dietary Fat and Serum Lipids Modulation
11.00 - 12.00am - Growth and Development of Vegetarian Children and Adolescents
Wednesday, July 16
9.00 - 10.00am - The Contribution of Vegetarian Diets to Human Health Risks and benefits – Changing Paradigms
10.00 - 11.00am - Mediterranean Diet on Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases
Friday, July 18
9.00 - 10.00am - Alternative Medicine Revisited with Evidence Bas Medicine
10.00 - 11.00am - Informed Decision for Male and Female Hormones
11.00 - 12.00am - Bones and Joints
Sunday, July 20
9.00 - 10.00am - Passionate Medicine Shared
10.00 - 11.00am - Questions to Your Family Doctor
11.00 - 12.00am - Systematic Disease and Periodontal Disease: Is There a Link?
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2008 SAMAC Annual Symposium
The 2008 Southern African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) Annual Symposium will be held at the Mpumalanga Parks Board Auditorium in Nelspruit, South Africa, on August 20th, 2008.
The program covers both technical and marketing aspects of the macadamia business. Researchers currently engaged in SAMAC funded research projects will be presenting their results on topics including the following:
- Nursery practices
- Control of stem canker
- The effect of calcium on yield and kernel quality
- Insect pest management
- Fertigation and integrated management
Marketing topics will include SAMAC's market development initiatives both locally and in the UK, as well as discussions on the current market situation and the outlook for the future. Proceedings will end with the SAMAC AGM followed by an evening braai.
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Nuts and Health at MSN's Web Site
MSN (The Microsoft Network) Health & Fitness web site has recently published a review of the health benefits of eating nuts. It contains a list of benefits attached to each individual nut, namely walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamias and cashews.
The article has been provided to MSN by Runner’s World, the UK's largest running magazine.
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VII International Congress on Hazelnuts
Viterbo (Italy), 23-27 June 2008
The VII International Congress on Hazelnuts was held in Viterbo, Italy, from 23rd to 27th June 2008. The Congress offered an international forum to exchange experiences related to the latest results concerning agronomic and technical aspects of hazelnut growing.
Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Serbia, Turkey, Romania, Poland, Georgia, Ukraine, China, Iran, USA, Chile and Australia were some of the participating delegations. The topics of the Congress were related to the following issues: germplasm, biology and physiology, cultivar techniques, quality, marketing and international affairs.
Researchers had the opportunity to discuss and learn new aspects about molecular characterization, physiological aspects, irrigation, etc. A total amount of 69 sessions were presented, and there were 87 posters. At the end of the event, Chile was announced as the country to host the next congress.
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New Scientific & Regulatory issues on the INC website
Scientific Studies
• Buchanan R, Dennis S, Gendel S, Acheson D, Assimon SA, Beru N, Bolger P, Carlson D, Carvajal R, Copp C, Falci K, Garber E, Harden E, Kane R, Kvenberg J, Luccioli S, Park D, Raybourne R, Troxell T, Vierk K; Threshold Working Group. Approaches to establish thresholds for major food allergens and for gluten in food. J Food Prot. 2008 May;71(5):1043-88.
• Brandl MT, Pan Z, Huynh S, Zhu Y, McHugh TH. Reduction of Salmonella enteritidis population sizes on almond kernels with infrared heat. J Food Prot. 2008 May;71(5):897-902.
• J Agric Food Chem. 2008 May 31. In Vitro Activity of Almond Skin Polyphenols for Scavenging Free Radicals and Inducing Quinone Reductase. Chen CY, Blumberg JB.
• Mandalari G, Nueno-Palop C, Bisignano G, Wickham MS, Narbad A. Investigation of the potential prebiotic properties of almond (Amygdalus communis L.) seeds. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 May 23.
• Mandalari G, Faulks RM, Rich GT, Lo Turco V, Picout DR, Lo Curto RB, Bisignano G, Dugo P, Dugo G, Waldron KW, Ellis PR, Wickham MS. Release of protein, lipid, and vitamin E from almond seeds during digestion. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 May 14;56(9):3409-16.
• Kodad O, Socias I Company R. Variability of Oil Content and of Major Fatty Acid Composition in Almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) and Its Relationship with Kernel Quality. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Jun 11;56(11):4096-101.
• M. Olsen, P. Johnsson, T. Möller, R. Paladino, M. Lindblad. Aspergillus nomius, an important aflatoxin producer in Brazil nuts? IN PRESS in the World Mycotoxin Journal, May-June, 2008.
• P. Johnsson, M. Lindblad, A. M. Thim, N. Jonsson, E. A. Vargas, N. L. Medeiros, C. Brabet, M. Quaresma de Araújo and M. Olsen. Growth of aflatoxigenic moulds and aflatoxin formation in Brazil nuts. IN PRESS in the World Mycotoxin Journal, May-June, 2008.
• Midorikawa GE, Pinheiro MR, Vidigal BS, Arruda MC, Costa FF, Pappas GJ Jr, Ribeiro SG, Freire F, Miller RN. Characterization of Aspergillus flavus strains from Brazilian Brazil nuts and cashew by RAPD and ribosomal DNA analysis. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2008 May 20.
• Basaran P, Basaran-Akgul N, Oksuz L. Elimination of Aspergillus parasiticus from nut surface with low pressure cold plasma (LPCP) treatment. Food Microbiol. 2008 Jun;25(4):626-32.
• Marín S, Hodzić I, Ramos AJ, Sanchis V. Predicting the growth/no-growth boundary and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius in pistachio nuts. Food Microbiol. 2008 Aug;25(5):683-9.
• Shimoda H, Tanaka J, Kikuchi M, Fukuda T, Ito H, Hatano T, Yoshida T. Walnut Polyphenols Prevent Liver Damage Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride and d-Galactosamine: Hepatoprotective Hydrolyzable Tannins in the Kernel Pellicles of Walnut. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 May 22.
• Kimura Y, Ito H, Kawaji M, Ikami T, Hatano T. Characterization and Antioxidative Properties of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidin from Prunes, Dried Fruit of Prunus domestica L. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 Jun 7.
• Trucksess MW, Scott PM. Mycotoxins in botanicals and dried fruits: a review. Food Addit Contam. 2008 Feb;25(2):181-92.
Regulations
• FVO final report on a mission carried out in Kenya from 15 to 21 November 2007 in order to evaluate controls of pesticides in food of plant origin intended for export to the European Union.
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Regulatory News
EFSA's Call for Data on Lead Levels in Food
The European Food Safety Agency, EFSA, is calling for data on lead levels in all types of food following the request made by the European Commission to update the existing data on lead exposure related to food consumption and EFSA’s opinion on the risk to human health.
The opinion will consider any new developments regarding the toxicity of lead. The deadline for submission of data is September 5th, 2008. FRUCOM is inviting all its members to submit any available data on lead levels in products of animal origin as well as plant origin by August 29th, 2008.
www.efsa.europa.eu
www.frucom.org
FSA new guidance for clearer labelling
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently released a revised labeling guidance for food manufacturers, producers and retailers. The guideline focuses on factors such as size, font and layout. FSA suggests using black type on a white background for important information (the name of the food, weight, list of ingredients, storage instructions and date mark) and recommends manufacturers to use at least 8 point font size for essential information, especially when safety is concerned. The Agency also recommends front-of-pack nutritional information (fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt per portion) to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
Additionally, and according to foodnavigator.com, the European Parliament's Heart Group has recently declared its preferred approach to front of pack labelling (energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fibre, fat, saturated fat, trans fat and salt), plus color coding such as that used in UK.
www.food.gov.uk
EFSA's Acrylamide risk opinion remains unaltered
Eighty scientists from 22 countries met at the EFSA's 11th Scientific Colloquium “Acrylamide carcinogenicity - New evidence in relation to dietary exposure”, in Tabiano, Italy, 22 and 23 May 2008, to discuss new scientific evidence published since 2005 related to the potential toxicity and cancer risk associated with dietary exposure to acrylamide.
The debate covered four main areas:
- Epidemiological evidence relating acrylamide exposure to cancer risk;
- Applications of biomarkers for acrylamide and models in relation to the exposure, metabolism and elimination;
- Genotoxic and non-genotoxic mechanisms of carcinogenicity of acrylamide;
- Current studies on dietary exposure to acrylamide across Europe and new potential food sources contributing to dietary intake.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that the latest evaluation carried out by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (JEFCA) in 2005 is still relevant. However, new data are expected to become available in 2009 that may reduce uncertainties and may call for revision of the risk assessment advice.
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RASFF Notifications
EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed
· Weeks 21-25
INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS
- Almonds from USA (1)
- Snacks with raisins from Lithuania (1).
- Dried apricots packaged in Greece (1).
- Dried apricots from Turkey (1).
- Fig paste from Turkey (1).
- Hazelnuts from Turkey (1).
- Pistachios from Turkey (1).
Information Notifications concern a food or feed for which a risk has been identified, but for which the other member states do not have to take immediate action, because the product has not yet reached their market.
BORDER REJECTIONS
- Almonds from USA (4).
- Dried figs from Turkey (2).
- Halawa topped with pistachio from Syria (1).
- Hazelnuts from Turkey (7).
- Peanuts from Argentina (5), China (37), Egypt (1), India (1), Nicaragua (1), Nigeria (1), USA (1).
- Nut mix from China (1).
- Pine nuts from Turkey (1).
- Pistachios from Iran (17), Turkey (1), USA (2).
Border Rejections concern food and feed consignments that have been tested and rejected at the external borders of the EU and the European Economic Area when a health risk was found. The notifications are transmitted to all EEA border posts in order to reinforce controls and to ensure that the rejected product does not re-enter the Community through another border post.
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Research Briefs
Childhood obesity
Obesity rates are increasing across Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific
According to a recent report published by Datamonitor on May 26th, 2008, obesity rates continue to climb across Europe, USA and Asia-Pacific. Over 35 per cent of European kids will be overweight or obese by 2012. In the US the number will exceed 40% and Asia Pacific is recording the fastest increase.According to datamonitor, the growing prevalence of childhood obesity will act as a major catalyst for change in kids' nutrition.
Obesity in childhood is likely to lead to obesity in adulthood, increasing the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer. According to bakeryandsnacks.com, these rates represent a major challenge for the bakery and snacks industry and reinforce the need to provide healthier alternatives and reduce sugar, fats and salt.
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E-mail: inc@nutfruit.org