Conventional Foodstuffs Research Articles

Development and application of a nutritional quality model for life cycle assessment of protein-rich foods

Alternative protein sources (APSs) have emerged as a potentially healthy and, presumably, environmentally sustainable solution for meeting future food demand. Here we develop a new complex nutrient profile model to assess the nutritional quality of protein-rich foods, which, concurrently, allows to evaluate their environmental implications efficiently through the application of life cycle assessment (LCA). The development of the index was guided by the identification of priority nutrients in APSs and main deficiencies of similar models, which gave rise to the ‘quality Nutrient Rich Food 1.10.2’ (qNRF1.10.2). This model is the first nutrient profile system that combines various essential nutrients and a protein quality scoring system, namely Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS). From a nutritional perspective, its accuracy was proven and its application identified animal products as the most nutritionally complete food group, surpassing plant-based alternatives. However, when using the index as functional unit in LCA of protein-rich foods, we discovered that seeds, nuts, and mixtures of vegetable foods reported the lowest environmental impacts as a function of their nutrient density. Some exceptions were found for algae or insects, which performed worse than animal-derived foods in terms of resources consumption, or for cereals, which shown an important water deprivation potential. These results suggest that we should find a trade-off between the production of emerging and conventional foodstuffs, and that main environmental issues of each region should condition the location of production systems.

Nutritional quality of organic foods: A systematic review

Background: Despite rising consumer demand for organically grown foods, there is a scarcity of information based on a thorough assessment of their nutritional qualities. The goal of this study was to quantify the differences in reported nutritional content between organically and conventionally grown foods. Design: From 1 January 1958 to 29 February 2008, we carefully searched Pub Med, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts, contacted topic experts, and hand-searched bibliographies. If they provided nutritional content comparisons between organic and conventional foodstuffs, we included peer-reviewed publications with English abstracts in the study. Study features, quality, and data were retrieved by two reviewers. The research was limited to the most frequently reported nutrients. In the last two decades, the organic foods sector in the United States has grown dramatically. Organic sales are projected to have grown by almost 20% each year since 1990, with consumer sales reaching $13.8 billion in 2005. While the early days of organic agriculture centered on small farms but also local distribution offresh produce, today's organic food system is a complex mix of small and large food producers, local and global distribution networks, and a wide range of products, which include fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and processedfoods.

The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) as a novel food: a risk profile

Novel foods represent sustainable alternatives to traditional farming and conventional foodstuffs. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is considered as one of the most promising reared insects due to their attractive nutritional profile and lower feed conversion ratio compared to other animals. However, putative health hazards associated with consumption of crickets have previously not been investigated. The present study assesses the risks of A. domesticus reared in closed systems controlled by the implementation of hazard analysis and critical control points and good farming practices. Due to the novelty of the topic, data scarcity has been a limiting factor, hence comparative evidence from closely related species belonging to the order Orthoptera (e.g. grasshoppers, locusts, and other cricket species) have been included. The present risk profile identified as main hazards: (1) high total counts of aerobic bacteria; (2) presence of spore-forming bacteria post thermal processing; (3) accumulation of cadmium and other heavy metals; and (4) a possible increase of allergenic reactions due to exposure to insects and insect derived products. Important data gaps regarding edible crickets and their safety as novel foods have been highlighted in the future perspective section, representing aims for future research. Identified data gaps include: (1) farming conditions of the insects being studied; (2) data on the impact of thermal processing of the products prior to consumption; (3) fungal communities and mycotoxins-producing fungi in reared crickets; and (4) heavy metals not fully assessed (chromium, aluminium and arsenic) and other chemical hazards produced during processing (i.e. heterocyclic aromatic amines, acrylamide). The present risk profile explores food safety risks related to consumption of A. domesticus, thereby constituting an example of chemical and microbial hazards risk profiling on edible insects, covering rearing to consumption. Graphical abstract - Risk profile of edible crickets.

Arunachal’s Adi and Apatani tribes’ traditional knowledge of harvesting and using edible insects

At least 65 insect species of 30 families and 9 orders, namely Orthoptera (15 species), Odonata (12), Coleoptera (11), Hymenoptera (10), Hemiptera (9), Lepidoptera (5) and one species each of Ephemeroptera, Isoptera and Mantodea find acceptance as food by Adi and Apatani tribals. Adi use overall more species than Apatani: 53 species of 24 families and 8 orders versus 49 species of 21 families and 8 orders. Odonata are highly appreciated by the Apatani whereas Adi consume more Orthopterans. Various harvesting systems exist and often methods like handpicking or using simple tools are involved with minimal environmental impact. However, depreciation of the environment, increased availability of conventional foodstuffs, rapid population growth and rising influence of westernisation collectively affect diversity, abundance and use of edible insects, leading to a decline of entomophagy among the tribal people.

Novel foods: a risk profile for the house cricket (Achetadomesticus).

Novel foods could represent a sustainable alternative to traditional farming and conventional foodstuffs. Starting in 2018, Regulation (EU) 2283/2015 entered into force, laying down provisions for the approval of novel foods in Europe, including insects. This Approved Regulation establishes the requirements that enable Food Business Operators to bring new foods into the EU market, while ensuring high levels of food safety for European consumers. The present risk profile tackles the hazards for one of the most promising novel food insects, the house cricket (Acheta domesticus). The risk profile envisages a closed A. domesticus crickets rearing system, under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and good farming practices (GFP), in contrast with open cricket farms. The methodology used involves screening the literature and identifying possible hazards, followed by adding relevant inclusion criteria for the evidence obtained. These criteria include animal health and food safety aspects, for the entire lifespan of crickets, based on the farm to fork One Health principle. When data were scarce, comparative evidence from close relatives of the Orthoptera genus was used (e.g. grasshoppers, locusts and other cricket species). Nevertheless, significant data gaps in animal health and food safety are present. Even if HACCP‐type systems are implemented, the risk profile identifies the following considerable concerns: (1) high total aerobic bacterial counts; (2) survival of spore‐forming bacteria following thermal processing; (3) allergenicity of insects and insect‐derived products; and (4) the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (e.g. cadmium). Other hazards like parasites, fungi, viruses, prions, antimicrobial resistance and toxins are ranked as low risk. For some hazards, a need for additional evidence is highlighted.

Principles and limitations of stable isotopes in differentiating organic and conventional foodstuffs: 2. Animal products

ABSTRACTIn this review, we examine the variation in stable isotope signatures of the lighter elements (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, and δ34S) of tissues and excreta of domesticated animals, the factors affecting the isotopic composition of animal tissues, and whether stable isotopes may be used to differentiate organic and conventional modes of animal husbandry. The main factors affecting the δ13C signatures of livestock are the C3/C4 composition of the diet, the relative digestibility of the diet components, metabolic turnover, tissue and compound specificity, growth rate, and animal age. δ15N signatures of sheep and cattle products have been related mainly to diet signatures, which are quite variable among farms and between years. Although few data exist, a minor influence in δ15N signatures of animal products was attributed to N losses at the farm level, whereas stocking rate showed divergent findings. Correlations between mode of production and δ2H and δ18O have not been established, and only in one case of an animal product was δ34S a satisfactory marker for mode of production. While many data exist on diet–tissue isotopic discrimination values among domesticated animals, there is a paucity of data that allow a direct and statistically verifiable comparison of the differences in the isotopic signatures of organically and conventionally grown animal products. The few comparisons are confined to beef, milk, and egg yolk, with no data for swine or lamb products. δ13C appears to be the most promising isotopic marker to differentiate organic and conventional production systems when maize (C4) is present in the conventional animal diet. However, δ13C may be unsuitable under tropical conditions, where C4 grasses are abundant, and where grass-based husbandry is predominant in both conventional and organic systems. Presently, there is no universal analytical method that can be applied to differentiate organic and conventional animal products.

Principles and Limitations of Stable Isotopes in Differentiating Organic and Conventional Foodstuffs: 1. Plant Products

Among the lighter elements having two or more stable isotopes (H, C, N, O, S), δ15N appears to be the most promising isotopic marker to differentiate plant products from conventional and organic farms. Organic plant products vary within a range of δ15N values of +0.3 to +14.6%, while conventional plant products range from negative to positive values, i.e. −4.0 to +8.7%. The main factors affecting δ15N signatures of plants are N fertilizers, biological N2 fixation, plant organs and plant age. Correlations between mode of production and δ13C (except greenhouse tomatoes warmed with natural gas) or δ34S signatures have not been established, and δ2H and δ18O are unsuitable markers due to the overriding effect of climate on the isotopic composition of plant-available water. Because there is potential overlap between the δ15N signatures of organic and conventionally produced plant products, δ15N has seldom been used successfully as the sole criterion for differentiation, but when combined with complementary analytical techniques and appropriate statistical tools, the probability of a correct identification increases. The use of organic fertilizers by conventional farmers or the marketing of organic produce as conventional due to market pressures are additional factors confounding correct identification. The robustness of using δ15N to differentiate mode of production will depend on the establishment of databases that have been verified for individual plant products.

Calidad nutricional de los alimentos ecológicos: una revisión sistemática

Background Despite growing consumer demand for organically produced foods, information based on a systematic review of their nutritional quality is lacking. Objective We sought to quantitatively assess the differences in reported nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. Design We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts for a Period of 50 y from 1 January 1958 to 29 February 2008, contacted subjects experts, and hand-searched bibliographies. We included peer-reviewed articles with English abstracts in the analysis if they reported nutrient content comparisons between organic and conventional foodstuffs. Two reviewers extracted study characteristics, quality, and data. The analysis were restricted to the most commonly reported nutrients. Results From a total of 52471 articles, we identified 162 studies (137 crops and 25 livestock products); 55 were of satisfactory quality. In an analysis that included only satisfactory quality studies, conventionally produced crops had a significantly higher content of nitrogen, and organically produced crops had a significantly higher content of phosphorus and titratable acidity. No evidence of a difference was detected for the remaining 8 of 11 crop nutrient categories analyzed. Analysis of the more limited database on livestock products found no evidence of a difference in nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced livestock products. Conclusions On the basis of a systematic review of studies of satisfactory quality, there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods.

Birds select conventional over organic wheat when given free choice

Global demand for organic produce is increasing by euro4 billion annually. One key reason why consumers buy organic food is because they consider it to be better for human and animal health. Reviews comparing organic and conventional food have stated that organic food is preferred by birds and mammals in choice tests. This study shows the opposite result-that captive birds in the laboratory and wild garden birds both consumed more conventional than organic wheat when given free choice. There was a lag in preference formation during which time birds learnt to distinguish between the two food types, which is likely to explain why the present results differ from those of previous studies. A further experiment confirmed that, of 16 potential causal factors, detection by birds of consistently higher levels of protein in conventional seeds (a common difference between many organic and conventional foodstuffs) is the likely mechanism behind this pattern. The results of this study suggest that the current dogma that organic food is preferred to conventional food may not always be true, which is of considerable importance for consumer perceptions of organically grown food.

Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review

BackgroundDespite growing consumer demand for organically produced foods, information based on a systematic review of their nutritional quality is lacking. ObjectiveWe sought to quantitatively assess the differences in reported nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. DesignWe systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts for a period of 50 y from 1 January 1958 to 29 February 2008, contacted subject experts, and hand-searched bibliographies. We included peer-reviewed articles with English abstracts in the analysis if they reported nutrient content comparisons between organic and conventional foodstuffs. Two reviewers extracted study characteristics, quality, and data. The analyses were restricted to the most commonly reported nutrients. ResultsFrom a total of 52,471 articles, we identified 162 studies (137 crops and 25 livestock products); 55 were of satisfactory quality. In an analysis that included only satisfactory-quality studies, conventionally produced crops had a significantly higher content of nitrogen, and organically produced crops had a significantly higher content of phosphorus and higher titratable acidity. No evidence of a difference was detected for the remaining 8 of 11 crop nutrient categories analyzed. Analysis of the more limited database on livestock products found no evidence of a difference in nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced livestock products. ConclusionsOn the basis of a systematic review of studies of satisfactory quality, there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods.

Contaminants in organically and conventionally produced winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) in Belgium

A database has been compiled with the levels of important contaminants (mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides) measured from 2002 to 2005 in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in Belgium according to the organic and conventional farming systems. Assuming no further change in contaminant levels during cereal processing and during the preparation of foodstuffs, conservative intakes are estimated for the consumers of cereal-based products such as flour, bread, breakfast cereals, dough and pastry. The results show that for the consumer of organic foodstuffs, estimated daily intakes are 0.56 µg deoxynivalenol (DON), 0.03 µg zearalenone (ZEA), 0.19 µg Cd, 0.28 µg Pb and 0.0006 µg Hg kg−1 body weight, taking into account the average contaminant levels in unprocessed grains and the average cereal products consumptions in Belgium. For the consumers of conventional foodstuffs, the corresponding estimated daily intakes are 0.99 µg DON, 0.06 µg ZEA, 0.17 µg Cd, 0.12 µg Pb and 0.0007 µg Hg kg−1 body weight. In addition, it appears that for the consumers of conventional products, intakes of some post-harvest insecticides have to be taken into account (0.11 µg chlorpyriphos-methyl, 0.2 µg dichlorvos and 0.24 µg pirimiphos-methyl kg−1 bw). When expressed as a percentage of the tolerable/acceptable daily intake (TDI/ADI), it seems that the corresponding estimated (conservative) intakes are the highest for DON (56% for organic and 99% for conventional cereal products), ZEA (16% for organic and 32% for conventional cereal products), and Cd (19% for organic and 17% for conventional cereal products), all other estimated intakes of contaminants (including pesticides) being lower than 10% of the TDI/ADI.

Cadmium and lead in organically produced foodstuffs from the Greek market

Determinations of cadmium and lead content in a wide variety of organically produced foodstuffs available in the Greek market were carried out in the present study. The mean values detected ranged from non detectable to 53.4 ng g −1 and 65.0 ng g −1 for cadmium and lead, respectively. The highest cadmium concentrations were observed in the food categories of cereals (21.7 ng g −1), followed by leafy vegetables (15.4 ng g −1), whereas for lead the highest concentrations were found in leafy vegetables (33.4 ng g −1), followed by pulses (21.4 ng g −1) and alcoholic beverages (20.0 ng g −1). The comparison of the two metals’ content in certified organically grown foodstuffs to that of conventional ones from the Greek market demonstrates that cadmium and lead concentrations are higher in conventional foodstuffs in a percentage equal to 64% and 61% of the products compared, respectively. The results also show that “uncertified” organic products contained far larger concentrations of cadmium and lead than either the certified organic or conventional foodstuffs. These results demonstrate that although the majority of certified organic products may have lower metal content, organic agriculture as such does not necessarily reduce the cadmium and lead content of organically cultivated products, unless additional provisions are observed.

Compositional characteristics and sensory quality of biscuits, prawn crackers and fried chips produced from beadfruit

Breadfruit was processed into three unconventional food forms, namely into biscuits, prawn crackers and chips. The novel snack food items comprised of four biscuit samples made from wheat flour substituted with 33, 50, 67 and 100% breadfruit flour, one sample of prawn cracker made from breadfruit starch and one sample of fried breadfruit chips. These food items were subjected to proximate analyses and also comparative sensory evaluation alongside their respective commercial equivalents produced from the traditional or conventional foodstuffs. The panel of 24 people evaluated each category of sample for crispness, flavour, colour and overall preference on a 9-point hedonic scale. The proximate analyses showed that all the experimental products could contribute appreciable amounts of principal nutrients to the daily nutrient requirements of would-be consumers. Although there were statistically significant preferences ( P≤0.05) between the test products and their commercial equivalents with respect to some quality attributes, all the experimental products except the biscuit from the 100% breadfruit flour were adjudged to be acceptable in terms of overall quality. The data presented in this study have demonstrated the potential for the industrial exploitation of breadfruit through processing into snack food items suitable for production in fast food service systems.

Introduction to functional foods

It is axiomatic that adequate supplies of good quality food is beneficial for health. Conversely it has also long been recognised that populations suffering from malnutrition are more susceptible to various diseases and have poor health. However the concept of functional foods, as foods that offer some health-associated advantage over conventional foodstuffs is a relatively recent innovation into the human nutrition market. Functional foods are generally defined as foods that have an effect on well-being and health or result in reduction in disease risk. The advantages offered by functional foods are generally related to disease avoidance and health maintenance rather than to therapeutic effects of foods. Functional foods are now part of a worldwide nutrition market estimated at $156 billion in 2001 (Starling, 2002). However, they can only become significant in societies where food security is assured and basic foodstuffs are relatively cheap. Consequently the major markets are North America, Europe and Japan.

Simulation of the Exposure to Deoxynivalenol of French Consumers of Organic and Conventional Foodstuffs

The aim of this study was to estimate the exposure to deoxynivalenol in wheat of consumers of organic and conventional products using a probabilistic method, and to compare these levels with a toxicological reference so as to provide risk managers with scientific data to be used in the regulatory decision-making process. First, a product consumption frequency questionnaire was completed by consumers of organic products, thus providing data on the consumption of organic products. Data on the consumption of conventional products were obtained from the French “INCA” survey. Data on deoxynivalenol levels in wheat came from a previous study. The results of exposure simulations using the Monte-Carlo sampling method showed that 10% of those consuming organic wheat containing deoxynivalenol may be exposed to this natural toxin at levels above the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake.

Contaminants in organic and conventional foodstuffs in France

The aim was to compare the levels of contamination in organic and conventional raw materials. To this end, the level of contamination by heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury), nitrates and nitrites, and some mycotoxins were monitored. Fifteen products were tested in their organic and conventional forms, including meat, milk, eggs, vegetables and cereals. The median levels of contamination were calculated and compared with the recommended or regulated maximum levels. The maximum levels were exceeded for lead in organic carrots and buckwheat, and in conventional wheat; for cadmium, in both organic and conventional buckwheat; for nitrates, in organic spinach; and for patulin in organic apples. Moreover, contamination of both conventional and organic wheat by deoxynivalenol was observed with a higher level in organic products. However, the health risk for consumers might be real only for the contamination by mycotoxins as the contaminated foods (apples, wheat) are the main contributors to total exposure.