Food Standards Australia New Research Articles

Estimates of Total Dietary Folic Acid Intake in the Australian Population Following Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification of Bread

Mandatory folic acid fortification of wheat flour for making bread was implemented in Australia in September 2009, to improve the dietary folate status of women of child-bearing age, and help reduce the incidence of neural tube defects in the population. This paper presents estimates of folic acid intake in the target population and other subgroups of the Australian population following implementation of the mandatory folic acid fortification standard. In June/July 2010 one hundred samples from seven bread categories were purchased from around the country and individually analysed for the amount of folic acid they contained. A modification to the triple enzyme microbiological method was used to measure folic acid in the individual bread samples. The folic acid analytical values together with national food consumption data were used to generate estimates of the population's folic acid intake from fortified foods. Food Standards Australia New Zealand's (FSANZ) custom-built dietary modelling program (DIAMOND) was used for the estimates. The mean amount of folic acid found in white bread was 200 μg/100 g which demonstrated that folic-acid-fortified wheat flour was used to bake the bread. The intake estimates indicated an increase in mean folic acid intake of 159 μg per day for the target group. Other sub-groups of the population also showed increases in estimated mean daily intake of folic acid.

Biting off more than you can chew; is it possible to precisely count carbohydrate?

AbstractAim: Carbohydrate counting is used to adjust premeal insulin to carbohydrate intake in intensive insulin regimens. The aim of the present study was to determine the potential variability in the carbohydrate content of a slice of bread (one ‘exchange’) from that reported on the label and hence, the potential variability in carbohydrate intake when consuming a serve.Methods: A cross‐sectional survey of 11 different loaves of bread commonly consumed by children with type 1 diabetes was undertaken. All slices in each loaf were weighed to an accuracy of ±1 g; and the reported carbohydrate content per 100 g of each loaf was used to determine the carbohydrate content of the mean, minimum and maximum slice in each loaf of bread.Results: There was no difference between the reported and the mean estimated carbohydrate content of a slice. The minimum slice of bread across all loaves was estimated to contain only 10.0 g of carbohydrate, whereas the maximum slice contained an estimated 20.7 g of carbohydrate. The greatest variation in carbohydrate amount within a loaf was 12.3 g.Conclusions: In commercially available loaves of bread in Australia, the carbohydrate content of a slice can vary by up to 45% of that reported on the label, in accordance with Food Standards Australia New Zealand. This highlights a practical limitation inherent with the commonly held view that food labels can facilitate accuracy in carbohydrate counting in 1‐g increments.

Regulation of Nanotechnologies in Food in Australia and New Zealand

Nanotechnologies have the potential to offer many opportunities for innovation in the food sector with applications in agriculture, water treatment, food production, processing, preservation and packaging. Whilst nanotechnologies may offer benefits in food and food packaging, the use of nanoscale materials may also present regulatory challenges similar to those for other emerging technologies, with the main issues related to potential impacts on human health. As part of an integrated whole of government approach, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has assessed the capacity of the food regulatory framework in Australia and New Zealand to manage any human health risks posed by nanotechnologies under the existing legislation, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and risk assessment framework. This review sets out the current regulatory requirements for the use of nanotechnologies in food in Australia and New Zealand, amendments to data requirements for risk assessment of nanoscale and microscale particulates in the FSANZ application handbook, and ongoing monitoring of the risks associated with the use of nanotechnologies in the food sector.

Report of the meeting on Aspartame with National Experts

Report of the meeting on Aspartame with National Experts

Achieving the Salt Intake Target of 6 g/Day in the Current Food Supply in Free-Living Adults Using Two Dietary Education Strategies

There are national targets for salt intake of 6 g salt/day in Australia and the United States. Despite this, there is limited knowledge about the effectiveness of dietary education in reducing salt intake to this level. The objective of this study was to investigate whether dietary education enabled a reduction in salt consumption. In an 8-week parallel study, 49 healthy free-living adults were recruited from the Adelaide community by newspaper advertisement. In a randomized parallel design, participants received dietary education to choose foods identified by either Australia's National Heart Foundation Tick symbol or by the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand's low-salt guideline of 120 mg sodium/100 g food. Sodium excretion was assessed by 24-hour urinary sodium collections at baseline and weeks 4 and 8. Participants' experiences of following the education strategies were recorded by self-administered questionnaire. These data were collected between August and October 2008. Forty-three participants completed the study. After 8 weeks, urinary sodium excretion decreased from 121±50 to 106±47 mmol/24 hours (7.3±3.0 to 6.4±2.8 g salt/24 hours) in the Tick group and from 132±44 to 98±50 mmol/24 hours (7.9±2.6 to 6.0±3.0 g salt/24 hours) in the Food Standards Australia New Zealand group ( P<0.05, with no between-group difference). Barriers to salt reduction were limited variety and food choice, difficulty when eating out, and increased time associated with identifying foods. In conclusion, dietary sodium reduction is possible among free-living individuals who received dietary advice.

Which Australian food composition database should I use?

AbstractAim: This paper describes the differences between the NUTTAB and AUSNUT food composition databases now available in Australia.Method: The NUTTAB and AUSNUT food composition databases are described in detail by officers of Food Standards Australia New Zealand directly involved in the database management and development. The positions of Food Standards Australia New Zealand in terms of revisions and policy directions are given from an authoritative perspective.Results: Food Standards Australia New Zealand develops two different sets of food composition databases, NUTTAB and AUSNUT. NUTTAB is a reference database that contains primarily analysed data for Australian foods. AUSNUT is a survey database that contains only data that are directly relevant to the particular national nutrition survey for which it was developed. These databases are available free of change from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.Conclusions: Food Standards Australia New Zealand develops two distinct series of food composition databases. Users will need to be aware of the similarities and differences of each database type to be able to determine which is the most suitable for their needs.

Women's perceptions relating to the introduction of mandatory iodine fortification in Australia

AbstractAim: In Australia, the mandatory fortification of salt used in bread with iodine has recently been approved by the regulatory authorities (Food Standards Australia New Zealand). Apart from thiamine fortification of bread that has been in place since 1991, no other mandatory fortification programs exist in the country. The aim of the present study was to explore women's understanding of mandatory fortification as a public health strategy and their opinions regarding its appropriateness for addressing the re‐emergence of iodine deficiency.Methods: Four focus group discussions with 20 women of child‐bearing age, recruited from Wollongong in New South Wales.Results: Women had little knowledge about the role of iodine in the diet and were unaware that iodine deficiency was a public health issue in Australia. Mandatory fortification was viewed with concern, especially regarding the possible risk of toxicity. Clear labelling of fortified foods, in conjunction with education initiatives to accompany the pending iodine fortification program, were considered by the research participants to be essential in order to address these concerns.Conclusion: Women in the present study expect an authority, either a government body or health professionals, to take responsibility in making proactive decisions for the health of the population. When accompanied by transparent processes that include widespread consultation with consumers and clear explanations for the process, mandatory fortification is considered acceptable as an appropriate and effective strategy for ameliorating iodine deficiency.

Mycotoxin risk management in New Zealand and Australian food

In 2002 New Zealand and Australia initiated a joint food regulatory approach, codified in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Prior to drafting of the joint Code a series of risk assessments were carried out by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ; then Australia New Zealand Food Authority). This included a review of the maximum permitted concentrations of non-metals in food, including mycotoxins. On the basis of this review, just three classes of mycotoxins were included in the joint Food Standards Code: aflatoxins, in peanut and tree nuts; ergot, in cereal grains; and phomopsins, in lupin seeds and products of lupin seeds. Both countries apply import controls on the basis of aflatoxins standards, but not ergot or phomopsins. New Zealand and Australia are moving domestic food regulation from an inspection-based system to a risk-based approach. Consequently, instead of the responsibility for food safety being placed on regulatory authorities to find any problems, responsibility is moved to the persons in charge of the food operation who must be proactive in the way they manage food safety and suitability and must demonstrate how they manage food safety. There is evidence in both Australia and New Zealand for increasing industry mycotoxin monitoring to support a risk-based approach. Analysis of domestically produced foods and non-regulated imported foods for mycotoxins by regulatory bodies is mainly carried out to support risk assessment activities.

Health Claims on Foods in Canada

Interest in the health effects of foods by both industry and consumers has put a spotlight on the role of health claims on foods in Canada. The current regulatory framework governing the use of different health claims on foods in Canada is described and compared with international approaches. Similarities were observed in how risk-reduction claims for serious diseases are managed in the United States, European Union and proposed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, including the need for premarket authorization and the requirement for a high level of certainty based on the totality of evidence in substantiating this type of claim. However, approaches to permitting function claims other than those for the well-established functions of known nutrients are divergent among the jurisdictions compared. Canada also differs from other jurisdictions in not establishing core nutritional criteria for foods carrying disease risk-reduction claims. A brief overview of the status in Canada of a number of disease risk-reduction claims that have been approved in the United States, based on significant scientific agreement under the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act or through authoritative statements under the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, is also provided.

Evidence for Health Claims: A Perspective from the Australia–New Zealand Region

Establishing the evidence for health claims involves reviewing the available body of scientific knowledge and linking this to statements meaningful to consumers. This requires an understanding of scientific merit as well as consumer perceptions of health messages. Food Standards Australia New Zealand sets standards for current nutrient content claims and is close to approving a proposed new framework for all forms of nutrition and health claims on foods. This article discusses this proposed health claims standard in light of the challenges health claims pose to nutrition science. It critically describes the framework for the standard, reviews issues related to substantiation of claims, and provides commentary on the proposed assessment of evidence. This spectrum of permission reflects the use of food in health promotion, disease prevention, and early disease management when therapeutic agents may not be required. The position is consistent with an understanding that food delivers nutrients and bioactive substances at levels that support the improved health of the human organism in the early stages of the health-disease spectrum. Increasing knowledge of the role of food components and its intelligent application in dietary modification can result in this strategy playing a major role in disease prevention and early disease management. The amount of evidence required to enable health claim labeling should be based on a reasonable judgment and clear understanding of the role of nutrition in health and disease.

Dioxins, PCBs, metals, metalloids, pesticides and antimicrobial residues in wild and farmed Australian southern bluefin tuna ( Thunnus maccoyii)

Data concerning the concentration of dioxins (PCDD/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, metalloids, pesticides and antimicrobials residues are reported for the edible portion of Australian wild and farmed southern bluefin tuna ( Thunnus maccoyii). In 2004 wild caught ( n = 5) and farmed ( n = 26) southern bluefin tuna (SBT) were collected. The mean concentration of total mercury on a fresh weight (fw) basis was 0.34 mg/kg in wild SBT and 0.31 mg/kg in farmed SBT. Concentrations of dioxins (PCDD/PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in wild SBT were extremely low. The mean concentration (fw) of the sum of PCDD/PCDFs and the dioxin-like PCBs was 0.27 pg TEQ/g in wild SBT and 0.61 pg TEQ/g in farmed SBT. Mean PCB total concentration (fw basis) was 0.47 ng/g in wild SBT and 6.60 ng/g in farmed SBT. No detectable residues of any pesticide or antimicrobial compounds were found. All residues detected were within regulatory limits set by the Japanese Competent Authority, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Australian Competent Authority, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The need for harmonisation of international product integrity procedures for bluefin tunas in international trade is highlighted.

Thiamine deficiency in diabetes — is diet relevant?

2 To this end, we aimed to investigate the relationship between thiamine intake and status in people with diabetes in Perth, Australia. Subjects were 113 people with diabetes (58 type 1, 55 type 2; duration of diabetes 19.3+12.0 years (y)). Of these patients, 70 (mean age 58.5+13.0 y) were not taking and 43 (mean age 55.9+15.9 y) were taking thiamine supplemen- tation. Body mass index (BMI), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) and urinary albumin excretion (UA), which may be modifiers of thiamine status, were not significantly different between the two groups (BMI 28.7+6.0 and 28.9+5.3 kg/m 2 , respectively; HbA1C 7.9+1.5% and 7.8+1.4%, respectively; UA 13.9+35.9 mg/L and 10.9+28.0 mg/L, respectively). Dietary thiamine intake was estimated by vali- dated 24-hour recall, using the NUTTAB 95 database FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) for Australian foods, and compared with Australian Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI) (1.1 mg/d females, 1.2 mg/d males). 7 Red cell and serum thiamine were used as indices of thiamine status. 8,9 Dietary intake was categorised as RDI and supplemented > 4 mg/d; and red cell thiamine was categorised as < normal range (190-400 nmol/L)

Specific and Sensitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Analysis of Residual Allergenic Food Proteins in Commercial Bottled Wine Fined with Egg White, Milk, and Nongrape-Derived Tannins

Regulations introduced by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand in December 2002 require all wine and wine product labels in Australia to identify the presence of a processing aid, additive or other ingredient, which is known to be a potential allergen. The objective of this study was to establish sensitive assays to detect and measure allergenic proteins from commonly used processing aids in final bottled wine. Sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were developed and established for the proteins casein, ovalbumin, and peanut. Lower limits of detection of these proteins were 8, 1, and 8 ng/mL, respectively. A panel of 153 commercially available bottled Australian wines were tested by these ELISA, and except for two red wines known to contain added whole eggs, residuals of these food allergens were not detected in any wine. These findings are consistent with a lack of residual potentially allergenic egg-, milk-, or nut-derived processing aids in final bottled wine produced in Australia according to good manufacturing practice at a concentration that could cause an adverse reaction in egg, milk, or peanut/tree-nut allergic adult consumers.

Cardiovascular diseases and red meat

Cardiovascular diseases and red meat

Folic acid and risk of twinning: a systematic review of the recent literature, July 1994 to July 2006

To assess the evidence of an association between periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation or fortification of foods with FA and the risk of twinning, using the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) framework for assessing evidence when substantiating nutrition, health and related claims on foods. The Cochrane Library Database, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in Process, EMBASE, PubMed National Library of Medicine, and CINAHL were searched to identify systematic reviews and primary intervention and observational studies published from 1 July 1994 to 7 July 2006. One prospective and five retrospective cohort studies that assessed the rate of twinning in populations exposed to FA through supplementation, and six retrospective registry-based cohort studies examining twinning rates after fortification of foods with FA. Two reviewers appraised eligible studies and evaluated data independently. The best maximal risk estimates of twinning after FA supplementation were an adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) of 1.26 (95% CI, 0.91-1.73) for preconceptional supplementation and dizygotic twinning and an adjOR of 1.02 (95% CI, 0.85-1.24) for overall twinning. Data from four FA fortification studies in the United States that allowed for calculation of an annual percentage increase showed a maximal annual increase in twinning rates of 4.6%. Overall, under the FSANZ framework, there is possible evidence for a relationship between periconceptional FA intake and increased twinning. To support this tentative relationship, more well designed, long-term follow-up studies are needed in places where fortification with FA has been introduced, focusing on dose-response and obtaining accurate data on infertility treatments.

Folate and vitamin B12 in older Australians

The recent viewpoint by Kamien1 and letter by Gunasekera2 rightly highlight the benefits of folate fortification and the unlikely occurrence of masking pernicious anaemia. Food Standards Australia New Zealand recently submitted a proposal supporting the mandatory fortification of bread-making flour to increase folate intakes in women of child-bearing age, with the aim of reducing the risk of children being born with neural tube defects.3 This proposal has had extensive public comment and will be considered by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council. Several public groups and individuals continue to raise concerns that higher dietary folate levels could increase B12 deficiency. Our data, collected from a population-based sample of 2596 older people in the Blue Mountains region, from 1997 to 2000, do not suggest that this is a likely outcome.

Food composition activities in the Oceania region

OCEANIAFOODS was established in 1987. Countries under its umbrella are Australia, New Zealand and the Secretariat of Pacific Communities (SPC, formerly the South Pacific Commission), which represents 22 Pacific Island governments. The convenorship rotates among these three regions. This report highlights major activities undertaken by OCEANIAFOODS from 2002 to 2005. The SPC, based in New Caledonia, includes a Lifestyle Health section (LHS) and a sub-office in Fiji. In Fiji, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) commissioned a project to strengthen food analytical capability in the Pacific region. The project, which ran from April 2002 to August 2004, succeeded in meeting all its goals with some adjustments. In Australia, food composition work is undertaken by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and has focused on three key areas: providing a free web-based nutrition panel calculator for nutrition labelling, preparing for the release of updated Australian nutrient data, and initiating several small analytical projects including the analysis of iodine levels in common foods and folates and folic acid in foods such as breakfast cereals. Activities outside FSANZ include further research on folate analysis at the University of New South Wales. In New Zealand, the focus has been on developing the food composition database. In 2003, Dr. Heather Greenfield reviewed the New Zealand Food Composition Database (NZFCDB), and in July 2004 the Ministry of Health renewed Crop and Food Research's contract until June 2007 to maintain the database. Publications over the last 3 years include the sixth edition of the concise food composition tables and release of an updated FOODFiles2004 electronic data files. In April 2005, the Seventh OCEANIAFOODS Conference, Innovations in Nutrient Information, was held in Wellington, New Zealand. Fifty-nine delegates attended the conference at which keynote addresses were given by Joanne Holden (USA), Bill Aalbersberg (Fiji), and Heather Greenfield (Australia). The conference resulted in 13 recommendations being formulated. The convenor of the next OCEANIAFOODS conference is Professor Bill Aalbersberg, Fiji.

The repeating history of objections to the fortification of bread and alcohol: from iron filings to folic acid

The recent viewpoint by Kamien is timely, given Food Standards Australia New Zealand is currently advocating for the mandatory fortification of all bread-making flour with folic acid (80–180μg per 100g of bread). The proposal is now before the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, and a decision is imminent. In 1991, the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study Research Group reported a randomised double-blind trial conducted at 33 centres in seven countries. Periconceptual folic acid supplementation had a 72% protective effect against neural tube defects (relative risk, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12– 0.71). Because folic acid supplementation is ineffective when started after the pregnancy is confirmed, fortification of staple foods such as bread remains best practice. The United States started mandatory fortification of enriched cereal-grain products a decade ago. As expected, there has been an increase in the population geometric mean concentrations of serum folate and red blood cell folate, and a corresponding reduction in the number of babies born with debilitating neural tube defects. The benefits are clear and the risks are vague. Historical concerns that folic acid supplementation could mask pernicious anaemia and cause cancer have not been substantiated by international experience in more than 50 countries. Australian health professionals have a brief window of opportunity to join Maberly and Stanley and advocate for mandatory fortification in spite of commercial objections, which are based on marketshare concerns for existing “designer” products. If we educate and inform our patients and the community at large, the decisionmakers should finally get the message and this cheap, safe and effective public health policy would be implemented — a decade overdue.

The repeating history of objections to the fortification of bread and alcohol: from iron filings to folic acid

The recent viewpoint by Kamien is timely, given Food Standards Australia New Zealand is currently advocating for the mandatory fortification of all bread-making flour with folic acid (80–180μg per 100g of bread). The proposal is now before the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, and a decision is imminent. In 1991, the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study Research Group reported a randomised double-blind trial conducted at 33 centres in seven countries. Periconceptual folic acid supplementation had a 72% protective effect against neural tube defects (relative risk, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12– 0.71). Because folic acid supplementation is ineffective when started after the pregnancy is confirmed, fortification of staple foods such as bread remains best practice. The United States started mandatory fortification of enriched cereal-grain products a decade ago. As expected, there has been an increase in the population geometric mean concentrations of serum folate and red blood cell folate, and a corresponding reduction in the number of babies born with debilitating neural tube defects. The benefits are clear and the risks are vague. Historical concerns that folic acid supplementation could mask pernicious anaemia and cause cancer have not been substantiated by international experience in more than 50 countries. Australian health professionals have a brief window of opportunity to join Maberly and Stanley and advocate for mandatory fortification in spite of commercial objections, which are based on marketshare concerns for existing “designer” products. If we educate and inform our patients and the community at large, the decisionmakers should finally get the message and this cheap, safe and effective public health policy would be implemented — a decade overdue.

Australian food regulations public consultation process: Teaching postgraduate dietetics students to participate

AbstractObjective: To assess a teaching strategy to develop competency, familiarity and willingness of dietetic students to participate in food regulation development.Design: Qualitative evaluation of self‐perceived learning outcomes.Subjects/Setting: Two consecutive cohorts (n = 39) of postgraduate dietetics students from Griffith University.Intervention: Preparation and presentation of a formal response to a call for comment by Australia's food regulatory body (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) during the period 1999–2001.Main outcome measures: Self‐reported descriptions of confidence, familiarity and willingness to participate in the public consultation process.Results: Following the assignment, students generally reported being more familiar with the regulatory process and more confident to participate. Most students identified the importance of reference material on Food Standards Australia New Zealand procedures that they could use for review should the opportunity for participation arise at a later date. A major issue identified was the potential for cynicism towards the process. This issue was seen as a potential barrier to participation by students after graduation.Applications/Conclusions: This issues‐based approach to teaching of a food regulation system has potential to enhance participation in regulatory development by a broader cross‐section of dietitians.