Labeling Compliance Research Articles

Processed foods aimed at children and adolescents: sodium content, adequacy according to the dietary reference intakes and label compliance

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the sodium content of processed foods aimed at children and adolescents and the adequacy of its content in relation to the dietary reference intakes, and verified label compliance. METHODS: The sodium content of 17 food samples (instant noodles, breaded items, hamburger patties, hot dogs and bologna sausages) was determined by flame photometry and chloride titration, and the results were compared with nutritional data. The labels were checked for compliance with the pertinent laws. RESULTS: According to flame photometry and chloride titration, 13 and 5 products, respectively, had sodium contents that exceeded those reported on the nutrition facts label by more than 20%. All samples had more than 480mg of sodium per serving. The tolerable upper intake level for sodium for children aged 4-8 years was exceeded in 8 instant noodles and 3 breaded items according to flame photometry, and in 9 items according to chloride titration. Regarding the legislation, 5 products used a daily reference intake other than that provided by the legislation to report their percent sodium content per serving. Moreover, the serving sizes of 3 instant noodles, the terminology used in 1 instant noodles and the protein content of 1 breaded item were also not compliant with the legislation. CONCLUSION: The sodium contents in the study samples were high and there was no regard for the legislation.

Applicability of a real-time PCR system to verify labelling compliance of nut allergens in chocolates

Background Chocolate is probably one of the most appreciated food products all over the world. However, for allergic individuals to tree nut ingredients, the enjoyment of a simple milk or black chocolate is denied owing to the excessive use of precautionary labelling practiced by the food industry. Thus, it is of utmost importance the development of accurate analytical methodologies to verify labelling compliance and to contribute for a better control of cross-contamination occurrences during food processing. This work intended to demonstrate the applicability of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect and quantify hazelnut in commercial chocolates.

A SYBR Green real-time PCR assay to detect and quantify pork meat in processed poultry meat products

Species identification in meat products has grown in interest in recent years since these foodstuffs are susceptible targets for fraudulent labelling. In this work, a real-time PCR approach based on SYBR Green dye was proposed for the quantitative detection of pork meat in processed meat products. For the development of the method, binary meat mixtures containing known amounts of pork meat in poultry meat were used to obtain a normalised calibration model from 0.1 to 25% with high linear correlation and PCR efficiency. The method revealed high specificity by melting curve analysis, being successfully validated through its application to blind meat mixtures, which confirmed its adequacy for pork meat determination. The fully applicability of the method was further demonstrated in commercial meat products, allowing verification of labelling compliance and identification of meat species in processed foods.

Reducing Drug Wastage at Ward Level: Using Failure Mode Effects Analysis (Fmea) Tool

For year 2010, total value of drugs disposed was RM 8,575.50 due to expired or spoiled items returned from wards. The main reason was due to the failure of nurses to check the stock regularly. They only do the checking upon ordering of new stock from Pharmacy department. FMEA tool was selected by the Management to solve this problem. A special committee was set up to implement the FMEA in January 2011.The committee thru brainstorming session had developed seven steps in implementing the FMEA. At step three , Risk Priority Number (RPN) was determined. At step four with the highest RPN of 36, it was found that the failure mode of the system were due to failure of checking stock at ward level, not double checking of the drug received and wrong storage of drug at ward level. A new supply system was implemented at step five and monitoring of drug disposed started in July 2011. In this system ,pharmacy staff will go to the wards once a month to check stock of drugs kept at ward level. After the implementation of the new process, RPN was calculated again and it was found that the value was between 3 to 8 which was considered as low. Monitoring of compliance was done using ward check form based on storage condition, par level, labeling and packaging and non- conformances for spoilt and expired items. Compliance in term of drug storage was 100% and labeling compliance was 97.2% . However the compliance on par level was only 81.9% and in term of expiry date validity, the compliance was 96.5%. Based on FMEA , it was found that the main reason for expired/spoiled drugs is because of insufficient checking of ward stocks. Corrective actions are ongoing to improve further the process of supply by re-designing a new form of ward checking, re-modifying indenting process of ward stocks via the HITS system and conducting training and awareness. After implementing the new system, the value of drug disposed was RM 3,060.78 which was 94% lower. Therefore the study has shown remarkable results in reducing the amount of drug disposal which will help the organization to reduce the risk to patients and avoid wastage.

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Introduction: Several factors contribute to medication errors in anesthesia. In 2010, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation set forth a medication safety paradigm consisting of four elements – standardization, technology, culture, and pharmacy/pre-filled/pre-mixed. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of incorporating standardization and ready-to-use (RTU) medications in the intraoperative setting. Hypothesis: Pharmacy provided RTU medications in standardized concentrations and locations will enhance the safety and quality of medications administered. Methods: A prospective before-and-after anesthesia medication safety study was conducted in an academic medical center consisting of 78 anesthetizing locations and 3 pharmacy satellites. Key performance metrics including labeling compliance, medication preparation details, and waste data were collected for the first surgical cases of the day. After collection of initial state data, anesthesia medication trays were standardized across 64 operating rooms and 14 remote areas. The trays incorporated RTU syringes of medications commonly used for anesthesia induction, reversal, and emergencies. Vasoactive drip concentrations and diluents were standardized across the institution. Pharmacy increased production of several compounded sterile products that were dispensed to anesthesia providers upon request. Six months after the intervention, post-implementation data was collected to assess impact and sustainment. Results: The medication management practices of 200 cases were observed. Inclusion of medication concentration on the label significantly increased from 31% pre-intervention to 78% post-intervention (p<0.001). Provider prepared syringes of medications were significantly reduced from 88.8% to 32.8%. (p<0.001) and provider prepared intravenous admixtures were reduced from 89% to 2.9% (p<0.001). RTU medications also reduced medication waste. The largest reduction was noted for emergency medications such as atropine (93.9% reduction), succinylcholine (93.5% reduction) and phenylephrine (96.3% reduction). Conclusions: Extending pharmacy services throughout the intraoperative setting resulted in a sustained improvement in anesthesia medication safety and quality.

Labeling Compliance: Overage and Impact on Cost of Goods

Labeling Compliance: Overage and Impact on Cost of Goods

Labeling Compliance: Overage and Impact on Cost of Goods

Labeling Compliance: Overage and Impact on Cost of Goods

Mislabeling of an “unlabelable” seafood sold on the European market: The jellyfish

The jellyfish is a popular seafood in South-East Asia. It can also be found throughout Europe in many Chinese shops, which despite being well-organized from a commercial perspective, often disregard rules on product traceability. Therefore because jellyfish has still not been officially defined by the European Legislation on Food Hygiene, we performed a survey on fifty-six jellyfish products sold on the Italian market. This was done by assessing label compliance with European law and with the new Chinese Food Safety Law of 2009. Our survey found many incongruences and shortfalls including the presence of a trade name referring to vegetables or a lack of an unequivocal specification of ingredients. Focus is therefore needed on the possible hazards associated with the consumption of jellyfish products. In addition, regulations need adjusting in order to create more transparent marketing and sales practices.

Composition, disintegrative properties, and labeling compliance of commercially available taurine and carnitine dietary products

To test the quality, disintegration properties, and compliance with labeling regulations for representative commercially available taurine and carnitine dietary products. Evaluation study. 11 commercially available taurine and 10 commercially available carnitine products. For each product, the amount of taurine or carnitine was determined and compared with the label claim. All products were evaluated for concentrations of mercury, arsenic, and selenium. Disintegration properties of 5 taurine and 8 carnitine products were determined in vitro. Labels were evaluated for compliance with FDA guidelines. 10 of 11 taurine and 10 of 10 carnitine products were within 10% of the stated label claim. Three of 11 taurine and 6 of 10 carnitine products were within 5% of the stated label claim. The median percentage difference between laboratory analysis and label claim was -5.7% (range, -26.3% to 2.5%) for taurine and 3.6% (range, -2.6% to 8.8%) for carnitine. No substantial amount of contamination with mercury, arsenic, or selenium was found in any of the products. During disintegration testing, 1 of 5 taurine products and 5 of 8 carnitine products did not disintegrate within 45 minutes during at least 1 test. Disintegration time for those that did disintegrate ranged from 1.7 to 37.0 minutes. All product labels conformed with FDA regulations. Taurine and carnitine products evaluated in this study closely adhered to manufacturer claims and labeling guidelines. However, disintegration testing suggested high variability in some products, possibly limiting uptake and use by animals that receive them.

Book Review: Food Labeling Compliance Review

Book Review: Food Labeling Compliance Review

Book Review: Dietary Supplement Labeling Compliance Review, 3rd Edition

Book Review: Dietary Supplement Labeling Compliance Review, 3rd Edition

Concurrent Use of Selected Agents With Moxifloxacin: An Examination of Labeling Compliance Within 1 Year of Marketing

Concurrent Use of Selected Agents With Moxifloxacin: An Examination of Labeling Compliance Within 1 Year of Marketing

Detection Methods and Performance Criteria for Genetically Modified Organisms

Detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are necessary for many applications, from seed purity assessment to compliance of food labeling in several countries. Numerous analytical methods are currently used or under development to support these needs. The currently used methods are bioassays and protein- and DNA-based detection protocols. To avoid discrepancy of results between such largely different methods and, for instance, the potential resulting legal actions, compatibility of the methods is urgently needed. Performance criteria of methods allow evaluation against a common standard. The more-common performance criteria for detection methods are precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, which together specifically address other terms used to describe the performance of a method, such as applicability, selectivity, calibration, trueness, precision, recovery, operating range, limit of quantitation, limit of detection, and ruggedness. Performance criteria should provide objective tools to accept or reject specific methods, to validate them, to ensure compatibility between validated methods, and be used on a routine basis to reject data outside an acceptable range of variability. When selecting a method of detection, it is also important to consider its applicability, its field of applications, and its limitations, by including factors such as its ability to detect the target analyte in a given matrix, the duration of the analyses, its cost effectiveness, and the necessary sample sizes for testing. Thus, the current GMO detection methods should be evaluated against a common set of performance criteria.