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Food safety in the context of limited food availability

Risk assessment of 3-MCPD and Glycidol fatty acid esters in nutrient supplements and therapeutic food











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    Technical study
    Food safety in the context of limited food availability
    Risk assessment of 3-MCPD and fatty acid esters in nutrient supplements and therapeutic food
    2024
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    Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) are used to prevent and treat malnutrition in children. They are often produced in regions experiencing food insecurity and include edible oils obtained from oleaginous seeds or fruits that must be refined to remove undesirable substances and ensure adequate shelf-life for the product. However, the formation of the heat-induced contaminants 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs) may occur during the refining process of edible oils. 3-MCPD and its fatty acid esters are present in many other foodstuffs and most of the total lifetime exposure is attributed to foods other than LNS/RUTF. While the only Codex standard developed for 3-MCPD is for liquid condiments containing acid hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, no Codex standards are available for GEs. This publication provides an overview of risk assessments for 3-MCPD and GEs previously performed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other authorities, based on chronic exposure. The use of LNS/RUTF is intended to be of finite duration and confined to a specific life stage. The aim of this report was to provide an assessment to characterize the risk of less-than-lifetime exposure to 3-MCPD (including 3-MCPD fatty acid esters) and GEs via LNS/RUTF in the context of limited food availability. The thresholds identified herein for concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidol equivalents in LNS/RUTF products are considered to represent a level of exposure that is of low concern for human health.
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    Corporate general interest
    Food safety considerations to achieve best health outcomes under limited food availability situations
    Case study
    2022
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    Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Food safety is interlinked with and essential to achieving food security. In times of food insecurity, humanitarian relief in the form of food aid is often distributed by specialized organizations, such as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Under conditions of food assistance there are food safety considerations that must be taken in account so as to carefully evaluate the impact on food availability while minimizing the risk of exposure to foodborne contaminants among the receiving population, who may already be vulnerable to malnutrition. This case study lays out food safety consideration that might be helpful in situations where the impact of limited food availability is mitigated through food aid, which is meant to ensure acceptable health using two scenarios– lead in maize and fumonisins in cereal grains. Risk management and recommendations are also provided on how to address these food safety issues.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical report
    Safety evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants: Prepared by the eightieth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA. Supplement 2: Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
    WHO Food Additives Series, No. 71-S2
    2020
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    This volume contains monographs prepared at the eightieth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which met inRome, Italy, from 16 to 25 June 2015. The toxicological and dietary exposure monograph in this volume summarizes the safety and dietary exposure data on a contaminant group (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) discussed at the eightieth meeting. Monographs on seven food additives discussed at that meeting have been previously published in the WHO Food Additives series (FAS 71), and a monograph on a second contaminant group (non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls) has been published as a separate supplement in the WHO Food Additives series. This volume and others in the WHO Food Additives series contain information that is useful to those who produce and use food additives and veterinary drugs and those involved with controlling contaminants in food, government and food regulatory officers, industrial testing laboratories, toxicological laboratories and universities.

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    There has been a marked upward trend in production and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Asia and the Pacific in recent years. Along with rising consumer demand has come greater awareness of food safety issues and increased need for convenience and quality. Selection of high quality horticultural produce for processing and implementation of good practices during processing operations are required to assure both the quality of the produce and the safety of the final product. This technical guide reviews, from a theoretical and practical perspective, the critical issues that must be addressed for fresh-cut produce to meet consumer demand for convenience, quality and safety. A case study on fresh-cut processing in Thailand is included. The guide should be of practical value to small processors, trainers and extension workers who provide support to individuals engaged in production of fresh-cut tropical produce for sale.
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    World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2024 2024
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    The Statistical Yearbook 2024 offers a synthesis of the major factors at play in the global food and agricultural landscape. Statistics are presented in four thematic chapters, covering the economic importance of agricultural activities, inputs, outputs and factors of production, their implications for food security and nutrition and their impacts on the environment. The Yearbook is meant to constitute a primary tool for policymakers, researchers and analysts, as well as the general public interested in the past, present and future path of food and agriculture.