European Food Safety Authority: Bisphenol A is Safe to Human

(Brussels, AFP) European Food Safety Authority announced on 5 October that Bisphenol A, which was widely used in the manufacturing of baby’s feeding bottles and other plastic containers is not harmful to human health.

The scientific team under European Food Safety Authority said they "found no new evidence that can leading to change recommendations on "the tolerable daily intake of bisphenol A”. The EFSA recommended that as long as the intake quantity is as no more than the limit of 0.05 mg / kg body weight, bisphenol A is safe, it will not cause harm to human’s body.

Bisphenol A is widely used in polycarbonate plastics manufacturing industry as a plastic additive, which includes inner coatings of plastic baby bottles and metal cans. As for there are suspicion on bisphenol A may be harmful to human health, the French have banned the sale of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A and other similar chemicals, while Denmark banned the use of Bisphenol A in manufacturing materials will be touched by children food from 0 to 3 years.

Originally Posted: About Additive

UK Food Safety Authority Called for More Studies on The Safety of Food Additives

Recently, the British Food Safety Authority appealed to the food industry, called for studies on food additives, E. coli O157 and consumer attitudes toward this, and to take relevant measures to arouse people’s concern on the food safety, thus to ensure food safety.

The first study was aimed to promote the public's attitude to food safety and related activities. Through the analysis of existing data to find and make sure the deficiency of the available evidence, to promote understanding and development of food and social awareness.

The second project of the authority is to develop a new method of detecting additives contained in foods, which include saccharin, aspartic acid phenylalanine methyl ester, chloral saccharose and other food additives. The method will be applied with analysis of the general level of food additive using, thus to ensure its safe use.

The last project is commissioned by the Scottish Food Standards Agency, jointly by the FSA and Defra. The aim is to use the existing methods to control the transmission of E. coli O157, which will help to reduce the spread of cattle pathogens to other animals, thereby reducing the risk of people infection.

Originally Posted: About Additive

Drink Beverages Contained Additives often may Induce Asthma in Children

The experts found that the incidence of bronchial asthma in children has increased, in many areas the rate is up to about 5%. According to the research, the increased incidence of asthma was partly caused by environmental pollution of the outside, it is inseparable to excessive consumption of various synthetic drinks and beverages.

At present drinks and beverages sold in the market is various. Generally, all of them are contain a variety of additives made of chemical substances. To prevent deterioration, preservatives were added generally. When children drink too many beverages contained additives, which will make many chemicals stored in the tissues and organs, then become allergens, directly affect the physiological functions and activities of many enzymes in the body, and results in declination of the immune function, thus causing asthma or other allergies disease.

U.S. Professor Fan Geer who has engaged in scientific research for many years confirmed that the synthetic pigments, such as fragrances can cause a variety of allergies, for example asthma, urticaria, skin itching and so on. He had encountered some children with allergic asthma, and tried all ways to treat them but failed, but when they stopped drinking foods and beverages contained additives, the diseased children become recovered soon.

Therefore, young parents, you’d best to lead your children drink few beverages contained a variety of chemical additives, and let them drink more natural fruit juice or eat fresh fruits.

Originally Posted: About Additive

Propolis: A New Feed Additive

Propolis is use resin collected by worker bees from the buds of plants or injury parts of trunk, mixed with secretions of the maxillary gland of worker bees and beeswax and be processed into a type of solid jelly with fragrance.

1. The Chemical Composition of Propolis

The composition of propolis is related to the plant species it was taken. The main components of propolis are flavonoids, phenols, lactones, coumarin, aldehydes and ketones, since the class of compounds, and small amounts of iron, calcium, silicon, manganese, lead, nickel, aluminum, copper, zinc and other trace elements and vitamin B, vitamin A, and a variety of amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharides and rich arsanilic acid.

2. Propolis Biological Activity.

Propolis possess functions of antibacterial, anti-mildew, toxicity resistance and possess functions of promote immunity of the organism, and promote tissue regeneration.

3. Applications of Propolis as a Feed Additive.

Use propolis produce feed additive and add it to diet of poultry and domestic animals, can promote their growth and gain weights, the same time can increase their resistance to disease, then increase economic efficiency effectively.

There are tests have approved that adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of pigs, can result 12.% weight gain for pigs taking the diet, and saving feeds by 18% ~ 28%; adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of spring chicken, and feed them 75 days, can result 12% weight gain compared with standard feeding chicken; adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of layer chicken, can increase the egg production rate by 16% and lower feed consumption by 14%, and the same time reduce mortality by 22%.

Originally Posted: About Additive

Does Flavoring Agent also Obesity Agent?

According to report by "Science Daily" recently, a research issued by the U.S. North Carolina University - Chapel Hill branch and published on the” Obese” magazine showed that with same physical activity and total calorie intake, people using sodium glutamate (namely MSG) as a flavoring agent added to daily diet were more likely to become overweight or obese than people who do not eat MSG.

The researchers said that in recent years, there are many animal experiments have shown that MSG maybe related to weight gain, and this is the first study show that the human body weight has relations with of MSG.



Originally Posted: About Additive

UK FSA welcome Public Guidance on Shelf Life of Frozen Food

March 25, 2010 news, the UK Food Safety Authority (FSA) said they welcomed the guidance from the public to help the cooperation between British Retail Consortium (BRC), Frozen Food Association (CFA) and the Food Standards Agency, and eventually to decide the shelf period of frozen food.

This guidance is designed to help companies, whether small grocer stores or big scale food manufacturers to figure out the best deposit period of frozen food before their consumption, at the same time is also aimed to help companies to conform to the limits on bacteria required by the EU sanitary terms, such as Listeria monocytogenes, which is the focus of the guidance, too.

In order to develop this guidance, the British Retail Consortium called on the Union Organization, which includes Frozen Food Association, Environmental Health Association, LACORS and the Food Standards Agency, and the related UK National Laboratories of Food Microbiology participated this activity as an observer. The Official said, this guidance can help people to understand conditions of frozen food better, and CIEH and FSA hope to find additional information on food safety and provide appropriate scope, thus to establish the shelf life of frozen food.

Originally Posted: About Additive