Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “CODEX”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of dimethyldithiocarbamate residues in some agricultural products.

Dimethyldithiocarbamates are widely used in agriculture as active fungicides. The degradation of dimethyldithiocarbamates (ferbam, thiram) confirmed the fact that they are not stable and decompose very rapidly. The aim of this work was to apply the results obtained in high-performance liquid chromatographic quantitative analysis of residues of dithiocarbamate fungicides in some agricultural products (strawberries, maize, tobacco). The developed method enables very simple control analysis of low concentrations of dimethyldithiocarbamate residues in very short time. All limits of detection correspond with the criteria of FAO (Codex Alimentarius).

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Food-processing approaches to altering allergenic potential of milk-based formula.

All the major cow milk proteins in their native states are potential allergens in infants with milk allergy. Heat treatment can reduce the antigenicity of whey proteins considerably, but it has virtually no effect on the antigenicity of casein. Infants allergic to milk still react to heat-denatured whey proteins. Therefore heat denaturation alone cannot produce a formula with low allergenicity. Enzyme hydrolysis reduces the antigenicity and allergenicity of protein. Partial hydrolysis produces hydrolysate consisting mainly of large peptides, whereas extensive hydrolysis produces hydrolysate containing a mixture of large and small peptides and free amino acids. Enzyme hydrolysis often produces bitter peptides and destroys the physical functionality of protein. When hydrolysate formula is made, casein or whey protein hydrolysate is ultrafiltered to remove large residual peptides. Certain amino acids are fortified to provide a balanced amino acid profile. The final formulation must comply with the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO) and the U.S. Infant Formula Act to provide adequate infant nutrition. Protein hydrolysate-based formula can be improved by further reducing the residual allergenicity, increasing the small peptide content, and improving the taste.

Food Handling↗

Quantitative risk assessment of human listeriosis from consumption of soft cheese made from raw milk.

Microbial hazards have been identified in soft cheese made from raw milk. Quantification of the resulting risk for public health was attempted within the frame of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1995 approach to quantitative risk assessment, using Monte Carlo simulation software. Quantitative data could only be found for Listeria monocytogenes. The complete process of cheese making was modeled, from milking to consumption. Using data published on the different sources of milk contamination (environment and mastitis) and bacterial growth, distributions were assumed for parameters of the model. Equations of Farber, J.M., Ross, W.H., Harwing, J. (1996) for general and at-risk populations were used to link the ingested dose of L. monocytogenes to the occurrence of listeriosis. The probability of milk contamination was estimated to be 67% with concentration ranging from 0 to 33 CFU ml-1. The percentage of cheese with a predicted concentration of L. monocytogenes greater than 100 CFU g-1 was low (1.4%). The probability of consuming a contaminated cheese serving was 65.3%. Individual annual cumulative risk of listeriosis, in a population each consuming 50 servings of 31 g, ranged from 1.97 x 10(-9) to 6.4 x 10(-8) in a low-risk sub-population and 1.04 10(-6) to 7.19 10(-5) in a high-risk sub-population. The average number of expected cases of listeriosis per year was 57 for a high-risk sub-population and one for a low-risk healthy sub-population. When the frequency of environmental milk contamination was reduced in the model and L. monocytogenes mastitis was eliminated, the expected incidence of listeriosis decreased substantially; the average number of expected cases was reduced by a factor of 5. Thus the usefulness of simulation to demonstrate the efficiency of various management options could be demonstrated, even if results should be interpreted with care (as many assumptions had to be made on data and their distributions.

Animals↗

Comparison of microbiological risk assessment studies published.

The FAO/WHO risk analysis framework and principles are in the process of being implemented in different national and international settings. The importance of a further development of international co-operation based upon agreed principles in this area is stressed in the Codex Alimentarius system, as well as under the WTO/SPS agreements. Key input in this context will come from the presentation of formalised microbiological risk assessments. The number of peer-review published microbiological risk assessments is low and the format is still variable. This paper presents a comparison of selected risk assessments in the microbiological area, and suggests a number of lessons to be learned from these.

Animals↗

Microbiological risk assessment in Europe: the next decade.

Under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures that came into force in 1995, it was stipulated that all World Trade Organisation (WTO) members are required to ensure that their sanitary and phytosanitary measures are based on assessment of the risks to human, animal or plant life or health. In doing so, they must take into account risk assessment techniques developed by relevant international organisations. WHO and FAO are two such international organisations that are of very high standard and influence. Their executive body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has developed the concept of Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) in a wider framework called Risk Analysis. The aim of Risk Analysis is to provide a global standard for the interpretation of the acceptability of risks associated to foods to which consumers might be exposed. Microbiological Risk Assessment is an essential element of Risk Analysis because it specifies risks related to pathogenic micro-organisms in the food chain on the basis of sound science, combining qualitative and quantitative data in the areas of epidemiology and pathogenicity of micro-organisms with food production and handling. The concept is still in its infancy but is gaining wide acceptance globally. This paper will describe an inventory of MRA developments in Europe carried out under auspicion of the European Commission. It also gives the results of a literature survey concerning scientific publications on the topic MRA in which the activities in Europe are compared to those elsewhere.

Animals↗

Quantitative risk assessment of human salmonellosis from the consumption of a turkey product in collective catering establishments.

The quantitative risk assessment (QRA) approach recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission was used to assess the risk of human salmonellosis from the consumption of 'cordon bleu', a specific turkey product, in collective catering establishments (CCEs) of a French department. The complete process was modeled and simulated, from the initial storage in the CCE freezer to the consumption, using a Monte Carlo simulation software. Data concerning the prevalence of contaminated 'cordon bleu', the level of contamination of Salmonella, the cooking and storage process were collected from 21 CCEs and 8 retailers of 'cordon bleu' in the selected department. Thermal inactivation kinetics for Salmonella were established to estimate the effect of heat treatment on the concentration in the product and to calculate the dose that could be ingested by the consumer. The Beta-Poisson dose-response model of Rose and Gerba [Water Science and Technology 24 (1991) 29] with the specific parameters for Salmonella was used to estimate the probability of infection related to the ingestion of a particular dose and a factor was applied to estimate the probability of illness from ingestion. The individual risk of salmonellosis, the risk of outbreak and the number of cases were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation method. The risk of salmonellosis was close to zero when the 'cordons bleus' were cooked in the oven. Therefore, the risk was calculated for the fryer cooking since the insufficient cooking time observed was, sometimes, at the origin of low temperatures (37-89 degrees C). The influence of both the initial concentration of Salmonella in the product and the heat storage before consumption on the final risk was studied. For a high initial concentration of Salmonella in the product, when the 'cordons bleus' are fryer cooked, the average risk of salmonellosis was equal to 3.95 x 10(-3) without storage before consumption and 2.8 x 10(-4) if the product is consumed after storage. This paper presents the results of the QRA and discusses risk management options to minimize the risk of salmonellosis.

Animals↗

Development of standard methods with special reference to Europe.

For a long time, many different microbiological methods were used around the world in order to enumerate or detect contaminants in foods. The development of commercial, but also scientific and technical exchanges between countries has stimulated new developments and a desire to harmonize methods. The example of AFNOR (French Association for Standardization) is first presented. Then, the new developments under CEN (European Committee for Standardization) are described, emphasizing a Measurements and Testing project. The MicroVal project, now integrated as a task force within CEN Technical Committee 275/Working Group 6 is described. Finally, the possibility of working towards an international consensus through the Codex Alimentarius is discussed.

Food Microbiology↗

Lipase catalyzed synthesis of organic acid esters of lactic acid in non-aqueous media.

Lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme IM20) and porcine pancreas (PPL) were employed as catalysts for the esterification reaction between the hydroxyl group of lactic acid and the carboxyl group of organic acids. Reactions were carried out at both shake-flask and bench-scale levels. Various parameters, such as solvent, temperature, substrate and enzyme concentrations, effect of buffer volume, buffer pH and water volume, were investigated for optimization of yields. While ethylmethyl ketone (EMK) was found to be the best solvent for shake-flask reactions, chloroform gave higher yields at bench-scale level. Detailed studies were carried out with respect to the synthesis of palmitoyl and stearoyl lactic acids. At shake-flask level, maximum yields of 37.5 and 40% were observed in case of palmitoyl and stearoyl lactic acids, respectively, with Lipozyme IM20; at bench-scale level, the maximum yields were 85.1 and 99% respectively, when PPL was employed. Of all the organic acids employed (C(2)--C(18)), only lauric, palmitic and stearic acids gave yields above 50%. At bench-scale level, PPL could be reused for up to three cycles with yields above 40%. Esters prepared were found to conform to Food Chemical Codex (FCC) specifications in terms of acid value, ester value, sodium and lactic acid contents.

Biotechnology↗

Organochlorine pesticide residues in catfish, Tachysurus thalassinus (Ruppell, 1835), from the South Patches of the Bay of Bengal.

Organochlorine pesticides (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, aldrin, lindane, and heptachlor) were measured in muscle tissue of catfish (Tachysurus thalassinus) during the dry and wet season. Catfish were collected from the South Patches of the Bay of Bengal during October-December 1997 and May-July 1998. Tissue residues were analyzed by using gas-chromatography (GC) in electron capture detector (ECD) mode and were verified by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The pesticide residues levels were found in order of sigma DDT > Heptachlor > Lindane > Aldrin. Higher levels of pesticide residues were found in all samples during dry season, as compared with the wet season, primarily due to elevated lipid content in fishes. A positive correlation and linear relationship was observed between the pesticide residues (sigmaDDT and sigmaOCs) and lipid content of fishes. However, the concentrations of pesticide residues in the muscle were found to be lower than the FAO/WHO [(1993) Food standards programme. Codex Alimentarius Commission. vol. 9 (4) pp. 149-158] recommended permissible limit for human consumption.

Animals↗

A review of the studies of the safety of polydextrose in food.

Polydextrose (CAS no. 68424-04-4) is a water-soluble polymer of glucose that provides to foods the bulk and texture of sucrose. There are two main forms of polydextrose, an acidic form (PD-A) and a neutralized potassium salt (PD-N). Polydextrose is resistant to mammalian metabolic and microbial degeneration, rendering it both low in caloric value and non-cariogenic. Little polydextrose is absorbed intact although some is metabolized by caecal/colonic bacteria. At high enough levels of ingestion, this bacterial metabolism results in flatus, bloating, loose stools and ultimately a frank diarrhoea. Microbial metabolism also produces some volatile fatty acids that are absorbed by the animal and have calorigenic value. The species and dose threshold for persistent loose stools/watery diarrhoea determines the degree of electrolyte loss by the animal. In the dog, an obligate carnivore, sodium-sparing activity by the kidney and concomitant and obligatory calcium reuptake result in a well-defined aetiology of hypercalcaemia and subsequent nephrocalcinosis, particularly for PD-N. Of the species tested, the dog was the most sensitive to this carbohydrate with a no-effect level of 2000 mg/kg body weight/day. Omnivores, including the rat, mouse and monkey, have a no-effect level ranging from 2500 to 10,000 mg/kg body weight/day. No toxicity has been demonstrated in man, although the dose for laxation (to be distinguished from diarrhoea) is approximately 90 g/day (v. sorbitol at 70 g/day). Polydextrose did not show any reproductive toxicity, teratology, carcinogenesis, mutagenicity or genotoxicity. Polydextrose has been approved for food additive use (21 CFR 172.841) in the US, and an "ADI not specified" by the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA, 1987). It has been approved in over 50 countries around the world and has been used extensively in the diet for over15 years. Specification monographs are published in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) (NAS, 1996) and the FAO Compendium (JECFA, 1995). This review provides an overview of the studies and salient data, not previously reported in the scientific literature, which had been submitted to regulatory agencies in support of these approvals.

Animals↗

Food legislation and the protection of allergic and hypersensitive persons: an overview.

So far there are worldwide no legal instruments in protecting people against adverse allergic reactions to the consumption of foods. Instruments, which generally were developed for health protection in food legislation, are not suitable to regulate the protection of allergic persons because they automatically would exclude all protein-containing foods from commercial market. The only approach to an effective protection is to indicate the presence of adverse effect causing agents or ingredients on the label. This preventive instrument was developed by the Codex Alimentarius and led to an open "hit list" of ten Major Serious Allergens, which have to be labeled. The hit list principle was adopted by the EU-Commission as a draft for an EC-Directive. Unsolved problems are exeptions from the labeling requirement for refined oils and a minimum limit of adverse effect causing agents which do not require labeling.

Food↗

Quantitative risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods: the FAO/WHO approach.

Quantitative microbiological risk assessment is a very new and unique scientific approach able to link, for the first time, data from food (in the farm-to-fork continuum) and the various data on human disease to provide a clear estimation of the impact of contaminated food on human public health. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recently launched risk assessment studies of a number of pathogen-food commodity combinations (Salmonella in eggs and in broiler chickens, Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, Campylobacter in broiler chickens, Vibrio in seafood) to be used to lower the risk associated with these food-borne diseases and ensure fair practices in the international trade of food. The FAO/WHO Listeria risk assessment was undertaken in part to determine how previously developed risk assessments done at the national level could be adapted or expanded to address concerns related to L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods at an international level. In addition, after initiation of the risk assessment, the risk assessors were asked by the Codex Committee on Food to consider three specific questions related to ready-to-eat foods in general, which are: (1). estimate the risk for consumers in different susceptible populations groups (elderly, infants, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients) relative to the general population; (2). estimate the risk for L. monocytogenes in foods that support growth and foods that do not support growth under specific storage and shelf-life conditions; (3). estimate the risk from L. monocytogenes in food when the number of organisms ranges from absence in 25 g to 1000 colonies forming units per gram or milliliter, or does not exceed specified levels at the point of consumption. To achieve these goals, new dose-response relationships and exposure assessments for ready-to-eat foods were developed. Preliminary data indicate that eliminating the higher dose levels at the time of consumption has a large impact on the number of predicted cases.

Aged↗

Effects of microemulsions on the stratum corneum and hydrocortisone penetration.

We tested a high-water-content hydrophilic microemulsion (ME 1) and a low-water-content lipophilic microemulsion (ME 2) for their suitability for use in dermatology, in general, and as alternative hydrocortisone (HC) vehicles, in particular. The lipophilic component of both study products was isopropyl myristate. The surfactant/cosurfactant system of ME 1 consisted of two sucrose esters and that of ME 2 was a mixture of Tagat S and Plurololeat. Both MEs showed no in vitro irritability in the hen's egg test on chorioallantoic membranes. In 14 subjects, stratum corneum water content was determined by corneometry and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by the Tewameter before and after 3 days use of ME 1 or ME 2 as well as on two untreated control sites. ME 1 produced dehydration and increased TEWL as evidence of barrier compromise. ME 2 also produced an increase in TEWL but had no dehydrating effect. Subjects then underwent standardized washing with a surfactant solution. Under these conditions, pretreatment with ME 2 also produced dehydration, but to a lesser extent than did pretreatment with ME 1. In the same subjects, the impact of the two MEs on HC penetration (0.5%, 24h occlusion) was evaluated in terms of the chromameter-determined blanching effect compared with that on a site treated only with an occlusive film dressing. The comparator was an ambiphilic cream (Basiscreme (BC) Deutscher Arzneimittel Codex (German Formulary)). Irritative skin redness produced by ME 1 was significant and that produced by ME 2 was slight but visible, compared with BC. HC penetration was demonstrable from all the study products via the blanching effect and was significantly greater from ME 1 and slightly greater from ME 2 than from BC. However, neither ME would improve HC therapy because the irritative effects were so great that the blanching effect of HC formulated in ME 1 was significantly smaller and that of HC in ME 2 slightly smaller than that of HC formulated in BC.

Adult↗

Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron content of infant formulas and estimated daily intakes.

The calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron content of a total of 22 different infant formulas marketed in Spain were measured by atomic spectrometry, and the mineral intake of infants fed exclusively with these formulas was estimated. The contents (mg/100kJ) are in the following ranges: Ca, 14-24; Mg, 1.1-2.8; Na, 5.6-9.8; K, 19-35; Fe, 0.02-0.50. These values coincide with those recommended by the Codex and European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (ESPGAN), and do not exceed the limits established by the European Union (EU). The mean values and ranges of estimated intakes for each formula type and period of infancy (0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 months) expressed in mg element/kg body weight are tabulated. The mean Ca, Mg, Na, K and Fe daily intakes of infants (0-5 months) fed with infant formulas meet the recommended values (RDA), except for the iron intake when non-iron supplemented formulas were used.

Calcium↗

Simultaneous processing of solid-state NMR relaxation and 1D-MAS exchange data: the backbone dynamics of free vs. binase-bound barstar.

Two types of dynamic solid-state NMR experiments-relaxation and 1D-MAS exchange-were combined for the investigation of the backbone dynamics of a 15% randomly 15N-enriched protein barstar in both free and binase-bound states. The main novelty of this work is a simultaneous quantitative processing of the results of these two types of experiments that we call Simultaneous Relaxation and Exchange Data Analysis (SREDA) approach. It extends the well-known model-free approach such that it permits to discriminate between various motional models (jumps between different sites, wobbling in a cone, etc.). This objective cannot be achieved by analyzing the relaxation or exchange data separately. The SREDA approach was applied to probe a modification of the average backbone dynamics of barstar upon forming a complex with another protein binase. T(1) and off-resonance T(1rho) relaxation times of 15N backbone nuclei were measured at three temperatures between 0 and 45 degrees C, 1D-MAS exchange (CODEX) data were obtained at room temperature within the mixing time range from 0.3 to 200 ms. It has been found that the barstar backbone participates in two molecular processes with correlation times in the 10(-9)-10(-7) and 10(-3)-10(-2) s ranges. Forming the complex with binase results in a significant decrease of the amplitudes of both motions, suggesting that the complex is a more rigid and stable structure than free barstar.

Bacillus↗

Organochlorine content of milks, dairy products and animal feed ingredients: Ireland 1971-1972.

Milks (bovine and human) and dairy products (butter, cheese, skim and whey powders, calf-replacer, casein, butter-oil and dietetic food) were collected during 1971/2 throughout Ireland together with a more limited samples of the 10 major animal feed ingredients, and analysed for organochlorine insecticide residues using electron-capture gas chromatography. The different materials contained low or negligible levels of chlorinated insecticides. Apart from some of the animal feed ingredients the DDT residues were generally the predominant contaminants detected together with lower levels of gamma-BHC (lindane), aldrin/dieldrin and heptachlor/heptachlor epoxide. The maximum levels of these insecticides in the bovine milk and dairy products (511, 100, 62 and 21 mug/kg fat respectively) constitute only 50% or less of the Codex Tolerance Limits. The correspondingly low residue levels in the human milk (maxima of 128, 1, 1, and 5 mug/kg fat respectively) which at most represent insecticidal ingestion by infants equivalent to 13, 0-05, 5 and 5% respectively of the WHO/FAO acceptable daily intake for DDE, gamma-BHC, aldrin/dieldrin and heptachlor/heptachlor epoxide again pose no obvious health hazards and are strongly indicative of negligible organochlorine contamination in the general diet. The samples of animal feed ingredients examined also contained trace levels of ogranochlorines (maxima of 0-9, 0-1, 1-6 and 1-0 mug/kg respectively). More extensive monitoring of the residues in animal feed ingredients (the most probable source of milk contamination is advocated, and the desirability of tolerance limits for insecticides in animal feeds discussed.

Aldrin↗

The use of spore strips for monitoring the sterilization of bottled fluids.

A bacterial spore test has been developed which enables the efficacy of the sterilizing cycle recommended by the British Pharmaceutical Codex (1973) for bottled fluids to be accurately monitored. During a 14-month period this test detected faults in 3.3% of the sterilizing cycles, representing five distinct episodes of sterilization failure that passed unnoticed by the conventional controls of physical measurements and sterility testing. There were no failures of sterilization as detected by conventional techniques which were not indicated by the spore test.

Geobacillus stearothermophilus↗

Electrocatalytic tetracycline oxidation at a mixed-valent ruthenium oxide--ruthenium cyanide-modified glassy carbon electrode and determination of tetracyclines by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Mixed-valent films of ruthenium oxide-ruthenium cyanide were electrodeposited onto glassy carbon and characterized for the electrocatalytic oxidation of tetracycline. The currents produced by tetracycline were higher than from previously reported electrode modifications or pretreatments. In H(2)SO(4) pH 1.0 + 0.5 M K(2)SO(4), the second-order rate constant for the reaction between tetracycline and the Ru(III/IV) couple of ruthenium oxide was 3 x 10(5) +/- 1 x 10(5) mol(-1) cm(3) s(-1), and the rate of charge diffusion through the films was 4.5 x 10(-7) +/- 3.5 x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1). Reaction was localized at the film-solution interface. When used as detectors in liquid chromatography (in H(3)PO(4) pH 2.5 + 0.1 M KH(2)PO(4) + 20% CH(3)CN, E = 1.10 V vs SCE), the electrodes gave limits of detection (>3 S/N) of 0.1 ppm for tetracycline and oxytetracycline and 0.5 ppm for doxycycline and chlorotetracycline. These limits were suitable for FDA and Codex Alimentarius guidelines for tetracyclines in food. Recoveries of the four tetracyclines from sea and freshwater shrimp were in the range 73-111%, which was higher or similar to the previously reported recoveries from shrimp.

Carbon↗