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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effect of low-dose gamma irradiation on Staphylococcus aureus and product packaging in ready-to-eat ham and cheese sandwiches.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen that causes foodborne illness. Traditional methods for controlling S. aureus do not address postprocess contamination. Low-dose gamma irradiation is effective in reducing pathogens in a variety of foods and may be effective in reducing S. aureus in ready-to-eat foods. The effects of gamma irradiation on product packaging should also be considered. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gamna irradiation on product packaging and on S. aureus in ready-to-eat ham and cheese sandwiches. The effects of refrigerated storage on irradiated and nonirradiated sandwiches were also investigated. Ham and cheese sandwiches were inoculated with 10(6) or 10(7) CFU of S. aureus per g, frozen, irradiated, and analyzed by a standard plate count method. D10-values, the amount of irradiation needed to elicit a 1-log10 reduction of bacteria, were calculated. In addition, irradiated sandwiches were analyzed after 1, 13, 27, and 39 days of storage at 4 degrees C. The integrity of postirradiated packaging material was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Two experiments yielded D10-values of 0.62 and 0.63. During refrigerated storage, sandwiches irradiated with 5.9 kGy showed no S. aureus growth at any time; sandwiches irradiated with 3.85 kGy showed a 6.18-log reduction in S. aureus after 13 days; and nonirradiated sandwiches showed a 0.53-log increase in S. aureus after 39 days. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the label side and the bulge side were composed of polyethylene terephthalate and nylon 6, respectively. No significant change in the packaging due to irradiation was detected. In this study, low-dose gamma irradiation was shown to be an effective method for reducing S. aureus in ready-to-eat ham and cheese sandwiches and proved to be more efficacious than refrigeration alone. Additionally, package integrity was not adversely affected by gamma irradiation.

Colony Count, Microbial↗

Overpromotion of drugs in international product package inserts.

A study of the drug-labelling information contained in international product package inserts (PPIs) available in Nigeria in comparison with similar information in the United States Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) was undertaken, against a background of recently-improved drug control regulations in Nigeria. The findings indicate that most multinational pharmaceutical firms, especially through their affiliates and subsidiaries, overpromote their drugs for extra indications and with mention of fewer hazards in the PPIs, than in the PDR. For some drugs with known, medically-stringent indications or low therapeutic indices, a few drug companies appeared to exert discretional restraint on overpromotion by providing the same content of information in the PPIs as in the PDR. The present study suggests that merely intending a better drug control with more sophisticated regulations which are not enforced may not cure the exploitative attitude of multinational drug companies and their subsidiaries or affiliates, in overpromoting pharmaceutical products through PPIs destined for countries with a literally free drug market.

Developing Countries↗

Egg marketing in national supermarkets: products, packaging, and prices--part 3.

As part of a national retail egg quality study, the variety of shell eggs and egg products offered for sale, type of packaging, and price relationships were compared in five major metropolitan regions. A total of 81 stores in 28 cities were sampled in California (CA), Illinois (IL), North Carolina (NC), Texas (TX), and New England (NE). Data were recorded for the variety of brands, sizes, white or brown shell eggs, specialty eggs, liquid or frozen eggs, carton sizes, package labeling and coding, and price relationships of shell eggs, liquid, and frozen egg products displayed for sale. The total variety of shell eggs displayed per store was the greatest for CA and NE stores. Stores in CA and TX offered more (P < 0.05) variety of white shell eggs than did stores in the other states, whereas stores in NE displayed the greatest variety (P < 0.05) of brown shell eggs. The average number of liquid and frozen egg products was highest (P < 0.05) for NC stores. Packaging type, USDA labeling, and carton coding differed somewhat among states. The price per one dozen cartons of all white shell egg sizes was highest (P < 0.05) in CA stores, and the average liquid plus frozen egg product prices were higher in CA and NE stores compared to the other states. However, the ratio of liquid and frozen product prices to all large shell egg prices was among the lowest for CA and NC stores. These data indicate that product selection, packaging, and consumer prices for shell eggs and egg products varied considerably across five separate regions of the country.

Animals↗

[Expectations regarding nutrition information on food product packages].

Food labeling was originally developed to help consumers make the right decision in choosing at food products. It (food labeling) is also helpful in consumer's education. The aim of this study was to analyze the consumers' preferences concerning foods' labeling products. The type and the form of the information and of course the information itself were analyzed. The study was carried out in the form of a questionnaire among 295 people who were the consumers of supermarkets. The only criteria for the chosen subjects were that they agree to take part in the study and that they are the heads of their families. It came out that 54% of the subjects accepted the current information about food products. More than 23% said that they didn't understand the information provided by the food labels. 66% said that food labels should have educational information concerning the role of an ingredient in health and nutrition. Everyone wanted "negative" information, for example: "this product is not recommended for..."). More than 87% stated that they want information like "this product is recommended for...". (That kind of preference doesn't go along with the current law concerning food products). The best motivation for using food labels is sickness or illness. 89% of the subjects said that the information about the food products and the nutritional value are more important than the information about the producer. Informations concerning the nutritional values in 100 g and in 1 portion of a product were easiest to understand for 71% of the subjects. The results of this study show that food labeling is very important form of consumers education.

Adult↗

Importance of surface tension characterization for food, pharmaceutical and packaging products: a review.

This article reviews the various theoretical approaches that have been developed for determination of the surface tension of solids, and the applications to food industrial products. The surface tension of a solid is a characteristic of surface properties and interfacial interactions such as adsorption, wetting or adhesion. The knowledge of surface tension is thus of great interest for every domain involved in understanding these mechanisms, which recover a lot of industrial investigations. Indeed, it is the case for the packaging industry, the food materials science, the biomedical applications and the pharmaceutical products, cleaning, adhesive technology, painting, coating and more generally all fields in relation with wettability of their systems. There is however no direct method for measurements of surface tension of solids, except the contact angle measurements combined with an appropriate theoretical approach are indirect methods for estimation of surface tension of solids. Moreover, since the publication by Young (1805) who developed the basis of the theory of contact angle some two hundred years ago, measurements and interpretations are still discussed in scientific literature, pointing out the need to better understand the fundamental mechanisms of solid-liquid interfacial interactions. Applications of surface tension characterization in the field of food materials science are detailed, especially for packaging and coating applications, which recover different actual orientations in order to improve process and quality.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Ingestion of medicated oils by adults: the risk of severe salicylate poisoning is related to the packaging of these products.

Ingestion of medicated oils containing methyl salicylate poses the threat of severe, rapid-onset salicylate poisoning. In this retrospective study of 24 adults who had ingested 'White Flower Oil' (n=18) or 'Red Flower Oil' (n=6), the main objective was to determine if the risk of severe salicylate poisoning was related to the product packaging. 'Red Flower Oil' had a large bottle opening so that its content could be emptied much more easily. It also had a larger bottle size and usually had a higher methyl salicylate concentration than 'White Flower Oil'. Patients tended to ingest a greater amount of 'Red Flower Oil' than 'White Flower Oil'. Five per cent of subjects who had taken 'White Flower Oil', but 67% of subjects who had taken 'Red Flower Oil', had admission plasma salicylate level >2.2 mmol/L (P=0.006). None of the subjects who had ingested 'White Flower Oil', but 50% of subjects who had taken 'Red Flower Oil', had moderate to severe symptoms (P=0.010). As a result, none of the subjects who had ingested 'White Flower Oil', but 33% of subjects who had taken 'Red Flower Oil', required urine alkalinization (P=0.054). One patient who had taken 'Red Flower Oil' died because of hospital-acquired pneumonia. All other patients made a complete recovery. To reduce the amount of methyl salicylate that can be readily swallowed during accidental or deliberate ingestion of medicated oils, improvements are needed in the existing packaging of these products.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of pharmacy and therapeutics committee drug evaluation reports.

Pharmacy and therapeutics (P & T) committee drug evaluation reports prepared by pharmacies and drug information centers (DICs) and product package inserts were compared with standard guidelines to evaluate their quality. Letters were sent to 143 hospital pharmacies asking them to submit a previously prepared drug evaluation report on temazepam, moxalactam disodium, or atenolol. The reports and package inserts for these three drugs were evaluated by the presence of 40 elements derived from the published ASHP guidelines for drug evaluation report preparation. Responses were obtained from 124 (87%) pharmacies; however, only 80 reports (60 DIC-prepared and 20 pharmacy-prepared) were received. The reports contained a mean of 28 of the 40 (70%) possible elements. The most frequently omitted elements were AHFS number, potential unlabeled uses, drug-drug interactions, drug-disease-laboratory test interactions, risk and benefit data, prevention and treatment of side effects, comparisons with established treatment, and disadvantages of the drug under consideration. Although the reports prepared by the DICs and pharmacies contained the same amount of information, the DIC-prepared reports included data more frequently on supply sources, therapeutic indications, approved labeling, comparison with established treatment, bioavailability and pharmacokinetics, and recommendations. Most of the reports contained more elements than the corresponding package inserts. The product package inserts did not contain the comparative elements required for P & T committee decisions. Both the pharmacy- and DIC-prepared reports failed to contain all 40 elements recommended in the standard guidelines, suggesting the need for more thorough reports.

Atenolol↗

Quality at time of purchase of dried milk products commercially packaged in reduced oxygen atmosphere.

Nonfat dry milk (NDM) and powdered whey beverages are available at the retail level, packaged in No. 10 cans in a reduced oxygen atmosphere to prolong shelf life. The objective of this research was to determine the sensory and nutritional quality of these dried milk products at the time of purchase. In the 10 brands tested, wide variation existed in headspace oxygen, can seam quality, sensory quality, and vitamin A (with 6 of 10 brands entirely lacking the vitamin). Manufacturers of dried milk products packaged in cans for long-term storage need to give careful attention to can seam quality, product labeling, and vitamin fortification. Consumers would be well advised to evaluate several brands of dried milk products prior to large quantity purchases.

Adult↗

Revised USP standards for product dating, packaging, and temperature monitoring.

Revisions in the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) related to product dating, packaging, and temperature monitoring are discussed. USP has revised product dating specifications as they relate to pharmacy practice. Pharmacists are required to affix beyond-use dates and not expiration dates to the prescription or repackaged vial. With respect to beyond-use dates for nonsterile products that are repackaged into unit dose or single-unit containers, the requirement has been changed from the previous period of six months from the date of repackaging or 25% of the time remaining until the expiration date, whichever is less, to one year. The type of packaging container, the material used in packaging, and the permeability of the container to moisture are important issues for pharmacists to consider. USP requires that the pharmacy facility where dispensing or repackaging occurs be maintained at controlled room temperature such that the calculated mean kinetic temperature does not exceed 25 degrees C. USP standards for product dating, packaging, and temperature monitoring have changed, and pharmacists must educate themselves about these revisions.

Drug Labeling↗