As one part of its Nutrition Strategy 2009-12, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has identified sodium reduction as a priority new work programme. The Science Group of NZFSA commissioned the University of Otago (the ‘authors’) to write a discussion document that provided a review of information on sodium and its effects on food safety and human health.

Science research on Vitamin K in milk.

This Risk Profile addresses the risk from exposure to caffeine from energy drinks and energy shots available in New Zealand against a background dietary exposure from naturally occurring caffeine in foods and beverages and kola type soft drinks.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a large group of compounds made up of two or more fused benzene rings. They are primarily formed by incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter and during various industrial processes. Consequently, they are found in automobile exhaust, smoke from fires or cigarettes and as a component of air pollution. PAHs generally occur in complex mixtures which may consist of hundreds of compounds.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is one of the most abundant amino acids in human foods. When glutamate is present in a free form, not as a component of proteins or peptides, it has a flavour-enhancing effect and for this reason it is added to foods as its purified monosodium salt.

Glucosinolates are a family of about 120 plant compounds. They are modified amino acids, carrying an S-glucose functional group and a variety of different side chains. The parent compounds can be broken down by a plant enzyme, myrosinase, which is liberated for reaction through processing of the plant tissue (e.g. cutting, cooking or freezing).

Cyanogenic glycosides or cyanoglycosides account for approximately 90% of the wider group of plant toxins known as cyanogens. The key characteristic of these toxins is cyanogenesis, the formation of free hydrogen cyanide, and is associated with cyanohydrins that have been stabilised by glycosylation (attachment of sugars) to form the cyanogenic glycosides.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used primarily as a monomer in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid plastics sometimes used for food contact materials, including drink bottles. Epoxy resins are used for lining tin cans.

Iodine is an essential nutrient for growth and development however scientific studies have indicated that the iodine status of New Zealanders has declined to the point where population wide iodine deficiency is re-emerging. The New Zealand Government is addressing this problem through a variety of measures including regulating via food standards the replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt in most bread, thereby fortifying bread with iodine. This action came into effect on 27 September 2009. NZFSA is now periodically monitoring iodine levels in food and will use this information to estimate how much iodine New Zealanders are ingesting in their diet.

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code requires labelling of all foods containing ingredients, ingredients of compound ingredients, food additives or components of food additives, or processing aids or components of processing aids from specified source materials.

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC) requires labelling of all foods containing ingredients, ingredients of compound ingredients, food additives or components of food additives, or processing aids or components of processing aids from specified source materials.

Allergenic source material may inadvertently be present in processed foods due to crosscontact in the processing environment. A key area with potential for cross-contact is in the changeover from production of a product containing allergenic material to a product not containing that material.

Food processing operations within one site are often carried out on the same processing line using the same equipment. This creates potential for ingredients from one product or process to be unintentionally carried over into the next product. This is called cross-contact or crosscontamination and is a particular safety issue for consumers with a known food allergy. These unintentionally carried over ingredients are not required to be on the food label which poses a risk to food allergic consumers.

Crop plants contain many hundreds of chemicals, some of which have beneficial nutritional consequences for humans if consumed, while others may result in adverse health consequences for humans. Some plant chemicals may be both beneficial and harmful, depending on the dose consumed and the context of the consumption event. Chemicals naturally present in plants or produced by the plant in response to environmental factors that can elicit adverse health effects in humans or animals are often referred to as natural plant toxins.