Food composition research

Science research on Vitamin K in milk.

The purpose of the literature review is to evaluate available evidence on the use and role of fortified milk-based products in the diets of older infants and young children, in addition to the efficacy of such products on nutritional and health outcomes.

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.

The aim of the project was to assess levels of vitamin C and zinc in a range of food types, and selenium in infant formulae; and to compare these to average levels claimed on product labels, and in the case of selenium in infant formula, to the mandatory minimum and maximum levels in the Standard 2.9.1 of the Food Standards Code. This information will assist in the development of food standards relating to nutrient fortification. The project follows similar projects assessing levels of folate and iron (2005) and vitamin A, vitamin D and calcium (2006).

This project has conducted a survey of selected New Zealand foods to determine moisture
and fat content, and fatty acid profiles. The principal objective was to provide data on trans
fatty acid content to support decisions regarding labelling.

Cholecalciferol, or ‘vitamin’ D as it is commonly referred to, is a popular research topic.
While it has long been known that vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children, there is now renewed interest in this pro-hormone as potential health roles for vitamin D increase, with a concomitant rise in prevalence estimates for insufficiency. An informed discussion on vitamin D by public health professionals is now especially relevant because of recent evidence that many New Zealanders have low vitamin D status (1, 2).

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that can be synthesised in the body through exposure to sunlight or obtained through eating foods that are naturally good sources of Vitamin D. A deficiency of vitamin D can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia (poor bone mineralisation) and osteoporosis (bone loss) in adults. Research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in the prevention of certain cancers.

Current estimates indicate that the majority of people in New Zealand and Australia are likely to have dietary iodine intake levels below their respective dietary reference intakes. An extension of permissions for voluntary iodine fortification of an increased number of foods and mandatory iodine fortification with potassium or sodium iodide or iodate are being considered as a possible means of improving the iodine status of New Zealanders and Australians.

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 work described in this report was undertaken to determine the level of iodine in retail salt
samples.

The aim of the current project was to assess the levels of iron and folate in fortified foods and to compare levels to those claimed on product labels.