In January and February 2004, avian influenza assaulted poultry farms in Yamaguchi Prefecture and in Kyoto Prefecture, killing a large number of chickens and sparking a wholesale slaughter of birds near the affected areas. To prevent the spread of the flu, authorities banned the shipment of live chickens, eggs and poultry meat within a radius of 30 kilometers around the infected poultry farms. Even now, you may be able to picture to yourself that masked workers, wearing white work clothes, goggles, boots and gloves, were burying flocks of dead chickens deep in the ground and sanitizing the facilities through and through. Japanese mass media gave prominent coverage to the bird flu outbreaks in terms of food safety, and with good reason. Chicken eggs and meat are in great demand and constitute important items in Japanese dietary culture and habits.Vaccines for a human strain of influenza virus are made every year by using chicken eggs to grow a master-seed virus. To ensure a stable supply of human flu vaccines, the epidemic of bird flu must be blocked by all means.After all is said and done, the crux of the problem is the ability of the avian flu virus. It can mutate, cross with another flu virus to form a new type of influenza virus that is transmissible from humans to humans, thus causing a global pandemic. As you must have heard, those influenza viruses which caused Spanish flu, Asian flu and Hong Kong flu were derived from an avian flu virus. The virus mutated into new forms of human flu virus and invaded the domain of humans, claiming millions of human lives and triggering crises worldwide. These new forms of human influenza occur in a 27-year cycle. The previous occurrence of a new type of influenza was Hong Kong flu of 1968.There is every indication that bird flu, which has the potential to pass easily among humans, is spreading in Asia. Since the spring of 2004, the return of bird flu has become apparent in Thailand and Vietnam where the epidemic was declared to be under control. Even some human cases of avian influenza have been reported. The mortality rate from avian flu is very high. It is estimated that 70% of the patients with bird flu die. The currently prevalent strain of bird flu virus is regarded as a remarkably lethal pathogen. Being so virulent, it attacks chickens systemically and kills them in one or two days. There is general agreement among flu virus experts that the pathogen, known as the H5N1 virus, will sooner or later break the species barrier and begin affecting the human population.Such being the circumstances, we shall deal with the incidence of avian influenza in this paper and ponder over what constitutes the core of the problem, how a new strain comes along from the avian influenza virus and what is expected to happen when a new strain of flu virus emerges. By gaining an insight into a new type of influenza and taking lessons from past pandemics that took a heavy toll of human lives, we should make every effort to arrest the spread of the disease and keep the damage to a minimum.
Virus ; Birds ; Influenza ; Human ; Poultry Meat

OBJECTIVETo explore the present contamination status and profile of toxaphene in fish, chicken and meat samples in Pearl River Delta area.

METHODSTotally 60 independent samples including fish, chicken, meat were collected from Huizhou,Guangzhou,Dongguan,Jiangmen of Pearl River Delta area in Guangdong by purposive sampling from Oct 2010 to Jun 2011. Toxaphene monomer Parlar26, Parlar50 and Parlar62 levels in three various categories of foods were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed referencing international authoritative standard methods by utilizing isotope dilution high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution double-focusing magnetic mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). The levels of pollution and characteristics were compared.

RESULTSThe concentration of toxaphene median(M) in fish, chicken and meat were 12.87, 5.8 and 1.89 ng/kg (gross weight) , respectively and the difference was significant(H = 14.29, P = 0.001). The toxaphene level in seafish (M = 32.07 ng/kg) was significantly higher than that in freshwater fish (M = 10.63 ng/kg, Z = -2.52, P = 0.012). The profile analysis showed that Parlar50 and Parlar26 were the predominant characteristic monomers in fish, which contributed about 44% (9.91/22.60, ng/kg) and 39% (8.89/22.60, ng/kg) to total concentration, and Parlar62 and Parlar26 were the two predominant congeners in poultry products, the two congeners accounted for 42% (5.03/11.90, ng/kg) and 38% (4.58/11.90, ng/kg). Furthermore Parlar26 and Parlar62 made up about 57% (3.45/6.08, ng/kg) and 26% (1.58/6.08, ng/kg) of total concentration in livestock meat respectively.

CONCLUSIONToxaphene levels in all tested food samples are far lower than the limited standard stipulated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2002, which was 0.1 mg/kg. The congener characteristic difference in the three categories food indicated that the different enrichment ability in Toxaphene in different animal species.

Animals ; Chromatography, Gas ; Fishes ; Food Contamination ; Insecticides ; Meat ; Poultry ; Toxaphene

The purpose of this study was to compare the usage of beef and foodservice managers' perceptions of beef quality by foodservice type. A survey was conducted on 546 dietitians, and 499 acceptable responses were used for data analysis. By weight, pork was the most used meat in foodservice institutions, followed by poultry and beef. More than half of the foodservices selected meat suppliers by competitive bidding. Approximately 85.8% of the respondents used Hanwoo beef, followed by Australian beef and Youku beef. Beef type differed significantly by foodservice type (P<0.001): most of the schools and social welfare facilities used Hanwoo beef, whereas most hospitals and business/industry operations used Australian beef. When purchasing beef, safety of beef was rated the most important, while eco-friendliness was rated the least important. Most of the dietitians understood that marbling is one of the determinants of the beef quality, but were not aware of other components. Dietitians that selected Hanwoo and Youku beef were more satisfied with quality, taste, nutrition, freshness, country of origin, package, customer, preference, and availability for various menus than those who used imported beef. Dietitians who used Hanwoo beef were the most satisfied with country of origin, whereas the others were the most satisfied with safety. Since the dietitians are in charge of planning menus and selecting meat suppliers at foodservice institutions, they should make knowledgeable decisions by understanding meat supply systems and quality of beef.
Competitive Bidding ; Humans ; Meat ; Nutritionists ; Poultry ; Red Meat* ; Social Welfare ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The aim of this study was to evaluate the foodservice management practices in elementary school in order to provide basic information for an efficient foodservice management. A self completed questionnaire survey of 912 schools in Korea was undertaken. Survey questionnaires consisted of 4 parts including general background, foodservice practices, purchasing practices and the status of cooking facilities and equipments. The main results of the empirical survey were as follows. 1. Elementary schools categorized by location were in urban areas (38.2%), provincial areas (48.0%) and in isolated areas (13.8%). 2. Conventional schools were 72.4% of the total followed by commissary management schools(23.5%) and commissary schools(4.1%). 3. The major factors considered for menu planning were nutritional adequacy(77.4%), preference of children(50.8%), food cost(46.0%), and cooking facilities & equipments in order. 4. The average cost of school lunch in provincial areas was 1494.8+/-224.9 won followed by in isolated areas (1337.0+/-793.3won) and in large cities (1271.4+/-308.1won). The average food cost of lunch was approximately 950won with no significant difference by location of schools. 5. 60% processed food were purchased through retailers in schools located in provincial and isolated areas, whereas 6.6% in schools located in urban areas. Food groups such as meat and its processed food, poultries, fish & shellfish, fruits and vegetables were more purchased through wholesalers in schools located in urban areas than in provincial and isolated areas. 6. Cereals including rice were regularily purchased once a month, whereas of other food items were found to be daily purchased in school located in urban and provincial areas.
Edible Grain ; Cooking ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea ; Lunch ; Meat ; Menu Planning ; Poultry ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Shellfish ; Vegetables

This study investigated the main dishes of menus at university faculty cafeterias to understand current lunch menu trends. A sample of 1040 menus was collected from Internet homepages of 52 universities between March and May, 2014. The main dishes of menus were categorized into six groups based on main ingredients and cooking methods. The most frequently served main dish ingredient was pork followed by fish/seafood, and poultry. Pork dishes and chicken dishes were mainly roasted, pan fried, or deep fried with various carbohydrate ingredients to bulk them up. Large amounts of chili pepper, corn syrup, and oil were added to improve the bland flavor of these dishes, which contain starchy ingredients. In contrast to pork dishes or chicken dishes, 40.2% of beef dishes was served in a more traditional way as soup. Fewer kinds of fish or seafood were used, and the cooking methods also lacked diversity. In conclusion, main dish menus at university faculty cafeterias have undergone changes in terms of ingredients and cooking methods. Meat dishes cooked using traditional methods are becoming less common, especially for pork and chicken dishes, which are quite sweet, salty, and spicy. Extensive use of carbohydrate ingredients was found in some meat dishes and side dishes in one-dish meals.
Capsicum ; Chickens ; Cooking ; Internet ; Lunch ; Meals ; Meat ; Poultry ; Seafood ; Zea mays

Acute myocardial infraction (AMI) is a highly frequent cause of mortality and disability around the world. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between meat group intake levels and AMI risks in an adult Iranian population. This case-control study was conducted on 200 first AMI cases and 200 healthy individuals matched by age, sex, and body mass index. A Food Frequency Questionnaire validated for Iranian populations was used to assess usual dietary intake levels over the previous year. Data was extracted regarding the meat group—including meat (red and processed), fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, and legumes. The associations between meat group items and AMI were calculated by multivariable logistic regression. Red meat consumption was significantly positively associated with increased risk of AMI. After adjustment for potential confounders, a positive association was found between higher frequency of processed and red meat intake, and increased risk of AMI (processed meat consumption: odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–2.23 and red meat consumption: OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.84–5.11). In addition, the results indicated an inverse association between the frequency of nuts consumption and AMI (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31–0.92). There were no associations seen between poultry, fish, eggs and beans intake levels, and the odds of AMI. The current study suggested a direct association between the frequency of processed/red meat consumption and increased AMI risks. In addition, an inverse relation was observed between frequency of nuts consumption and the risks of AMI.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Case-Control Studies ; Diet ; Eggs ; Fabaceae ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Meat ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Nuts ; Odds Ratio ; Ovum ; Poultry ; Red Meat

In the past few decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has rapidly increased worldwide. Thyroid cancer incidence is relatively high in regions where the population's daily iodine intake is insufficient. While low dietary iodine has been considered as a risk factor for thyroid cancer development, previous studies found controversial results across different food types. Among different ethnic groups, dietary factors are influenced by various dietary patterns, eating habits, life-styles, nutrition, and other environmental factors. This review reports the association between dietary factors and thyroid cancer risk among ethnic groups living in different geologic regions. Iodine-rich food such as fish and shellfish may provide a protective role in populations with insufficient daily iodine intake. The consumption of goitrogenic food, such as cruciferous vegetables, showed a positive association with risk. While considered to be a risk factor for other cancers, alcohol intake showed a protective role against thyroid cancer. High consumption of meat such as chicken, pork, and poultry showed a positive association with the risk, but dairy products showed no significant association. Regular use of multivitamins and dietary nitrate and nitrite also showed a positive association with thyroid cancer risk. However, the study results are inconsistent and investigations into the mechanism for how dietary factors change thyroid hormone levels and influence thyroid function are required.
Chickens ; Dairy Products ; Eating ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iodine ; Meat ; Poultry ; Risk Factors ; Shellfish ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Vegetables

The differences in food consumption between highly educated, married, unemployed and employed women were analyzed by food group and common food item intake, DDS (dietary diversity score), and DVS (dietary variety score) and DVSS (dietary variety score including condiment). In food group intake, the total amount of food intake of the unemployed women (1,554.0 g) were significantly higher than those of the employed (1,477.9 g), while the amount of food from fungi and mushrooms (4.2 g), seaweeds (2.4 g), and fish and shellfish (60.5 g) of the unemployed women was significantly lower than those of the employed. And the amount of meat, poultry and their products (102.8 g), eggs (29.9 g), and animal oil and fats (4.0 g) was significantly higher than those of the employed. Moreover, the common food items of the unemployed women were ranked as eggs (29.7 g), pork (28.9 g), chicken (27.2 g), and beef (26.7 g) at 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively. When counting the major food groups consumed, DDS = 4 has the highest proportion in both groups (unemployed 47.4%, employed 49.1%). In case of the subjects who had not consumed one particular food group in DDS = 4, dairy group was the first (83%), followed by fruit, meat, and vegetables. This order is same in other DDS levels. In dietary variety score (DVS and DVSS), the average number of foods consumed per day of employed women was higher than those of the unemployed. The level of DVSS in the employed women (31.9), especially, is significantly higher than in the unemployed women (30.6). Consequently, highly educated women should pay more attention to increasing dairy intake, and they have need of various foods, over thirty foods without condiments in their diet every day. In addition, encouraging unemployed women to have a nutritionally balanced diet, and offering nutrition education and guidance, such as appropriate choices about animal foods, are needed.
Agaricales ; Animals ; Chickens ; Condiments ; Diet* ; Eating ; Education ; Eggs ; Employment ; Fats ; Female ; Fruit ; Fungi ; Humans ; Meat ; Ovum ; Poultry ; Shellfish ; Vegetables

To study the level of change in food and nutrient intake among different age groups, a dietary survey using the 24-hour recall method was conducted among 80 female elementary school children, 84 high school students, 100 adults from 25 to 35 years old and 120 elderly people over 60 years of age. The results of the study showed that plant food and total food intake were higher in adults and animal food intake was significantly higher in children. The percentage of plant food to total food intake was highest in the elderly and that of animal food to total food intake was highest in the children. The elderly consumed significantly less meat and poultry and more fish than the other groups. However, the children consumed significantly higher amounts of milk and dairy products. The elderly had the lowest Ca intake. Carbohydrate energy intake in the elderly was 70.3%, significantly higher than that for the other age groups. All of the age groups consumed a quantity of Ca below the Korean RDA and 77.5% of the elderly consumed an amount below 75% of the RDA. Nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) of most nutrients was lowest in the elderly. Mean adequacy ratio (MAR), an index of overall dietary quality, was 0.88 for the children, 0.84 for the adolescents, 0.80 for the adults, and 0.70 for the elderly. Therefore, the results show that food and nutrient intake changes with advancing age, and the overall quality of the diet of elderly people is lower than that for the other age groups.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Child ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Eating ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans ; Meat ; Milk ; Plants ; Poultry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human infections with avian influenza A (H7N9) in China and to provide scientific evidence for the adjustment of preventive strategy and control measures.

METHODSDemographic and epidemiologic information on human cases were collected from both reported data of field epidemiological investigation and the reporting system for infectious diseases.

RESULTSA total of 433 cases including 163 deaths were reported in mainland China before June 4, 2014. Two obvious epidemic peaks were noticed, in March to April, 2013 and January to February, 2014. Confirmed cases emerged in 14 areas of China. Five provinces, including Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Hunan, reported about 85% of the total cases. Median age of the confirmed cases was 58 years (range, 1-91), with 70% as males. Of the 418 cases with available data, 87% had ever exposed to live poultry or contaminated environments. 14 clusters were identified but human to human transmission could not be ruled out in 9 clusters.

CONCLUSIONHuman infections with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus showed the characteristics of obvious seasonal distribution, with certain regional clusters. The majority of confirmed cases were among the elderly, with more males seen than the females. Data showed that main source of infection was live poultry and the live poultry market had played a significant role in the transmission of the virus.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Aged ; Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Demography ; Environmental Pollution ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Male ; Meat ; Poultry ; Research Design