OBJECTIVETo introduce the establishment of food pharmacy research progress.

METHODTo overview research situations of food pharmacy development according to edible product.

RESULTFood pharmacy development in China has been set up preliminarily, and needs to be developed further.

CONCLUSIONThe trend of the functional food will be safe, effective and its quality will be control.

Food Analysis ; Food Technology ; Pharmacy

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Food composition databases are necessary for assessing dietary intakes. Developing and maintaining a high quality database is difficult because of the high cost of analyzing nutrient profiles and the recent fast-changing food marketplace. Thus, priorities have to be set for developing and updating the database. We aimed to identify key foods in the Korean diet to set priorities for future analysis of foods. SUBJECTS/METHODS: modified the US Department of Agriculture's key food approach. First, major foods were analyzed, contributing to 75%, 80%, 85%, or 90% of each nutrient intake. Second, the cumulative contributions to nutrient intakes were compared before and after excluding the foods least commonly consumed by individuals. Third, total nutrient score for each food was calculated by summing all percent contributions times 100 for nutrients. To set priorities among the foods in the list, we sorted the score in descending order and then compared total percent contributions of foods, within the 100, 90, 85, 80, and 75 percentiles of the list. Finally, we selected the minimum list of foods contributing to at least 90% of the key nutrient intake as key items for analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1,575 foods consumed by individuals, 456 were selected as key foods. Those foods were chosen as items above the 80 percentile of the total nutrient score, among the foods contributing at least 85% of any nutrient intake. On an average, the selected key foods contributed to more than 90% of key nutrient intake. CONCLUSIONS: In total, 456 foods, contributing at least 90% of the key nutrient intake, were selected as key foods. This approach to select a minimum list of key foods will be helpful for systematically updating and revising food composition databases.
Diet ; Food Analysis ; Nutrition Surveys

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pollution level and development trend of lead in the preserved egg in our country.

METHODSBy the national food contamination monitoring system and under the strict analysis quality control, the content of lead in the preserved eggs was analyzed according to the national standard method (GB/T 5009.12-2003) in fourteen provinces from 2000 to 2006.

RESULTSAll 1358 data on contents of lead in the preserved eggs were obtained during seven years, the total average was 1.782 mg/kg, the maximum was 334.0 mg/kg, P90 was 3.50 mg/kg, P95 was 7.397 mg/kg and P97.5 was 12.01 mg/kg, all exceeded 2 mg/kg of the national limit standard, and the rate of violated samples exceeded 10.0%. Analyzing from time, contents of lead in the preserved eggs were depressive from 2.994 mg/kg to 1.138 mg/kg year after year.

CONCLUSIONThe lead contamination in preserved eggs was serious in whole country. It shows that the continuous work of monitoring and forewarning should be carried out to make the contamination of lead in preserved eggs to reduce year by year.

China ; Eggs ; analysis ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food Handling ; methods ; Food Inspection ; methods ; Lead ; analysis

To promote the adoption of healthier eating patterns, this study was aimed to develop and evaluate alternative front of pack nutrition signposting concepts. Based on previous research, we developed two signposting concepts, Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) and Multiple Traffic Light with % Daily Value (MTL-%DV). The signposts featured three key nutrients, total sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. Actual food packaging with no front of pack signposting (NoSP) was included in the evaluation to act as a benchmark against which to compare the performance of the different signposting options. Using an interviewer administered method, we assessed the degree of understanding and time to interpret on a total of 534 subjects (194 elementary, 108 middle, and 103 high schoolers, 128 adults). In the individual product evaluations, MTL (87.0%) obtained the highest level of correct responses, followed by MTL-%DV (83.1%) and NoSP (52.2%). Except for signposting concepts, age, gender and living area were not associated with the degree of correct responses in multivariate analyses. When used to compare products with different colors of nutrient contents, correct responses were more than 90% for MTL-%DV (91.5%) and MTL (90.3%). The middle and high schoolers revealed the lower likelihood of correct response compared to the other two groups. In case of comparing products with same colors of nutrient contents, the proportion of correct responses was the highest in NoSP (90%), followed by MTL%DV (77.4%) and MTL (48.5%). In terms of time to interpret, MTL-%DV and MTL performed better than NoSP in the individual product evaluation and the comparison of two products with different colors of nutrient contents. NoSP performed the best in the comparison of two products with same colors of nutrient contents. A majority of the participants preferred MTL-%DV (78%) most and thought it the most useful in helping them make healthier food choices. Based on these findings, MTL-%DV was considered to most closely meet the objectives of the initiatives.
Adoption ; Eating ; Food Labeling ; Food Packaging ; Light ; Multivariate Analysis ; Sodium

OBJECTIVETo measure lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene level in foods commonly consumed in Beijing, and compare the content difference between raw and cooked food.

METHODSForty-six commonly consumed foods of 8 classes were collected in Haidian district of Beijing from September to October in 2009. A high performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the content of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in both raw and cooked samples.

RESULTSLutein was abundant in cucurbitaceous and solanaceous, allium and nuts, especially in Chinese chive (18 226.9 µg/100 g) and pumpkin (13 265.2 µg/100 g). Major sources of zeaxanthin included round pumpkin, green garlic shoot, corn and eggs, whose level of zeaxanthin were 444.6, 283.5, 279.7, 118.6 - 377.9 µg/100 g, respectively. Zeaxanthin level of those cooked foods changed to 483.9, 239.3, 279.1, 149.5 - 594.7 µg/100 g, respectively. The zeaxanthin level of cooked Chinese chive reached 1081.2 µg/100 g, while we did not detect any zeaxanthin in raw Chinese chive. β-carotene was present in a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. Carrot (17 234.3 µg/100 g) was a good source of β-carotene, while its level in cooked carrot was 17 013.5 µg/100 g.

CONCLUSIONConsuming the proper kinds of foods and changing the method of food processing were beneficial to increase the intake of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene.

China ; Cooking ; Food ; Food Analysis ; Lutein ; analysis ; Xanthophylls ; analysis ; Zeaxanthins ; beta Carotene ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate Benzo (a) pyrene (BaP) residue in retail food of Xiamen.

METHODSBaP residue in 121 retail food samples collected from Xiamen were determined by a rapid BaP detector based on derivative constant-energy synchronous fluorescence technique.

RESULTSBaP was detected in 84.3% samples and the concentration were ranged from 0.17 to 59.0 microg/kg. There were 49.6% samples exceeding 5.00 microg/kg, and most of them were roasting food (1.44 - 54.10 microg/kg), processed meat products (0.17 - 59.00 microg/kg) and aquatic products (2.79 - 36.80 microg/kg). The BaP concentration in 34 samples collected from roadside stands were 1.78 - 49.60 microg/kg, of which the rate of the samples exceeding 5.00 microg/kg was 88.2%.

CONCLUSIONThe BaP contamination in retail food samples from Xiamen is serious.

Benzo(a)pyrene ; analysis ; China ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food Inspection ; methods ; Meat Products ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo observe the ethyl carbamate concentrations in different commercial fermented foods in Hangzhou in 2010.

METHODSIn 2010, 237 commercial fermented food samples of eight categories, including yellow wine, white spirit, wine, beer, cooking wine, sauce, vinegar and fermented bean curd, were purchased from 3 different size markets respectively in Hangzhou. The ethyl carbamate was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selection ion mode, after the samples were coupled with D5-ethyl carbamate, and purified by diatomite solid phase extraction column.

RESULTSThe results showed that ethyl carbamate was detected in all samples analyzed (100%) with the range from 2.0 µg/kg to 515.0 µg/kg. The ethyl carbamate average (median) levels in 8 food categories were descending with fermented red bean curd (182.2 µg/kg (161.2 µg/kg)), yellow wine (159.6 µg/kg (121.0 µg/kg)), cooking wine (86.8 µg/kg (95.6 µg/kg)), white spirit (72.0 µg/kg (60.5 µg/kg)), soy sauce (47.2 µg/kg (40.7µg/kg)), vinegar (26.7 µg/kg (31.8 µg/kg)), wine (15.7 µg/kg (16.8 µg/kg)) and beer (2.2 µg/kg (2.3 µg/kg)).

CONCLUSIONThe ethyl carbamate was detected in all fermented foods in Hangzhou in 2010, and the levels of ethyl carbamate in red bean curd and yellow wine were higher than others.

Acetic Acid ; analysis ; Alcoholic Beverages ; analysis ; Beer ; analysis ; China ; Fermentation ; Food Analysis ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food Inspection ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Urethane ; analysis ; Wine ; analysis

Studies based on food analysis or food databases use the national standard food database. Although Internet information services are increasing gradually, users are only able to get definitive and profitable information using standard food terms. Until now, it has been uncommon to find food retrieval services that include users' regional or historical characteristics. Thus, this study introduces a prototype for Food and Dish Synonym Retrieval (NutriSyn) that includes synonyms and related words. The environments which NutriSyn was implemented were Linux for the server operating system, the Microsoft Windows series for the users' operating system and Apache for a web server. The development languages used are PHP, JavaScript and HTLM with a MySQL database. Users can access NutriSyn using Internet browsers. The main menu items are (1) Food Synonym DB, (2) Dish Synonym DB, (3) Food Information DB, (4) Dish Information DB, and (5) Food and Menu Synonym Retrieval. This system is expected to be a useful tool for food experts and inter- disciplinary research.
APACHE ; Food Analysis ; Information Services ; Internet

OBJECTIVEIn order to guarantee the safety of health foods, a safety evaluation system has been initially proposed.

METHODBased on both experienced and experimental safe data of health foods, different safety criteria could be divided.

RESULTA safety evaluation system with five criteria has been finally established, ingredients listed in the first three safe criteria were suitable for health foods.

CONCLUSIONThis system could be applied for the selection of relevant ingredients of health foods at R&D stage, and it would be improved after certain period of implementation.

Consumer Product Safety ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Food Analysis ; methods ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food, Organic ; adverse effects ; classification ; standards

Nuts have received increased attention from the public in recent years as important sources of some essential elements, and information on the levels of elements in edible nuts is useful to consumers. Determination of the elemental distributions in nuts is not only necessary in evaluating the total dietary intake of the essential elements, but also useful in detecting heavy metal contamination in food. The aim of this study was to determine the mineral contents in edible nuts, and to assess the food safety of nuts in the Beijing market. Levels of Li, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb, Th, and U in 11 types of edible nuts and seeds (macadamia nuts, lotus nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and ginkgo nuts) as well as raisins were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The accuracy of the method was validated using standard reference materials GBW10014 (cabbage) and GBW10016 (tea). Our results provide useful information for evaluating the levels of trace elements in edible nuts in the Beijing market, will be helpful for improving food safety, and will aid in better protecting consumer interests.
China ; Food Analysis ; methods ; Food Safety ; Mass Spectrometry ; Nuts ; chemistry ; Trace Elements ; analysis