Isabelle Sioen

Consumer perception versus scientific evidence about health benefits and safety risks from fish consumption.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the gap between consumer perception and scientific evidence related to health benefits and safety risks from fish consumption. DESIGN Consumer perceptions from a cross-sectional survey in March 2003 in Belgium were compared with scientific evidence based on a literature review. METHOD A quota sampling procedure was used with age as quota control variable. Subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire including health benefit beliefs from fish, fish content and effect beliefs for nutrients and harmful substances. SUBJECTS Adults (n=429), who were the main person responsible for food purchasing in the household (284 women; 145 men), aged 18-83 years, from different regional, education, family size and income groups. RESULTS Fish is predominantly perceived as a healthy food that reduces risk for coronary heart disease, which corroborates scientific evidence. This perception is stronger among women than among men. In contrast with scientific evidence, 46% of the consumers believe that fish contains dietary fibre, whereas less than one-third is aware that fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and that this nutrient has a positive impact on human health. The gap between perception and evidence is larger among consumers with lower education. In general, consumers are better aware of the content and effect of harmful substances than of nutrients in fish. CONCLUSIONS Despite conclusive evidence about the content and positive effect of omega-3 fatty acids in fish, related consumer awareness and beliefs are poor and often wrong. This study exemplifies the need for nutrition education and more effective communication about the health benefits of fish consumption.

Analysis of phthalates in food products and packaging materials sold on the Belgian market

Phthalates are organic lipophilic compounds that are principally used as plasticiser to increase the flexibility of plastic polymers. Other applications are a.o. the use of phthalates in printing inks and lacquers. Human exposure to phthalates mainly occurs via food ingestion and can induce adverse health effects. In this study, the presence of eight phthalate compounds--dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)--was investigated in 400 food products, divided over eleven groups, and packages sold on the Belgian market. For this purpose, suitable extraction techniques were developed and validated for four different matrices, namely high-fat foods, low-fat food products, aqueous-based beverages and packaging materials. The instrumental analysis was performed by means of gas chromatography-low resolution-mass spectrometry with electron impact ionisation (GC-EI-MS). A wide variety of phthalate concentrations was observed in the different groups. DEHP was found in the highest concentration in almost every group. Moreover, DEHP was the most abundant phthalate compound, followed by DiBP, DnBP and BBP. This survey is part of the PHTAL project, which is the first project that discusses phthalate contamination on the Belgian food market.

Dietary intakes and food sources of fatty acids for Belgian women, focused on n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The intake of fat, saturated and monounsaturated FA (SFA and MUFA), and omega-6 and omega-3 PUFA has been estimated in 641 Belgian women (age 18-39 y). Their food intake was recorded using a 2-d food diary. The PUFA included were linoleic (LA), alpha-linolenic (LNA), arachidonic (AA), eicosapentaeonoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. The mean total fat intake corresponded to 34.3% of total energy intake (E). The mean intake of the FA groups corresponded to 13.7%, 13.1%, and 6.0% of E, for SFA, MUFA, and PUFA, respectively. The mean intake of LA was 5.3% of E and of LNA was 0.6% of E, with a mean LA/LNA ratio of 8.7. The mean intake of AA was 0.03% of E. The mean intake of EPA, DPA, and DHA was 0.4%, 0.01%, and 0.06% of E, respectively. According to the Belgian recommendations, the total fat and SFA intake was too high for about three-quarters of the population. The mean LA and overall n-6 PUFA intake corresponded with the recommendation, with part of the population exceeding the upper level. Conversely, the population showed a large deficit for LNA and n-3 PUFA. The major food source for LA and LNA was fats and oils, followed by cereal products. The main sources of long-chain PUFA were fish and seafood, and meat, poultry, and eggs. From a public health perspective, it seems desirable to tackle the problem of low n-3 PUFA intake.

Perceived Importance of Sustainability and Ethics Related to Fish: A Consumer Behavior Perspective

Abstract Although sustainability and ethics are of increasing public importance, little research has been conducted to reveal its association with fish consumer behavior. Cross-sectional data were collected through a postal self-administered survey (June 2005) from a sample of 381 Flemish women aged 20–50 years. Consumers attach high perceived importance to sustainability and ethics related to fish. However, this perceived importance is neither correlated with fish consumption frequency nor with general attitude toward eating fish. Refusing to eat wild fish is grounded in sustainability and ethical concerns, whereas the decision not to eat farmed fish is associated with a lower expected intrinsic quality rather than shaped by importance attached to sustainability and ethical issues.

Levels of Physical Activity That Predict Optimal Bone Mass in Adolescents: The HELENA Study

BACKGROUND Physical activity is necessary for bone mass development in adolescence. There are few studies quantifying the associations between physical activity and bone mass in adolescents. PURPOSE To assess the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) and bone mass in adolescents. METHODS Bone mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and physical activity by accelerometers in 380 healthy Spanish adolescents (189 boys, aged 12.5-17.5 years) from the HELENA-CSS (2006-2007). Subjects were classified according to the recommended amount of MVPA (<60 minutes or ≥60 minutes of MVPA/day). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied to calculate the relationship between physical activity and bone mass. RESULTS Less than 41 and 45 minutes of MVPA/day are associated with reduced bone mass at the trochanter and femoral neck. More than 78 minutes of MVPA/day is associated with increased bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck. Regarding VPA, more than 28 minutes/day for the hip and intertrochanter and more than 32 minutes/day for the femoral neck are associated with increased BMD. CONCLUSIONS The recommended amount of physical activity (minutes/day) seems insufficient to guarantee increased bone mass. With some minutes of VPA/day, bone adaptations could be obtained at different bone sites.

Stress, emotional eating behaviour and dietary patterns in children

Psychological stress has been suggested to change dietary pattern towards more unhealthy choices and as such to contribute to overweight. Emotional eating behaviour could be an underlying mediating mechanism. The interrelationship between stress, emotional eating behaviour and dietary patterns has only rarely been examined in young children. Nevertheless, research in children is pivotal as the foundations of dietary habits are established starting from childhood and may track into adulthood. In 437 children (5-12years) of the ChiBS study, stress was measured by questionnaires on stressful events, emotions (happy, angry, sad, anxious) and problems (emotional, peer, conduct and hyperactivity). Data were collected on childrens emotional eating behaviour and also on dietary patterns: frequency of fatty foods, sweet foods, snacks (fat and sweet), fruit and vegetables. Stressful events, negative emotions and problems were positively associated with emotional eating. Positive associations were observed between problems and both sweet and fatty foods consumption. Negative associations were observed between events and fruit and vegetables consumption. Overall, stress was associated with emotional eating and a more unhealthy dietary pattern and could thus contribute to the development of overweight, also in children. Nevertheless, emotional eating behaviour was not observed to mediate the stress-diet relation.

Concept of the Flemish human biomonitoring programme

Since 2002 a human biomonitoring network has been established in Flanders (Belgium) as part of a programme on environmental health surveillance. The human biomonitoring network should support environmental health policy by identifying priorities for further action. The first cycle of the programme (2002-2006) confirmed the hypotheses that living in areas with different environmental pressure is reflected in different loads of environmental chemicals in the residents. In the second cycle of the programme (2007-2011) the number of environmental chemicals for which human biomonitoring data were obtained was expanded substantially. The goal of the Flemish programme is to use and translate the scientific results into policy actions. Its further orientation in the second cycle to human biomonitoring in hot spots and sensitive age groups or susceptible persons with underlying complications (e.g. persons with diabetes) are linked to these goals. Interaction with stakeholders is embedded in the programme emphasizing transparency of the choices that are made and direct communication. The Flemish human biomonitoring programme is organized centrally with major involvement of research partners from different disciplines which allows engrafting environmental health research on the programme. One of the major focuses is the question whether combinations of pollutants in the general population are associated with biological effects. The objective of this paper is to review and discuss the options that were taken in the human biomonitoring programme in order to achieve its goals.

Human biomonitoring of multiple mycotoxins in the Belgian population: results of the BIOMYCO study

Mycotoxins are important food contaminants responsible for health effects such as cancer, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity or immunosuppression. The assessment of mycotoxin exposure is often based on calculations combining mycotoxin occurrence data in food with population data on food consumption. Because of limitations inherent to that approach, the direct measurement of biomarkers of exposure in biological fluids has been proposed as a suitable alternative to perform an accurate mycotoxin exposure assessment at individual level. For this reason, the BIOMYCO study was designed to assess mycotoxin exposure in Belgian adults and children using urinary biomarkers of exposure. Morning urine was gathered in a representative part of the Belgian population according to a standardised study protocol, whereby 155 children (3-12 years old) and 239 adults (19-65 years old) were selected based on random cluster sampling. These urine samples were analysed for the presence of 33 potential biomarkers with focus on aflatoxins, citrinin (CIT), fumonisins, trichothecenes, ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone and their metabolites using two validated LC-MS/MS methods. Nine out of the 33 analysed mycotoxins were detected whereby deoxynivalenol (DON), OTA, CIT and their metabolites were the most frequently detected. Deoxynivalenol-15-glucuronide was the main urinary DON biomarker and was found in all urine samples in the ng/mL range. Furthermore deoxynivalenol-3-glucuronide was quantified in 91% of the urine samples collected from children and in 77% of the samples collected from adults. Deoxynivalenol was detected in 70% and 37% of the samples of children and adults respectively. For the first time deepoxy-deoxynivalenol-glucuronide was detected in childrens urine (17%). In the samples collected by adults, the prevalence was 22%. Whereas all these mycotoxins contaminated the urine samples in the ng/mL range, CIT and OTA were present in much lower concentrations (pg/mL). OTA contaminated 51% and 35% of the samples collected by children and adults respectively. CIT and its metabolite were present in 72% and 6% of childrens urine, whereas they contaminated 59% and 12% of adults urine. Finally, α-zearalenol and β-zearalenol-14-glucuronide were found in respectively one and two samples from adults. The exposure to DON, OTA and CIT was compared between subgroups and urinary mycotoxin concentrations differed significantly among age and gender. Based on the urinary levels, the daily intake of DON and OTA was estimated and evaluated whereby, depending on the used method, 16-69% of the population possibly exceeded the tolerable daily intake for DON and 1% for OTA. The BIOMYCO study is the first study whereby a multi-toxin approach was applied for mycotoxin exposure assessment in adults and children on a large-scale. Moreover, it is the first study that described the exposure to an elaborated set of mycotoxins in the Belgian population. Biomarker analysis showed a clear exposure of a broad segment of the Belgian population to DON, OTA and CIT. The risk assessment based on these data indicates a potential concern for a number of individuals whereby young children need special attention because of the relatively higher food intake per kg body weight.

Dietary exposure assessments for children in europe (the EXPOCHI project): rationale, methods and design.

Background/purposeThe number of dietary exposure assessment studies focussing on children is very limited. Children are however a vulnerable group due to their higher food consumption level per kg body weight. Therefore, the EXPOCHI project aims [1] to create a relational network of individual food consumption databases in children, covering different geographical areas within Europe, and [2] to use these data to assess the usual intake of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours.MethodsEXPOCHI includes 14 food consumption databases focussed on children (1-14 y old). The data are considered representative at national/regional level: 14 regions covering 13 countries. Since the aim of the study is to perform long-term exposure assessments, only data derived from 24 hr dietary recalls and dietary records recorded on at least two non-consecutive days per individual were included in the dietary exposure assessments. To link consumption data and concentration data of lead, chromium and selenium in a standardised way, categorisation of the food consumption data was based on the food categorisation system described within the SCOOP Task report 3.2.11. For food colours, the food categorisation system specified in the Council Directive 94/36/EC was used.ConclusionThe EXPOCHI project includes a pan-European long-term exposure assessment of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours among children living in 13 different EU countries. However, the different study methods and designs used to collect the data in the different countries necessitate an in-depth description of these different methods and a discussion about the resulting limitations.

Multimycotoxin analysis in urines to assess infant exposure: a case study in Cameroon.

This study was conducted to investigate mycotoxin exposure in children (n=220, aged 1.5-4.5years) from high mycotoxin contamination regions of Cameroon and to examine the association between the mycotoxin levels (in total 18 analytes) and several socio-demographic factors and anthropometric characteristics. A cross-sectional study was conducted in six villages in Cameroon with 220 children. Mycotoxins and their metabolites were detected in 160/220 (73%) urine samples. There were significant differences in the mean contamination levels of ochratoxin A (p=0.01) and β-zearalenol (p=0.017) between the two agro-ecological zones investigated. Likewise significant differences were observed in the mean levels of aflatoxin M1 (p=0.001) across the weaning categories of these children. The mean concentration of aflatoxin M1 detected in the urine of the partially breastfed children (1.43ng/mL) was significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of the fully weaned children (0.282ng/mL). Meanwhile, the mean concentrations of deoxynivalenol (3.0ng/mL) and fumonisin B1 (0.59ng/mL) detected in the urine of the male children was significantly (p value 0.021 for deoxynivalenol and 0.004 for fumonisin B1) different from the levels detected in the urine of female children; 0.71ng/mL and 0.01ng/mL for deoxynivalenol and fumonisin B1 respectively. In this study, there was no association between the different malnutrition categories (stunted, wasting and underweight) and the mycotoxin concentrations detected in the urine of these children. However, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that children in Cameroon under the age 5 are exposed to high levels of carcinogenic substances such as fumonisin B1, aflatoxin M1 and ochratoxin A through breastfeeding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind carried out in West Africa to determine multi-mycotoxin exposure in infants.