Mary E. Zabik

Amount and dietary sources of caffeine and saccharin intake by individuals ages 5 to 18 years

A nationwide, 7-day food consumption survey was utilized to assess average daily consumption of saccharin and caffeine by individuals 5 to 18 years old. The total samples average daily saccharin and caffeine intakes were 4.1 and 37.4 mg, respectively. Only 14% of the individuals consumed saccharin while 98% consumed caffeine. On days when these dietary components were consumed, average saccharin intake was 87.4 mg and average caffeine intake was 47.9 mg. In general, intake levels of both dietary components increased with increasing age. However, on a body weight basis (mg/kg) caffeine intakes did not increase with increasing age. When expressed as milligrams of caffeine intake per kilogram body weight per day, children 5 to 6 years old had significantly higher intakes (1.1 mg/kg/day) than 7 to 8 years olds. No other age differences were noted. Artificially sweetened carbonated beverages contributed the greatest number of milligrams of saccharin to total intake while tea, followed by carbonated beverages, made the most significant impact on caffeine consumption. Considerable variation was found for both saccharin and caffeine consumption levels among the sample members as well as for each individual during the 7 days surveyed.

Pesticide residues, PCBs and PAHs in baked, charbroiled, salt boiled and smoked Great Lakes lake trout

Abstract Skin-off lean lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush namaycush) from Lakes Huron, Michigan and Ontario as well as siscowets (fat lake trout) (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) from Lake Superior were cooked by baking and charbroiling to determine the potential of processing/cooking on reducing the levels of pesticides and total PCBs in fish at the dinner table. Lake trout from Lakes Michigan and Superior also were salt boiled and skin-on fillets smoked. All fish analyzed were below the action level except skin-on siscowets with > 0.3 ppm action level for chlordane. Cooked lake trout had significantly less residue than raw. Smoking resulted in significantly greater losses of pesticides and total PCBs than other cooking methods but analyses of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons showed significant compound formation during smoking with higher levels occurring in high fat siscowets. Overall losses of pesticides and total PCBs ranged from a low of 21% for dieldrin to a high of 39% for chlordane complex. Most of the total losses were about 30% establishing that cooking is effective in reducing residues in these Great Lakes fish.

BREAKFAST CONSUMPTION PATTERNS OF U.S. CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

The Nationwide Food Consumption Survey was used to evaluate the breakfast consumption patterns of the U.S. child and adolescent population. Results indicated that breakfast skipping increased with age and was most prevalent among female adolescents. The sample was partitioned into four age/sex classes and by breakfast consumption patterns. The most popular breakfasts consumed by the sample populations were identified. Analyses of average dietary component intake levels of seven identified problem nutrients, i.e., pyridoxine, vitamin A, iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc showed that omission of breakfast had a strong negative impact, particularly among female adolescents, on the quality of diets. Individuals who consumed readyto-eat (RTE) cereal at breakfast on a somewhat frequent basis had higher average daily intakes of the problem nutrients as well as higher average daily total sugars intakes. Highest average daily cholesterol intakes were evidenced for breakfast consumers not eating RTE cereal. No consistent relationship between breakfast consumption patterns and total daily intakes of fat and sodium were found. It was concluded that breakfast, particularly breakfasts containing RTE cereal, made a valuable contribution to the nutritional quality of the diets of children and adolescents.

Evaluation of conventional and “organic” baby food brands for eight organochlorine and five botanical pesticides

Two lots of applesauce, pears, winter squash and carrots from each of two traditional commercials and one commercial “organic” brand of baby food were purchased from local retailers. These samples were analyzed for eight organochlorine (aldrin, dieldrin, cis-chlordane, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, heptachlor, and hexachlorobenzene) and five botanical (nicotine, pyrethrin I, pyrethrin II, warfarin, and rotenone) pesticides in duplicate. The results indicated no detectable organochlorine pesticide residues at levels of detection between 4 and 11 pg/g, no detectable nicotine residues at the level of detection of 0.66 ng/g and no detectable pyrethrin I, pyrethrin II, warfarin and rotenone residues at levels of detection between 0.126 and 0.36 ng/g. Since no residues were found in any of the baby foods, there was no apparent distinction between the traditional commercial brands and the “organic” commercial brand of baby foods evaluated in this study.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated biphenyls, and dioxin reduction during processing/cooking food.

This chapter presents information on the levels of environmental contaminants found in recent market basket surveys as well as the effect of processing and cooking on the reduction of these contaminants. Although consumers have expressed concern over the level of environmental contaminants in the food supply, market basket surveys involving over 8,000 analyses of foods ready-to-eat, found measurable amounts (ppb levels) of PCBs in only 24 foods. Processing/cooking has been shown to reduce PCBs by 20-100%. Although PBBs got into the food chain as the result of one incredible accident and thus are not expected to be found in foods today, cooking/processing was also effective in reducing PBBs. Dioxins are the result of combustion processes and chemical manufacturing processes. TCDD levels found in Great Lakes fish were in the low part per trillion level. Again, cooking and processing resulted in substantially less TCDD in fish as eaten.

Pesticides and total polychlorinated biphenyls residues in raw and cooked walleye and white bass harvested from the Great Lakes

To provide data for public health and other government officials to quantitate the degree of exposure a human might receive from consumption of commonly sought open water fish species prepared and cooked by commonly used methods, five species of Great Lakes fish were chosen. Data is presented for walleye harvested from Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan which were baked and char-broiled as skin-on fillets with additional walleye from Lake Michigan being deep fat fried. Skin-on white bass fillets from Lakes Erie and Huron also were pan fried. Packed column PCB and pesticide analyses were conducted for all fish species by the Michigan Department of Public Health. The DDT complex (p,p{prime}DDT, p,p{prime}DDE and p,p{prime}DDD), dieldrin, hexa-chlorobenzene (HCB), chlorodane complex (alpha and gamma chlordane, oxychlordane, cis- and trans-nonachlor), toxaphene, heptachlor epoxide, and total PCBs (expressed as Arochlor{sup R} 1254) were found at above the minimum level of detection for many of the species studied. Residues were expressed as ppm wet tissue and then converted to micrograms per fillet to calculate the percentage loss due to cooking. 9 refs., 3 tabs.

Dieldrin Storage of Obese, Normal, and Semistarved Rats

Dieldrin tissue levels in obese and “normal” weight adult male Osborne Mendel rats that had been on weight maintenance or weight reduction diets were compared with levels immediately after dieldrin feeding. Normal weight animals exhibited higher tissue pesticide reductions while very little of the body burden of dieldrin was lost in obese rats. Neither group exhibited any elevation of dieldrin levels in the brain because of tissue mobilization.

Production and functional characteristics of protein concentrates.

Protein concentrates derived from common dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) may improve world protein resources, reduce on-site preparation time and expense and provide improved nutrition. Several different methods have been studied for the production of these concentrates, including alkali extraction and isoelectric precipitation, ultrafiltration, air-classification and salt extraction under high salt concentrations. Recent studies using solid-solid dry roasting, pin milling and air-classification resulted in the following percent mass fractions: hull/fiber (10%), coarse/starch (70%) and fine/protein (20%). Results indicated that the protein fractions were approximately 45–50% protein, low in raffinose and stachyose and hadtrypsin inhibitor activity reduced to about half of that of raw beans. Nitrogen Solubility Index (NSI) ranged from 33–70% and was associated with the thermal conditions applied during dry roasting. The flours had a bland flavor without the bitter off-flavors which have traditionally limited the use of dry beans in formulated foods. Most minerals and phytic acid tended to be associated with protein flour; however, although iron may have been bound to phytic acid, its absorption by anemic rats was not hindered by the presence of endogenous phytic acid. These flours produced acceptable products when incorporated into cookies, doughnust, quick breads and leavened doughs.

Characteristics and utilization of dry roasted air-classified navy bean protein fraction

Navy beans,Phaseolus vulgaris, were dry roasted in a particle-to-particle heat exchanger, dehulled by air aspiration, pin-milled and air-classified to yield a high protein fraction. Proximate analyses, nitrogen solubility indices and oligosaccharide contents of this high protein fraction as influenced by processing parameters which affected final product temperature were determined. Farinograms of wheat/bean protein fraction composite flours were run. A high-protein bean flour fraction was selected from these dry and roasted treatments and used in product development. Quality characteristics and consumer acceptability of high-protein prototype products were evaluated. Results of this research indicate that the dry roasting process influences the characteristics of the air-classified protein fraction. Flour color, nitrogen solubility and dough mixing properties were most greatly influenced by roasting time and temperature. Increased roasting resulted in increased browning and decreased nitrogen solubility and dough mixing stability. Wheat flour bread products, substituted with low levels of high-protein bean flour, were of high quality.

Polychlorinated biphenyl reduction in lake trout by irradiation and broiling

The Great Lakes Environmental contaminants surveys (1974-1975) have concluded that excessive concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are present in a specific species of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Over 30 ppM of PCBs have been detected in the edible fillet of this fat trout. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of gamma irradiation combined with broiling on the levels of PCBs in lake trout fillets.