From the Chief Executive and IFST News
2018; Wiley; Volume: 32; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1002/fsat.3204_3.x
ISSN2689-1816
Autores Tópico(s)Nutrition, Genetics, and Disease
ResumoWriting this at the end of October, it seems every meeting or conference I attend ends with a discussion about the implications of Brexit and what exactly will happen after March 2019. At the recent celebration of the first anniversary of the University of Reading's hub of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Food Initiative, the conversation was around future access to European research funding, the ability to collaborate across frontiers and the attraction and retention of the best researchers. Elsewhere, conversations are around issues like our future relationship with EFSA, which has equally been taking note that 12.5% of its scientific panel members and 25% of some of the more specialised panel members in recent years have been UK nationals. I am sure many readers of this column have been scrutinising the technical notices prepared by the Department for Exiting the European Union on how to prepare if the UK leaves the EU with no deal. The technical notice on ‘Health marks on meat, fish and the dairy products if there is no Brexit deal’ brought a smile to my face when I read it and noted the comment at the end – ‘This notice is meant for guidance only. You should consider whether you need separate professional advice before making specific preparations’. It's very clear a lot of food businesses will turn to their technical teams – many of whom are our members – for this professional advice. In turn, this does raise issues for IFST and the role we should play. Whilst we fully recognise trade associations, other organisations and larger businesses will be playing a leading role in negotiations with the Government, particularly if there is no Brexit deal, it does raise the question what role should IFST play as a professional body at this time? As a Board of Trustees, we have been taking professional guidance on the Institute's roles and responsibilities. It is clear we have a responsibility to provide professional recognition and a duty of care to the public in ensuring we uphold professional standards. Less clear is the exact role we should play in offering advice to governments. We would be interested in hearing your views on the role your professional institute should play at this time and more generally in informing governmental policy. Drop an email to info@ifst.org if you have any thoughts. With a stimulating title Nutritional Science over Gut Feel, our IFST Spring Conference 2019 will take place on 4 April 2019 at the University of Birmingham. More information coming soon at: ifst.org/events We are pleased to announce that our Past President, Professor Margaret Patterson OBE, has been elected as one of the seven Members of the IUFoST Governing Council. IUFoST consists of over 60 adhering bodies, of which IFST is one, and represents more than 150,000 food scientists throughout the world. It is a non-profit, non-governmental, global scientific organisation for food science and technology. Its mission is to promote international cooperation and information exchange, provide education and training to food scientists and technologists around the world and promote professionalism among food scientists and technologists. IUFoST plays a crucial role by supporting programmes and projects that address worldwide needs specifically in food security, food safety and education. Margaret has a BSc in Food Science, a Master's degree in Organisation and Management and a PhD in Food Microbiology. She was a Principal Scientific Officer and Project Leader at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) based in Belfast. She led a research team responsible for microbiological aspects of novel food processing technologies. In particular, she was involved in research on high pressure processing of foods and food irradiation. Margaret has acted as an External Consultant on Food Safety for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation. She was President of the Society for Applied Microbiology in 2005-2008. She served as President of Institute of Food Science & Technology from 2013-2014. In 2014, Margaret was named by the Science Council as one of the UK's 100 leading practising scientists and she was also awarded an OBE for services to the agri-food sector, particularly in food safety and quality. Margaret said: ‘I feel very honoured to have been elected onto the IUFoST Governing Council. Working together to help ensure safe and sufficient food supply is a key goal of IUFoST and the organisation aligns well with IFST's objectives of advancing food science and technology, encouraging professionalism within its members and cooperating with all organisations and groups that share the same objectives.’ Teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in July 2016 from anaphylaxis caused by sesame. The recently completed inquest heard that an artichoke and olive tapenade baguette, bought at Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport, which included sesame as part of its recipe, was the cause of death. Pret a Manger relied on UK law that permits no allergen labelling on products that are not prepacked, or which are prepacked on the premises where they are sold. Instead of labelling on the packaging itself, it is permitted to prompt consumers to ask about allergens. This is done by ‘signposting’ with a label attached to the food, or on an easily-seen notice where the intending purchaser chooses their food. The business must indicate that the details can be obtained by asking a member of staff and ensure that allergen information is available and easily accessible to the consumer. A ‘prepacked food’ legally refers to a food item which cannot be altered without opening or changing its packaging, as opposed to foods packed on the sales premises at the customer's request or prepacked for direct sale. We welcome Pret's commitment to meaningful changes in allergen labelling, announced by CEO Clive Schlee, and support Michael Gove's intentions to urgently consider the situation after the coroner called on the Government to examine labelling rules, specifically on whether large businesses should be able to benefit from regulations, allowing reduced food labelling on products made in shops. We are calling for a change of culture in businesses, regulation and enforcement, so that people with allergies can readily find the information they need to keep safe. Sterling Crew, Chair of IFST's Food Safety Group stated: ‘I believe when businesses are fully complying with the regulations, and such tragic cases still occur, the law needs to be reviewed’. As part of our commitment to provide relevant and clear science-based information about food science and technology, we have updated our Information Statements on Mycotoxins and on 3-MCPD, 3-MCPD Esters and Glycidyl Esters. For more information, please go to: ifst.org/resources/resource-search?f[]=field_resource_categories:385 IFST's Student Group is hosting its first ever University Food Challenge on 27 February 2019. For more information, please visit: ifst.org/career-development-communities-students-competitions-and-awards/ifst-university-food-challenge Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is how professionals maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge and develop the personal qualities and competencies required in their working lives. Structured CPD gives you a clear path to success within your current role and progression to future ones. For more information, please visit: ifst.org/cpd-learning/mycpd As the use of additives in food products continues to raise some concerns among consumers, we have released a new Food Science Fact Sheet to provide clear, concise and scientifically reliable information on this topic. To download this Food Science Fact Sheet, please go to: ifst.org/sites/default/files/Food%20Additives.pdf University of Reading On 17 October 2018, IFST's Food Science and Nutrition Group hosted an interesting debate about the industry challenge of reducing sodium in our diet entitled What is a pinch of salt? Discussion was led by Kate Halliwell, Head of UK Diet and Health Policy at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) following presentations by four industry professionals, all with experience of sodium reduction. Sarah Coe, British Nutrition Foundation, re-iterated that sodium is an essential nutrient, but intake must be significantly reduced in the interest of consumer health. The achievable population goal is <6g per day, however average intakes in 2014 were still high at 8g/day, despite significant progress in the last ten years. SACN's review of potassium replacers states that the benefits outweigh any risks but that potassium replacers should be clearly labelled due to associated health risks for vulnerable groups, e.g. those with kidney disease. The reduction of sodium within the savoury snack industry was highlighted by Sue Gatenby, PepsiCo. Pressure from media and voluntary and regulatory organisations mean sodium reduction is high on the health agenda for the industry. However more consistency in targets is needed particularly as legislation varies between countries. Great progress has already been made within the product portfolio; Sue stressed the importance of being guided by consumer acceptability of taste and convenience, ensuring food safety has not been breached. Dinnie Jordan from Kudos Blends provided an insight into the technical challenges of sodium reduction in bakery. One third of the sodium in bread comes from salt (sodium chloride), with 2/3 from baking powder. 50% salt reduction within bread has been achieved, but to achieve government targets of <170mg/100g, the sodium content within baking powder (sodium phosphate and sodium carbonate) still needs to be addressed. Replacement of sodium phosphate with potassium phosphate seems to, for the moment, provide good quality products but challenges still remain in certain bakery items, e.g. scones and crumpets, with a high baking powder content. Finally, new technologies in sodium reduction were discussed by Lindsey Bagley, Eureka, confirming the multi functionalities of salt for taste, preservation and processing. Consumers need time to adjust to a new taste profile, with saltiness being enhanced by glutamate, addition of natural sweetness as well as herbs and spices. Reducing salt, and introduction of potassium, can lead to bitterness, which can be masked by use of inorganic salts as well as amino acids and increased acidity. Other techniques for increasing perceived saltiness relate to salt structure: pulsed delivery, increasing surface area of crystals and using hollow spheres as in Soda-Lo. Sodium does not provide a high percentage of total ingredients, so there is sufficient room for industry to embrace a combination of strategies to tackle sodium reduction. Discussion was led by Kate, with very thought-provoking questions posed. It was agreed that potassium replacers have increased opportunity to further reduce sodium, however negative implications on taste will need to be monitored. Great progress in sodium reduction has been seen so far, however further reduction is more challenging as novel methods/ingredients have to be sought. For a broad impact on total population sodium intake a whole industry approach is necessary to achieve the 6g/day ideal. The issue surrounding potassium replacers for vulnerable groups is a concern, and the debate over potassium labelling was raised. No quantitative declaration of potassium is seen on UK products, partly because content varies heavily with season. The example given was potatoes, a huge component of savoury snacks. Potassium analysis of products is not routine within industry; it would be an expensive addition to a label for a minor population set. If potassium is labelled on a food product, it must contribute 15% to the DRV (dietary reference values) according to EU labelling guidelines. When tested by Kudos Blends, potassium bicarbonate within baked goods, including biscuits, cakes and bread, provided a darker colour/crumb compared to sodium bicarbonate due to its higher alkalinity. It is a great addition to biscuits to create a golden-brown colour, however could pose issues with increasing acrylamide formed during the Maillard reaction. UK government sodium reduction targets will be introduced slowly due to potential process challenges, allowing for natural adaptation of the palette to lower salt. Children have grown up with low salt foods, therefore expectations differ. Only a quarter of salt consumed is added to foods; it is not just industry that needs to participate in sodium reduction. The evening was extremely informative, with great discussions on both the success of sodium reduction so far and the challenges still to come. The discussions ended, and networking pursued with an array of salty, savoury snacks – in moderation of course! Jon Poole Chief Executive Jon's prime role is to provide the leadership and direction for the executive team. He works closely with the Board to develop our overall strategic direction, translating this into actual delivery. Andrew Gardner Operations Director Andrew is responsible for helping the business run smoothly, from supporting the Finance Committee to overseeing our finances, premises, office facilities, services and IT. He manages our education and careers and our professional development team members and related activities. John Bassett Scientific Policy Director John is responsible for the development of our scientific policy positions and communication of these to stakeholders, including IFST members and government. Natasha Medhurst Scientific Affairs Manager Natasha's principle focus is on scientific activities and affairs, contributing to the communication of our scientific voice. She is responsible for writing new scientific materials for our members and other interested parties as well as in response to external enquiries. Delia Mertoiu Marketing and Business Development Manager Delia is responsible for the coordination for our marketing activities. She develops promotional support materials and tools to enhance the awareness of our events and activities and works with external promotional support contractors on IFST marketing projects. Izabela Nair Communications Manager Izabela is responsible for the coordination of our overall communication activities including e-comms, website content and social media. She is the first point of contact for media enquiries, promotes IFST's key events and activities as well as records and edits videos. Kelly Ah Chin Kow Membership and Events Coordinator Kelly joined the team at the beginning of August 2018. She is the main point of contact for our Branches, liaising with the regional committees to coordinate and support Branch activities and events as well as our LaunchPads. Kiu Sum Education and Careers Coordinator Kiu joined the IFST team in October 2018 and is responsible for all of the Institute's affairs relating to the teaching of food science and early careers (e.g. school initiatives on Love Food Love Science, university courses, apprenticeships and T-levels). She also supports the Student Group and New Professionals Group and is responsible for liaising with university contacts and representatives as well as student ambassadors. Ruth Ashaye Registration and Assessment Officer A recent addition to the IFST team, Ruth is responsible for coordinating and actively managing the flow of applications for the Institute's wide range of membership and other registration assessment processes via its network of trained assessors. Anjlee Patel Membership and Finance Administrator The team is here to support you. If you have a question about your membership, wish to join one of our professional registers or would like to set up a Group Scheme at your organisation, email us at: info@ifst.org or call 020 7603 6316 ■ Colonisation of lettuce by Listeria monocytogenes Foodborne illnesses involving ready-to-eat vegetables are increasing. Lettuce is the third most consumed fresh vegetable in the US, worth approximately $1.9 billion, making it the most valuable leafy crop. The colonisation of lettuce by Listeria has so far received limited attention in the scientific literature. Listeria monocytogenes has high mortality compared to other foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella. This review summarises recent studies on the mechanisms of attachment and colonisation of Listeria on lettuce leaves. Various factors that affect colonisation of lettuce by Listeria are discussed, including the effects of washing, different radiation treatments and different cultivation systems on the recovery of Listeria. Strategies to minimise the colonisation of lettuce by Listeria to enhance food safety are proposed. Kyere et al., 2018, doi. org/10.1111/ijfs.13905 ■ Chitosan coating inhibits pathogens on catfish Antibacterial activity of high molecular weight water-soluble chitosan (800 kDa) was investigated against four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) bacteria. Catfish fillets were surface-inoculated with these food-borne pathogens and coated with chitosan dissolved in aspartic acid (AS) or acetic acid (AC) solutions at different concentrations (1% or 3%). Samples were stored at 4°C for 8 days, except for those inoculated with Vibrio species (10°C for 6 days). Overall, the most effective coating treatment was the 3% chitosan in AS solution. Compared with the control, this treatment caused significant reductions in all pathogens tested and completely suppressed growth of V. parahaemolyticus. This study demonstrated that chitosan in AS solution could be used as an alternative antimicrobial coating for catfish fillets. Karsli et al., 2018, doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.13897 ■ Olaseni Anifowose MIFST, Technical Manager – Bestway Map Trading Ltd ■ Eugenia Choi MIFST, Regulatory Manager – Merck Consumer Health ■ Christopher Brewer MIFST, Senior Consultant ■ Kevin Wood MIFST, NPD Consultant – Flavourama ■ Mark Ewins MIFST, Lecturer: Food Innovation & Development – University of Birmingham ■ Christopher Ellyatt MIFST, Food Scientist – CWA International ■ John Inglis MIFST, Technical Manager – R&K Drysdale Ltd ■ Anny Lau MIFST, Process Development Technologist – Bakkavor Meals London ■ Valerie McFarlane MIFST, Food Advisor – Food Standards Agency (London) ■ Shaun Tilney MIFST, Client Manager – Food ■ Karen King MIFST, Interim Technical Manager ■ Dean Hartley FIFST, Consultant ■ Kevin Porter FIFST, Category Technical Manager – Asda Stores Ltd ■ Catherine Watkinson FIFST, Consultant ■ Dr Wayne Martindale FIFST, Principal Lecturer Enterprise & Food Insights for Sustainability Service – National Centre for Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln ■ Andrea Cattaruzza FIFST, Science Director – Mars Chocolate ■ Nicholas Holloway FIFST, Food Technical Consultant ■ Julie Ryan FIFST, Food Technical/Quality Consultant ■ Emma Kent FIFST, Head of Technical – Oscar Mayer Ltd ■ Dr Shaobo Zhou FIFST, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition – University of Bedfordshire ■ Anny Lau RSci, Process Development Technologist – Bakkavor Meals London ■ Mui Ting Lim RSci, Research Technician – University of Nottingham ■ Fraser Chadwick RSciTech, Biological and Human Study Research Technician – University of Leeds ■ Adenike Olatunji RFoodSP, Technical Manager – NI Food Technical Support ■ Ashley Stretton RFoodSP, Consultant – Interim Technical Manager – Stretton Business Solutions ■ Jay Tolley RFoodSP, Laboratory Manager – Foodtest Laboratories Ltd ■ Clare Hazel RFoodSP, Group Science Manager – Premier Foods ■ Fiona Childs RFoodSM, Auditor ■ Simon Thirkell RFoodSM, Technical Manager – Chingford Fruit Ltd ■ Stuart Robson RFoodSM, Consultant – Southern Cross Brewing Company ■ Pushpinder Kumar RFoodSM, Technical Manager – Natco Food Ltd ■ Karen King RFoodSM, Interim Technical Manager ■ Eddie Watson RFoodSM, Consultant – Food Technical Management Services Ltd ■ Adenike Olatunji, Technical Manager – NI Food Technical Support ■ Fiona Childs, Auditor ■ Simon Thirkell, Technical Manager – Chingford Fruit Ltd ■ Stuart Robson, Consultant – Southern Cross Brewing Company ■ Pushpinder Kumar, Technical Manager – Natco Food Ltd ■ Karen King, Interim Technical Manager ■ Eddie Watson, Consultant – Food Technical Management Services Ltd ■ Catherine Estiaga RSensSci, R&D Officer – Jollibee Foods Corporation ■ Dr Cecile Morris RSensSci, Senior Lecturer in Food Studies – Sheffield Hallam University
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