Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds in the Food Supply Strategies to Decrease Exposure (2003) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-12
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
Notwithstanding the declining overall levels, public concern about food safety issues such as endocrine disrupters in the food supply and the effects of dioxin-like compounds on children's health and development persists. Further, special populations that consume large amounts of fish and wildlife for cultural reasons (American Indian and Alaska Native tribes)
|
From page 2... ...
, and plant foodstuffs, Review the data on food-consumption patterns of various subgroups in the population that appear to be at increased risk due to physiological state, food practices, or geographic location, Identify and describe possible risk-management options that could be instituted to decrease the content of dioxins in food animals, seafood, and other food products, and possible changes in food and/or nutrition policies that would decrease exposure, including, where possible, an assessment of the net risk reduction afforded by a risk-management option, including effects on nutrition, and Identify and describe efforts in the United States and other countries to decrease dioxin exposures of specific subgroups of the population through public health or risk communication initiatives, and assess the extent to which federal food and nutrition policies contribute to decreasing exposure to dioxins. The study sponsors recognized that the limited data available would likely allow only qualitative estimates of net risk, descriptions of exposure reduction, and identification of data needs.
|
From page 3... ...
. Due to geographic variation in DLC levels that may result from long-distance air transport and deposition, naturally occurring and unintended contamination events, and different animal husbandry practices, the exposure of food animals to DLCs in forage and feed varies by region, differences in DLC levels in feed ingredients, and the combination of ingredients in different feeds.
|
From page 4... ...
The framework for risk-management options established a systematic approach to identify, evaluate, and recommend potential interventions to reduce the exposure of humans to DLCs through the food supply. The committee approached the development of options from the perspective of the three pathways discussed above and it considered the potential nutritional consequences of dietary modifications to reduce DLC exposure through risk-relationship analysis.
|
From page 5... ...
Options considered to reduce DLC exposure through animal production systems included: Require testing for DLC levels in forage, feed, and feed ingredients, Establish tolerance levels for DLCs in forage, feed, and feed ingredients, Restrict the use of animal products, forage, feed, and feed ingredients that originate from specific areas that are considered to be contaminated, and Restrict the use of animal by-products in agriculture, animal husbandry, and manufacturing processes. eluded: Options considered to reduce DLC exposure through the food supply inRequire testing and publishing of data on DLC levels in the human food supply, including food products, dietary supplements, and breast milk, to use in establishing tolerance levels in foods, Establish enforceable standards for DLC levels in processed foods and in packaging that comes in direct contact with food, and Require cleaning or washing practices for all vegetable, fruit, and grain crops that potentially had contact with soil.
|
From page 6... ...
Recommendations to reduce exposure were tailored to the particular concerns of these groups, including weighing the benefits of breastfeeding against the risks of DLC exposure for infants, early intervention to reduce lifetime body burdens in children, especially girls, and cultural practices important to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and other groups. RISK-MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES The committee considered both the scientific uncertainties in risk at current levels of exposure and the concern within the general population about exposure to DLCs.
|
From page 7... ...
Given that the risk assessments conducted have raised concerns about the health impacts of DLCs and that there is no benefit, but possible harm, from DLC exposure through foods, the
|
From page 8... ...
The committee recommends that as part of the process of developing an integrated risk-management strategy and action plan, the federal government create an atmosphere and program of collaboration with the private sector that involves agriculture, the food processing industry, health organizations, and consumers, which would include ongoing collection and re-evaluation of data. Invest in the Data Required for Effective Risk Management There are significant gaps in the data required to devise, implement, and evaluate risk-management interventions to reduce DLC exposure through food.
|
From page 9... ...
In addition to plant material used as animal feed that may contain DLCs, several billion pounds of rendered animal fat are used annually as a feed ingredient, which serves to recycle DLCs and leads to the possibility of increasing levels of DLCs in meat and other animal-derived food products. The committee considers the animal forage, feed, and production stage of the food system to be a key leverage point for reducing DLC exposure through food because it is the primary point of entry of these compounds into the human food supply.
|
From page 10... ...
In addition, the committee recommends that participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children be encouraged, except for children under 2 years of age, to choose low-fat or skim milk and low-fat versions of other animal-derived foods in their food packages. Further, to reduce other sources of animal fat, the committee recommends that USDA's Economic Research Service undertake a detailed analysis to determine the feasibility of and identify barriers to setting limits on the amount of saturated fat that should be allowed in meals served under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
|
From page 11... ...
Behavioral research on achieving dietary change and, where feasible, predictive modeling studies on DLCs in the food supply.
|
From page 12... ...
estimate uncertainty in net risk and identify key data needs; if the uncertainty is too great due to a lack of data, provide a qualitative description of the potential for net risk reduction; (5) use existing estimates of dioxin risk as much as possible; adjust chemical risk estimates derived through upper bound method, if necessary, to allow comparison with nutrition benefits estimated using central tendency methods; and (6)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.