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Widespread aflatoxin contamination of a great number of food and feed crops has important implications on global trade and health. Frequent occurrence of aflatoxin in maize and milk poses serious health risks to consumers because these commodities are staple foods in many African countries. This situation calls for development and implementation of rigorous aflatoxin control measures that encompass all value chains, focusing on farms where food and feed-based commodities prone to aflatoxin contamination are cultivated. Good agricultural practices (GAP) have proven to be an effective technology in mitigation and management of the aflatoxin risk under farm conditions. The prevailing global climate change is shown to increase aflatoxin risk in tropical and subtropical regions. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise and apply novel methods to complement GAP and mitigate aflatoxin contamination in the feed, maize and milk value chains. Also, creation of awareness on aflatoxin management through training of farmers and other stakeholders and enforcement of regular surveillance of aflatoxin in food and feed chains are recommended strategies. This literature review addresses the current situation of aflatoxin occurrence in maize, dairy feeds and milk produced and traded in Kenya and current technologies applied to aflatoxin management at the farm level. Finally, a case study in Kenya on successful application of GAP for mitigation of aflatoxin risk at small-scale farms will be reviewed.

The fierce competition in the video games market and new revenue models such as free-to-play emphasize the importance of good playability for first-time user experience and retention. Cost-effective and flexible evaluation methods such as heuristic evaluation is suitable for identifying playability problems in different phases of the game development life cycle. In this chapter we introduce the heuristic evaluation method with updated playability heuristics, present example studies on identifying playability problems in social network games, and propose new heuristics for evaluating free-to-play games.

Although social network games on Facebook have become popular, their actual sociability has been questioned. In this paper, we review the social features of 16 social games and, as a result, present a list of 30 social features in three categories: presence, communication, and interaction. A common set of features, which was found in all of the examined games, is mainly focused on the presence and communication aspects, while neglecting player interaction. In addition, social features are primarily used for acquisition and retention purposes, rather than monetization. These findings are useful for the study and design of social features in social games and in other games with social network integration.

Background and purpose Amorphous diamond (AD) is a durable and compatible biomaterial for joint prostheses. Knowledge regarding bone growth on AD-coated implants and their early-stage osseointegration is poor. We investigated bone growth on AD-coated cementless intramedullary implants implanted in rats. Titanium was chosen as a reference due to its well-known performance. Materials and methods We placed AD-coated and non-coated titanium implants (Ra ≈ 0.2 μm) into the femoral bone marrow of 25 rats. The animals were divided in 2 groups according to implant coating and they were killed after 4 or 12 weeks. The osseointegration of the implants was examined from hard tissue specimens by measuring the new bone formation on their surface. Results 4 weeks after the operation, the thickness of new bone in the AD-coated group was greater than that in the non-coated group (15.3 (SD 7.1) μm vs. 7.6 (SD 6.0) μm). 12 weeks after the operation, the thickness of new bone was similar in the non-coated group and in the AD-coated group. Interpretation We conclude that AD coating of femoral implants can enhance bone ongrowth in rats in the acute, early stage after the operation and might be an improvement over earlier coatings.

Quinoa is a crop that originated from the Andes. It has high nutritional value, outstanding agro-ecological adaptability, and low water requirements. Quinoa is an excellent crop alternative to help overcome food shortages, and it can also have a role in the prevention of developed world lifestyle diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, etc. In order to expand the traditional uses of quinoa and to provide new, healthier and more nutritious food products, a fermented quinoa-based beverage was developed. Two quinoa varieties (Rosada de Huancayo and Pasankalla) were studied. The fermentation process, viscosity, acidity, and metabolic activity during the preparation and storage of the drink were monitored, as well as the preliminary organoleptic acceptability of the product. The drink had viable and stable microbiota during the storage time and the fermentation proved to be mostly homolactic. Both quinoa varieties were suitable as base for fermented products; Pasankalla, however, has the advantage due to higher protein content, lower saponin concentration, and lower loss of viscosity during the fermentation process. These results suggest that the differences between quinoa varieties may have substantial effects on food processes and on the properties of final products. This is a factor that should be taken into account when planning novel products based on this grain., published version, peerReviewed

The biological function of bovine colostral immunoglobulins is to provide the newborn calf with adequate passive immune protection against microbial infections. Immunoglobulin preparations designed for farm animals are commercially available, and some colostrum-based products are marketed also for humans as dietary supplements. The concentration of specific antibodies against a certain pathogenic microorganism can be raised in colostrum and milk by immunizing cows with this pathogen or its antigen. Advances in bioseparation and chromatographic techniques have made it possible to fractionate and enrich these antibodies and formulate so-called hyperimmune colostral or milk preparations. Their efficacy in prevention and treatment of various microbial infections has been evaluated in numerous studies. Immune milk preparations have proven effective in prophylaxis against infections caused by a variety of gastrointestinal pathogens. Their therapeutic efficacy, however, seems more limited. A few commercial immune milk products are already on market and more applications can be expected in the coming years. This article reviews the recent progress made in isolation techniques of bovine immunoglobulins and the application of colostral and immune milk preparations in fighting various microbial infectious diseases in humans.

Dietary proteins are known to carry a wide range of nutritional, functional and biological properties. Nutritionally, the proteins are a source of energy and amino acids, which are essential for growth and maintenance. Functionally, the proteins contribute to the physicochemical and sensory properties of various protein-rich foods. Furthermore, many dietary proteins possess specific biological properties which make these components potential ingredients of functional or health-promoting foods. Many of these properties are attributed to physiologically active peptides encrypted in protein molecules. Particularly rich sources of such peptides are milk and egg, but they are also found in meat of various kinds as well as many plants. These peptides are inactive within the sequence of parent protein and can be released during gastrointestinal digestion or food processing. Depending on the amino acid sequence, these peptides may exert a number of different activities in vivo, affecting, e.g., the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune and nervous systems in addition to nutrient utilization. There is increasing commercial interest in the production of bioactive peptides from various sources. Industrial-scale production of such peptides is, however, hampered by the lack of suitable technologies. Bioactive peptides can also be produced from milk proteins through fermentation of milk, by starters employed in the manufacture of fermented milks or cheese. In particular, antihypertensive peptides have been identified in fermented milk, whey and ripened cheese. A few of these peptides have been commercialised in the form of fermented milks. There is a need to develop technologies which retain or even enhance the activity of bioactive peptides in food systems. Also, it is essential to study the optimum utilization of such peptides during passage through the gastrointestinal tract.

Social network games on Facebook have become a popular genre of video games. Social network integration and the free-to-play revenue model make them easily accessible but also easy to discard. In such an ecosystem, the quality of the game plays an important part. Improving playability is one method for achieving higher quality game experiences which might in turn lead to better retention and monetization. In this work-in-progress paper, we examine 12 social games and present the ten most common problem categories featuring game usability, gameplay and platform related playability problems.

Following an application from Specialised Nutrition Europe (formerly IDACE), submitted pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of France, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to vitamin D and contribution to normal development of bones and teeth. The food constituent, vitamin D, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised. Contribution to normal development of bones and teeth is a beneficial physiological effect for infants and young children. A claim on vitamin D and maintenance of normal bones and teeth in the general population has already been assessed with a favourable outcome. The Panel considers that the role of vitamin D in bone and tooth mineralisation and homeostasis applies to all ages, including infants and young children (from birth to three years). The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of vitamin D and contribution to normal development of bones and teeth.

Colostral products from non-immunized cows (CP) and cows immunized with mutans streptococci (IP) were used as mouth rinses in a short-term human study. The acidogenic potential of the products was tested and found to be negligible in vivo before application to subsequent rinsing tests. At first, all the participants received a professional tooth cleaning, after which they rinsed with one of the solutions (IP; CP; water) three times per day for 3 d. After each rinsing period, the resting pH and decrease in plaque pH after sucrose challenge were determined, the amount of plaque was estimated, and all available plaque was collected. No significant differences were recorded in the composition or in the amounts of accumulated plaque. The resting pH values of plaques with low "innate" pH were increased after the IP rinsing period. Surprisingly, the lowest pH values after the sucrose challenge were recorded in IP plaques. The number of cultivable facultative flora or total streptococci were not affected by different rinsings, but the relative number of mutans streptococci significantly decreased after the IP rinsing period when compared to the CP period. Thus, the short term rinsing indicates favourable effects of bovine immune whey on human dental plaque.

Advances in processing technologies and the accumulation of scientific data on the functional and biological properties of whey components have contributed to the growing commercial valuation of cheese whey over the last decade. New membrane separation and chromatographic techniques have made it possible to fractionate and enrich various components of whey more efficiently than before. The specific properties of these components can now be examined in greater detail and new applications developed accordingly. The utilisation of cheese whey is evolving into a new industry producing a multitude of purified ingredients for numerous purposes. The most significant areas of R&D related to whey proteins include functional foods, the rheological properties of foodstuffs, and biopharmaceuticals.

To study the waiting time and number of consultations of the patients who required out of hours medical care from a centralized primary care centre before and after the introduction of a list system.Non-controlled intervention study. A questionnaire, completed by receptionists, concerning all out of hours general practice consultations for one week each month during two separate years (in 1990 with no list system and in 1993 with list system in operation).One health centre in central Finland in a region with 39495 inhabitants.All patients contacting the health centre to request medical help during out of hours work.Consultation rates by age and sex of the patients and their waiting time before seeing the GP.In 1990, the average out of hours consultation rate per 1000 inhabitants per year was 826 for women and 819 for men. These figures were reduced by 271 for women (95% CI 262-280) and 305 for men (95% CI 297-314) in 1993. The mean waiting time was 55 min in 1990 and 32 min in 1993 (p0.001).The introduction of a list system leads to more effective primary care services.

Social network games in Facebook are played by millions of players on daily basis. Due to their design characteristics, new challenges for game design and playability evaluations arise. We present a study where 18 novice inspectors evaluated a social game using playability heuristics. The objective is to explore possible domain-specific playability problems and to examine how the established heuristics suit for evaluating social games. The results from this study show that some implementations of the social games design characteristics can cause playability problems and that the established heuristics are suitable for evaluating social games. The study also revealed that inspectors had problems in interpreting cause and effect of the found problems.

Research of playability heuristics to be used with usability inspection methods in videogame evaluations has been active in recent years, and there are multiple playability heuristic sets available. However, they differ quite a lot from each other, and it is still unknown how well they support inspectors and help to describe the identified playability problems in a game. In this paper, we present a study in which 36 novice inspectors were divided into two identical groups, and they evaluated a mobile game using one of the two playability heuristic sets. In the second task, the inspectors analyzed playability problems that were collected from the game, and assigned heuristics to describe the problems. The results show that a playability heuristic set needs to cover the main aspects of playability in order to be effectively used during the evaluation. The results of this work will help in developing a playability heuristic set that makes expert review an effective method for evaluating videogames.

The expert review method is a widely adopted usability inspection method for evaluating productivity software. Recently, there has been increasing interest to apply this method for the evaluation of video games, as well. In order to use the method effectively, there need to be playability heuristics that take into account the characteristics of video games. There are several playability heuristic sets available, but they are substantially different, and they have not been compared to discover their strengths and weaknesses in game evaluations. In this chapter, we report on a study comparing two playability heuristic sets in evaluating the playability of a video game. The results indicate that the heuristics can assist inspectors in evaluating both the user interface and the gameplay aspects of the game. However, playability heuristics need to be developed further before they can be utilized by the practitioners. Especially, the clarity and comprehensibility of the heuristics need to be improved, and the optimal number of heuristics is still open.

In addition to functionality and usability, interactive products are increasingly expected to provide pleasurable experiences to their users. Playfulness is a part of these experiences. However, playfulness can manifest in many different ways as humans are inherently playful by nature. This poses challenges for designing for playfulness. To tackle this broad field, we have developed the Playful Experiences (PLEX) framework. The two-fold purpose of the PLEX framework is to be a conceptual tool for understanding the playful aspects of user experience (UX), and be a practical tool for designing for such experiences through established user-centered design (UCD) methods. In this paper we present an overview of our work during 2008--2010 on designing for playful experiences. After introducing and summarizing previous studies, we motivate the reasons for designing for playfulness by framing PLEX within the domains of user experience and emotional experience. Then, we briefly discuss the creation and evaluation of the PLEX Cards and its associated techniques as practical design tools based on the PLEX framework, followed by a concrete design case where these tools have been used. We also present the development of the PLEX Design Patterns for actual design solutions for playfulness. Based on this work, we propose the PLEX framework as a powerful tool for understanding playful experiences, and for providing inspiration to design interactive products that elicit playfulness.

Context plays a critical role in the user experience (UX) of mobile products. In UX studies, context is often seen as a single entity such as mobile context or car context. More fine-grained categorization of contextual factors is needed when we want to understand how context affects user experience. The purpose of our study was to adapt existing context and experience categorizations, and try out in practice how well these are suited for analyzing the user experience of mobile products. We conducted a ten-day field study where 21 participants reported their experiences of personal mobile products by writing experience reports. The reports were analyzed by using eight context categories to identify the contextual factors. Among these factors we determined the triggering context, which has the major influence on the most meaningful user experience described in a report. Our results show that having a detailed categorization for analyzing contextual factors is valuable for understanding how context affects user experience. This becomes practical in identifying the most meaningful user experiences among the reported ones. We propose that triggering context analysis should become a part of user experience studies of mobile products.

We discuss the use of the PLEX playful experience model a system to introduce games design aspects into alternative application and product domains. We report an exploratory study to relate the relationships between playful experiences and real world values and personalities. The method led to a prototype model of playful experiences associated with values and personality based motivations, emotions and behavior, and could be a useful tool for playful concept creation. As consumer offerings are increasingly differentiated by the quality of the experience, our approach promises to enhance the fun, and widen the engagement, of many products and applications.

User experience (UX) has been under extensive research in recent years. However, current UX models do not address in detail what the users' experiences are when they are interacting with products. In our research, this question is explored by evaluating personal products in everyday use. In the study, 21 participants reported their experiences by writing experience reports over a period of ten days. These reports were analysed with a set of playful experience categories which enabled us to articulate -- i.e., to identify and name -- the core experience in each report. We found three types of experience in the reports; interaction, context and product experiences. With regards to the playfulness, the results showed that playful experience categories can largely explain the UX of personal mobile products. Our findings will help UX research and experience-driven design to focus on the most pleasurable aspects of user experiences.

Selecting an evaluation method for product evaluations depends on many issues, such as the development stage of the product, time schedule, resources, and money that can be invested on the evaluation. The user testing and expert review methods are probably the most common ones when productivity software is being evaluated. Conducting a playtesting with players is commonly used by game designers, but the expert review method has not received that much attention, although it has proven to be an efficient and useful method. In this paper, we present a comparison study of the playtesting and expert review methods in mobile game evaluation. Our objective is to compare the effectiveness of the expert review method with playtesting. Results indicate that the expert review method is able to identify playability problems as accurately as playtesting, but in addition, it identifies problems that are crucial for the playability of the game.

Traditional augmented reality UI views are restricted to the visible surroundings around the user. In this paper we present a concept that enables viewing and accessing geospatial data from all around the Earth, by pointing with the device towards a physical location. We describe a prototype of the concept and share the results of the first user experience study conducted with the prototype. We also discuss our future research directions.

Achievement systems are reward structures providing additional goals for players, and thus extending the play time of videogames. In this paper, we explore how applications other than games could benefit from achievement systems, and how users perceive this additional content in a service. For this purpose, we added an achievement system to a geo-tagged photo sharing service called Nokia Image Space. The results suggest that there is some potential in achievement systems outside the game domain. The achievements triggered some friendly competition and comparison between users. However, many users were not convinced, expressing concerns about the achievements motivating undesirable usage patterns. Therefore, an achievement system poses certain design considerations when applied in nongame software.

The expert review method is not yet widely adopted in game evaluations, although it has been used successfully in productivity software evaluations for years. In order to use the method effectively, there need to be playability heuristics that take into account the characteristics of the videogames. There are a few playability heuristic sets available, but they have several differences, and they have not been compared to discover their strengths and weaknesses in game evaluations. In this paper, we report on a first study comparing two playability heuristic sets when evaluating the playability of a videogame. The results indicate that the heuristics can assist the evaluators in evaluating both the user interface and the gameplay aspects of the game. However, playability heuristics need to be developed further before they can be utilized by the practitioners. Especially, the clarity and comprehensibility of the heuristics need to be improved, and the optimal number of heuristics is still open.

SUMMARY Following an application from Cambridge Theranostics Ltd. submitted pursuant to Article 14, of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of United Kingdom, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to lycopene-whey complex (bioavailable lycopene) and reduction of the risk of atherosclerotic plaques. The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to disease risk reduction. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is a lycopene-whey complex (bioavailable lycopene). Lycopene-whey complex is prepared using a patented process by mixing tomato extract containing 10% lycopene with whey protein to form a granulated product. The amount of the active constituent, lycopene, is 2% in the final product. The lycopene-whey complex has been shown to have bioavailability similar to tomato paste in human subjects.

SUMMARY Following an application from Mead Johnson & Company submitted pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of France, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid and brain development. The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to children’s development and health. The food constituents that are the subject of the health claim are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), which are well characterised fatty acids that can be quantified in foods by established methods. The absorption of DHA and ARA is well documented. The Panel considers that the food constituents DHA and ARA are sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect is the contribution to the optimal brain development of infants and young children. The target population proposed by the applicant is infants and young children (from birth to three years of age). The Panel considers that contribution to the normal development of the brain is beneficial for infants’ and children’s development and health. The applicant identified a total 33 publications as being pertinent to the health claim for humans. A total of 13 full publications which report original data from RCTs on the effects of 1 For citation purposes: Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies on a request from Mead

The fabrication, characterization and application of an 8-channel flexible microelectrode array for recording cortical surface field potentials is described. Polyimide-based microelectrode arrays were fabricated by using photolithography and physical vapour deposition (PVD) methods. Polyimide was chosen as the substrate and insulation material due to its suitable mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Electrodes and transmission lines were formed by sputter-coating of platinum thin films. Microelectrode arrays were characterized and tested successfully in vitro by impedance spectroscopy and in vivo by somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) recordings in rats. These tests indicated good performance and the potential of microelectrode arrays.

Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein found in various biological fluids of mammals and in neutrophils. LF is considered to be an important host defense molecule and exhibits a diverse range of physiological functions such as antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity. Experimental and clinical research carried out over the last thirty years has accumulated increasing evidence about the potential beneficial health effects of LF and its derivatives. These benefits may include anti-infective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. The expanding knowledge about the multifunctional role of LF has enlarged its scope of applications from food preservation to health-promoting foods and supplements, pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, cosmetics and animal feeds. This chapter summarizes the current scientific knowledge about the functions and activities of LF, and highlights its present and possible future applications, also taking into consideration the emerging safety aspects.

The design, fabrication and testing of flexible polyimide-based microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for neural recording is described. Several designs of MEAs were realized by varying layouts of arrays and electrode materials and insulating materials. Two different layouts were 8-channel and 16- channel MEAs consisting of round-shape microelectrodes with a diameter of 200 µm and 100 µm, respectively. Polyimide was chosen as a base material due to its suitable mechanical and dielectric properties and biocompatibility. Electrodes, transmission lines and connector pads were formed by sputterdeposition of gold (Au) or platinum (Pt) thin film together with underneath titanium (Ti) adhesion layer and patterned photolithographically via lift-off procedure. Photosensitive polyimide and epoxy-resist were tested as an insulation material. Microelectrode arrays were characterized in vitro by impedance spectroscopy in physiological saline solution (0.9 % NaCl) and tested in vivo by somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) recordings in rat cortex. The results from these preliminary tests indicate good electrochemical properties and spatiotemporal resolution of arrays. The polyimide-platinumpolyimide sandwich structure was found to be the most suitable alternative for flexible MEAs. In the future, this biocompatible fabrication protocol is possible to adapt for the development of different neural interfaces.

Expert evaluation is a widely used method for evaluating the usability of software products. When evaluating games, traditional usability heuristics lack comprehension and cannot be directly applied. In this paper, we introduce playability heuristics that are specifically designed for evaluating mobile games. Heuristics form a core model that can be used in any mobile game evaluation. The model consists of three modules: Game Usability, Mobility, and Gameplay. The mobile context has some unique characteristics, which require special attention during the evaluation. These characteristics are described in mobility heuristics. Mobile devices also set some of their own requirements for general usability and these issues are described along with game usability heuristics. These heuristics have been developed by using an iterative design process of a mobile game. In addition, we have validated the heuristics and evaluated five mobile games by using them with the expert evaluation method. The results indicate that playability problems, which violate game usability or mobility heuristics, are quite easy to identify. Gameplay problems are harder to find, but gameplay heuristics help in evaluation and focus on different aspects of the gameplay.

The study focused on the effects of processing and storage on the stability of flaxseed-derived secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) added to various bakery products. The SDG concentration of doughs, baked rye breads, graham buns, and muffins was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography−diode array detection; the baked products were analyzed immediately after baking and upon storage at room temperature for 1 week and at −25 °C for 1 and 2 months, respectively. Added SDG was found to withstand normal baking temperatures in all bakery products. SDG also was a relatively stable compound during storage. Similarly, the content of SDG in flax buns containing fat-free flaxseed meal was unaffected by storage. We conclude that cereal-based bakery products can be supplemented with flaxseed-derived SDG. Keywords: Flaxseed; lignan; secoisolariciresinol diglucoside; SDG; processing; bread; muffin; bun; storage

Local memory in mobile devices increases rapidly. Simultaneously, new content creation devices, such as digital cameras, are embedded. As a consequence, the amount of locally stored content is bound to increase in huge numbers. In order to provide support for end-users in managing this ever-growing pile of content, new means of accessing, organizing, and enjoying the content are needed. We investigate techniques that may be used to display more information, especially visual content, on the mobile device screen at once, as well as accessing the content with ease. We focus on visual interaction, with a media manager as a target application. We present the design factors and a prototype application running on a mobile phone. We show that it is feasible to include spatial cues in the design of mobile user interfaces, and report an initial usability study with very encouraging results.

Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein found in different biological fluids of mammals and in neutrophils. LF is considered to be an important host defense molecule and exhibits a diverse range of physiological functions such as antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activity. Experimental and clinical research carried out over the last 30 years has accumulated increasing evidence about the potential beneficial health effects of LF and its derivatives. These benefits may include anti-infective, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. The expanding knowledge about the multifunctional role of LF has enlarged its scope of applications, from food preservation to health-promoting foods and supplements, pharmaceuticals, health-care products, cosmetics, and animal feeds. Bovine and recombinant human LF are now commercially available for the development of commercial applications in food preservation, fish farming, infant milk formulae, and oral hygiene. Also, medicinal applications for LF can be envisaged in future as it has been proven to be highly biocompatible and safe to use.

Following an application from Laboratoire Vie et Sante submitted pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of France, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim based on newly developed science and including proprietary data related to Catalgine® and contributes to the reduction in the number of hot flushes. Catalgine® bouffees de chaleur (also called OM3® menopause) is a dietary supplement made with concentrated wild fish oil that is sufficiently characterised. The reduction in the frequency of episodes of hot flushes is considered beneficial to the health of peri- and post-menopausal women. Two publications (three studies) were identified by the applicant as being pertinent to the claim. Two studies were uncontrolled with respect to the supplement. The third was a post-hoc analysis of a subsample of women participating in a randomised, placebo controlled intervention evaluating the effects of Catalgine® on psychological distress. A number of weaknesses in this study, including unsuccessful blinding and limited power, greatly limit its value as a source of data to substantiate the claimed effect. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of Catalgine® bouffees de chaleur and the reduction in the frequency of episodes of hot flushes.