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Background & Aims: The role of nutrition in modulating the inflammatory response is increasingly recognized. The phytonutrient sulforaphane shows promise for clinical use due to its effect on inflammatory pathways, favorable pharmacokinetic profile, and high bioavailability. The inflammatory status has been linked to autonomic activity, which can be assessed by the study of heart rate variability (HRV). However, monitoring of HRV for assessment of inflammation in humans has hardly been used. We investigated the potential of HRV as a non-invasive tool to monitor inflammation induced by the caloric load and assessed the effects of sulforaphane on caloric load-induced inflammation in healthy participants. Methods: In this double-blind, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial twelve healthy participants (26.9 (3.6) years) were administered 25 mg of sulforaphane, or placebo followed over 90 min by the standardized high-calorie drink PhenFlex given to induce an inflammatory response. Levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6 were measured in plasma before and two hours after the PhenFlex challenge. Changes in the autonomic function were assessed by HRV on four timepoints. Results: The caloric challenge triggered a significant increase in total power (TP) (P = 0.028) and very low frequency (VLF) component (P = 0.013) 30 min after its administration. Those changes were followed by reduction of TP (P = 0.028) and low frequency (LF) component (P = 0.005), suggesting marked decrease in the sympathetic activity two hours after the caloric load. When sulforaphane was given prior to the caloric challenge, decreased parasympathetic activity was observed via a reduction of RMSSD (P = 0.007), pNN50 (P = 0.013) and HF (P = 0.047). In addition, sulforaphane elicited a pro-inflammatory response as measured by the change of hs-CRP with caloric exposure (sulforaphane 2.7 (4.2) vs. placebo -1.8 (3.1) ng/mL, P = 0.048). The pro-inflammatory effect of sulforaphane was associated with vagal withdrawal and sympathetic dominance as suggested by correlations between the changes in hs-CRP and HF (rs = -0.68, P = 0.029) as well as LF/HF (rs = 0.56, P = 0.093) components assessed before and two hours after the PhenFlex challenge. Conclusions: Monitoring of HRV might be a sensitive tool to follow activity of the inflammatory response in various clinical conditions. The standardized caloric PhenFlex challenge induced significant changes in the autonomic regulation in healthy young individuals. Administration of sulforaphane prior to the caloric challenge caused a pro-inflammatory effect which was accompanied by vagal withdrawal and sympathetic dominance. Trial registration number: NCT05146804 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Responding to mistrust in the European agencies’ risk assessments in politically salient cases, the European Union (EU) legislator, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Medicines Agency alike have accelerated their efforts to foster EU regulatory science transparency. These simultaneous endeavours have, however, taken place in a fragmented legislative and administrative context, with each agency operating under a different legal framework. By focusing on authorisation procedures, from registration of studies to authorisation of novel foods, pesticides and human medicines, this article examines the resulting regimes governing the disclosure of scientific data by EU agencies to identify common trends and sectoral specificities. Against the background of an overall shift towards enhanced transparency, we shed light on, first, the circulation of institutional arrangements and practices among agencies and, second, the new dimensions of transparency emerging from these developments. We also highlight the remaining sectoral differences and argue that they could have potentially large impacts on the amount and type of information disclosed and on the level of transparency perceived by stakeholders and citizens. We argue that more coherence across the sectoral transparency regimes is needed, in particular in light of the agencies’ contested legitimacy and of their increasing cooperation on cross-cutting issues like antimicrobial resistance and medicine and pesticide residues in food.

Background/Aims Changes in autonomic regulation and psychological distress play an important role in the pathobiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of the current study is to evaluate the autonomic function and to link it to the levels of somatization in adolescents with IBS.Methods We enrolled 30 adolescents with various types of IBS and 35 healthy controls. Time and frequency domain indexes of heart rate variability (HRV) were measured in supine (baseline) and standing (orthostasis) positions using short-term electrocardiographic recordings. The somatic symptoms index was assessed with the modified Screening for Somatoform Symptoms questionnaire. Results Adolescents with IBS showed no differences of HRV parameters in the supine position compared to healthy control. In orthostasis, a decrease in the standard deviation of normal RR intervals as well as main spectral index total power (TP) were observed. The reduction of TP was attributed to the reduced activities of the high-and low frequency components. Increased somatic symptoms index in IBS patients negatively correlated with TP in orthostasis (r = -0.485, P = 0.007). A subgroup analysis revealed that adolescents with IBS with TP values either < 2500 msec2 or > 5500 msec2 in the supine position demonstrated significantly reduced activity of the low frequency component.Conclusions Adolescents with IBS showed signs of autonomic dysfunction only during the orthostatic test, which were associated with increased somatization scores. Further research is needed to establish the links between emotional wellbeing and autonomic function in this population. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2023;29:208-217)

Consumers are increasingly interested in the sustainability of food products, but so far, no specific European Union (EU) legislation has been developed to harmonise sustainability claims. We analyse which efforts already undertaken within the EU dealing with sustainability claims on products apply to sustainable food claims. We show that whilst sustainability can address three different dimensions (environmental, social and economic), it is crucial to clearly define sustainability in order to allow for the development of concrete regulations and guidance documents. EU legislative initiatives so far seem to be focused on environmental aspects, whilst Member States approach sustainability more broadly. At the same time, substantiation methods can only be successful when sustainability is well defined. We conclude that whilst there is a large range of initiatives taken at different levels, the foundation of these initiatives remains weak when there is no clear scope of terminology nor clarification of substantiation requirements. Currently existing self-regulatory initiatives could support protecting consumers from misleading claims by providing specific provisions for (food) business operators on how to make sustainability claims. Only when claims can be trusted and understood by consumers will they be able to make more sustainable purchase decisions. This plays an important role in the overall policy objective of the EU of climate neutrality by 2050.

Water is essential for survival, but one in three individuals worldwide (2.2 billion people) lacks access to safe drinking water. Water intake requirements largely reflect water turnover (WT), the water used by the body each day. We investigated the determinants of human WT in 5604 people from the ages of 8 days to 96 years from 23 countries using isotope-tracking ( 2 H) methods. Age, body size, and composition were significantly associated with WT, as were physical activity, athletic status, pregnancy, socioeconomic status, and environmental characteristics (latitude, altitude, air temperature, and humidity). People who lived in countries with a low human development index (HDI) had higher WT than people in high-HDI countries. On the basis of this extensive dataset, we provide equations to predict human WT in relation to anthropometric, economic, and environmental factors.

The EU’s decision to ban animal testing for toxicity testing, has positively influenced the pace of developing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). This development also supports replacing animal methods in other forms of risk assessment (RA), such as for oral-toxicity testing. This study aims to identify the hurdles and opportunities for validation and implementation of NAMs in the current EU’s chemical RA. Through conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 stakeholders, experiences and perspectives about the validation and implementation of NAMs in RA for orally ingested chemicals were analyzed. Stakeholders considered the use of NAMs for RA processes both a cultural and generational issue. Both were perceived as hurdles for reaching the next generation RA approach. The differing views on NAMs originated from experience and stakeholder positions, but communication and collaboration on developing future RA approaches could support overcoming this skepticism. Irrespectively of their background, all interviewees were generally optimistic that NAMs will support the development of more accurate and sustainable RA. This research highlights the need for the EU to adjust legislation and guidance documents to shift in testing requirements from the traditional overexposure approach to more predictive, mechanistic testing in RA, which will take time. This study, however, shows that—when all stakeholders engage in communication and confidence building—NAMs can already play an important role in reducing and refining animal testing.

In a three-day field study among 61 university students, we collected data on self-reported light-emitting screen activities (watching TV/series and using social media) and other behaviours (physical activity and food intake) during the 2 hours before bedtime and examined interrelations with self-reported sleep duration and quality. Students spent on average 19 minutes on screens using social media and 29 minutes watching TV/series before going to bed. Linear mixed model analyses revealed that a 10-minute increase in pre-bedtime social media use was associated with a significant decrease in sleep duration of 7 minutes, while 10 extra minutes of watching TV/series tended to increase sleep duration by 3 minutes. Physical activity and food intake before bedtime, and total screen time in bed were not significantly related to sleep duration. Subjective sleep quality was not significantly correlated with any of the investigated pre-sleep activities. In line with previous research, these findings suggest that the influence of pre-bedtime light-emitting screen use on sleep duration might be (partly) attributable to differences in screen activities. Discriminating between various types of screen activities is important when researching and developing recommendations for pre-bedtime behavioural strategies that are supportive for sleep, (school) performance and health.

Objectives This study investigates whether a citrus and pomegranate complex (CPC) improves physical fitness, mental well-being, and blood biomarkers for oxidative stress and endothelial function in healthy elderly. Design A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial. Participants The study included 36 healthy elderly aged 60–75 years old. Intervention and Measurements Participants received four weeks of CPC supplementation and performed the handgrip strength and senior fitness test. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed and blood samples were analyzed for oxidative stress and endothelial function markers. Results After four weeks of CPC supplementation, handgrip strength significantly improved (p=0.019), compared to placebo. Moreover, the thinking, memory, learning, and concentration facets were improved (p=0.042), compared to placebo, and plasma malondialdehyde decreased, compared to placebo (p=0.033). The intervention did not affect senior fitness and the other QOL domains and blood parameters. Conclusion Four weeks of daily CPC supplementation significantly improves handgrip strength and self-evaluated measures of psychological function in healthy older adults. Further research should focus on mechanisms associated with physical performance.

Introduction: School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic affect children’s daily structure, mealtimes, physical activity, and sleeping habits, possibly exacerbating weight gain, particularly in vulnerable children with overweight and obesity. This study aimed to evaluate both perceived and objectively measured weight gain in children in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of prior lifestyle intervention. Methods: A total of 150 children of the Children, Obesity and Lifestyle during COVID-19 (COLC) study (cohort A) reported perceptions of weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anthropometric data of 65 children with overweight and obesity were collected at the expertise Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children’s Healthcare in the same period (COACH; cohort B). Results: In cohort A, 43% of children with overweight and obesity perceived weight gain during the pandemic, compared to 15% of lean children. In cohort B, the BMI z-score increased significantly (+0.065 SD) within 5 months. Participation in a lifestyle intervention for >1 year and having parents with Dutch background was associated with less weight gain, specifically in children with obesity. Discussion/Conclusion: In particular, children with overweight and obesity seem to be at risk for accelerated weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior long-term participation in a lifestyle intervention protects against this weight gain, which emphasizes the importance of strong support for vulnerable populations during health crises and pleads for wide implementation of lifestyle interventions for children.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents a major public health challenge and a serious threat to sustainable social development. A consideration of animal welfare is clearly justified, given the potential contribution of animals to the spread of the disease. The present study, therefore, sought to investigate the concern the Chinese people have for animal welfare (PCAW) and how their ‘ethical ideology’ (idealism and relativism) determines PCAW after COVID-19, through comparison with the same study, carried out in China in 2015. Our results demonstrated a significant improvement in Chinese PCAW after COVID-19. The adverse impact of COVID-19 may have resulted in a lowered idealism score and this decreased score served to neutralise significant correlations between idealism and PCAW, compared to the 2015 results. The global pandemic did not increase people's relativism score and a significant correlation was found between relativism and PCAW. Gender, age, educational level, public perception of animals after COVID-19, zoo and aquarium visiting were all shown to be predictor variables for PCAW. This study is one of the first to investigate Chinese PCAW after COVID-19 and can therefore provide knowledge that will potentially increase Chinese PCAW.

Animal agriculture has a large impact on the environment. Hence, there is an increasing demand for meat alternatives - more sustainably produced plant-based products that replace meat as meal component. Demands for meat alternatives also seem to be fuelled by consumers' belief that meat alternatives are healthier than meat products. In an online questionnaire study, we examined whether consumers indeed perceived meat alternatives to be healthier, to what degree consumers adequately estimated the nutritional value of meat (alternatives), and whether a nutrition claim could misguide consumers. In a panel of 120 Dutch consumers, it was found that meat alternatives were generally perceived as being healthier than meat products. According to supermarket data, meat alternatives contained less protein and saturated fat, higher levels of fibre and salt compared to meat. Consumers were found to overestimate the protein content of meat alternatives relative to meat products, especially when meat alternatives carry a 'high in protein' claim. The current beliefs about the healthiness and nutritional content of meat and meat alternatives are precarious and a fair, transparent, and understandable environment should be created for the conscious consumer.

Nowadays the prediction and change of waste-related behaviors represent a key topic for scholars and policy makers. The theoretical mainstays applied to waste separation behavior, such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Norm Activation Model and the Value Belief Norm, do not include the construct of goal in their formulation. Other goal-focused theories, such as the Goal Systems Theory (GST), lack applications on separation behavior. Recently, Ajzen and Kruglanski (2019) have proposed the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP) which combines TPB and GST. Considering TRGP has the potential to offer further insights on human behavior and, to our knowledge, there is no application of TRGP to recycling behavior yet, this paper analyses waste separation behavior of households in Maastricht and Zwolle (The Netherlands) under the lens of TRGP. Although waste separation behavior represents a kind of habitual behavior, this paper highlights the influence of goals and motivation on intention to separate waste. Furthermore, it offers some indications to promote behavior change and some suggestions for future research directions.

The rise of antibiotic resistance poses a global problem. To avoid this, alternative therapeutic options should be explored, e.g. lytic bacteriophage therapy. Well-designed and described research on effectivity of oral bacte-riophage therapy is lacking, therefore the aim of this study was to determine whether the in vitro model of the colon (TIM-2) could be used to investigate the survival and efficacy of therapeutic bacteriophages. For this, an antibiotic-resistant (CmR) E. coli DH5 alpha(pGK11) was used in combination with a corresponding bacteriophage. For the survival study, the TIM-2 model was inoculated with the microbiota of healthy individuals and a standard feeding (SIEM) was fed over the course of the 72 h experiment. To test the bacteriophage, different interventions were carried out. Survival of bacteriophages and bacteria was followed by plating of the lumen samples at different time points 0, 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h. In addition, the stability of the bacterial community was determined with the use of 16S rRNA sequencing. Results showed that the phage titers could be decreased by activity from the commensal microbiota. Levels of the phage host (here E.coli) were decreased in the in-terventions with the phage shot. Multiple shots did not seem to be more effective than a single shot. At the same time, the bacterial community was not disturbed and remained stable throughout the experiment, which is in stark contrast to treatment with antibiotics. Mechanistic studies such as this one are required to optimize efficacy of phage therapy.

Nutrition and health claims can help translate nutrition and health recommendations into easier-to-access messages at the point of sale. National Food Composition Databases (FCDBs) are the main and most widely available source of nutrient information for unpacked foods, such as fruits and vegetables. This paper outlines the variability of the nutrient content in fresh fruits and vegetables from FCDBs, both in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine and in the top eight European producers. All to analyse whether these variations would be translated into practical differences in the nutrition and health claims allowed in these European countries. The results show that vitamins presented the highest variability, particularly vitamin C, and differences were more prominent for vegetables than for fruits. These differences also extended to the use of claims between countries, particularly for folate and vitamin C. Moreover, the lack of item representation at the cultivar level affected the regional representativeness of fresh produce varieties and derived used of nutrition and health claims. Finally, widely available, and cost-efficient nutrient composition sources could economically benefit small and middle-scale producers to sustain nutrition and health claims on their products.

Background A scientific framework on exposure science will boost the multiuse of exposure knowledge across EU chemicals-related policies and improve risk assessment, risk management and communication across EU safety, security and sustainability domains. Objective To stimulate public and private actors to align and strengthen the cross-policy adoption of exposure assessment data, methods and tools across EU legislation. Methods By mapping and analysing the EU regulatory landscape making use of exposure information, policy and research challenges and key areas of action are identified and translated into opportunities enhancing policy and scientific efficiency. Results Identified key areas of actions are to develop a common scientific exposure assessment framework, supported by baseline acceptance criteria and a shared knowledge base enhancing exchangeability and acceptability of exposure knowledge within and across EU chemicals-related policies. Furthermore, such framework will improve communication and management across EU chemical safety, security and sustainability policies comprising sourcing, manufacturing and global trade of goods and waste management. In support of building such a common framework and its effective use in policy and industry, exposure science innovation needs to be better embedded along the whole policymaking cycle, and be integrated into companies’ safety and sustainability management systems. This will help to systemically improve regulatory risk management practices. Significance This paper constitutes an important step towards the implementation of the EU Green Deal and its underlying policy strategies, such as the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to food security globally. The Netherlands, despite its advanced stage of development, saw a surge in food insecurity among its most vulnerable citizens. Dutch food aid is managed by private charities and social organisations that often aim to address the problems of food insecurity and food waste by redistributing surplus food that is safe to consume. This paper investigates how the pandemic impacted surplus food redistribution in the country by employing an Exploratory-Descriptive-Qualitative approach. This is done by analysing data from interviews with relevant stakeholders involved in redistributing surplus food in the Netherlands as well as media reports on the topic. Our findings indicate that the interviewed organisations experienced drastic fluctuations in supply and demand. To cope with these changes, rapid organisational and supply chain innovation was observed. Next to this, there seems to have been disproportionate negative impact on smaller charities in comparison to bigger, better established organisations. Based on our findings, we discuss what the future of surplus food distribution in the Netherlands might look like and why changes made during the pandemic must be well documented and carefully analysed.

Background: Methods and approaches that can be used in food and nutrition research are changing at a faster pace than ever. Whereas animal methods are mostly known for their use in food safety analysis (see Part I), they also play in important role in proof-of-concept and mechanistic studies of products, as well as studying potency, efficacy, and tolerance of foods and food ingredients. Members of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe have formed an expert group to review possibilities, opportunities, and challenges for the potential use of alternative testing strategies in nutrition research and regulatory requirements, supporting the 3Rs principle of Replacement, Reduction, Refinement of animal research, which can ultimately be used in support of regulatory submissions for pre-market authorisation. Scope and approach: For the different areas of food for specific groups and health claims, the acceptability of nonanimal approaches is evaluated in comparison to legislative requirements in Europe. The alternative approaches considered cover emerging tools and methodologies such as organoids, organs-on-a-chip or human in vitro gastrointestinal simulators. Conclusions: In nutrition research, there has been a long tradition of following a certain experimental trajectory for grounding scientific hypotheses starting from in vitro data moving on to in vivo verification in a preferred animal model and finally proving this in a human setting. From a regulatory perspective there is no specific requirement for animal experimentation that justifies the use of the majority of animal experiments in the assessment of nutritional content and value of food products. However, animal data are mostly considered as the standard, and guidance for alternative approaches that would be accepted is lacking. It is therefore important to further build evidence and offer validation for the adequacy of already existing in vitro tools to ensure their suitability for substantiating dose levels and further planning clinical trials. What are we waiting for?

A sustainable diet is widely recognized as an effective way to solve environmental and healthy dilemmas. Due to economy improvement, food consumption is undergoing a dietary transition toward more animal-based prod-ucts. However, very few studies explored how geographical locations are correlated with dietary environmental footprints. Here, we quantified the per capita ecological footprint (EFP) and Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Chinese people's food consumption during the 2015 to 2020 period. Our results showed that the southern res-idents with high per capita disposable income (PCDI) showed the highest EFP (0.596 ha) and GHG emissions (1946 kgCO2eq), and the northern residents with low PCDI showed the lowest EFP (0.368 ha) and GHG emissions (1260 kgCO2eq). The overconsumption of meat is severe in China, and southern high PCDI residents annually consumed 116.7% more than they need. The EFP and GHG emissions were significantly related to geographical locations (i.e., southern and northern areas), direct economic indicators (i.e., PCDI and food expenditure), and indirect economic indicators (i.e., urban and rural status, and East-Central-West areas) (all p < 0.01). We also showed that though not significant, the correlation coefficient between geographical locations and EFP (r = 0.52) exceeded the coefficient between direct economic indicators and EFP (r = 0.44/0.48), while both coefficients mentioned above were significantly higher than the coefficient between indirect economic indicators and EFP (r = 0.32/0.31). These findings suggest that, besides economic indicators, more attention should be paid to the geographical locations and the related dietary cultures to reduce the environmental impacts not only in China but also in other countries with distinct regional differences.

Background The effects of fermented food consumption on the small intestine microbiome and its role on host homeostasis are largely uncharacterised as our knowledge on intestinal microbiota relies mainly on faecal samples analysis. We investigated changes in small intestinal microbial composition and functionality, short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles, and on gastro-intestinal (GI) permeability in ileostomy subjects upon the consumption of fermented milk products. Results We report the results from a randomised, cross-over, explorative study where 16 ileostomy subjects underwent 3, 2-week intervention periods. In each period, they consumed either milk fermented by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690, or milk fermented by Streptococcus thermophilus CNCM I-1630 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CNCM I-1519, or a chemically acidified milk (placebo) daily. We performed metataxonomic, metatranscriptomic analysis, and SCFA profiling of ileostomy effluents as well as a sugar permeability test to investigate the microbiome impact of these interventions and their potential effect on mucosal barrier function. Consumption of the intervention products impacted the overall small intestinal microbiome composition and functionality, mainly due to the introduction of the product-derived bacteria that reach in several samples 50% of the total microbial community. The interventions did not affect the SCFA levels in ileostoma effluent, or gastro-intestinal permeability and the effects on the endogenous microbial community were negligible. The impact on microbiome composition was highly personalised, and we identified the poorly characterised bacterial family, Peptostreptococcaceae, to be positively associated with a low abundance of the ingested bacteria. Activity profiling of the microbiota revealed that carbon- versus amino acid-derived energy metabolism of the endogenous microbiome could be responsible for the individual-specific intervention effects on the small intestine microbiome composition and function, reflected also on urine microbial metabolites generated through proteolytic fermentation. Conclusions The ingested bacteria are the main drivers of the intervention effect on the small intestinal microbiota composition. Their transient abundance level is highly personalised and influenced by the energy metabolism of the ecosystem that is reflected by its microbial composition (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT NCT02920294).

Simple Summary Ethical ideologies can have a strong impact on the moral decision making of students. They may also impact their reasoning regarding different social concerns including animal welfare. There are two types of ethical ideologies, including idealistic ideology (a view that universal principles exist which can be followed while making moral decisions) and relativistic ideology (a view that ethical decision making varies from situation to situation). For students, future decision making and concern for animal welfare can be influenced by their ethical perspectives, and to promote a positive change, it is imperative to promote understanding and awareness while students are still in the current educational structure. Hence, the research study explored the relationship between ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism), attitude toward animals and concern for animal welfare among students. Results showed that both relativistic and idealistic ideologies were associated with positive attitude towards animals as well as concern for animal welfare. Hence, the present study highlighted the importance of considering ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) of students regarding attitude toward wellbeing of animals and possible influence on future decision-making processes when it came to animal welfare. Idealism and relativism are components of ethical ideologies which have been explored in relation to animal welfare and attitudes, and potential cultural differences. The present study investigated how ethical ideologies influenced attitude toward animals among undergraduate students. With the help of stratified random sampling, 450 participants were selected from both private and public sector universities in Pakistan. Research instruments consisted of a demographic sheet, the Ethics Position Questionnaire (EPQ), the Animal Attitude Scale-10-Item Version (AAS-10), and Animal Issue Scale (AIS). The study hypotheses were explored by employing various statistical analyses like Pearson Product Moment Correlation, independent sample t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression. Results revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) and attitude toward animals in students. Results further showed that students who consumed meat less frequently scored higher on relativism as compared to those who consumed meat more frequently (however, the effect size was small). It was also found that senior students held more idealistic ideologies as compared to freshman students. Finally, idealism positively predicted concern for animal welfare among students. The current study shed light on how ethical ideologies can shape and influence animal welfare. It further highlighted the potential cultural differences for the study variables by allowing for comparison with other published studies. By understanding these dynamics better, researchers will be better equipped to help students become informed citizens that may also influence future decision-making processes.

Mouthfeel is an important parameter for the total flavour perception of food and beverages. Saliva plays an essential role in oral processing via interaction with food components, which alter the salivary properties. Physiological differences such as age and health influence salivary properties, which lead to different mouthfeel sensations among individuals. Medication affects salivary integrity as well. Despite the importance of saliva in the mouthfeel, researchers largely underestimated the significance of saliva on oral sensations. This study re-views the role, properties and involvement of saliva in the tactile sensations of mouthfeel and the changes due to age, drugs and disease.

Scenarios are often used to depict the possible outcomes of alternative future developments as part of the evaluation of climate and energy policy measures. In Finland, scenarios have become a standard practice in climate-related policy planning. However, scenario planning often results in a single cohesive narrative, which lacks transparency in why certain developments and solutions are included and others left out. This article focuses on how scenarios created during the planning of Finland's Medium-term Plan for Climate Change Policy (KAISU) were built, and how the actors involved assessed the characteristics and quality of these scenarios. We interviewed a total of 18 participants from research, administration, and policymaking domains involved in the creation of the plan and the scenarios it contains. Semi-structured interviews provided an insight into the creation and use of scenarios as part of policy formulation, as well as points of further improvement for the process. The KAISU plan was constructed as a cross-sectoral collaborative effort between policymakers, public officials, and researchers. Despite the variety of actors involved in the process, the resulting scenarios were perceived as well-executed by the participants. However, national scenario foresight could be improved in three dimensions: 1) the process where actors collaborate to build scenarios, 2) the scenario methodology, where solutions and developments are included or excluded, and 3) use of the scenarios after their construction.

Background: Dietary fibers are subjected to saccharolytic fermentation by the gut microbiota, leading to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs act as signaling molecules to different cells in the human body including skeletal muscle cells. The ability of SCFAs to induce multiple signaling pathways, involving nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), may contribute to the redox balance, and thereby may be involved in glucose homeostasis. The aim of this study is to investigate whether SCFAs increase glucose uptake by upregulating the endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) in C2C12 myotubes. Methods: C2C12 myotubes were exposed to 1, 5, or 20 mM of single (acetate, propionate, or butyrate) or mixtures of SCFAs for 24 h. Cytotoxicity, glucose uptake, and intracellular GSH levels were measured. Results: 20 mM of mixture but not separate SCFAs induced cytotoxicity. Exposure to a mixture of SCFAs at 5 mM increased glucose uptake in myotubes, while 20 mM of propionate, butyrate, and mixtures decreased glucose uptake. Exposure to single SCFAs increased GSH levels in myotubes; however, SCFAs did not prevent the menadione-induced decrease in glucose uptake in myotubes. Conclusions: The effect of SCFAs on modulating glucose uptake in myotubes is not associated with the effect on endogenous GSH levels.

Background: In this paper, the European chapter of the International Society for Exposure Science (ISES Europe) provides a vision on how dietary exposure sciences can contribute to address the challenges in the field of food safety and nutrition due to changes in food systems by answering the following question: How can we assess timely and accurately changes in dietary exposure to hazardous chemicals (and mixtures thereof) or intake of nutrients due to changes in food production, food consumption and food composition? Scope and approach: We first describe the current role of dietary exposure sciences and the instruments that are being used to assess dietary exposure in food safety and nutrition. This is followed by an analysis of current changes and developments, primarily at the European level, relevant for food safety and nutrition. This results in a list of identified challenges for dietary exposure sciences. Key findings and conclusions: We thus focus on the timely and accurate assessment of the impact of changes and developments on consumer's and public health, from the perspective of dietary exposure sciences. This includes making better use of chemical analysis, dietary exposure assessment and human biomonitoring, providing increased insight in food composition and nutrients, taking into account the impact of new technologies on human exposure, and making better use of risk-benefit assessment.

In the transition to a sustainable society, many new technologies and materials are developed. These often have disadvantages, examples thereof with a sustainability claim that entailed risks to public health are identified. Risk Governance should ideally address and deal with those potential risks. However, governance mechanisms to efficiently deal with these risks seem to be lacking. In this study, the Risk Governance in the lifecycle of three innovative bio-based plastic food contact materials (FCMs) were evaluated. Interviews were conducted with representatives of all stages in the lifecycle to identify risk management strategies to prevent or control public health risk. Experts were asked to share their views on the identified strategies. Nineteen different risk management strategies have been identified from the three case studies and compared with the principles of the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) framework and showed that less than 50% corresponded to those of the IRGC framework. In addition, eighteen randomly sampled bio-based FCMs were chemically analysed to get insight in the presence of potentially hazardous substances. The presence of hazardous chemicals in the bio-based FCMs provide indications of potential chemical health risks. Apparently, there is no structural application of risk governance in the three bio-based FCM studied. Strategies are applied to manage public health risks, but these are usually implemented too limited to effectively manage the identified risks.

This study's objective was to investigate the effects of dietary Se (in the form of selenomethionine) on the antioxidant activity and selenoprotein gene expressions in layer breeder roosters. One hundred and eighty, 36-wk-old Jingfen layer breeder roosters were randomly allocated to one of 5 dietary treatments (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg Se) for 6 wk on a corn-soybean meal-based diet. Antioxidant parameters and selenoprotein gene expressions were assessed at the end of the experiment. The results showed that Se supplementation significantly increased the activity of T-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and superoxide anion scavenging ability in plasma (P ≤ 0.05), and activities of T-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, superoxide anion scavenging ability, and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability in the liver, kidney, and testis (P < 0.05). Moreover, MDA levels were significantly reduced in plasma, liver, kidney, and testis (P < 0.01), compared to the control group. Furthermore, the dietary administration of Se significantly increased TrxR2 and GPx4 mRNA levels in kidney and testis, and ID1 mRNA levels in liver and kidney. Most of the antioxidant parameters and selenoprotein-related gene expressions significantly increased, and MDA significantly decreased at dietary supplementation with 0.5 mg/kg Se. Whereas a higher dose of Se level (1 or 2 mg/kg) inhibited the activities of some of the antioxidant enzymes and selenoprotein-related gene expressions in selected tissues. In conclusion, dietary Se supplementation with 0.5 mg/kg significantly improved roosters' antioxidant status and selenoprotein-related gene expression in liver, kidney, and testis, while higher doses led to inhibit these; dietary Se might increase reproductive performance by enhancing their antioxidant status in roosters.

Lower ambient temperature (Ta) requires greater energy expenditure to sustain body temperature. However, effects of Ta on human energetics may be buffered by environmental modification and behavioral compensation. We used the IAEA DLW database for adults in the USA (n = 3213) to determine the effect of Ta (−10 to +30°C) on TEE, basal (BEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) and physical activity level (PAL). There were no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between maximum, minimum and average Ta and TEE, BEE, AEE and PAL. After adjustment for fat-free mass, fat mass and age, statistically significant (p < 0.01) relationships between TEE, BEE and Ta emerged in females but the effect sizes were not biologically meaningful. Temperatures inside buildings are regulated at 18–25°C independent of latitude. Hence, adults in the US modify their environments to keep TEE constant across a wide range of external ambient temperatures.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) potently inhibits TTX-sensitive voltage-gated sodium (Na V) channels in nerve and muscle cells, potentially resulting in depressed neurotransmission, paralysis and death from respiratory failure. Since a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs is known to also act on Na V channels, the use of medicines could predispose individuals to a higher susceptibility towards TTX toxicity. We therefore first assessed the inhibitory effect of selected medicines that act on TTX-sensitive (Riluzole, Chloroquine, Fluoxetine, Valproic acid, Lamotrigine, Lidocaine) and TTX-resistant (Carbamazepine, Mexiletine, Flecainide) Na V channels on spontaneous neuronal activity of rat primary cortical cultures grown on microelectrode arrays (MEA). After establishing concentration-effect curves, binary mixtures of the medicines with TTX at calculated NOEC, IC 20 and IC 50 values were used to determine if pharmacodynamic interactions occur between TTX and these drugs on spontaneous neuronal activity. At IC 20 and IC 50 values, all medicines significantly increased the inhibitory effect of TTX on spontaneous neuronal activity of rat cortical cells in vitro. Subsequent experiments using human iPSC-derived neuronal co-cultures grown on MEAs confirmed the ability of selected medicines (Carbamazepine, Flecainide, Riluzole, Lidocaine) to inhibit spontaneous neuronal activity. Despite the need for additional experiments using human iPSC-derived neuronal co-cultures, our combined data already highlight the importance of identifying and including vulnerable risk groups in the risk assessment of TTX.

The Dutch Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb receives an increasing number of reports on products that fall within the grey area of non-registered health-enhancing products, including supplements. Currently, there is no structural vigilance approach to handling these spontaneous reports of suspected adverse events. This explorative study identified whether and how a vigilance framework in the Netherlands can be organised to contribute to consumer protection from adverse reactions to health-enhancing food products. Conducted interviews showed that involved organisations form a complex network, without official governance structures. Organisations lack a legal basis to handling reports, whilst representatives do feel the need to take reports seriously. Interviewees identified various opportunities to improve vigilance, including raising consumer awareness. Following our study, first steps were taken towards improving safety by officially designating Lareb to study adverse events. Further advances to food supplement safety were announced by the Dutch Ministry but have not yet been implemented. With highly differing approaches to governing vigilance in- and outside the EU, it remains necessary to further analyse how nutrivigilance can be organised best to stimulate consumer protection from unsafe substances.

Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world. Classification of beer helps the consumer to find a preferred beer. Sensory assessments of taste are commonly done by sensory panels and therefore sus-ceptible to subjectivity. Mouthfeel is an important parameter for the total perception of beer flavor. Three di-mensions of mouthfeel are distinguished: contracting, coating, and drying. In this study 24 beer samples were evaluated chemically. The data were matched with sensorial data obtained from a trained panel. Different chemical analyses were performed; total acidity (TA), total flavonoids (TF), total polyphenols (TPC), total sugars (TS), color, pH, carbon dioxide content, ethanol, bitterness units (BU) and total iso-alpha-acids (TIA). The data were analyzed by performing several statistical techniques such as analysis of variance, principal component analysis, agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis and multiple factor analysis. Sensory data obtained from trained panelists on the different mouthfeel attributes correlated with the data found instrumentally. The drying dimension could be expressed using the TPC, BU, TIA and pH. Contracting compounds correlated positively with TA and negatively with pH. As expected, ethanol was strongly associated with burning sensations and carbon dioxide with carbonation. The results of this experiment indicate that commercial beers can be classified into three mouthfeel attributes: drying, coating and contracting. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in this study confirmed the dimensions of the mouthfeel model and identified drying and coating as opposites, con-tracting forces interact on these dimensions. Moreover, these attributes were shown to be quantifiable by instrumental analysis which suggests that a data-driven approach based on mouthfeel could reduce subjectivity in the analysis of taste.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of man-made chemicals with currently over 4'700 compounds identified. While toxicological data are available for some of the legacy PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, a knowledge gap remains concerning both emerging and legacy PFAS' toxicity due to the diversity of the PFAS. Therefore, a better understanding of the PFAS structure-activity relationship may prove helpful. The present study investigated a potential structure-activity relationship between PFAS and hepatotoxicity. As such, the effects of thirteen PFAS with varying carbon chain-length and functional head-groups (in a concentration range of 0-800µM) on the cell viability of HepG2 cells and intracellular reactive oxygen species formation have been tested using the MTT and DCFH assay, respectively. The exposure times were either 3 or 24h. In addition, intracellular PFAS levels were determined in HepG2 after 24h exposure. The present study demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of PFAS is dependent on their chain-length as cell viability decreased with increasing chain-length at both exposure times. Calculated Relative Potency Factors (RPF), based on the TC50 values, were used for a tentative ranking of PFAS regarding their hepatotoxicity: PFNA ˃ PFDA ˃ PFOS ≥ PFOA ˃ PFHxS ˃ PFBS ˃˃ PFHpA = PFHxA = PFBA = PFPrA = 6:2 FTOH = 4:2 = FTOH = 3:1 FTOH. Similar results were observed regarding intracellular reactive oxygen species generation at both exposure times, with a tentative ranking of: PFNA ˃ PFOS ˃ PFOA ≥ PFDA ˃ PFHxS ˃ PFBS ˃ PFBA ˃ PFHpA ≥ PFHxA ˃ PFPrA ˃ 6:2 FTOH = 4:2 FTOH = 3:1 FTOH. Moreover, a concentration-dependent reactive oxygen species generation has been observed for all PFSAs and PFCAs, but not for the FTOHs. In conclusion, the carbon chain-length and functional head-group of a PFAS determine their in vitro toxicity for the two toxicological endpoints assessed in the present study. Moreover, no effects were observed for the tested FTOHs. As such, the present study established a potential structure-activity relationship that opens the possibility of developing a predictive model to help with the risk assessment of PFAS in the future.

Background and aimsTaste changes are the third most common bothersome symptom during treatment in children with cancer. However, it is still unclear what the essence of these taste changes are, to what degree concomitant changes in sense of smell qualify this bothersome treatment symptom and how much of an impact these changes have on the life of children with cancer. The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of both taste and smell changes and to gain insight into the impact of these changes in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were performed until data saturation was achieved in each age group (6–12, 13–17 years). This resulted in an in-depth description of taste and smell changes, including its impact on the life of 27 children with various cancer types receiving chemotherapy. Thematic analysis of interview data was performed.ResultsInterview data could be grouped into three main themes, namely changes in (1) taste, (2) smell, and (3) eating behavior. As expected, most children reported experiencing taste and smell changes just after start of treatment, but changes varied greatly between children; that is, some reported changes in intensity (increased or decreased), whereas others reported different perceptions or preferences (from sweet to savory). Taste and smell changes (regardless of direction) negatively impacted quality of life, with these changes commonly described as “disappointing” or “frustrating.” Interestingly, particular chemotherapeutic agents were frequently mentioned regarding taste and smell changes, prompting sensory-specific coping strategies. Children's eating behavior changed in terms of alterations in food liking and appetite, sometimes due to chemosensory changes, but children also mentioned specific medication or hospital food being responsible for their altered eating behavior.ConclusionsBoth taste and smell changes are common in children with cancer. The essence of these changes varies widely, but taste and smell changes are generally considered bothersome treatment symptoms. Ways to cope with taste or smell changes specifically were described by the children warranting further research and offering the opportunity for enhancing patient-centered care.

Since it is observed that the consumption of herbal dietary supplements is increasing, we aimed to research whether front-of-pack risk and benefit information influences a consumer’s intention to use (ITU) a dietary supplement.A total of 268 subjects participated in an online questionnaire, in which they were exposed to one of four different labels with risk and/or benefit information about the product, and were provided with additional risk-benefit information. Their ITU was measured at three time points: after exposure to the label, after reading the additional information and after a wash-out period.The results from our study showed that information on the label did not significantly impact the ITU. In all groups, ITU significantly increased after exposure to detailed information, and again after the wash-out period.We therefore conclude that front-of-pack information did not influence a consumer’s intention to use dietary supplements, but additional information may have influenced their intentions.

Stimulation of gastrointestinal taste receptors affects eating behaviour. Intraduodenal infusion of tastants leads to increased satiation and reduced food intake, whereas intraileal infusion of tastants does not affect eating behaviour. Currently, it is unknown whether oral- or intragastric administration of tastants induces a larger effect on eating behaviour. This study investigated the effects of oral- and/or intragastric administration of quinine on food intake, appetite sensations and heart rate variability (HRV). In a blinded randomised crossover trial, thirty-two healthy volunteers participated in four interventions with a 1-week washout: oral placebo and intragastric placebo (OPGP), oral quinine and intragastric placebo (OQGP), oral placebo and intragastric quinine (OPGQ) and oral quinine and intragastric quinine (OQGQ). On test days, 150 min after a standardised breakfast, subjects ingested a capsule containing quinine or placebo and were sham-fed a mixture of quinine or placebo orally. At 50 min after intervention, subjects received an ad libitum meal to measure food intake. Visual analogue scales for appetite sensations were collected, and HRV measurements were performed at regular intervals. Oral and/or intragastric delivery of the bitter tastant quinine did not affect food intake (OPGP: 3273·6 (sem 131·8) kJ, OQGP: 3072·7 (sem 132·2) kJ, OPGQ: 3289·0 (sem 132·6) kJ and OQGQ: 3204·1 (sem 133·1) kJ, P = 0·069). Desire to eat and hunger decreased after OQGP and OPGQ compared with OPGP (P < 0·001 and P < 0·05, respectively), whereas satiation, fullness and HRV did not differ between interventions. In conclusion, sole oral sham feeding with and sole intragastric delivery of quinine decreased desire to eat and hunger, without affecting food intake, satiation, fullness or HRV.

The gut microbiota has been indicated to play a crucial role in health and disease. Apart from changes in composition between healthy individuals and those with a disease or disorder, it has become clear that also microbial activity is important for health. For instance, butyrate has been proven to be beneficial for health, because, amongst others, it is a substrate for the colonocytes, and modulates the host’s immune system and metabolism. Here, we studied the effect of a blend of three mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum GL AM P-38, Grifola frondosa GF AM P36 and Pleurotus ostreatus PO AM-GP37)) on gut microbiota composition and activity in a validated, dynamic, computer-controlled in vitro model of the colon (TIM-2). Predigested mushroom blend at three doses (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/day of ingested mushroom blend) was fed to a pooled microbiota of healthy adults for 72 h, and samples were taken every day for microbiota composition (sequencing of amplicons of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene) and activity (short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production). The butyrate producing genera Lachnospiraceae UCG-004, Lachnoclostridium, Ruminococcaceae UCG-002 and Ruminococcaceae NK4A214-group are all dose-dependently increased when the mushroom blend was fed. Entirely in line with the increase of these butyrate-producers, the cumulative amount of butyrate also dose-dependently increased, to roughly twice the amount compared to the control (medium without mushroom blend) on the high-dose mushroom blend. Butyrate proportionally made up 53.1% of the total SCFA upon feeding the high-dose mushroom blend, compared to 27% on the control medium. In conclusion, the (polysaccharides in the) mushroom blend led to substantial increase in butyrate by the gut microbiota. These results warrant future mechanistic research on the mushroom blend, as butyrate is considered to be one of the microbial metabolites that contributes to health, by increasing barrier function and modulating inflammation.

Serious concerns are expressed on the safe use of red yeast rice (RYR) supplements. The aim of the present study was to analyse cases received by Lareb on RYR-related adverse health events. These cases were analysed for the number of reports, number of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), causality, seriousness of the reaction, latency-period, age and sex of the patients, concomitant medication and type of reporter. A total of 94 individual reports were collected by Lareb, corresponding with 187 ADRs. The analysis showed most reported ADRs were labelled musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (n = 64), gastrointestinal disorders (n = 33) and general disorders and administration site conditions (n = 23). The use of RYR supplements should be considered as a significant safety concern. Exposure to monacolin K could lead to serious adverse effects. To fully assess the safety profile of RYR supplements, more research is necessary to compose a complete ADR profile of RYR supplements.

Intestinal organoids are advanced cellular models, which are widely used in mammalian studies to mimic and study in vivo intestinal function and host-pathogen interactions. Growth factors WNT3 and RSPO1 are crucial for the growth of intestinal organoids. Chicken intestinal organoids are currently cultured with mammalian WNT3a and RSPO1, however, maintaining their longevity has shown to be challenging. Based on the limited homology between mammalian and avian RSPO1, we expect that chicken-derived factors are required for the organoid cultures. We examined the effect of chicken-specific WNT3 and RSPO1 in combination with Prostaglandin E2 and a Forkhead box O1-inhibitor on the development of chicken intestinal organoids. Isolated crypts from embryonic tissue of laying hens were successfully cultured for 15 passages in the presence of chicken-derived WNT3 and RSPO1, whereas no growth was observed when mammalian factors were used. Furthermore, stem cells maintained their ability to differentiate into goblets, enterocytes, and enteroendocrine cells for the 3D and 2D structures. The chicken intestinal organoids can be an important tool to study responses of the intestinal epithelium to pathogens, drugs or feed additives.

Commercial food packages may contain multiple messages. Packaging designers try to integrate all messages into a coherent design. Designers may use text, images or stylistic features, but these mediums may differ in their suitability to communicate specific product benefits. To evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of these three mediums, we not only obtained consumer evaluations of packaging designs, but we also monitored the designer’s experience during the design process. For three products (orange juice, muesli bar, plain yogurt) we created three consistent packaging designs communicating a single benefit through all three mediums, which was either a [1] health, [2] environmental, or [3] production, sensory or social claim. Subsequently, we developed inconsistent packages communicating three different messages through the three mediums. In an online survey, each of the 18 package variants was evaluated by 59–92 participants. Dummy regression analysis suggested that verbal claims had positive effects in communicating healthiness and environmental friendliness but elicited a negative tendency for sensory properties. The images we used indicated a positive effect for communicating worker conditions, but a negative effect for healthiness. Our stylistic elements suggested a positive effect for sensory appeal, but tended to have negative effects for environmental aspects. As regards designer dilemmas, we noticed that some images (e.g., in the medical domain) required specific graphic styles to make them acceptable for commercial use. Our findings suggest that consumers can handle multiple packaging messages, but finding an optimal configuration remains a design challenge.

Background: There is considerable interest among consumers in using 'natural', plant-based nutritional supplements for their purported health benefits. However, the data required to support health claims on these so-called botanicals is subject to an ongoing debate, especially in Europe. Remarkably, pharmaceutical regulations have a provision that sometimes makes it possible to include data on 'traditional use' in the approval process.Scope and approach: In this critical perspective, we elaborate why substantiation of health benefits with evidence on traditional use is not easy to apply for food products. This is highlighted by the examples of recent incidents with traditional herbal substances such as kava kava and ephedra. These examples demonstrate that safety considerations, which are explicitly considered in the assessment of traditional herbal medicinal products, deserve special attention, and cannot be disregarded in food products that have health claims based on traditional use.Key findings and conclusions: Unexpected safety-related problems may arise when consumers combine botanicals with (prescribed) pharmaceutical products or specific nutrients, as it is often unlikely that such interactions will have been identified during traditional use. Information on both the safety and the health benefits are key to enable consumers to make the best decision for their personal health.As current legislative requirements for food products do not provide the opportunity to include both effectiveness and safety in the assessment, it is questionable whether and how traditional use evidence can be used under the current regulatory framework for health claims on foods.

BackgroundDairy alternatives are foods that are made from plant-based milk instead of their usual animal products, such as cheese and yoghurt. Over the past few years, consumers increasingly choose to go dairy-free, which leads to a growth in available dairy alternatives product on the market. Although it is easiest for consumers to identify these products by the use of protected dairy terms (‘yoghurt’ or ‘milk’), these protected terms may not be used by food business operators to designate their plant-based products.Scope and approachThis article will examine the positive and negative impact of the EU regulatory framework on innovation in the dairy alternative industry and its consumers. Furthermore, potential solutions to overcome the identified barriers are explored.Key findings and conclusionsThe EU regulatory framework has positively affected innovation in the dairy alternatives industry by establishing legal clarity, and ensuring a high level of food safety and consumer protection. However, the same legislation negatively impacts innovation in the industry, namely due to: (i) the varying interpretation of the Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 (CMO); (ii) the different level of consumer protection between sectors; (iii) the absence of a legal definition of vegan food; and (iv) the narrow definition of ‘milk’ and ‘milk products’ as defined in the CMO. Either amending the definition of milk and milk products in the CMO, or expanding the list of exceptions to the definitions are identified as possible solutions to deal with the identified barriers.