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2170-Food Insight¥Sep/Oct 2002

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2170-Food Insight¥Sep/Oct 2002 Current Topics in Food Safety & Nutrition IFIC Foundation http://ific.org September / October 2002 Ask the Experts: A Food Insight Interview With USDA and FDA Food Safety Leaders Dr. Lester Crawford has degrees Dr. Elsa Murano has a in veterinary medicine and Master's degree in pharmacology and has had three anaerobic microbiology and previous assignments with FDA, a Ph.D. in food followed by a stint as head of microbiology. In 2001, the Food Safety and Inspection President George W. Bush Service at USDA before being appointed Dr. Murano named deputy commissioner of Undersecretary for Food the FDA in early 2002. Safety at the USDA. [NOTE: On October 17, the Senate confirmed Dr. Mark McClellan as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.] F ood Insight recently talked with two and I can tell you that with all con- CRAWFORD: It is quite clear that the federal officials responsible for the fidence. We have by far the lowest majority of foodborne disease is safety of the U.S. food supply, Dr. incidence of foodborne illness, but now caused by viruses, and many Lester Crawford of the U.S. Food and it is not perfect. of those are not detectable in food. They are an unknown quantity and Drug Administration (FDA) and Dr. CRAWFORD: The food supply can we need to get more serious about certainly be described as safe, and Elsa Murano of the U.S. Department them. For example, until maybe 20 it is far safer than it ever has been. of Agriculture (USDA). This article years ago we never heard of There's still some room for provides a transcript of that conversa- Norwalk virus, which apparently improvement, and this is mostly in tion, in which these two officials causes about 50 percent of the the area of microbiological foodborne disease cases in the U.S. answered questions about various contamination. aspects of the safety of the U.S. food and in most other countries. supply. The next issue of Food Insight What would you consider Our own research indicates the greatest threats to food will provide their comments on the Q: that consumers are most safety? Q: global challenges facing the safety of concerned about microbial the food supply. MURANO: It continues to be microbial threats to their food. What because those organisms are in additional measures need to be Overall how would you nature and very difficult to avoid taken to reduce these threats? Q: describe the current state having in food. Raw food can be MURANO: We have taken HACCP (the of the safety of the U.S. food contaminated with some of these supply? Hazard Analysis and Critical organisms. Control Point system) and utilized MURANO: It is the safest in the world, it to minimize the introduction of contaminants into ground beef, More Choices For The Sweet Life ....................................................2 meat, or poultry production. We issued a directive in March where Feast For Your Eyes...........................................................................4 we talked about encouraging NEWSBites .........................................................................................7 INSIDE ground beef processors to either (continued on page 6) More Choices For The Sweet Life ith an increasing focus on the for use as "tabletop sweeteners," sugar. Acesulfame K is highly sta- Wrising rate of obesity in the which consumers add directly to ble and has been approved for use United States and the associated foods like coffee, tea, fruits, or in a wide variety of foods, bever- health concerns, many consumers breakfast cereal. ages, and baked products. are seeking ways to manage their The five intense, low-calorie sweet- Acesulfame potassium is not bro- consumption of calories. Yet few find eners approved for use in the ken down by the it easy to abandon their desire for United States include acesulfame body and is eliminat- even the occasional sweet food or potassium, aspartame, neotame, ed without providing beverage. For many, low-calorie or saccharin, and sucralose. These any calories. reduced-calorie sweeteners offer a sweeteners do not affect insulin means to manage caloric intake, or glucose levels and have long Aspartame allowing the substitution of lower- played a role in the food choices Aspartame is a very calorie foods and beverages for their of people with diabetes and oth- low-calorie sweetener higher-calorie counterparts. These ers who must manage their intake and is about 200 times foods can provide them with the of carbohydrates. sweeter than sugar. It is sweet foods and beverages that they made by joining two desire while allowing them to man- Low-Calorie amino acids; aspartic age their caloric intake as well. acid and the methyl Low-calorie or high-intensity Sweeteners ester of phenylalanine. sweeteners are many times sweeter Currently Used in The components of than sucrose (sugar) but add a taste aspartame are also found to foods that is similar to that provid- The United naturally in common ed by regular sweeteners like sugar States foods, including meat, dairy or corn syrup. The use of low-calorie products, fruits, and vegetables. sweeteners can substantially reduce Acesulfame potassium After ingestion, aspartame is bro- the amount of calories in products Acesulfame potassium — or ace- ken down to its components and is such as soft drinks, candies, chewing sulfame K as it is abbreviated on utilized by the body in the same gum, and desserts like pudding, gela- food labels — is calorie-free and is way that it is utilized when it is tin, and ice cream. In addition, several about 200 times sweeter than derived in much larger amounts low-calorie sweeteners are available from common foods. Persons with a rare hereditary disease known as phenylketonuria (PKU) must con- How Sweeteners Are Approved trol their intake of phenylalanine All low-calorie sweeteners have name, chemical identity, and composi- from all sources, including aspar- undergone extensive safety testing and tion of the sweetener; the physical or tame. Although aspartame con- have been carefully reviewed by the other technical effects that the sweet- tains only a small amount of ener is intended to U.S. Food and Drug phenylalanine, the labels of foods Administration (FDA). produce; and com- Before a low-calorie prehensive reports of and beverages containing aspar- sweetener is approved for research concerning tame must include a statement commercial use, it must safety. FDA also con- advising individuals with PKU of undergo extensive testing siders projected con- the presence of phenylalanine. and significant regulatory sumption levels, as scrutiny. U.S. food safety well as specific use Neotame laws prohibit FDA from levels. Information on Neotame received FDA approval approving a low-calorie projected consump- sweetener (or any food tion and specific lev- for use in foods and beverages in ingredient) that has not els is requested in the the United States in July 2002. been shown to have "a petition that the man- Neotame is a derivative of the reasonable certainty in ufacturer submits to dipeptide composed of the amino the minds of competent FDA for approval of a acids aspartic acid and phenylala- scientists that the sub- new product. All FDA- nine. It is 7,000 to 13,000 times as stance is not harmful approved low-calorie sweet as sugar depending on its under the intended condi- sweeteners meet the food application. It can be used same standard of safety and are safe tions of use." Manufacturers request- alone or blended with other ing approval are required to provide for consumption by pregnant women and children. FDA with extensive data, including the (continued on page 3) 22 • Food Insight http://ific.org/foodinsight September / October 2002 (continued from page 2) The Sweet Life What’s New at IFIC.ORG? high-intensity or carbohydrate well in applications like sugar-free sweeteners. In addition, because soft drinks, and others may work best the product is not metabolized to in baked goods or hard candy. phenylalanine, no special labeling Combinations of some sweeteners for individuals with phenylke- have been found to have a synergistic tonuria is required. Extensive effect — that is, the taste of one research has been conducted on sweetener is enhanced when it is neotame to establish its safety as combined with another one. The end a sweetening ingredient. The FDA result is that less sweetener blend is reviewed the findings from more required to provide the same amount than 100 scientific studies before of sweetness. Have you checked out the recently approving neotame. A recent national consumer survey updated "Glossary of Terms" on shows that more than 163 million ific.org? More than 125 new Saccharin Americans consume reduced-calorie Saccharin is calorie-free and is definitions have been added to or sugar-free foods and beverages.1 about 300 times sweeter than Consumers are fortunate to have so ific.org to explain and help simplify sugar. Because saccharin is stable many choices today, for without low- the often-complicated scientific when heated, it is suitable for use calorie or reduced-calorie sweeten- terminology used today. To view the in foods and beverages, and cook- ers, life for these consumers would glossary, simply go to http://ific.org ing and baking. It is not broken simply not be as sweet. down by the body and is eliminat- and click on "Glossary of Terms" on ed without providing any calories. 1 Calorie Control Council, 2002 the left-hand navigation bar. Decades ago there were questions about whether saccharin could cause bladder cancer, based on animal studies. Numerous follow- Reduced-Calorie Sweeteners up studies with animals and Food manufacturers may use another group of ingredients to reduce the num- humans have shown no overall ber of calories in food products. These reduced-calorie sweeteners are metabo- association between saccharin lized more slowly or incompletely by the body and thus provide fewer calories.
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