Browsing by Author "Jakobsen, Lea S."
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- Building capacity in risk-benefit assessment of foods: lessons learned from the RB4EU projectPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Alvito, Paula; Brazão, Roberto; Carmona, Paulo; Fernandes, Paulo; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Lopes, Carla; Martins, Carla; Membré, Jeanne-Marie; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, Pedro; Thomsen, Sofie T.; Torres, Duarte; Viegas, Silvia; Pires, Sara; Boué, GeraldineBackground: Human diet may present both risks and benefits to consumers’ health. Risk-benefit assessment of foods (RBA) intends to estimate the overall health impact associated with exposure (or lack of exposure) to a particular food or food component. Scope and approach: “RiskBenefit4EU – Partnering to strengthen the risk-benefit assessment within EU using a holistic approach” (RB4EU) is a project funded by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that integrates a multidisciplinary team from Portugal, Denmark and France. This project aims to strengthen the EU capacity to assess and integrate food risks and benefits regarding toxicology, microbiology and nutrition. One of the specific objectives of RB4EU was to build capacity in RBA among the recipient partners from Portugal. In order to achieve this objective, a capacity building strategy including theoretical and hands-on training and the development of a case-study were established. This paper aims to present the strategy used in the RB4EU project to build capacity within RBA, including the main training approaches and the lessons learned. Key findings and conclusions: The capacity-building program included three main activities: theoretical training, focusing on RBA concepts; hands-on training, applying the acquired concepts to a concrete case-study, using the methods and tools displayed; and scientific missions, intending to provide advanced training in specific domains of RBA. The developed strategy can be used in the future to build capacity within RBA.
- Climate change and aflatoxins exposure in Portugal – could we expect a significant health risk?Publication . Assunção, R.; Martins, C.; Viegas, S.; Viegas, C.; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Pires, S.; Alvito, P.In recent decades, changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans. Climate change (CC) has become one of the most critical issues for the sustainable development of human societies and the functioning of ecosystems on earth. Portugal is highly vulnerable to CC impacts due to its Europe south-western geographical situation, mainly through decreasing annual precipitation, more intense extreme weather and climate events. In fact, CC is considered as one of the biggest global threats to human health of the 21st century and its effects will undoubtedly influence agricultural systems and food safety. Due to the potential impact on the occurrence of food hazards, increased concern has being aroused. Mycotoxins, natural contaminants produced by fungi, are among the most important of such hazards, especially due to their potential to establish deleterious health conditions. From all known mycotoxins, aflatoxins stand to the most toxic for humans. Dietary aflatoxins exposure is considered a significant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Considering the impact of CC in mycotoxin contamination of food products available in Portugal, the present study aims to discuss the potential influence of CC in the health risk associated to aflatoxins dietary exposure of Portuguese population. To tackle this objective, the estimated number of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the associated burden of disease in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were derived. Results showed that the number of extra cases of HCC associated to Portuguese aflatoxin dietary exposure ranged from 0.52 and 2.00. The derived DALYs ranged between 8.0 and 30.9. It is expected that in the future the number of DALYs and the associated HCC due to aflatoxin exposure should increase due to CC. These results should represent an alert for the potential consequences of an incompletely explored perspective of CC – the health impact of the human exposure to aflatoxins. Politics and decision-makers should be involved and committed to implement effective measures to deal with CC issues and to reduce its possible consequences.
- Consumo de alimentos à base de cereais pelas crianças portuguesas: uma avaliação de risco-benefícioPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Boué, Géraldine; Alvito, Paula; Brazão, Roberto; Carmona, Paulo; Carvalho, Catarina; Correia, Daniela; Fernandes, Paulo; Lopes, Carla; Martins, Carla; Membré, Jeanne-Marie; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, Pedro; Thomsen, Sofie T.; Torres, Duarte; Pires, Sara M.; Jakobsen, Lea S.De uma forma geral, o consumo de alimentos pode apresentar potenciais riscos e benefícios para os consumidores. Os alimentos à base de cereais, incluindo os cereais de pequeno-almoço e os cereais infantis, representam componentes importantes da dieta humana e estão entre os primeiros alimentos sólidos que são introduzidos na dieta. Estes alimentos constituem uma fonte importante de vários nutrientes, incluindo o sódio, fibras e açúcares livres, que podem estar associados a efeitos benéficos e adversos para a saúde. Simultaneamente, os alimentos à base de cereais podem também ser veículo de contaminantes químicos (por exemplo, micotoxinas) e microbiológicos (por exemplo, Bacillus cereus). As aflatoxinas, um grupo de micotoxinas que apresenta maior potencial tóxico, são frequentemente detetadas em cereais. No âmbito do projeto RiskBenefit4EU, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os riscos e os benefícios associados ao consumo de alimentos à base de cereais pelas crianças portuguesas. Os riscos (teores de aflatoxinas e B. cereus, sódio e açúcares livres) e os benefícios (teor de fibra) associados ao consumo de cereais de pequeno-almoço (CPA) foram comparados com aqueles associados ao consumo de cereais infantis (CI). Os resultados obtidos revelaram que a mudança do consumo atual para os cenários alternativos considerados (em especial para o consumo de cereais de pequeno-almoço com características semelhantes ao “Melhor CPA”) poderia resultar num ganho de anos de vida saudável.
- Impacto das alterações climáticas na exposição da população portuguesa a aflatoxinasPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, Susana; Viegas, Carla; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Pires, Sara M.; Alvito, PaulaAs alterações climáticas têm sido identificadas como um fator determinante para a segurança dos alimentos consumidos em todo o mundo. As micotoxinas, contaminantes alimentares produzidos por fungos, são habitualmente identificadas como um dos principais perigos neste contexto. As aflatoxinas assumem particular relevo, face à sua toxicidade aguda e crónica. A região do Mediterrâneo, incluindo Portugal, tem sido considerada uma região particularmente vulnerável às consequências das alterações climáticas. O presente estudo pretende estimar o impacto na saúde da exposição a aflatoxinas em Portugal e discutir a potencial influência das alterações climáticas no risco para a saúde associado a esta exposição. Para estimar o número de casos de carcinoma hepatocelular associados à exposição a aflatoxinas, foi determinada a fração atribuível da população. Para estimar o impacto da exposição a aflatoxinas na saúde dos Portugueses, a carga de doença foi determinada aplicando-se o conceito de anos de vida ajustados por incapacidade (DALY). É expectável que no futuro, em consequência das alterações climáticas, o número de DALYs bem como do número de casos de carcinoma hepatocelular aumente. A quantificação do impacto na saúde da exposição a aflatoxinas em cenário de alterações climáticas reveste-se de particular importância, em especial para o desenvolvimento de políticas e medidas preventivas que possam proteger a população.
- Projeto RiskBenefit4EU – uma estratégia para a avaliação de risco-benefício de alimentos em PortugalPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Alvito, Paula; Brazão, Roberto; Carmona, Paulo; Carvalho, Catarina; Fernandes, Paulo; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Lopes, Carla; Martins, Carla; Membré, Jeanne-Marie; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, Pedro; Thomsen, Sofie T.; Torres, Duarte; Viegas, Silvia; Pires, Sara M; Boué, GéraldineO balanço entre os riscos e benefícios para a saúde resultante do consumo de alimentos é um importante contributo para apoiar a definição de políticas de saúde e a promoção da literacia dos consumidores. No âmbito do projeto RiskBenefit4EU, financiado pela European Food Safety Authority e coordenado pelo Departamento de Alimentação e Nutrição do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, o presente trabalho pretende descrever a estratégia implementada para a capacitação das equipas portuguesas em avaliação de risco-benefício de alimentos (RBA). Concretizada pelos parceiros do Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique e da Technical University of Denmark, a capacitação consiste em três atividades principais: 1) Formação teórica, focando os conceitos-chave para a avaliação de RBA; 2) Formação prática, aplicando os conceitos adquiridos e as metodologias transmitidas a um estudo de caso; e 3) Missões científicas, de curta duração, para formação avançada em domínios específicos da avaliação de RBA. No que diz respeito à formação prática, e com o objetivo de consolidar os conhecimentos adquiridos em avaliação de RBA, está previsto o desenvolvimento de um estudo de caso português sobre alimentos à base de cereais habitualmente consumidos por crianças. A estratégia de capacitação seguida neste projeto servirá de modelo para outras equipas e países, contribuindo para a disseminação de uma cultura de avaliação de RBA nas vertentes toxicológica, microbiológica e nutricional a nível internacional.
- Risk-benefit assessment of cereal-based foods: a case study under RiskBenefit4EU projectPublication . Martins, Carla; Boué, Géraldine; Alvito, Paula; Brazão, Roberto; Carmona, Paulo; Carvalho, C.; Correia, D.; Fernandes, Paulo; Lopes, C.; Membré, Jeanne-Marie; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, P.; Thomsen, Sofie T.; Torres, D.; Pires, S.; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Assunção, RicardoCereal-based foods, including breakfast cereals (BC) and infant cereals (IC), are among the first solid foods introduced in infants’ diets. BC and IC are sources of nutrients that have beneficial effects on health. However, they can also be a source of potentially harmful chemical or microbiological contaminants, or of nutrients that at high consumption levels may lead to adverse health effects. Young children have a less varied diet and consume food in amounts that are higher relative to their body weight, if compared to adults. Therefore, the potential health risk of contaminants in foods consumed by young children is likewise higher. The aim of this study was to assess the risks and benefits associated with the consumption of BC and IC in children below 35 months of age in Portugal. The health effects associated with the presence of aflatoxins, Bacillus cereus, sodium and free sugars were weighted against the health benefits of the intake of fiber. A risk-benefit assessment approach was applied and the impact on health of a modification in consumption of BC and IC from the current consumption to various alternative scenarios was quantified in terms of disability-adjusted life years. Results showed that moving from the current consumption to the considered alternative scenarios could result in a gain of healthy-life years. The Portuguese children could benefit from exclusive BC consumption if the products consumed have an adequate nutritional profile in terms of fiber, sodium and free sugars and levels of aflatoxins reduced as much as possible.
- RiskBenefit4EU project: the essential balance of risks & benefits of foodsPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, S.; Fernandes, Paulo; Torres, D.; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, P.; Membré, J.M.; Boué, Géraldine; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Poulsen, Morten; Pires, S.; Alvito, PaulaHuman diet may present both risks and benefits to consumers. Risk-benefit assessment (RBA) intends to estimate the benefits and risks for humans following exposure (or lack of exposure) to a particular food or food component and to integrate them in comparable measures. For instance, any policy action directed at the adverse effects also affects the degree of beneficial effects and vice versa. In the last years, a few number of European projects within the RBA of foods have been conducted and some challenges remained and new became apparent, however the RBA methodologies are far from being well established. In contrast, risk assessment (RA) within food safety is a well-established discipline across the EU. In Portugal, a recent example is the RA study performed under MYCOMIX (https://youtu.be/CsKaz3mt2J4), a national funded project that studied the toxic effects of children exposure to multiple mycotoxins. The output of this project highlighted the knowledge gaps on the contra-balance beneficial health effect of these foods, and the need to determine the risk-benefit, since they are vehicles of food components that could be assumed as beneficial. “RiskBenefit4EU – Partnering to strengthen the risk-benefit assessment within EU using a holistic approach” (https://riskbenefit4eu.wordpress.com/) is a recent European project funded by EFSA integrating a multidisciplinary team from Portugal, Denmark and France. This project aims to strengthen the EU capacity to assess and integrate food risks and benefits in the areas of microbiological, nutritional and chemical components through the development of a harmonized framework. To validate all the developed tools, a Portuguese case study on cereal-based foods will be considered. RiskBenefit4EU will contribute for the development and the establishment of RBA as a tool to provide scientific evidence to inform risk management decisions in the area of food safety and nutrition.
- Risks & benefits of foods: RiskBenefit4EU project and the case study involving mycotoxins and cereal-based foodsPublication . Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, S.; Fernandes, Paulo; Torres, D.; Monteiro, Sarogini; Nabais, P.; Membré, J.M.; Boué, Géraldine; Jakobsen, Lea S.; Poulsen, Morten; Pires, S.; Alvito, P.Human diet may present both risks and benefits to consumers. Risk-benefit assessment (RBA) intends to estimate the benefits and risks for humans following exposure (or lack of exposure) to a particular food or food component and to integrate them in comparable measures. For instance, any policy action directed at the adverse effects also affects the degree of beneficial effects and vice versa. In the last years, a few number of European projects within the RBA of foods have been conducted and some challenges remained and new became apparent, however the RBA methodologies are far from being well established. In contrast, risk assessment (RA) within food safety is a well established discipline across the EU. In Portugal, a recent example is the RA study performed under MYCOMIX, a national funded project that studied the toxic effects of children exposure to multiple mycotoxins. MYCOMIX revealed a potential health concern associated to aflatoxins intake through the consumption of cereal-based foods with different contents of whole-grain. The output of this project also highlighted the knowledge gaps on the contrabalance beneficial health effect of these foods, and the need to determine the risk-benefit, since they are vehicles of food components that could be assumed as beneficial. “RiskBenefit4EU – Partnering to strengthen the risk-benefit assessment within EU using a holistic approach” is a recent European project funded by EFSA integrating a multidisciplinary team from Portugal, Denmark and France. This project aims to strengthen the EU capacity to assess and integrate food risks and benefits in the areas of microbiological, nutritional and chemical components through the development of a harmonized framework. To validate all the developed tools, a Portuguese case study on cereal-based foods, gathering data as mycotoxins and Bacillus cereus intake (risks) and the consumption of fibres (soluble/insoluble) (benefits) will be considered. RiskBenefit4EU will contribute for the development and the establishment of RBA as a tool to provide scientific evidence to inform risk management decisions in the area of food safety and nutrition.