Browsing by Author "Plumb, J."
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- Development and Sustainability of Eastern Mediterranean Region and South African National Food Composition DatabasesPublication . Warthon-Medina, M.; Plumb, J.; Roe, M.; Aljawaldeh, A.; Welch, A.; Glibetic, M.; Kadvan, A.; El Ati, J.; Costa, H.S.; Schonfeldt, H.; Ene-Obong, H.N.; Traka, M.; Finglas, P.Introduction: The World Health Organization’s (WHO)-Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (EMRO) aims to reduce the consumption of sugar, fat (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids) and salt; and decrease the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). To address this Quadram Institute Bioscience is working jointly with WHO-EMRO in providing training and capacity development to national experts, leading to standardized, harmonized, comprehensive, open access Food Composition Data (FCD) to underpin food and nutrition programs and policies in these low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Materials and Methods: By identifying specific regional needs for FCD compilation, detailed training workshops were developed to enable the production of vital high-quality harmonised data in the EMR including: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and Jordan. Training on standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake methods, biomarkers, analytical methods and FCD tools were provided by experts from UK, Serbia, Portugal and WHO-EMRO, via knowledge exchange workshops and short-term training exchange of researchers. Results: A total of 45 FCD expert compilers from 13 countries attended 2 workshops and 3 training exchanges. Knowledge transfer consisted of: value documentation; quality assessment; online food composition data tools; food classification and description of composite dishes; recipe calculation; yield and retention factors; and laboratory food analysis (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D2, D3 and E, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, fibre). FCD from 6 countries was standardized using the EuroFIR data template and Theasuri (standardised vocabularies). The final datasets from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia and Morocco were made available via FoodExplorer an innovative interface for FCD which allows users to search information from food composition data simultaneously across many countries. Discussion: The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project has led to searchable national food composition data from LMIC being made available as open access form for the first time. WHO-EMRO, is funding further updates of FCD tables in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and UAE, with the focus on identifying TFA, SFA, salt and sugar in addition to micronutrients.
- Development and Sustainability of National Food Composition Databases for use in Dietary Monitoring and Public Health Nutrition in the Eastern Mediterranean RegionPublication . Warthon-Medina, M.; Plumb, J.; Roe, M.; Aljawaldeh, A.; Welch, A.; Glibetic, M.; Kadvan, A.; El Ati, J.; Costa, H.S.; Ene-Obong, H.N.; Finglas, P.Background:Similar to Western Countries, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) also presents major public health issues associated with the increased consumption of sugar, fat (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids), salt. Therefore, one of the policies of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) EMRO is to reduce the intake of these, to address the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. In order to do this, access to updated, standardized, harmonized food composition data (FCD) is essential. Aims: Objectives within this Medical Research Council GCRF project, working jointly with WHO–EMRO, are to assess the status of national FCD and to provide training and capacity development in the use of improved standardized methodologies to update FCD as well as dietary intake methods, use of suitable biomarkers of nutritional value and to determine health outcomes in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) of this region. By identifying specific regional needs for FCD compilation, detailed training workshops can be developed to enable the production of vital high-quality harmonised data in the EMR including: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan together with Mauritania. This capacity building will lead to the development and sustainability of up-to-date national and regional FCD for use in dietary monitoring assessment in food and nutrient intakes. Methods: Training needs were identified, and short-term scientific missions organized for researchers via training, knowledge exchange workshops and short-term exchange of researchers. Training at CAPNUTRA (Serbia) and INNTA (Tunisia) included the use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and food intake for 7 EMR countries leading to development of national FCD, enabling upload onto the EuroFIR data platform. A 3-week training course on analytical methods was carried out at INSA (Portugal) for analysts from Egypt, Jordan and Sudan. Key findings: A total of 45 participants from 13 countries including 10 EMR and 3 invited West African countries attended 5 workshops and training exchanges. Training topics included: value documentation and quality assessment; food composition data tools (Food Composition And System Environment (FoodCASE), Diet assess and Plan (DAP), Nutritics; food classification and description of composite dishes, recipe calculation approaches; use of yield and retention factors; EuroFIR e-learning tools and case studies; laboratory food analysis (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D2, D3 and E, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, fibre); quality management system; food metrology principles; validation of chromatographic methods; and food label legislation. 6 countries have imported their FCD, as open access, into the EuroFIR FoodEXplorer platform. The WHO-EMRO jointly with MRC GCRF project funded and mobilized research institutions in over 10 countries, with more focus on identifying traditional dishes and micronutrients. Conclusions and project Implications: The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project has led to searchable national food composition data from developing/emerging countries being made available in an open access form for the first time. WHO-EMRO, is funding further updates of FCD tables in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran Egypt, and UAE, with the focus on identifying TFA, SFA, salt and sugar in addition to micronutrients.
- Development of a national food composition database in Ukraine following EuroFIR and BaSeFood projectsPublication . Koval, N.; Pauk, A.; Buhyna, L.; Costa, H.S.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Plumb, J.; Roe, M.; Finglas, P.; Glibetic, M.; Boyko, N.Introduction. Food composition databases (FCDB) are an important resource of nutritional composition data which is essential for the assessment of nutritional status, at individual, regional and international levels. The European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR) is the world-leading European Network of Excellence on Food Composition Databank systems. This project aimed to develop and integrate a comprehensive, coherent and validated databank providing a single, authoritative source of food composition data in Europe. EuroFIR has designed and implemented a process for the identification, prioritisation, collection and analyses of traditional foods, using a common methodology for European countries. These approaches have been further extended in BaSeFood project which aims to promote sustainable development and exploitation of traditional foods of plant origin containing emerging bioactive compounds with putative health effects in the Black Sea region. The aim of this work is to contribute for a new FCDB in Ukraine based on these quality standards with the compilation of a selected range of traditional foods. Results. Following these methodologies, 59 traditional foods were prioritised and full documented including information on food description, sampling plan, sample handling, component identification, method specification, value and quality assessment. This information was collected for each of the traditional foods for further inclusion in the Ukrainian national food composition database. From these, 6 foods (rye bread, Ukrainian red borsch with beets, Transcarpathian green borsch with sorel, pomazanka with dill and garlic, sauerkraut and roasted sunflower seeds) were analysed for nutritional composition. The following components: moisture, ash, total nitrogen (for protein), total fat, individual fatty acids, starch, total sugars and dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and trace elements were quantified for each food. Following a training, Ukrainian compilers have earned the skills to carry out the compilation of traditional foods with EuroFIR requirements. A total of 59 Ukrainian traditional foods have been indexed according to LanguaL Thesaurus system (http//www.langual.org/). LanguaL provides an international framework for food description using a system of controlled vocabularies. Conclusions. The EuroFIR and BaSeFood standardised procedures have been implemented in a pilot study to be further extended to other foods for development of a Ukrainian FCDB.
- The BaSeFood Project. EuroFIR website: acção de difusão da cultura científica:Publication . Plumb, J.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Finglas, P.; D'Antuono, F.; Costa, H.S.; BaSeFood Black Sea Area partnersThe BaSeFood Project BaSeFood (Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area traditional foods) is a collaborative research program funded by the European Commission within Theme 2: Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology of the Seventh Framework Programme. The BaSeFood research Consortium consists of 13 partners. Six are from all the coastal nations of the Black Sea Area: Russia, Ukraine (2), Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. The others are from Italy (2), United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal and Serbia. (4 of these partners are part of the EuroFIR AISBL consortium) The project is coordinated by the University of Bologna, Cesena Campus Branch, Italy. BaSeFood aims to promote sustainable development and exploitation of Traditional Foods of plant origin containing emerging bioactive compounds with putative health effects in the Black Sea Region (BSR). The objectives of BaSeFood are: 1.To investigate the knowledge base of traditional foods of the BSR in order to identify those foods to be collected and analysed. 2.To define, characterise and collect nutrient and bioactive data for a subset of about 30 prioritised traditional foods using previously developed and validated EuroFIR guidelines and bioactive databases, with appropriate analyses. 3.To carry out case human intervention studies (priority: cardiovascular disease protection), supported by intensive in vitro and in vivo laboratory tests, to address the requirement for supporting evidence in nutrition and health claims. 4.To accurately map and describe the flow charts of BSR traditional foods preparation and processing, and determine bioactive retention at both laboratory and pilot plant scale in close collaboration with industry partners. 5.To evaluate attitudes of processors and consumers in order to optimise and enhance the whole food chain for improved availability and health benefits of BSR traditional foods. 6.To widely disseminate results and findings in order to enhance awareness and sustainable development of traditional foods of the BSR for improved health. BaSeFood will refer to FP6 programs: EuroFIR and TRUEFOOD, from which methodologies and basic concepts will be applied. Visit the official project website http://www.basefood-fp7.eu/