The risks and benefits of nanomaterials in foods and food contact materials receive conflicting international attention across expert stakeholder groups as well as in news media coverage and published research. Current nanomaterial characterization is complicated by the lack of accepted approaches to measure exposure-relevant occurrences of suspected nanomaterials in food and by broad definitions related to food processing and additive materials. Therefore, to improve understanding of risk and benefit, analytical methods are needed to identify what materials, new or traditional, are "nanorelevant" with respect to biological interaction and/or uptake during alimentary tract transit. Challenges to method development in this arena include heterogeneity in nanomaterial composition and morphology, food matrix complexity, alimentary tract diversity, and analytical method limitations. Clear problem formulation is required to overcome these and other challenges and to improve understanding of biological fate in facilitating the assessment of nanomaterial safety or benefit, including sampling strategies relevant to food production/consumption and alimentary tract transit. In this Perspective, we discuss critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed so that measurement methods can better inform risk management and public policy.

The mechanism of Fas antigen-induced hepatocyte apoptosis was investigated. Using a monoclonal antibody directed against the Fas antigen, apoptosis was induced in freshly isolated murine hepatocytes within 90 minutes of antibody addition as assessed by plasma membrane bleb formation, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmenta-

No abstract

Abstract:The NanoRelease Food Additive project developed a catalog to identify potential engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) used as ingredients, using various food-related databases. To avoid ongoing debate on defining the term nanomaterial, NanoRelease did not use any specific definition other than the ingredient is not naturally part of the food chain, and its dimensions are measured in the nanoscale. Potential nanomaterials were categorized based on physical similarity; analysis indicated that the range of ENMs declared as being in the food chain was limited. Much of the catalog's information was obtained from product labeling, likely resulting in both underreporting (inconsistent or absent requirements for labeling) and/or overreporting (inability to validate entries, or the term nano was used, although no ENM material was present). Three categories of ingredients were identified: emulsions, dispersions, and their watersoluble powdered preparations (including lipid-based structures); solid encapsulates (solid structures containing an active material); and metallic or other inorganic particles. Although much is known regarding the physical/chemical properties for these ingredient categories, it is critical to understand whether these properties undergo changes following their interaction with food matrices during preparation and storage. It is also important to determine whether free ENMs are likely to be present within the gastrointestinal tract and whether uptake of ENMs may occur in their nanoform physical state. A practical decision-making scheme was developed to help manage testing requirements.

The acceptance of many foods is related to traditional cooking practices, which create taste and texture and are important to digestibility, preservation, and the reduction of foodborne illnesses. A wide range of compounds are formed during the cooking of foods, a number of these have been shown to lead to adverse effects in classical toxicological models and are known as food processing contaminants (FPC). It is essential that the presence and effects of such compounds alone and in combination within the diet are understood such that proportionate risk management measures can be developed, while taking a holistic view across the whole value chain. Furan and alkylfurans (principally 2‐ and 3‐methylfuran) are highly volatile FPC, which are formed in a wide range of foods at low amounts. The focus of research to‐date has been on those foods, which have been identified to be most consequential in terms of being sources of exposure, namely jarred and canned foods for infants and young children (meals and drinks) and coffee (roast and ground, soluble). This report presents (i) new industry data on the occurrence of furan and methylfurans in selected food categories following previous coffee studies, (ii) the most salient parameters that impact furan formation, and (iii) aspects of importance for the risk assessment.

No abstract

According to ILSI Europe policies, the Expert Group is composed by at least 50% of external nonindustry members. Once the expert group was formed, the research project was handed over to them to independently refine the research question. Subsequently, the expert group carried out the work, that is, collecting/analyzing data/information and writing the scientific paper independently of other activities of the task force. The research reported is the result of a scientific evaluation in line with ILSI Europe's framework to provide a precompetitive setting for public-private

Exposure assessment is a key component of any risk-benefit assessment, yet it is clear that there is a lack of reliable methodology in this area for assessing consumer exposures to both food constituents and nonfood products. The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe Food Intake Methodology Task Force has in the past explored methods to assess the intake of nutrients/additives and exposure to contaminants/residues from food. In December 2008, a workshop was held to discuss the differences between different types of exposure assessments as well as the difficulties involved in the practical application of the methods available. It was noted that although no two assessments are the same in terms of data required and its availability, or the assumptions made, there is also wide and perhaps unnecessary variation between the approaches taken by different assessors. As a result, the ILSI Europe Food Intake Methodology Task Force initiated an activity aimed at producing a practical guide for conducting intake/exposure assessments in the form of an interactive web-based application. During the course of this work it became clear that the best form in which to present the guide would be a web-based MediaWiki-type system. A website was developed and launched in October 2012, at which time global experts and practitioners in dietary exposure assessment were invited to register to use the site and help keep the knowledge contained within it, relevant and up-to-date. It is hoped that the guide will be an important reference source for a wide group of stakeholders, providing concise guidance on the planning, conduct, reporting and interpretation of exposure assessments and contributing to greater harmonisation of the dietary intake/exposure methodologies used.