Low levels of vitamin D are common among Swiss adults, in particular during winter months and outside the Italian-speaking region.

Evidence is presented for the first time showing that semicarbazide (SEM) is a minor thermal decomposition product of the blowing agent azodicarbonamide (ADC). A novel direct analytical method based on liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESIMS/MS) has been developed to determine SEM in foamed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) seals of metal lids, as well as in commercially available ADC. The direct LC-MS/MS method for gaskets entails extraction of the gaskets in hot water, addition of ((15)N(2)(13)C)-SEM as internal standard, and injection of an aliquot directly into the LC-MS system, achieving good sensitivity (S/N = 348 for 2 ng injected on-column) and monitoring three characteristic mass transitions (m/z 76-->31; 76 -->44; 76-->59). Semicarbazide can be detected in thermally treated ADC, reaching up to 0.93 mmol mol(-1) at 220 degrees C, as determined by the direct LC-MS/MS method. This new method is also compared to the classical derivatization method using 2-nitrobenzaldehyde (2-NBA) that is routinely employed to determine SEM as an indicator of the usage of the antimicrobial drug nitrofurazone, the use of which is not authorized in the European Union (EU). Both methods revealed proportional results, with approx. 3-fold higher levels recorded by the direct SEM approach, probably due to differences in the extraction procedures used. A limited survey of plastic seals from used press twist and twist-off metal lids on food jars (non-foamed and foamed) revealed levels of SEM ranging from 2 to 8689 microg kg(-1)(average = 1593 microg kg(-1), n= 57 determinations).

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Objective: To assess the iodine status of Swiss population groups and to evaluate the influence of iodized salt as a vector for iodine fortification. Design: The relationship between 24 h urinary iodine and Na excretions was assessed in the general population after correcting for confounders. Single-day intakes were estimated assuming that 92 % of dietary iodine was excreted in 24 h urine. Usual intake distributions were derived for male and female population groups after adjustment for within-subject variability. The estimated average requirement (EAR) cut-point method was applied as guidance to assess the inadequacy of the iodine supply. Setting: Public health strategies to reduce the dietary salt intake in the general population may affect its iodine supply. Subjects: The study population (1481 volunteers, aged ≥15 years) was randomly selected from three different linguistic regions of Switzerland. Results: The 24 h urine samples from 1420 participants were determined to be properly collected. Mean iodine intakes obtained for men (n 705) and women (n 715) were 179 (SD 68·1) µg/d and 138 (SD 57·8) µg/d, respectively. Urinary Na and Ca, and BMI were significantly and positively associated with higher iodine intake, as were men and non-smokers. Fifty-four per cent of the total iodine intake originated from iodized salt. The prevalence of inadequate iodine intake as estimated by the EAR cut-point method was 2 % for men and 14 % for women. Conclusions: The estimated prevalence of inadequate iodine intake was within the optimal target range of 2-3 % for men, but not for women.

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Computer programmes are available to predict, for consumer protection purposes, the migration of additives from a polymeric package during its contact with food. However most of these programs were developed to estimate migration only from single layer polymeric packaging under isothermal conditions. In this work a diffusion model was developed to simulate the migration from multilayer packaging and under non-isothermal temperature conditions, too. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used as a numerical approximation method to solve the diffusion equations describing such processes. The possibilities and limitations of the FEA method are presented and the correlation between experimental and computed results is discussed.