An independent report has been released by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) on nutrition and older adults living in the community. The SACN advise Public Health England (PHE) and other UK Government organisations on nutrition and related health matters.

The report is an overview of currently available evidence on nutrition in older adults and its impact on healthy ageing. It considers evidence relating to adults aged 65 and over living in the community.

The last time this subject was considered was in 1992 by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA – predecessor of SACN) and was a dedicated topic in the report on ‘The Nutrition of Elderly People’. This report can be accessed via the COMA reports webpage.

Since this last report the age structure of the population has undergone considerable change with growth in the proportion and number of older adults. In this context, SACN agreed to review the more recent evidence base and make recommendations where possible.

For the report and further information – please click here.

An international team of scientists from India and Russia have declared that they have created edible food films for packaging fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood by using algae (seaweed) of which there is an almost inexhaustible supply in the world’s oceans.

A study published in the Journal of Food Engineering states that the films, which are made from natural ingredients, are safe for consumer health and the environment. The researchers claim that the films are water-soluble and dissolve by almost 90% in 24 hours.

Rammohan Aluru, Senior Researcher from the Organic Synthesis Laboratory at Ural Federal University and co-author of the paper, stated, “We have created three types of food films based on the well-known naturally occurring seaweed biopolymer sodium alginate.”

“Its seaweed molecules have film-forming properties. Sodium alginate is an auspicious carbohydrate macromolecule that has potential film-forming properties upon hydrolysis and abundantly exists in cell walls as a mixture of various salts. The greatest advantage of sodium alginate is that it performs as liquid-gel in an aqueous medium.”

The molecules cross-link with ferulic acid which makes the film not only strong but also homogenous – more rigid but also prolongs the life of the product. Garlic, turmeric and ginger can be added to the films to help prevent the spread of viruses whilst being natural anti-viral agents.

The scientists declare that no special equipment is required to produce the films on an industrial scale.

For the report and further information – please click here.

Dr Susan Mayne, Director of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), suggests that Sesame may soon be added to the list of major allergens after a rise of cases in the US. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology claim sesame to be the 9^th most common food allergy within the US.

Whilst Dr Mayne is unsure of the reasons behind the rise it could simply be down to the growing popularity of ‘international foods’ containing seasame seeds and oil.

In the US there are currently 8 food allergens regulated by the FDA – milk, tree nuts, peanuts, crustacean shellfish, eggs, fish, wheat, soy – these all need to be declared on the ingredients listing on packaging.

The packaging labelling is essential for those consumers with allergens and if mislabelled could in some cases be life threatening. The FDA have reprimanded a producer, Whole Foods, for not correctly labelling food products which saw 30 products recalled over the past year. This is a reminder that it’s ultimately the food manufacturer’s responsibliity to ensure that their products are correctly labelled.

Dr Mayne stated that, “Companies should be aware of applicable FDA allergen requirements including the FALCPA (Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act) labelling requirements and requirements to prevent allergen cross-contact.”

The US Senate have passed through a new law which, if cleared by the House and signed off by President Biden, would add sesame to this list.

As many of you will be aware, over the years we have operated a number of e-mail based Member Interest Groups (MIGs), with the purpose of keeping members up to date on detailed issues relevant to their business.

Unfortunately, due to events over the last 12 months we have been unable to dedicate the time we would have liked to the MIGs. However, as things start to settle, we would like to turn our attentions once again to developing these extremely useful groups.

To assist us in doing this, we would appreciate it if you took a moment to tell us what MIGs would be of interest to you. Remember, MIGs are FREE to join, and you can sign up to as many or as few as you like. Similarly, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Important: Please ensure you respond even if you were previously a member of the MIGs as we will also be taking this opportunity to update our database.

Once the majority of responses have been received, we will endeavour to get these groups operational again as soon as possible.

To Register your interest, please click here