Chemical Contamination in Bread from Food Processing and Its Environmental Origin

Food, nutrition, and autism: from soil to fork

Food and nutrition-related factors have the potential to impact development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and quality of life for people with ASD, but gaps in evidence exist. On 10 November 2022, Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships of food and nutrition with ASD. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting. Topics addressed included prenatal and child dietary intake, the microbiome, obesity, food-related environmental exposures, mechanisms and biological processes linking these factors and ASD, food-related social factors, and data sources for future research. Presentations highlighted evidence for protective associations with prenatal folic acid supplementation and ASD development, increases in risk of ASD with maternal gestational obesity, and the potential for exposure to environmental contaminants in foods and food packaging to influence ASD development. The importance of the maternal and child microbiome in ASD development or ASD-related behaviors in the child was reviewed, as was the role of discrimination in leading to disparities in environmental exposures and psychosocial factors that may influence ASD. The role of child diet and high prevalence of food selectivity in children with ASD and its association with adverse outcomes were also discussed. Priority evidence gaps identified by participants include further clarifying ASD development, including biomarkers and key mechanisms; interactions among psychosocial, social, and biological determinants; interventions addressing diet, supplementation, and the microbiome to prevent and improve quality of life for people with ASD; and mechanisms of action of diet-related factors associated with ASD. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and ASD.

Assessing the Effect of Flour (White or Whole-Grain) and Process (Direct or Par-Baked) on the Mycotoxin Content of Bread in Spain

Bread is the staple food in many parts of the world. Like other foods, bread can contain mycotoxins resulting from microbial development throughout the supply chain (from field to table). In this study, baguette-style bread from small artisanal bakeries (direct) and supermarkets (par-baked loaves made by large companies) in Castile and Leon (Spain) was analyzed. Both white and whole-grain breads were collected from all retail outlets. The mycotoxins analyzed included deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin (OTA), and aflatoxin B1 and B2 (AFB1, AFB2). All of the bread samples studied had mycotoxin levels below the maximum limits established by legislation. The presence of DON was higher than that of OTA, and AFB1 and AFB2 could not be quantified. Industrial breads had higher levels of DON and OTA (only in the whole-grain breads) compared to artisanal breads. However, no significant differences were found between white and industrial breads beyond those mentioned above. These results demonstrate that the established control chains ensure low mycotoxin content in bread of this type.

Optimization of food-grade colloidal delivery systems for thermal processing applications: a review

Colloidal delivery systems are widely used in the food industry to enhance the dispersibility, stability, efficacy, or bioavailability. However, when exposed to the high temperature, delivery systems are often prone to degradation, which limits its application in thermal processing. In this paper, the effects of thermal processing on the performance of traditional protein-based or starch-based delivery systems are firstly described, including the molecular structure changes of proteins, starches or lipids, and the degradation of embedded substances. These effects are unfavorable to the application of the delivery system in thermal processing. Then, strategies of improving the heat resistance of food grade colloid delivery system and their use in frying, baking and cooking food are mainly introduced. The heat resistance of the delivery system can be improved by a variety of strategies, including the development of new heat-resistant materials, the addition of heat-resistant coatings to the surface of delivery systems, the cross-linking of proteins or starches using cross-linking agents, the design of particle structures, the use of physical means such as ultrasound, or the optimization of the ingredient formula. These strategies will help to expand the application of heat-resistant delivery systems so that they can be used in real thermal processing.