Seafood Consumption and Its Contribution to Nutrients Intake among Canadians in 2004 and 2015

Prevalence and determinants of insufficient vitamin D status in young Canadian Inuit children from Nunavik

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has reached pandemic levels affecting over one billion people worldwide. However, limited data is available on the prevalence and determinants of vitamin D status of Canadian Indigenous children and no study has been reported in Inuit children from Nunavik. Aim: Therefore, using data collected between 2006 and 2010, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and main determinants of insufficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25(OH)D) concentrations in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik. Methods: This study included 245 Inuit children aged 11 to 54 months. s25(OH)D concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Dietary intakes were assessed using 24-hour recalls. Usual dietary intakes were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. We used a multiple imputation technique to replace missing values when performing regression analysis. Results: Our findings revealed that 64.5% of children had a s25(OH)D concentration < 75 nmol/L, while 78.1% did not meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin D. Vitamin D intake and fluid milk consumption were positively associated with s25(OH)D concentrations, while negative associations were observed with children' energy intake, non-alcoholic beverage consumption, body weight, breastfeeding duration and, biological/adoptive/foster parents' educational level. Conclusion: Vitamin D inadequacy was highly prevalent and closely aligned with levels observed over the years in non-Indigenous children. Breastfed children who do not receive vitamin D supplementation, overweight and obese children, and children with inadequate milk consumption were at high risk of vitamin D insufficiency. Eating vitamin D rich foods such as fluid milk and seafood along with vitamin D supplementation when needed are recommended.

Assessment of toxic trace elements (Cd, Pb, As, and Co) in small, medium, and large individuals of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Perna perna mussel species along the Algerian coast

This research paper focused on the monitoring of marine sites using mussels, which are highly valuable organisms in assessing environmental health. However, a significant challenge arises when determining the appropriate size of mussels for monitoring purposes. The objective of this study was to examine the levels of Cd, Pb, As, and Co in three different size classes of two mussel species, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Perna perna, collected from three sites along the Algerian coast, each exhibiting varying degrees of pollution.At each of the study sites, a total of thirty individuals from small, medium, and large size classes of mussels were collected during four different time periods. The mussels were then dissected, and the concentrations of Cd, Pb, As, and Co were measured in the entire flesh of the mussels using ICP-MS.Across the various study sites, the concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, and cobalt ranged from 0.06 to 1.32 mg/kg, 0.09 to 12.56 mg/kg, 4.23 to 18.31 mg/kg, and 0.11 to 1.85 mg/kg, respectively. Interestingly, the distribution of these metals in the three different size classes of mussels followed a consistent pattern at all the study sites. Large mussels exhibited higher concentrations, while small and medium-sized mussels displayed lower levels. These findings highlight substantial spatial and temporal variations in metal concentrations within the studied sites.

Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales of Shrimp and Salmon Available for Purchase by Consumers in Canada-A Risk Profile Using the Codex Framework

The extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-EB) encompass several important human pathogens and are found on the World Health Organization (WHO) priority pathogens list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They are a group of organisms which demonstrate resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (3GC) and their presence has been documented worldwide, including in aquaculture and the aquatic environment. This risk profile was developed following the Codex Guidelines for Risk Analysis of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance with the objectives of describing the current state of knowledge of ESBL-EB in relation to retail shrimp and salmon available to consumers in Canada, the primary aquacultured species consumed in Canada. The risk profile found that Enterobacterales and ESBL-EB have been found in multiple aquatic environments, as well as multiple host species and production levels. Although the information available did not permit the conclusion as to whether there is a human health risk related to ESBLs in Enterobacterales in salmon and shrimp available for consumption by Canadians, ESBL-EB in imported seafood available at the retail level in Canada have been found. Surveillance activities to detect ESBL-EB in seafood are needed; salmon and shrimp could be used in initial surveillance activities, representing domestic and imported products.

Our evolved understanding of the human health risks of mercury

Mercury (Hg) is a chemical of health concern worldwide that is now being acted upon through the Minamata Convention. Operationalizing the Convention and tracking its effectiveness requires empathy of the diversity and variation of mercury exposure and risk in populations worldwide. As part of the health plenary for the 15th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP), this review paper details how scientific understandings have evolved over time, from tragic poisoning events in the mid-twentieth century to important epidemiological studies in the late-twentieth century in the Seychelles and Faroe Islands, the Arctic and Amazon. Entering the twenty-first century, studies on diverse source-exposure scenarios (e.g., ASGM, amalgams, contaminated sites, cosmetics, electronic waste) from across global regions have expanded understandings and exemplified the need to consider socio-environmental variables and local contexts when conducting health studies. We conclude with perspectives on next steps for mercury health research in the post-Minamata Convention era.

Effect of dietary consumption on the survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

This prospective cohort study was to assess the association of pre-diagnostic dietary intake and dietary pattern with the survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

855 patients were recruited and successfully followed. Information on diet over past five years before diagnosis was collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were extracted using principal component analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

164 (19.18%) ESCC patients survived during the follow-up. Every 25-g increment intake of pickled vegetables was associated with a 6.0% (HR: 1.060, 95% CI: 1.003-1.121) increased risk of death after adjustment for covariates. When comparing the highest with lowest tertiles of energy-adjusted intake, pickled vegetables intake was associated with a 21.9% elevated risk of death (HR: 1.219, 95% CI: 1.014-1.465), while fish and shrimp intake was associated with a 19.4% (HR: 0.816, 95% CI: 0.675-0.986) reduced risk of death. Three dietary patterns were defined and labeled as patterns I, II, and III. Every 10-score increment of dietary pattern II, characterized with a higher loading of preserved vegetables, pickled vegetables, and salted meat, was associated with a 1.7% (HR: 1.017, 95% CI: 1.003-1.032) increased risk of death.

CONCLUSIONS

A diet characterized with higher loading of preserved vegetables, pickled vegetables, and salted meat, was negatively associated with death risk among ESCC patients. Prospective studies concerning the role of post-diagnosis dietary intake in ESCC prognosis are needed.