UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
NUTRITION PERSPECTIVES
Volume 26, No. 6
November/December 2001
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NHLBI Study Finds High-Normal Blood Pressure Increases Cardiovascular
Risk
When to Test for Elevated Homocysteine
"Calcium Crisis" Affects American Youth
FDA Warns Consumers Not To Use The Dietary Supplement Lipokinetix
"Closing the Health Gap": Reducing Health Disparities
Affecting African-Americans
High Infection Rate in Organic Chickens
Veneman Names Suzanne Biermann as Deputy under Secretary
For
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
Final Review Released For Healthy People 2000 Initiative
A New Flyer Is Available From the USDA: "Listeriosis and
Pregnancy:
What Is Your Risk? Safe Food Handling For a Healthy Pregnancy"
Subscription for NUTRITION PERSPECTIVES
Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD, Editor
University of California
Department of Nutrition
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
NUTRITION PERSPECTIVES is prepared by Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD, Nutrition
Specialist, Cristy Hathaway, and staff. It is designed to provide research-based
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NHLBI STUDY FINDS HIGH-NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE
INCREASES CARDIOVASCULAR RISK
High-normal blood pressure significantly increases the risk of heart attack,
stroke, and heart failure, according to a recent study supported by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The adverse effects of high-normal
blood pressure held for both men and women and at all ages, although it was
especially high for those age 65 and older.
The study found that those with high-normal blood pressure had a 1.5 to 2.5
times greater risk of suffering a heart attack, a stroke, or heart failure in
10 years than those with optimal blood pressure. While earlier research had
shown that high-normal blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular death,
this study looked at the risk not only of that but also of nonfatal cardiovascular
events. The findings support current clinical practice guidelines calling for
lowering of high-normal blood pressure.
High-normal blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 130-139 mm Hg and/or a
diastolic pressure of 85-89 mm Hg. About 13 percent of Americans have high-normal
blood pressure. By contrast, about 23 percent have hypertension, which is a
systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg
or higher.
The study used data from the NHLBI-supported Framingham Heart Study, a landmark
epidemiological study that began in 1948. Results appear in the November 1,
2001, issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." "This study
underscores that, when it comes to blood pressure, any elevation over normal
puts people at a significant cardiovascular risk," said NHLBI Director
Dr. Claude Lenfant. "While more research is needed on this topic, it's
advisable that high-normal blood pressure be treated." He added that, for
most, treatment would consist of such lifestyle changes as following a healthy
eating plan lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, choosing foods low in salt
and other forms of sodium, losing extra weight, becoming physically active,
and limiting alcoholic beverages.
Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University
School of Medicine and a coauthor of the study, agreed: "This finding is
important in order to help Americans add healthy years to their life. Anyone
with a high-normal blood pressure should undertake lifestyle changes to lower
it to a healthier level."Older Americans in particular should do this,"
Vasan continued, "since they are especially likely to have other cardiovascular
disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol and diabetes, which multiply
their risk even more."
The research involved 6,859 men and women of the original Framingham Heart
Study and its Offspring Study. When their initial blood pressure measurements
were taken, none of the participants had cardiovascular disease or hypertension.
At the outset, about a quarter of the participants had high-normal blood pressure,
about a third had normal blood pressure (systolic pressure of less than 130
and diastolic pressure of less than 85 mm Hg), and about two-fifths had optimal
blood pressure (systolic pressure of less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic pressure
of less than 80 mm Hg).
Participants were followed for about 12 years. During that time, 397 participants
had a cardiovascular event, including 72 who died from cardiovascular disease,
190 who had a heart attack, 85 who had strokes, and 50 who had congestive heart
failure. Cardiovascular events were analyzed separately for men and women for
three blood pressure categories (optimal, normal, and high-normal), and for
two age groups (35-64 years, and 65 years and older).
Results showed a stepwise increase in cardiovascular events across the three
blood pressure categories. In women, the 10-year rates of cardiovascular events
when adjusted for age differences were 1.9 percent for those with optimal blood
pressure, 2.8 percent for those with normal blood pressure, and 4.4 percent
for those with high-normal blood pressure. In men, the 10-year rates of cardiovascular
events when adjusted for age differences were 5.8 percent for those with optimal
blood pressure, 7.6 percent for those with normal blood pressure, and 10.1 percent
for those with high-normal blood pressure.
The incidence of cardiovascular events also increased continuously with age.
After 10 years of follow-up, the overall risk of cardiovascular disease in those
age 35-64 who had high-normal blood pressure was 4 percent for women and 8 percent
for men; in those age 65 or older, the overall risk was 18 percent for women
and 25 percent for men.
NHLBI press releases, as well as cardiovascular disease information and an
interactive Web page, "Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure,"
can be found online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Source: NIH Press Release; October 31, 2001.
WHEN TO TEST FOR ELEVATED HOMOCYSTEINE
Study after study indicates a strong association between elevated levels of
homocysteine and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. With the data piling
up, clinicians may wonder whether it's time to add homocysteine testing to the
list of routine periodic lipid screens that are now recommended for all adults
aged 20 years or over. According to the latest report form the National Cholesterol
education Program's Adult Treatment Panel, the answer to this question is no
(1). The report groups homocysteine together with other emerging risk factors,
such as lipoprotein(a) and prothrombotic and proinflammatory factors, which
it says are not direct targets for clinical intervention, but which "appear
to contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk to varying degrees and can
have utility in selected persons to guide intensity of risk-reduction therapy."
The presence of elevated homocysteine and these other emerging risk factors
can "modulate clinical judgment when making therapeutic decisions,"
the report says.
This conclusion is essentially the same as that of the 2000 American Heart
Association (AHA) Dietary Guidelines, which cautioned that, although the epidemiological
evidence is promising, several large prospective studies have not supported
a relationship between homocysteine and cardiovascular disease (2). With currently
available data, it remains unclear whether elevated homocysteine is a cause
of, or simple a product of, the cardiovascular disease process. Controlled clinical
trials are underway and should provide more definitive data regarding the effectiveness
of homocysteine-lowering interventions.
Whom to Test and How to Treat?
In the meantime, two important questions remain: Which patients should be tested
for homocysteine status, and what steps should be taken in those with elevated
homocysteine values? In a Science Advisory Statement focusing specifically on
homocysteine, the AHA notes that some researchers endorse the fasting homocysteine
test in high-risk patients, such as those with a strong family history of premature
atherosclerosis or those with arterial occlusive diseases (3). Other patients
who may warrant testing include those with conditions associated with hyperhomocystinemia,
such as hypothyroidism, impaired kidney function, systemic lupus erythematosus,
or those receiving certain therapies (e.g. theophylline, methotrexate, levodopa,
niacin [vitamin B3], nitrous oxide exposure).
Although there is no firm basis for recommending specific therapeutic targets,
the AHA statement cites several studies in which risk of adverse outcomes appears
to rise at a basal homocysteine level of around 10 µmol/L. Therefore,
a basal homocysteine level of <10 µmol/L is offered as a reasonable
therapeutic goal for subjects at increased risk. To reach this target, prescription
of a diet that meets Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for folic acid (400 µg),
vitamin B6 (1.7 mg), and vitamin B12 (2.4 µg) is recommended as an initial
approach. If repeat testing at one month shows continued high levels of homocysteine,
daily supplementation with a multivitamin containing 400 µg folic acid,
2 mg of vitamin B6, and 6 µg of vitamin B12, or consumption of a fortified
breakfast cereal containing these amounts, is suggested. In high-risk patients,
continued high levels of homocysteine after another month may warrant an increase
in dosage to 1 mg folic acid, 25 mg vitamin B6, and 0.5 mg vitamin B12, provided
vitamin B12 deficiency is not present or has been successfully treated.
Outlook from the Clinic
Jonathan Abrams, MD, preventive cardiologist and co-author of a recent article
that focuses on homocysteine in clinical practice, agrees that homocysteine
testing remains of limited utility in a clinical setting (4). "Our recommendation
is that in premature cases, individuals who present without any obvious reason
to have coronary artery disease, particularly if they are young, or someone
with a nasty family history of heart disease, homocysteine tests may be worth
doing," he said in a telephone interview. "But it's similar to certain
lipid issues, like lipoprotein(a) and trying to identify the particle size to
assess risk. These are all interesting issues, and there's some data, but in
the end we just don't know yet. Until there's a trial taking people with elevated
homocysteine and showing that you can do something about their vascular outlook
by lowering it, I think that it's very problematic to recommend any kind of
mass screening approach."
References:
1. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High
Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA; May 16, 2001;
285(19):2486-97.
2. Krauss RM, Eckel RH, Howard B, et al. AHA Dietary Guidelines: revision 2000:
A statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the
American Heart Association. Circulation; Oct 31, 2000;102(18):2284-99.
3. Malinow MR, Bostom AG, Krauss RM. Homocyst(e)ine, diet, and cardiovascular
diseases: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee,
American Heart Association. Circulation;Jan 5-12, 1999; 99(1):178-82.
4. Kondo H, Osborne ML, Kolhouse JF, Binder MJ, Podell ER, Utley CS, Abrams
RS, Allen RH. Homocysteine: a new cardiac risk factor? Clinical Cardiology;
January 2001; 24(1):80-4.
Source: Nutrition & the MD; August 2001; 27(8): 5-6.
"CALCIUM CRISIS" AFFECTS AMERICAN YOUTH
Only 13.5 percent of girls and 36.3 percent of boys age 12 to 19 in the United
States get the recommended level of calcium, placing them at serious risk for
osteoporosis and other bone diseases, according to statistics from the US Department
of Agriculture. Because nearly 90 percent of adult bone mass is established
by the end of this age range, the nation's youth stand in the midst of a calcium
crisis.
"Osteoporosis is a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences,"
said Duane Alexander, MD, director of the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD), sponsor of the MILK MATTERS calcium education
campaign. "Preventing this and other bone diseases begins in childhood.
With low calcium intake levels during these important bone growth periods, today's
children and teens are certain to face a serious public health problem in the
future."
The health risks related to low calcium intake are not just years away, explained
Dr. Alexander. Children are drinking more soft drinks and more non-citrus drinks
than they used to; meanwhile, milk consumption has dropped. The number of fractures
among children and young adults has increased, probably due to lower intakes
of calcium. Pediatricians are also seeing the re-emergence of rickets, a bone
disease that results from low levels of vitamin D. Rickets became almost nonexistent
after vitamin D was added to milk in the 1950s, but is now appearing at greater
rates around the country.
But the major effects of this crisis are yet to come.
"As these children get older, this calcium crisis will become more serious
as the population starts to show its highest rate of osteoporosis and other
bone health problems in our nation's history," Dr. Alexander said. "But
we need to remember that this is a preventable and "correctable" public
health problem."
Getting children to pay attention to their calcium needs is a challenge for
scientists and educators, he adds. For this reason, the NICHD has expanded its
MILK MATTERS campaign and Web site to speak directly to children and their parents
about calcium.
Previously, the NICHD developed educational materials that are used primarily
by educators, nurses, and physicians to convey the importance of adequate calcium
consumption among children and teens. Now, NICHD has expanded its Web site to
give children and their parents more direct access to the information and will
be adding games and other interactive content specifically for kids.
The Institute's MILK MATTERS campaign stresses low-fat or fat-free milk as
the preferred source of dietary calcium because:
· Milk has a high calcium content.
· Calcium in milk is easily absorbed by the body.
· Milk contains other nutrients, including vitamin D, vitamin A, B12,
potassium, magnesium, and protein, that are essential to healthy bone and tooth
development.
The NICHD bases its recommendations on the 1994 National Institutes of Health
(NIH) Consensus Development Conference on Optimal Calcium Intake, and on additional
guidance from the 2000 NIH Consensus Development Conference on Osteoporosis
Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy. "If you don't drink milk, it's important
to get calcium from other sources, like other dairy products, green leafy vegetables,
and foods with added calcium," explained Dr. Alexander.
The MILK MATTERS campaign offers a variety of free materials on the importance
of calcium in the diets of children and teens. Brochures, booklets, fact sheets,
coloring books, stickers, and posters are among those items available on its
recently revamped Web site, most in both English and Spanish. The MILK MATTERS
web site, www.nichd.nih.gov/milkmatters,
is also an excellent source for information on calcium for health care professionals.
The site was recently updated to include:
· "Why Milk Matters"-explains why children and teens need calcium
and why milk is the NICHD's preferred source for dietary calcium; also provides
a history of the MILK MATTERS campaign and lists some of the groups that partner
with the NICHD on certain activities.
· "Why Calcium"-explains why calcium is so important, how much
calcium children and teens need, and how physical activity plays a role in building
strong bones; also lists foods that are sources of calcium and provides facts
about lactose intolerance and calcium supplements.
· "Health Research"-provides summaries for NICHD research projects
that focus on calcium and healthy development, as well as a calendar of calcium-related
events, conferences, and meetings; also offers materials for health care professionals
on different topics related to calcium and bone health.
· "Media Information"-indicates how reporters, producers, announcers,
and other members of the media can get information about the MILK MATTERS campaign.
· "Publications and Materials"-includes online versions of
all the MILK MATTERS materials to view, download, print, and order.
· "Kids & Teens"-this newly developed section of the Web
site provides an interactive place for children and teens to learn more about
calcium. It includes games, quizzes, and other activities related to calcium
and milk, as well as fun ways to build strong and healthy bones and teeth.
· "Salud! Con Leche"-is the Spanish version of the MILK MATTERS
Web site. This portion of the site offers all the information and materials
from the MILK MATTERS campaign in Spanish, to allow this important health message
to reach a larger audience.
The NICHD also supports research and encourages outreach to better understand
and promote the importance of calcium in Americans' diets. As a part of these
efforts, Dr. Alexander will be speaking at the Calcium Summit II in January
2001, a meeting of more than 200 experts from national health and nutrition
organizations. Participants are expected to develop an "agenda for action"
on the nation's calcium crisis. In addition, the NICHD is cosponsoring the Fifth
International Symposium on Clinical Advances in Osteoporosis, also in 2002.
For more information on the MILK MATTERS campaign, contact the NICHD Clearinghouse
at 1-800-370-2943, or visit the campaign Web site at: www.nichd.nih.gov/milkmatters.
Adapted from: NIH Press Release December 10, 2001.
FDA WARNS CONSUMERS NOT TO USE THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
LIPOKINETIX®
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers immediately to
stop use of the product Lipokinetix®, marketed as a dietary supplement by
Syntrax Innovations, Inc. Lipokinetix has been implicated in a number of serious
liver injuries. FDA has received multiple reports of persons who developed liver
injury or liver failure while using Lipokinetix.
Lipokinetix is marketed for weight loss. It contains the ingredients norephedrine
(also known as phenylpropanolamine or PPA), caffeine, yohimbine, diiodothyronine,
and sodium usniate. The injuries reported to FDA occurred in persons between
20 and 32 years of age. No apparent cause of liver injury was identified in
these reports other than use of Lipokinetix. Liver injury developed between
2 weeks and 3 months of Lipokinetix use.
FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Lipokinetix and consult their physician
if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with this product, particularly
nausea, weakness or fatigue, abdominal pain, or any change in skin color. Consumers
or health care professionals who are aware of adverse effects after the use
of this or other dietary supplement products can report the adverse event to
FDA's MedWatch adverse event and product problem hot line at 1-800-FDA-1088
or via the internet (http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm). For further information,
see www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2001/safety01.htm#lipoki
Source: FDA News Page: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpwhats.html; November 20, 2001.
"CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP": REDUCING HEALTH
DISPARITIES
AFFECTING AFRICAN-AMERICANS
"Closing the Health Gap" is a health information and education campaign
designed to integrate health messages into the regular programming of ABC Radio
Networks and ABC Radio's Urban Advantage Network. The partnership between the
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and ABC Radio aims to inform
and educate African-Americans about the health gap and empower individuals to
adopt healthier lifestyles. "Closing the Health Gap" supports HHS'
efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and the goals of Healthy
People 2010, the nation's prevention agenda for improving public health.
Background:
As part of HHS' Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health,
HHS is focusing on six major areas in which racial and ethnic minorities experience
serious disparities in health access and outcomes - diabetes, heart disease
and stroke, cancer, infant mortality, child and adult immunization and HIV/AIDS.
Eliminating health disparities is also a major goal of Healthy People 2010,
the nation's prevention agenda. Through "Closing the Health Gap,"
HHS and ABC Radio Networks will include health education segments that address
the major focus areas of HHS' health disparities initiative, as well as other
health issues relevant to African Americans.
Health Disparities Affecting African-Americans
Disparities in the burden of death and illness experienced by African-Americans,
as compared with the US population as a whole, have existed since the government
began tracking such statistics. These disparities persist, and in some areas
continue to grow. The following statistics illustrate some of the major areas
of concern for African-Americans.
Life Expectancy and Death Rates
At birth, the average life expectancy for African-Americans is 71.8 years,
compared to 77.4 years for whites. Life expectancy at birth for black males
is 68.3 years, compared with 74.8 years for white males. Life expectancy at
birth for black females was 75 years, compared with 80 years for white females.
Almost 282,000 African-Americans died in 2000. The age-adjusted death rate for
the black population was 30 percent higher than for the non-Hispanic white population.
Diabetes
In 1999, 11,927 African-Americans died from diabetes, the sixth leading cause
of death for this population. The African-American death rate due to diabetes
was more than twice that for whites, when differences in age distribution were
taken into account. In addition to the deaths it causes, diabetes may result
in serious complications, including kidney disease, blindness and amputations.
Heart Disease
In 1999, 78,574 African-Americans died from heart disease, the leading cause
of death for all racial and ethnic groups. African-Americans were 30 percent
more likely to die of heart disease than whites when differences in age distributions
were taken into account.
Cancer
In 1999, 61,951 African-Americans died from cancer, the second leading cause
of death for all racial and ethnic groups. In 1999, African-Americans were 30
percent more likely to die of cancer than whites when differences in age distributions
were taken into account.
Infant Mortality
According to "Health, United States, 2000," infant mortality rates
are more than twice as high for African-Americans (14.6 infant deaths per 1,000
live births in 1999) than for whites (5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births).
There were 8,822 infant deaths in 1999.
HIV/AIDS
In 1999, 7,893 African-Americans died of HIV/AIDS, the sixth leading cause
of death for African-American males, and the 10th leading cause of death for
African-American females. In 2000, 47 percent of all cases reported in the US
were among African-Americans, and the rate of new AIDS cases among African-Americans
was almost 10 times higher than among non-Hispanic whites. In AIDS cases among
all African-American females, 55 percent were due to injection drug use or sex
with an injecting drug user.
Stroke
In 1999, 18,884 African-Americans died from stroke, the third leading cause
of death for all racial and ethnic groups. African-Americans were 40 percent
more likely to die of stroke than whites in 1999, when differences in age distributions
were taken into account.
Homicide
In 1999, 7,648 African-Americans died from homicide, the eighth leading cause
of death for this population. African-Americans were 5.4 times as likely as
whites to die of homicide in1999, even when differences in age distributions
were taken into account. Homicide was the leading cause of death for black males
ages 15-34.
Women's Health
African-American women are less likely to receive care, and when they do receive
it, are more likely to have received it late. For example, one out of four African-American
mothers did not receive prenatal care during the first trimester during 1999.
Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Approximately
69 percent of African-American women between the ages of 20 and 74 were overweight
during the period 1988 through 1994.
Immunizations
One out of four African-American children aged 19-35 months old did not receive
recommended vaccinations in 1999. About 47 percent of elderly African-Americans
received the flu vaccine in 1998, compared with 66 percent of elderly whites.
About 26 percent of elderly African-Americans received a pneumonia vaccine in
1998, compared with 50 percent of elderly whites.
Substance Abuse
In 2000, approximately one-third of new AIDS cases among African-American women
were due to injection drug use or sex with an injection drug user. Recent illicit
drug use was more common among African-American adults (8 percent) than among
white adults (5.7 percent) in 1998. However, African-American teenagers ages
12-17 years were less likely to use alcohol, marijuana or cocaine than white
teenagers in 1999.
Mental Health
According to the 2001 Surgeon General's report on mental health, the prevalence
of mental disorders is believed to be higher among African-Americans than among
whites, and African-Americans are more likely than whites to use the emergency
room for mental health problems. African-Americans with depression were less
likely to receive treatment than whites (16 percent compared to 24 percent).
Only 26 percent of African-Americans with diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder
received treatment for their disorder, compared with 39 percent of whites with
a similar diagnosis.
Organ and Tissue Donation
Currently, 21,140 African-Americans are on waiting lists for organ transplants,
according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. African-Americans comprised
35 percent of the waiting lists for kidney transplants. African-Americans are
almost four times as likely to have end-stage renal disease than whites, but
they are less likely to be evaluated and placed on waiting lists for kidney
transplants in a timely manner. Once on the list, they also tend to wait longer
for a transplant. Exact causes are unclear.
Family Care-giving
African-American caregivers are more likely than other groups to report dementia
and stroke in their care recipients, adding to the demands of their responsibilities.
A higher proportion of black caregivers report having suffered physical and
mental health problems as a result of care-giving.
Suicide
In 1999, African-Americans were half as likely to die of suicide in 1999 than
whites, even when differences in age distributions were taken into account.
Still, 463 African-Americans ages 15-24 died from suicide in 1999. It was the
third leading cause of death for blacks in this age group. Between 1980 and
1995, the suicide rate among African-Americans ages 10-14 increased 233 percent,
while the rate for whites increased 120 percent. Note: All HHS press releases,
fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.
Source: HHS FACT SHEET; November 19, 2001.
HIGH INFECTION RATE IN ORGANIC CHICKENS
Organic broiler chickens are three times as likely as conventionally-bred poultry
to be contaminated with a bacterium that causes food-poisoning, say Danish veterinarians.
The team at the Danish Veterinary Laboratory in Aarhus found that all 22 organic
broiler flocks they investigated were infected with Campylobacter, the most
common cause of food poisoning in the UK (1). Only one third of 79 conventional
broiler houses were infected.
"The organic movement is sound, but this is unwelcome news," says
Karl Pedersen, who supervised the project. He says the result is not entirely
surprising, since organic birds are allowed to roam outside and are more likely
to be exposed to food and water contaminated with infected feces from wild animals.
"But it turns out that the difference was far higher than we expected,"
he says. Peter Bradnock, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, says
he was also unsurprised by the results. "We're starting to see some of
the organic myths about food safety debunked," he says.
Patrick Holden, director of the UK Soil Association, which promotes organic
farming, says: "We will look at the research in more detail, but it is
possible that antibiotics used in the non-organic poultry cases have suppressed
the detection of infection. By contrast organic farming prohibits the routine
use of antibiotics." How-ever, Pedersen says that in Denmark, antibiotics
are used so sparingly in conventional broilerhouses that this argument does
not hold.
Unhygienic handling
It takes just 10 to 50 bacteria to pass on the infection, and feces can contain
a billion bacteria per gram. "The amount in feces is extremely high, so
one bird can infect many others," Pedersen says.
Conventionally-bred birds are slaughtered after around 38 days, whereas organic
birds live twice as long, and so are more likely to pick up infections. And
in most European countries, conventional broiler farmers grow and slaughter
all their chickens at the same time, so empty broiler houses can be thoroughly
disinfected before the next batch of day-old chicks arrives.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in Britain. Although
infections have leveled out over the past few years, cases have doubled since
1986, from 25,000 to 54,000 in 2000. In a survey published last month, Britain's
Food Standards Agency found that half of all chickens sampled were contaminated
with campylobacter. Pedersen says that there is little that can be done to prevent
infection if birds roam freely outside. He says the bacteria will not survive
cooking, but could spread to other food items if contaminated carcasses are
unhygienically handled in the kitchen.
Reference:
1. Heuer O.E.; Pedersen K.; Andersen J.S.; Madsen M. Prevalence and antimicrobial
susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter in organic and conventional broiler
flocks Letters in Applied Microbiology, October 2001; (33:4) pp. 269-274(6).
Source: News Scientist.com Newsletter October 2001: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991364.
VENEMAN NAMES SUZANNE BIERMANN AS DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY
FOR FOOD, NUTRITION, AND CONSUMER SERVICES
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced on November 20, 2001, the selection
of Suzanne M. Biermann as deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer
services. In that position, Biermann will provide policy direction for the nation's
food assistance programs as well as nutrition policy and promotion. Integrity
and accountability are important components of our food assistance programs,
said Veneman. Biermann's experience and background will be an important addition
to our Food and Nutrition Service team.
From 1998 until she joined USDA, Biermann served as the deputy commissioner
of planning, evaluation and project management for the Texas Department of Human
Services. While in that position, she also served as the executive sponsor of
a software development project to replace the automation used by over 12,000
field workers in determining client eligibility for temporary cash assistance,
food stamps and nutrition programs, health care coverage, and community-based
programs for the elderly and people with disabilities.
From 1996 to 1998, Biermann worked for the Washington State Department of Social
and Health Services directly under the assistant secretary of the Economics
Services Administration where she supported the admini-stration and regulatory
development of the state's public assistance, welfare-to-work and child support
enforce-ment programs. She also served in the Office of Quality Control to ensure
program integrity and accuracy of benefit issuances. Biermann worked for the
US Department of Health and Human Services from 1992 to 1996. Before her tenure
in the public sector, Biermann worked for four years as a management consultant
for James Bell Associates in Washington, DC Biermann holds a bachelor's degree
in business administration from Radford University in Radford, Va. She is also
a graduate of the Governor of Texas Executive Development Program at the University
of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Source: Division of Nutrition Education for Children-SNE Press Release; November
20, 2001.
FINAL REVIEW RELEASED FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 INITIATIVE
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report, Healthy People 2000:
Final Review, provides the latest available tracking data for objectives and
sub-objectives in all priority areas of the Healthy People 2000 initiative.
Of particular interest to the maternal and child health community is the chapter
on Priority Area 14, Maternal and Infant Health, which presents findings such
as reductions in infant mortality, increases in breastfeeding, and increases
in prenatal care. The report is available on the NCHS Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hp2k/review/highlightshp2000.htm.
Priority 2: Nutrition can be found starting on page 82 of 382, in the online
document: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hp2k01.pdf.
Source: NCHS Press Release; November 21, 2001.
A NEW FLYER IS AVAILABLE FROM THE USDA: "LISTERIOSIS
AND PREGNANCY: WHAT IS YOUR RISK? SAFE FOOD HANDLING FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY"
New from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS), International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation,
and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)!
Maintaining a healthful diet, drinking plenty of liquids, and taking prenatal
vitamins are all important for the health of the expectant mother and her baby.
Food safety is also very important. This information will help you make safe
decisions when selecting and preparing food for yourself and/or your family.
The 2-sided publication is available as a single sheet or in pads of 25 sheets,
just perfect for placement in public health offices, WIC clinics, or obstetricians'
offices. Available in late November, the initial mailing is being targeted to
organizations and health care providers who work with pregnant women. To view
the document: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/lm_tearsheet.pdf.
To request the publication in single sheets or "tear-off" pads: e-mail
requests to: fsis.outreach@usda.gov.
Source: USDA Press Release; November 1, 2001.
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NUTRITION PERSPECTIVES
University of California
Department of Nutrition
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616-5270