Dataset Information

How to Build a Standardized Country-Specific Environmental Food Database for Nutritional Epidemiology Studies.

ABSTRACT: There is a lack of standardized country-specific environmental data to combine with nutritional and dietary data for assessing the environmental impact of individual diets in epidemiology surveys, which are consequently reliant on environmental food datasets based on values retrieved from a heterogeneous literature. The aim of this study was to compare and assess the relative strengths and limits of a database of food greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) values estimated with a hybrid method combining input/output and LCA approaches, with a dataset of GHGE values retrieved from the literature. France is the geographical perimeter considered in this study, but the methodology could be applied to other countries. The GHGE of 402 foodstuffs, representative of French diet, were estimated using the hybrid method. In parallel, the GHGE of individual foods were collected from existing literature. Median per-food-category GHGE values from the hybrid method and the reviewed literature were found to correlate strongly (Spearman correlation was 0.83), showing similar rankings of food categories. Median values were significantly different for only 5 (out of 29) food categories, including the ruminant meats category for which the hybrid method gave lower estimates than those from existing literature. Analysis also revealed that literature values came from heterogeneous studies that were not always sourced and that were conducted under different LCA modeling hypotheses. In contrast, the hybrid method helps build reliably-sourced, representative national standards for product-based datasets. We anticipate this hybrid method to be a starting point for better environmental impact assessments of diets.

SUBMITTER: Bertoluci G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824438 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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How to Build a Standardized Country-Specific Environmental Food Database for Nutritional Epidemiology Studies.

Bertoluci Gwenola G Masset Gabriel G Gomy Catherine C Mottet Julien J Darmon Nicole N

PloS one 20160407 4

There is a lack of standardized country-specific environmental data to combine with nutritional and dietary data for assessing the environmental impact of individual diets in epidemiology surveys, which are consequently reliant on environmental food datasets based on values retrieved from a heterogeneous literature. The aim of this study was to compare and assess the relative strengths and limits of a database of food greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) values estimated with a hybrid method combinin ...[more]

PMID: 27054565

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Project description:Notwithstanding a growth in popularity and consumption of gluten-free (GF) food products, there is a lack of substantiated analysis of the nutritional quality compared with their gluten-containing counterparts. To put GF foods into proper perspective both for those who need it (patients with celiac disease) and for those who do not, we provide contemporary data about cost and nutritional quality of GF food products. The objective of this study is to develop a food composition database for seven discretionary food categories of packaged GF products. Nutrient composition, nutritional information and cost of foods from 63 GF and 126 gluten-containing counterparts were systematically obtained from 12 different Austrian supermarkets. The nutrition composition (macro and micronutrients) was analyzed by using two nutrient composition databases in a stepwise approximation process. A total of 63 packaged GF foods were included in the analysis representing a broad spectrum of different GF categories (flour/bake mix, bread and bakery products, pasta and cereal-based food, cereals, cookies and cakes, snacks and convenience food). Our results show that the protein content of GF products is >2 fold lower across 57% of all food categories. In 65% of all GF foods, low sodium content was observed (defined as <120 mg/100 g). Across all GF products, 19% can be classified as source high in fiber (defined as >6g/100 g). On average, GF foods were substantially higher in cost, ranging from +205% (cereals) to +267% (bread and bakery products) compared to similar gluten-containing products. In conclusion, our results indicate that for GF foods no predominant health benefits are indicated; in fact, some critical nutrients must be considered when being on a GF diet. For individuals with celiac disease, the GF database provides a helpful tool to identify the food composition of their medical diet. For healthy consumers, replacing gluten-containing products with GF foods is aligned with substantial cost differences but GF foods do not provide additional health benefits from a nutritional perspective.

Project description:Fragrance encapsulates (FEs) are designed to deliver fragrance components, notably in laundry care products. They are made of thermoset polymeric shells surrounding the fragrance content. These materials enter the environment mainly during laundry washing, but little is known about their distribution in and impact on the environment. The aim of the present study was to estimate the environmental concentrations of FE shells in freshwater, sediment, and soil compartments for 34 selected countries and to compare them with ecotoxicological effects. Probabilistic material flow analysis was used to estimate worst-case predicted environmental concentrations (PECs). The lowest freshwater PEC was predicted for Finland (0.00011 µg/L) and the highest for Belgium (0.13 µg/L). Accumulation of FE shells between 2010 and 2019 was considered for sediments and sludge-treated soils. The PECs in sediments ranged from 3.0 µg/kg (Finland) to 3400 µg/kg (Belgium). For sludge-treated soil, the concentration was estimated to be between 0 (Malta and Switzerland) and 3600 µg/kg (Vietnam). Ecotoxicological tests showed no effects for FE shells at any tested concentration (up to 2700 µg/L freshwater, 5400 µg/kg sediment, and 9100 µg/kg soil), thus not allowing derivation of a predicted-no-effect concentration (PNEC). Therefore, to characterize the environmental risks, the PEC values were compared with highest-observed-no-effect concentrations (HONECs) derived from ecotoxicological tests. The PEC/HONEC ratios were 9.3 × 10-6 , 0.13, and 0.04 for surface waters, sediments, and sludge-treated soils, respectively, which are much below 1, suggesting no environmental risk. Because the PEC values constitute an upper boundary (no fate considered) and the HONEC values represent a lower boundary (actual PNEC values based on NOECs will be higher), the current risk estimation can be considered a precautionary worst-case assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:905-916. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Dataset Information

How to Build a Standardized Country-Specific Environmental Food Database for Nutritional Epidemiology Studies.

Publications

How to Build a Standardized Country-Specific Environmental Food Database for Nutritional Epidemiology Studies.

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