Dataset Information

Scientific opinion on pesticides in foods for infants and young children.

ABSTRACT: Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR Panel) prepared a scientific opinion to provide a comprehensive evaluation of pesticide residues in foods for infants and young children. In its approach to develop this scientific opinion, the EFSA PPR Panel took into account, among the others, (i) the relevant opinions of the Scientific Committee for Food setting a default maximum residue level (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg for pesticide residues in foods for infants and young children; (ii) the recommendations provided by EFSA Scientific Committee in a guidance on risk assessment of substances present in food intended for infants below 16 weeks of age; (iii) the knowledge on organ/system development in infants and young children. For infants below 16 weeks of age, the EFSA PPR Panel concluded that pesticide residues at the default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg for food for infants and young children are not likely to result in an unacceptable exposure for active substances for which a health-based guidance value (HBGV) of 0.0026 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day or higher applies. Lower MRLs are recommended for active substances with HBGVs below this value. For infants above 16 weeks of age and young children, the established approach for setting HBGVs is considered appropriate. For infants below 16 weeks of age the approach may not be appropriate and the application of the EFSA guidance on risk assessment of substances present in food intended for infants below 16 weeks of age is recommended. The contribution of conventional food to the total exposure to pesticide residues is much higher than that from foods intended for infants and young children. Because of the increased intake of conventional food by young children, these have the highest exposure to pesticide residues, whereas infants 3-6 months of age generally have lower exposure. The impact of cumulative exposure to pesticide residues on infants and young children is not different from the general population and the EFSA cumulative risk assessment methodology is also applicable to these age groups. Residue definitions established under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 are in general considered appropriate also for foods for infants and young children. However, based on a tier 1 analysis of the hydrolysis potential of pesticides simulating processing, the particular appropriateness of existing residue definitions for monitoring to cover processed food, both intended for infants and young children as well as conventional food, is questionable.

SUBMITTER: EFSA Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR)

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7009577 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Scientific opinion on pesticides in foods for infants and young children.

Ockleford Colin C Adriaanse Paulien P Hougaard Bennekou Susanne S Berny Philippe P Brock Theodorus T Duquesne Sabine S Grilli Sandro S Hernandez-Jerez Antonio F AF Klein Michael M Kuhl Thomas T Laskowski Ryszard R Machera Kyriaki K Pelkonen Olavi O Pieper Silvia S Smith Robert R Stemmer Michael M Sundh Ingvar I Teodorovic Ivana I Tiktak Aaldrik A Topping Christopher J CJ Gundert-Remy Ursula U Kersting Mathilde M Waalkens-Berendsen Ine I Chiusolo Arianna A Court Marques Danièle D Dujardin Bruno B Kass Georges E N GEN Mohimont Luc L Nougadère Alexandre A Reich Hermine H Wolterink Gerrit G

EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority 20180628 6

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR Panel) prepared a scientific opinion to provide a comprehensive evaluation of pesticide residues in foods for infants and young children. In its approach to develop this scientific opinion, the EFSA PPR Panel took into account, among the others, (i) the relevant opinions of the Scientific Committee for Food setting a default maximum residue level (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg for pesticide ...[more]

PMID: 32625927

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Project description:BackgroundAppropriate feeding of infants and young children is essential for healthy growth and the prevention of stunting, wasting, and overweight. We aimed to assess the beneficial versus harmful effects of providing fortified complementary foods to children in the complementary feeding period.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the databases Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Index Medicus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from inception to March 9, 2021. We included randomised controlled trials and controlled clinical trials done in infants and children aged 6-23 months with no identified health problems. Consumption of foods fortified centrally (ie, during industrial processing) with one micronutrient or a combination of vitamins, minerals, or both was compared with the same complementary foods, but without micronutrient fortification. Two review authors independently screened studies for eligibility, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and rated the certainty of the evidence. The main outcomes were growth (measured by Z scores for weight for age, weight for height or length, and height or length for age, or other growth measures), stunting, wasting, nutrient adequacy or excess, anaemia, haemoglobin concentration, iron status, serum zinc concentration, and serum retinol concentration. We used a random-effects meta-analysis for combining data. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021245876.FindingsWe included 16 studies with 6423 participants, 13 of which were done in malaria-endemic areas. Overall, 12 studies were included in the quantitative syntheses. We identified five further ongoing studies. There was no difference between participants who received fortified complementary foods and those who received non-fortified complementary foods in weight-for-age Z scores (mean difference -0·01, 95% CI -0·07 to 0·06; five trials; 1206 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), weight-for-height or length Z scores (-0·05, -0·19 to 0·10; four trials; 1109 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and height or length-for-age Z scores (-0·01, -0·21 to 0·20; four trials; 811 participants; low-certainty evidence); stunting and wasting were not assessed in any study as outcomes. Moderate-certainty evidence from six trials with 1209 patients showed that providing fortified complementary foods to children aged 6-23 months reduced the risk of anaemia (risk ratio 0·57, 95% CI 0·39 to 0·82). Those who received fortified complementary foods compared with those who did not had higher haemoglobin concentrations (mean difference 3·44 g/L, 95% CI 1·33 to 5·55; 11 trials; 2175 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and ferritin concentration (0·43 μg/L on log scale, 0·14 to 0·72; six trials; 903 participants; low-certainty evidence). The intervention led to no effects on serum zinc concentration (-0·13 g/dL, -0·82 to 0·56; two trials; 333 participants; low-certainty evidence) and serum retinol concentration (0·03 μmol/L, -0·02 to 0·08; five trials; 475 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).InterpretationFortified complementary foods are effective strategies to prevent anaemia in infants and young children aged 6-23 months in malaria-endemic regions. Effects of complementary food fortification should be further investigated in low-income and middle-income countries, but should also be assessed in high-income countries, and in regions where malaria is not endemic.FundingWHO.

Project description:Early childhood is a critical time for establishing food preferences and dietary habits. In order for appropriate advice to be available to parents and healthcare professionals it is essential for researchers to understand the ways in which children learn about foods. This review summarizes the literature relating to the role played by known developmental learning processes in the establishment of early eating behavior, food preferences and general knowledge about food, and identifies gaps in our knowledge that remain to be explored. A systematic literature search identified 48 papers exploring how young children learn about food from the start of complementary feeding to 36 months of age. The majority of the papers focus on evaluative components of children's learning about food, such as their food preferences, liking and acceptance. A smaller number of papers focus on other aspects of what and how children learn about food, such as a food's origins or appropriate eating contexts. The review identified papers relating to four developmental learning processes: (1) Familiarization to a food through repeated exposure to its taste, texture or appearance. This was found to be an effective technique for learning about foods, especially for children at the younger end of our age range. (2) Observational learning of food choice. Imitation of others' eating behavior was also found to play an important role in the first years of life. (3) Associative learning through flavor-nutrient and flavor-flavor learning (FFL). Although the subject of much investigation, conditioning techniques were not found to play a major role in shaping the food preferences of infants in the post-weaning and toddler periods. (4) Categorization of foods. The direct effects of the ability to categorize foods have been little studied in this age group. However, the literature suggests that what infants are willing to consume depends on their ability to recognize items on their plate as familiar exemplars of that food type.

Project description:BackgroundUSDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides expert-chosen supplemental foods to improve the diets and health of low-income infants and children <5 y of age, but dietary behaviors of WIC participants are not well characterized.ObjectiveThe purpose of this analysis was to examine differences in food consumption patterns between WIC participants and nonparticipants.MethodsFITS 2016 is a nationwide cross-sectional study of children <4 y (n = 3235). Data were weighted to provide US population-representative results. Children were categorized as WIC participants or nonparticipants, with the latter divided into lower- and higher-income nonparticipants. Group differences were assessed via the Wald test (demographics) and Rao-Scott modified chi-square test (breastfeeding prevalence). Differences in percentage consuming WIC-provided and selected other foods between WIC participants and nonparticipants were evaluated with the use of ORs and 95% CIs.ResultsWIC infants were less likely to breastfeed than were higher-income nonparticipants at 0-5.9 mo (45% compared with 74%) and less likely than both nonparticipant groups at 6-11.9 mo (30% compared with 49-60%). WIC 6- to 11.9-mo-olds were more likely to consume infant cereals and vegetables than were lower-income nonparticipants. WIC 12 to 23.9-mo-olds were more likely to drink whole milk (which WIC provides at this age) than were nonparticipants (72% compared with 59-64%), whereas WIC participants 24-47.9 mo were more likely to drink low- and nonfat milks (which WIC provides at this age) than were nonparticipants (45% compared with 13-22%). WIC participants 6-47.9 mo were more likely to drink juice than were nonparticipants.ConclusionsContinued improvements in early dietary patterns are warranted for WIC and non-WIC children. Breastfeeding among WIC participants is a continuing challenge. Findings suggest that baby-food cereals, vegetables, and fruits (all provided by WIC) contribute importantly to WIC infants' diets, whereas WIC children are more likely to use lower-fat milks after 2 y of age than are non-WIC participants.

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Scientific opinion on pesticides in foods for infants and young children.

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Scientific opinion on pesticides in foods for infants and young children.

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