Food and health at work–a review. The costs and benefits of a policy approach

The workplace is an important setting for health promotion and provides an ideal opportunity for shaping healthy eating patterns in occupational groups for whom inequalities have been identified (DHSS, 1980). Workplace food/health policies provide an intermediate and pragmatic step towards achieving the dietary targets set out in the Government's white paper Health of the Nation and the most recent COMA report (DoH, 1991,1992). Food/health policies have been widely adopted in the NHS (Gibson & Kallevik, 1990) and preliminary research suggests that they are an effective means of intervention (Wallis & Poulter, 1988; Frost et al., 1991). Industry has been slower to link food and health promotion to a policy making process. Surveys imply that action on healthy eating in companies often originates in the occupational health department and is based on individualistic approaches with little energy being put into preventive activities which would originate in the canteen (Mclnerney & Cooper, 1989; Poulter, 1990). Policies provide a means of balancing the environmental and educational paradigms of health promotion. If food/health policies are to grow in the private sector then industry has to be convinced that the benefits Justify the costs. Some philanthropic employers are motivated by interests other than financial gain, but others are commercially led. There is little hard evidence to demonstrate that any type of employer-sponsored healthy eating initiative provides a favourable return for investment. It has been ‘guesstimates’ and extrapolation from other situations which have provided the justification for UK companies to allocate any resources towards addressing food/health issues. In April 1990 the National Grid Company adopted a comprehensive food/health policy. This paper draws on the experiences in developing and implementing the policy document to discuss the issues around evaluative activity in a commercial setting. Views are expressed on the feasibility of measurement and the value of the informaton collected. One aim of the future should be to research this under-examined area to establish a solid body of information. This would raise the level of debate from one which is currently based on anecdotal evidence to a sounder scientific footing and, therefore, ensure the future growth of such policies in the corporate sector.     

薄层扫描法测定食物中胆固醇的含量

本文探讨食物中胆固醇的薄层光密度法的测定。用硅胶Ｇ与０．３％ＣＭＣ－Ｎａ按１：２．２比例制成薄层板，石油醚－乙醚－－冰醋酸（７：３：０．１）为展开剂，５％磷钼酸乙醇溶液显色，日本岛津ＣＳ－９１０型薄层扫描仪定量扫描，测得精神异系数（ＲＤＳ％）为２．９２。稳定性变异系数（ＲＳＤ％）为２．３５，加嘏率在８７．９５－９４．２９％范围内。与气相色谱法（其回收率在９２－１０３％范围）比较，结果相接近，该法简     

牛磺酸与大脑发育关系的初步探讨——牛磺酸与行为

本实验将断乳大鼠随机分成三组。补充0.6％牛磺酸组(ST组);未补充牛磺酸组(TF组);及5703大鼠常备膳组(5703组)。用水迷宫及食物偏爱性试验观察补充牛磺酸对大鼠学习、记忆能力的影响。结果表明,三组大鼠在水迷宫试验总潜伏期,总错误次数,无误率及持续时间四项指标上均存在高度显著差异。ST:TF P<0.01;ST:5703 P<0.01;5703:TF P<0.05。ST与TF在食物偏爱性试验上存在显著差异(P<0.05)。上述结果表明:牛磺酸与大脑发育有关,表现为补充了牛磺酸的大鼠在学习、记忆等方面的提高。而牛磺酸缺乏对幼鼠大脑及智力发育有不利影响,表现为学习、记忆能力的不足。     

Beef allergy: a review of 12 cases

BACKGROUND: Although beef allergy has long been considered a rare condition, the number of studies regarding the nature, epidemiology, and symptoms of beef allergy has been increasing. We aimed to describe the results of allergy work-up of 12 patients who have a convincing history of acute allergic symptoms following beef ingestion. METHODS: Detailed histories of 10 children and two adult relatives were obtained and patients underwent skin prick tests with commercial beef extract, raw beef and cooked beef. Serum total and beef-specific IgE were measured. Labial, and in selected cases, open food challenges were undertaken. RESULTS: Interestingly, the rate of family history of beef allergy was 67% (8/12). Three patients (two with commercial extract, and one with cooked beef) had positive skin test responses to beef. Ten (83%) patients had elevated serum IgE concentrations (median 316.5 kU/l, range 9-1321 kU/l) and the beef-specific IgE was positive in all patients (median 6.23 kUA/l, range 0.83-36.6 kUA/l). Labial food challenge was positive in four (30%) patients. Of the five patients who underwent open food challenges, three were positive and two tolerated the beef administered. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that skin prick tests do not accurately diagnose IgE-mediated sensitization to beef. Thus, patients with suspected beef allergy should be screened additionally for beef-specific IgE antibodies, and in selected cases oral food challenge should be carried out to verify the diagnosis.     

Genotypic influences on lead-induced hyperactivity in mice

Male mice, genetically selected for differences in brain weight or from a heterogeneous (HET) stock, were used to explore potential interactions between genotype and exposure to lead as manifested in activity. At the time of birth dams and their pups were given either water or a 0.5% lead acetate solution as the sole source of fluid. Fluid conditions remained constant throughout the experiment. The effects of chronic lead on activity in young adult mice depended on the genotype of the individual. Specifically, in an open field, HET mice exposed to lead tended to be more active than their control counterparts. Low-and high-brain weight lead-exposed mice at times were hypoactive but this effect depended on the specific nature of the measure.This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant DAR7911233 to Peter J. Donovick and Richard G. Bruggight and by Biomedical Research Support Group Grant 5S077RR07149 to Peter J. Donovick.     

Allergenicity of goat’s milk in children with cow’s milk allergy

BACKGROUND: Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is a common disease of infancy and childhood. An appropriate cow's milk (CM) substitute is necessary for feeding babies with CMA. CM substitutes are soy formulas and casein- or whey-based extensively hydrolyzed formulas. In several countries, including Italy, goat's milk (GM) formulas are available, and some physicians recommend them for feeding babies with CMA. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate, in vitro and in vivo, the allergenicity of GM in 26 children with proven IgE-mediated CMA. METHODS: All the children underwent skin tests with CM and GM; detection of specific serum IgE to CM and GM; and double-blind, placebo-controlled, oral food challenges (DBPCOFCs) with fresh CM, GM, and, as placebo, a soy formula (Isomil, Abbott, Italy). CAP inhibition and immunoblotting inhibition assays were also carried out in 1 of 26 and 4 of 26 children with positive RAST results to both CM and GM, respectively. RESULTS: All the children had positive skin test responses and CAP results to both CM and GM, all had positive DBPCOFC results to CM, and 24 of 26 had positive DBPCOFCs to GM. In CAP inhibition tests, preincubation of serum with CM or GM strongly inhibited IgE either to CM or to GM. In immunoblotting inhibition assays, preincubation with CM completely extinguished reactivity to GM, whereas GM partially inhibited reactivity to CM. CONCLUSIONS: These data strongly indicate that GM is not an appropriate CM substitute for children with IgE-mediated CMA. A warning on the lack of safety of GM for children with CMA should be on the label of GM formulas to prevent severe allergic reactions in babies with CMA.     

Predicting development of sustained unresponsiveness to milk oral immunotherapy using epitope-specific antibody binding profiles

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Oral Sodium Cromoglycate Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis Related to Food Allergy

Thirty-two children and two adults with chronic atopic dermatitis related to food allergy entered this double-blind crossover study comparing oral sodium cromoglycate (200–1600 mg/24 h) with placebo. Each treatment period comprised 6 weeks: 1 weeks on elimination diet, and 2 weeks on a normal. i.e. unrestricted diet. The diagnosis of food allergy was made after clinical improvement with elimination diet and relapse after challenge. Overall analysis of skin symptoms evaluated by means of clinical assessments and diary cards, opinions of treatment, and use of concomitant medication gave no evidence of any difference between sodium cromoglycate and placebo. Unusual symptoms were reported by 18 patients. In one case the patient was withdrawn during the sodium cromoglycate period because of side effects. The majority of symptoms with both treatments were stomach problems. Overall analysis of the laboratory data gave no significant differences between treatments.     

Combined skin prick and patch testing enhances identification of peanut-allergic patients with atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND: Food atopy patch tests (APTs) are considered a useful tool for the diagnosis of food allergy. Hypersensitivity to peanuts has not been investigated by means of APTs so far. METHODS: APTs and skin prick tests (SPTs) with peanuts were performed in 136 atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. Relevance of positive and negative responses to these tests was assessed by repeated open challenges with peanuts. RESULTS: Nine percent of our AD patients reacted to the challenge. Positive responses to APTs were recorded in 19% of the patients, whereas in 12% positive SPTs were observed. APTs were more frequently positive in subjects with eczematous responses after challenge with respect to those with urticarial reactions. SPT reactivity proved to be higher in patients above 12 years of age, whereas APT positivity was more frequent in children under 6 years. APT sensitivity proved significantly higher than SPT sensitivity, in particular in children under 12 years of age. On the contrary, SPT specificity and positive predictive value were significantly higher with respect to those of APT in the age group of subjects under 6 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that APTs with peanuts may represent a useful integration to standard testing modalities employed for the diagnosis of peanut allergy in AD patients.