Food Quality

[parsley]

"Pfizer rejects infant formula aluminium fears
By Rory Harrington, 06-Sep-2010

Related topics: Quality & Safety

Pfizer Nutrition has declared all its infant formula products meet strict international rules on aluminium levels after a UK study raised concerns over the amount of the metal present in a number of leading baby milk brands – including ones made by the company.

The multi-national food and pharmaceutical firm was responding to research from Keele University that concluded many major infant formula brands tested were “significantly contaminated” with aluminium. Concentrations of the metal detected were up to 40 times higher than are present in breast milk and several times higher than are allowed in drinking water, said lead researcher Dr Chris Exley.

Pfizer is the parent company of SMA Nutrition – whose products were included in the survey of 15 infant formulas as part of the study. Cow & Gate, HIPP Organic and Aptamil were the other brands. Pfizer said that no aluminium was added to its products as part of the manufacturing process and that the metal was present naturally in many foodstuffs, cooking utensils and packaging.

Study findings

The research found that concentrations of the metal ranged from ca 176 to 700 µg/L in ready-made milks – with the highest concentration found in a product for pre-term babies. Consumption of these milk formulas would result in the ingestion of up to 600 µg of aluminium a day, said the team. Aluminium levels in SMA's First Infant Milk and Follow-on Milk were among the lowest of those tested.

The team also discovered that powders used to make milk contained aluminium levels from around 2.4 to 4.3 µg/g. The lower level of 2.4 µg/g was the reading for SMA First Infant Milk, while the latter reading was for SMA Wysoy Soya Infant Formula - equating to a ready-to-drink concentration of 333 and 629 µg/L respectively, said the study.

Number one priority

Responding to the study, which Pfizer described as “small”, the company stressed that safety was its number one concern and that it rigorously scrutinised levels of aluminium in its infant formulas to ensure they adhered to all international standards.

“It is important for consumers to know that Pfizer Nutrition does not add aluminium to its products,” a company spokeswoman told

FoodProductionDaily.com. “Aluminium is naturally-occurring in the environment and is present in many fruits, vegetables, packaged foods, beverages and water, as well as in cooking pans and foils.”

She added: “The safety of our products is our number one priority. We follow stringent international guidelines regarding the production of our formula. We monitor aluminium regularly as part of a rigorous surveillance program to safeguard our products. We also adhere to regulatory limits established in the countries in which we operate.”

Pfizer said it would carefully review the authors’ methodology, results and conclusions to determine how it fits into the existing body of literature on this topic.

The British Specialist Nutrition Association (BSNA) – a trade association body of which Pfizer Nutrition and Danone are the only two members – said monitoring by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) had shown their members' products to be safe and within Tolerable Weekly Intake levels established in 2008. The TWI is a conservative safety level that applies to all ages, it added.

“In the light of this new data our members will continue to analyse and monitor their products and work with the authorities to ensure that their formulas continue to be within the safety limit,” said the body. “Parents can be reassured that their advice and the advice of the FSA is that there is no need to change their baby’s feed.”

Pars

[parsley]

That was the long version. For the following posts, I'll merely copy edited blips from the last few days of alerts I get by email. LAST FEW DAYS.

Could we reasonably say there is something systemically amiss with our food when constant recall and problems are publicly divulged in neverending streams?

"News in brief

Largest salmonella outbreak in years linked to duck eggs

The largest outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT8 in recent years in Ireland has been found to be linked to duck eggs, according to an ongoing investigation..."

[parsley]

"Significant rise in undeclared EU food ingredient allergen warnings

2009 saw a significant rise in EU allergen warnings relating to undeclared milk ingredients and sulphites, according to the annual report of union food safety reporting body the RASFF..."

[parsley]

"Government scientists claim food industry interests block safety measures

A new survey of government scientists and inspectors has suggested that parts of the food industry influence and withhold food safety data to protect their business interests... "

[parsley]

"EFSA calls for more data before decision on flavourings safety

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised that safe usage levels of seven flavouring substances commonly used in or on food in member states should be reassessed, due to reservations about industry data submitted... "

[parsley]

"Call for industry to check sourcing to prevent 'honey laundering'

A coalition of honey producers and importers has called on industry to question its sourcing of honey in light of the recent crackdown on honey smuggled from China... "

[parsley]

"USDA sued over GM sugar

A coalition of environmental and farming groups has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) accusing it of sidestepping a ban on the planting of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets..."

[parsley]

These are just from the last few days.

My point is this:

If we as producers grow healthy food, and we do our share but the processors/chain who buy our raw grains do not, will eaters end up preferring to buy from alternate countries that they trust?

Western farmers sell grain to China but I do not want to eat what they manufacture. Nor do I trust their products. Am I the only one? Pars

[furrowtickler]

Pars, talk to your self much???? lol - just pokin yah.

[riders2010]

Umh! Pokin ya?....... you guys want a room? lol!!!!

[wd9]

You are not the only one parsley. Was reading an article on low priced jewellery. The lead, yes lead used, had antimony levels consistent with battery plate lead. They buy the batteries to recycle for peanuts, we feel good about recycling, then the lead comes home to hang around kids and teens necks poisoning them with PB and SB.

You are definitely not the only one.

For ref.

Evidence of recycling of lead battery waste into highly leaded jewelry

This article is not included in your organization's subscription. However, you may be able to access this article under your organization's agreement with Elsevier.

Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, a, and Michael L. Clementa

aDepartment of Chemistry, Ashland University, 401 College Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805, USA

Received 3 April 2007; revised 30 May 2007; accepted 1 June 2007. Available online 13 July 2007.

Abstract
Inexpensive highly leaded jewelry, much of it imported from China, remains widely available in the United States. The source materials for these items are unknown. Due to the low cost of much of this trinket jewelry, it seems likely that scrap materials may be used in their manufacture. Thirty-nine jewelry items previously determined to contain 90% or more lead by weight were analyzed for antimony content. The average antimony content of these thirty-nine items was 3.0%. The range of antimony content in the samples was from 0.3% to 6.2% antimony by weight, with twenty-seven of the samples in the range of 2–4% antimony by weight. By comparison, battery lead standard reference material obtained from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology contains 2.95% antimony by weight. While the evidence is circumstantial, the similarity in composition of these samples to battery lead is striking and supports the hypothesis that some battery lead is being recycled into highly leaded jewelry items. These results suggest that the recycling of this waste in China needs to be investigated, as the use of lead battery waste as a source material for children’s jewelry poses a clear threat to children’s health.

[riders2010]

We screen all our food, and toys for the kids etc for made in china and avoid it at all possible. Trouble is labels are not always telling the whole story, made in country x may mean put in the can at x, but the ingredients from where or vice-versa. Maybe paranoid but seen too many documentaries and news reports about it and does not feel right giving things to the kids from there. But how do we know other countries not worse?

off topic a bit but in the case of canadian beef it is such an absolute travesty that the industry has been destroyed, when it has the best product in the world, and we may have to be forced to eat what kinda beef from where? Beef producers forced out because supposedly cannot compete world wide, well how much value do you add to a pound of beef when it is the best in the world? apparently none.

[parsley]

As producers, maybe we need to invite ourselves to the "value-chain" production line being promoted as our economic saviour.

As producers, shouldn't we take keen interest in the quality of the end product if we want to maintain our continuity as suppliers of raw product?

Do any producer associations you know of seriously focus on the quality of the finished product?

I have read France's producers are particularly fussy re end product. Pars

[riders2010]

No it's all about money and we allow world wide trade deals where entities can take advantage of some chineese or pakistani or bangledesh person who has nothing and therefore will work for a penny to produce a product it's labelled as more efficient only in terms of cost of prodcuction and workable for free trade etc. Free trade is a hoax that perpetuates the problem you have listed above.

Very good topic that is much more serious than many people take it' my self included. How do you get the consumer else where to value the best beef in the world for example if they make a penny an hour?

[riders2010]

Sorry should have read yes to your first question and no to the part of org. do not look at quality like they should.