Perchlorates are salts of perchloric acid HClO4. Perchlorate occurrences in the environment are mainly of anthropogenic origin, i.e. they are caused by humans, although perchlorate can also occur naturally in mineral storage sites in several countries. Perchlorate has never been approved as a pesticidal or biocidal active substance in the European Union. According to the latest findings, the main entry path is probably the contact of foods – in the course of their production and/or processing – with water which has been treated previously with chlorinated biocidal products for disinfection purposes. Perchlorate can occur as a by-product of disinfection when used in this way.

EFSA has launched a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion on dietary reference values (DRVs) for sodium. In particular, it is seeking feedback on the way it plans to select and use evidence in its assessment.
As part of the assessment, systematic literature reviews will be conducted on the relationship between sodium intake and health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and bone health.
EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) has developed a protocol describing the steps to be followed for the collection, selection, appraisal and integration of the evidence.
The protocol was developed in accordance with EFSA’s Prometheus approach to dealing with data and evidence in scientific assessments.
Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the proposed protocol and other parts of the assessment by 12 November 2017.
The draft opinion and protocol will then be revised in light of the comments received and the completed assessment, including recommendations on DRVs, will be made available for a second public consultation.

European Food Safety Agencyhttp://tinyurl.com/y7pjgstj

The tenth edition of Hi Europe & Ni in Frankfurt, Germany, delivered the key ingredient that makes it unique for exhibitors and trade visitors alike: the critical link between food, health, dietary supplements and functional foods. The event organizer recorded steady growth with more than 550 companies, amongst them 150 new exhibitors, showcasing and presenting at Europe’s most important health ingredient trade show at the end of November. The strongest increase in exhibitors was in the natural and organic pavilion, which has grown by more than 60 per cent.

Researchers from Hebrew SeniorLife’s Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), Wageningen University, Tilburg University, University of Reading, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have discovered that higher intake of dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, is associated with higher volumetric bone mineral density and vertebral strength at the spine in men. Dairy intake seems to be most beneficial for men over age 50, and continued to have positive associations irrespective of serum vitamin D status.