scholarly journals Public Health Risks Associated with Tetrodotoxin and Its Analogues in European Waters: Recent Advances after The EFSA Scientific Opinion

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katikou
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Health Risks ◽  
Marine Bivalves ◽  
Scientific Opinion ◽  
Human Intoxication

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogues are naturally occurring toxins responsible worldwide for human intoxication cases and fatalities, mainly associated with pufferfish consumption. In the last decade, TTXs were detected in marine bivalves and gastropods from European waters. As TTXs are not regulated or monitored at EU level, their unexpected occurrence in shellfish raised concerns as a food safety hazard and revealed the necessity of a thorough assessment on the public health risks associated with their presence. For this reason, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was requested by the European Commission to provide a scientific opinion, finally adopted in March 2017, according to which a provisional concentration below 44 μg TTX equivalents/kg shellfish meat, based on a large portion size of 400 g, was considered not to result in adverse effects in humans. The EFSA expert panel, however, recognized a number of shortcomings and uncertainties related to the unavailability of sufficient scientific data and provided relevant recommendations for future research to overcome these data gaps identified in order to further refine the risk assessment on TTXs. The present review aims to summarize the knowledge obtained towards addressing these recommendations in the two years following publication of the EFSA opinion, at the same time highlighting the points requiring further investigation.

scholarly journals Public Health Risks Associated with Heavy Metal and Microbial Contamination of Drinking Water in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 3982
Author(s):  
Paul J Molino ◽  
Richard Bentham ◽  
Michael J Higgins ◽  
Jason Hinds ◽  
Harriet Whiley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Lead Exposure ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Public Health Risks ◽  
Piping Systems ◽  
The Impact

Recently in Australia concerns have been raised regarding the contamination of municipal drinking water supplies with lead. This is of particular concern to children due to the impact of lead exposure on cognitive development and as such these findings have received much media attention. The response from legislators has been swift, and The Victorian School Building Authority has announced that all new schools and school upgrade works will only use lead-free tapware and piping systems. However, while the immediate replacement of lead-containing brass fittings may seem a logical and obvious response, it does not consider the potential implications on microbial contamination. This is particularly concerning given the increasing public health threat posed by opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs). This commentary explores this public health risk of lead exposure from plumbing materials compared to the potential public health risks from OPPPs. Non-tuberculous mycobacterium was chosen as the example OPPP, and the influence on plumbing material and its public health burden in Australia is explored. This commentary highlights the need for future research into the influence of plumbing material on OPPPs prior to any changes in legislation regarding plumbing material.

scholarly journals Public health risks related to food safety issues in the food market: a systematic literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zemichael Gizaw
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Food Marketing ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Public Health Risks ◽  
Food Market

Abstract Background Food safety in the food market is one of the key areas of focus in public health, because it affects people of every age, race, gender, and income level around the world. The local and international food marketing continues to have significant impacts on food safety and health of the public. Food supply chains now cross multiple national borders which increase the internationalization of health risks. This systematic review of literature was, therefore, conducted to identify common public health risks related to food safety issues in the food market. Methods All published and unpublished quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were searched from electronic databases using a three step searching. Analytical framework was developed using the PICo (population, phenomena of interest, and context) method. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. The included full-text articles were qualitatively analyzed using emergent thematic analysis approach to identify key concepts and coded them into related non-mutually exclusive themes. We then synthesized each theme by comparing the discussion and conclusion of the included articles. Emergent themes were identified based on meticulous and systematic reading. Coding and interpreting the data were refined during analysis. Results The analysis of 81 full-text articles resulted in seven common public health risks related with food safety in the food market. Microbial contamination of foods, chemical contamination of foods, food adulteration, misuse of food additives, mislabeling, genetically modified foods (GM foods), and outdated foods or foods past their use-by dates were the identified food safety–related public health risks in the food market. Conclusion This systematic literature review identified common food safety–related public health risks in the food market. The results imply that the local and international food marketing continues to have significant impacts on health of the public. The food market increases internationalization of health risks as the food supply chains cross multiple national borders. Therefore, effective national risk-based food control systems are essential to protect the health and safety of the public. Countries need also assure the safety and quality of their foods entering international trade and ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements.

scholarly journals Survey of Tetrodotoxin in New Zealand Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish over a 16-Month Period

Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 512
Author(s):  
Michael J. Boundy ◽  
Laura Biessy ◽  
Brian Roughan ◽  
Jeane Nicolas ◽  
D. Tim Harwood
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
Marine Bivalves ◽  
Scientific Opinion ◽  
Human Illness ◽  
Human Intoxication ◽  
Difficult Issue

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a heat-stable neurotoxin typically associated with pufferfish intoxications. It has also been detected in shellfish from Japan, the United Kingdom, Greece, China, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand. A recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific opinion concluded that a level of <0.044 mg TTX/kg in marine bivalves and gastropods, based on a 400 g portion size, does not result in adverse effects in humans. There have been no reports of human illness attributed to the consumption of New Zealand shellfish containing TTX. To obtain a greater understanding of its presence, a survey of non-commercial New Zealand shellfish was performed between December 2016 and March 2018. During this period, 766 samples were analysed from 8 different species. TTX levels were found to be low and similar to those observed in shellfish from other countries, except for pipi (Paphies australis), a clam species endemic to New Zealand. All pipi analysed as part of the survey were found to contain detectable levels of TTX, and pipi from a sampling site in Hokianga Harbour contained consistently elevated levels. In contrast, no TTX was observed in cockles from this same sampling site. No recreationally harvested shellfish species, including mussels, oysters, clams and tuatua, contained TTX levels above the recommended EFSA safe guidance level. The levels observed in shellfish were considerably lower than those reported in other marine organisms known to contain TTX and cause human intoxication (e.g., pufferfish). Despite significant effort, the source of TTX in shellfish, and indeed all animals, remains unresolved making it a difficult issue to understand and manage.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document