Les facteurs de croissance sont des molécules naturellement produites par l'Homme et de nombreuses espèces animales. Ils sont ainsi présents dans les produits d'origine animale dont le lait. Ces molécules sont nécessaires au développement et agissent notamment sur la croissance et la multiplication cellulaire. L'Agence a été saisie par l'association de consommateurs « Familles de France » afin d'évaluer le risque lié aux facteurs de croissance du lait et des produits laitiers, en s'interrogeant sur leur contribution au processus de développement de cancers. Suite à un travail d'expertise de plus de deux ans, basé sur l'examen de l'ensemble des études disponibles, l'Agence ne met pas en évidence d'impact des facteurs de croissance (IGF-1) du lait et des produits laitiers sur le risque de développement de cancers et conclut que leur contribution, si elle existe, serait faible.

• Pour en savoir plus

The consumption of beetroot juice or bread products enriched with beetroot may lower blood pressure over a 24h period after ingestion in healthy male individuals. These are the results of two studies performed by researchers from the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, and the Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR), both part of the University of Reading.

• Pour en savoir plus

Le 10 avril 2012, Marc Mortureux, directeur général de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation de l’environnement et du travail (Anses) et Françoise Weber, directrice générale de l’Institut de veille sanitaire (InVS), ont signé une convention cadre dont l’objectif est de renforcer les relations déjà existantes entre ces deux acteurs majeurs du dispositif national de sécurité sanitaire. Dans ce cadre, ils fixent trois thèmes de travail prioritaires : la surveillance intégrée des expositions aux substances chimiques, la veille et la vigilance sanitaire et la lutte contre les maladies infectieuses.

• Pour en savoir plus

The people of Denmark are not only concerned about what they eat, but they are willing to pay more tax to eat healthier and make more informed eating choices. The results of this study come at a time when healthy eating and increasing rates of obesity are becoming a major concern for people the world over. Despite this concern, however, government policy actions have rarely been evaluated. The findings are an outcome of the EU-funded EATWELL ('Interventions to promote healthy eating habits: evaluation and recommendations') project, which has received EUR 2.5 million under the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' (KBBE) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). EATWELL is looking into a variety of European policies aimed at reducing obesity and the lengths people would go to become healthy.

• Pour en savoir plus

Pregnant women can eat two servings of fish-farmed salmon each week, as it is beneficial to them and their children, according to a new study from Spain. The fish should be enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. Presented in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study was funded in part by the SIPS ('Salmon in pregnancy study)' project, supported under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Researchers from the University of Granada in Spain observed that the consumption of salmon boosts omega-3 fatty acid levels in both the mother and child, and fuels their antioxidant defences. What triggers this increase in their fatty acid levels and defences? Selenium and retinol concentrations in salmon are responsible for the boost. They also found that salmon does not modify oxidative stress levels, inflammatory response or vascular homeostasis.

• Pour en savoir plus

A new and innovative EU-funded project that aims to develop and test new food products that fill you up quicker has just got underway. Satiety-enhanced food can help control appetite, manage weight and combat obesity, and the SATIN ('SATiety Innovation') project aims to bring together energy intake and weight control experts from academia and industry to produce new food products using the latest processing innovation techniques. With a EUR 5,992,880 funding boost from the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the SATIN researchers, who hail from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and the United Kingdom, will look at the biological processes in the stomach and the brain that make us feel full.

• Pour en savoir plus

Eating fast food will increase your risk of suffering from depression, a new Spanish study has found. Presented in the journal Public Health Nutrition, the finding shows a correlation between depression and the consumption of fast food, such as hamburgers, pizza and hot dogs, as well as commercial baked goods like croissants and doughnuts. Specifically, people eating fast foods and commercial baked goods have a 51% greater chance of developing depression than those who do not consume such foods.

• Pour en savoir plus

As Germany was struck by a devastating Escherichia coli (E. coli) crisis in June 2011, the dangers of transferring life-threatening disease-causing germs in food from one country to another once again hit the headlines. Despite the alarm however, until now very few studies have been carried out into the actual danger posed by germs that enter the EU along with food. Step in a new EU-funded project that hopes to tackle pesky pathogens like E. coli head on. The PROMISE ('Protection of consumers by microbial risk mitigation through segregation of expertise') project received almost EUR 3 million in funding from the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). It brings together 20 project partners from Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

• Pour en savoir plus

• Pour en savoir plus

On estime que le nombre de personnes obèses en Europe a été multiplié par trois depuis les années 1980, même dans les pays présentant traditionnellement une faible prévalence. Par ailleurs, nous vivons de plus en plus longtemps, et avec l’âge, le risque de surpoids augmente. Les Européens sont-ils donc de plus en plus gros? Ou bien, sommes-nous simplement en train de vieillir? Quelle est réellement l’ampleur du problème du surpoids? L’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) s’est penchée sur cette question.

• Pour en savoir plus

Time spent being inactive (particularly TV viewing) is linked to unfavourable health outcomes, according to a systematic review. The review, published by researchers from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Johns Hopkins University, USA, also discovers that efforts to reduce sedentary time in children and youth can lower health risk.

• Pour en savoir plus

• Pour en savoir plus

Organised by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe from October 5th to October 7th 2011, the Functional Foods Symposium in Prague drew together an international group of experts to review and debate advances in the substantiation of the health benefits of foods. One of the discussion topics at the symposium was on the benefits of communicating about food and nutrition science.

• Pour en savoir plus

Researchers believe obesity raises people's risk of suffering from chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. And with the incidence of obesity increasing in Europe and the rest of the world, it is important to achieve a more accurate estimate of future obesity prevalence. This can be achieved by obtaining and using data from longitudinal studies. The problem is that insufficient longitudinal data is published in literature compared with results of cross-sectional data. New research, presented in the journal PLoS ONE, tackles this issue through the DIOGENES ('Diet, obesity and genes') project, which received more than EUR 14 million under the 'Food quality and safety' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

• Pour en savoir plus

The use of additives in food will soon become even safer and more transparent than it currently is thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted by the European Commission. "Today represents a landmark in our efforts to strengthen food safety in the European Union," Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner, John Dalli, said. "The adoption of two regulations on additives will further empower citizens and industry alike as they will make it easier for everyone concerned to know exactly what additives are allowed in foodstuffs," he added. "In a nutshell, this means a better informed citizen and, at the same, an EU Food Industry properly equipped to come up with new innovative and safe products," Commissioner Dalli concluded.

• Pour en savoir plus

Greek researchers have outlined how following a Mediterranean diet and keeping active can help improve some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). OSAS is a sleeping disorder characterised by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep. Each pause in breathing - an apnoea, can last anything from a few seconds to a few minutes and may occur 5 to 30 times or more in an hour. OSAS is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, with approximately 2% to 4% of adults suffering from the condition. Obesity significantly increases our chances of developing the disorder, and doctors often advise losing weight as a means of combating it.

• Pour en savoir plus

We are all familiar with the health warnings that tell us to reduce our salt intake if we want a happy heart. But now, new findings from an international team of researchers suggest that having either excessively high or low levels of salt can put people who suffer from conditions such as heart disease or diabetes more at risk of cardiovascular problems. Researchers from Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Philippines and the United Kingdom contributed to the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings could call into question how we view the relationship between salt and heart problems.

• Pour en savoir plus

World Diabetes Day is the leading global awareness campaign for this chronic disorder, held on 14 November each year. More than 346 million people have diabetes, and over 80% of deaths related to this disease occur in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Europe, diabetes currently affects around 30 million people and this is only set to rise further, with 10 per cent of the continent's population expected to be suffering from the disease by 2025. Type 2 diabetes, in particular, is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide and contributes to the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and end-stage renal disease. Projections are grim: more than 900 million people are expected to be diagnosed with or at high risk of type 2 diabetes within the next two decades. Not only does this impact the lives of those who suffer, but it also puts pressure on the global health system. European researchers and the EU are hard at work to find and develop better treatment options, and raise awareness about this chronic disease. The following is just a glimpse of what Europeans are doing to help those who need it most.

• Pour en savoir plus

European policymakers continue to promote and encourage healthy eating in EU Member States. But despite the hard effort, obesity continues to play havoc across the region, fuelling healthcare costs and triggering losses in productivity. So the question is, how effective are the national policy campaigns launched by the Member States? The EATWELL ('Interventions to promote healthy eating habits: evaluation and recommendations') project is investigating and identifying the successes, failures and uncertainties of these campaigns. Latest results - presented at the 11th Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS), European Nutrition Conference in Madrid, Spain on 27 October - are in and they have the potential to contribute to the decision-making process for developing winning eating policy intervention campaigns. EATWELL is backed with EUR 2.51 million under the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' (KBBE) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

• Pour en savoir plus

The European Union's system for quick exchange of information on risks linked to food and feed - an invaluable tool especially at times of crisis - has further grown in importance during 2010, the system's annual report reveals.

• Pour en savoir plus

L’enrichissement alimentaire peut être utilisé pour augmenter la quantité de micronutriments dans les aliments ou remplacer les nutriments perdus durant leur fabrication. Elle jouerait donc un rôle essentiel dans la prévention des carences alimentaires. Regardons comment l’enrichissement peut être bénéfique à la fois pour une personne mais aussi pour un groupe d’individus, bien que ceci soit encore sujet à controverse.

• Pour en savoir plus

Il y a de nombreux effets bénéfiques sur la santé des enfants qui sont très actifs. Cependant, la période de croissance durant l’enfance et l’adolescence suppose qu’ils ont des besoins nutritionnels spécifiques.

• Pour en savoir plus

Dans le cadre des travaux d'évaluation des risques liés au bisphénol A, l'Anses publie aujourd'hui deux rapports : l'un relatif aux effets sanitaires du bisphénol A, l'autre à ses usages. Ce travail met en évidence des effets sanitaires, avérés chez l'animal et suspectés chez l'homme, même à de faibles niveaux d'exposition. Ces effets pourraient par ailleurs dépendre fortement des périodes d'exposition au regard des différentes phases de développement de l'individu, conduisant à identifier des populations particulièrement sensibles.

• Pour en savoir plus

The more fruits and vegetables you eat, especially white-fleshed goodies, the more you protect yourself against stroke, a new Dutch study shows. Presented in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, the study was funded in part by the Europe Against Cancer Programme of the EU. It is common knowledge that eating fruits and vegetables helps cut the risk of stroke. Past studies have focused on preventive health benefits of fruits and vegetables, especially the food's nutritional value and characteristics including the plant's colour, edible part, botanical family and its capacity to provide antioxidants.

• Pour en savoir plus

A study published online ahead of print in the journal Health Psychology found that when people with different mindsets drank identical milkshakes, they experienced different levels of satiety. Researchers concluded that people’s food perceptions may influence hormonal regulation of hunger and fullness, beyond the intrinsic nutrients of the food on the plate.

• Pour en savoir plus

The European Commission has decided to allocate an additional €12 million from the EU's Research Framework Programme to reinforce Europe's capacity for tackling pathogens like the virulent Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria that recently infected close to 4,000 people in Europe and killed 46. This autumn, a cross-border consortium called ANTIGONE will start work on research aimed at getting as full a scientific picture as possible of the new E. coli strain – to which approximately €2.1 million will be specifically dedicated - and of a range of other virulent pathogens that could pose a threat to human health. By better understanding these pathogens, scientists can go on to develop ways to tackle them - the research will focus on ways to prevent future epidemics and deal with new outbreaks. The consortium will work in close collaboration with another project selected for funding earlier, PREDEMICS.

• Pour en savoir plus

Legionellosis (or Legionnaires' Disease) is a lung infection caused by bacteria of the Legionella genus. The disease is monitored mainly through data collected when cases are reported to the authorities, which has been mandatory since 1987. In 2010, 1540 cases were notified to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS). In 2010, 159 of the cases notified led to death, i.e. a mortality rate of 11.7% for the disease.

• Pour en savoir plus

As of 22 June 2011, cases of bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) occurred in adults, mostly women, in the Bordeaux area. These people were infected by a strain of Escherichia coli belonging to the serotype O104:H4, a bacterium which is genetically related to that responsible for the epidemic reported in Germany in May 2011. The epidemiological investigation conducted in France quickly identified the source of this contamination as being the consumption of sprouts (fenugreek sprouts in particular) at a local fair in early June.

• Pour en savoir plus

European consumers have the right to know whether some food products which claim to have beneficial impact on their health actually have such effect. The European Commission will present by the end of the year a list of permitted health claims on food products for all substances other than the so-called "botanicals," after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published today a sixth and final set of opinions on the matter.

• Pour en savoir plus

The European Parliament has just adopted a Regulation on Food Information for consumers. Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli, made the following statement: "I welcome today's important decision. It completes an effort which started more than three years ago to help consumers make more informed decisions when they buy food. The Parliament's vote constitutes a significant step in our efforts to further boost consumer empowerment and, contribute to the fight against the rising levels of obesity and chronic diseases in the EU."

• Pour en savoir plus

Can we use nutrition as a basis to personalise healthcare? European researchers believe we can and should. The FOOD4ME ('Personalised nutrition: an integrated analysis of opportunities and challenges') project, launched earlier this year, has set its sights on probing the potential of personalised nutrition. FOOD4ME is funded under the 'Food, agricultural and fisheries, and biotechnology' (Knowledge-based bio-economy, KBBE) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to the tune of EUR 8.94 million.

• Pour en savoir plus

Weakening of the immune system is the result of not enough vitamin D coursing through the human body, potentially raising the risk of cancer and osteoporosis. But a British team of scientists has created a novel, super accurate blood test with the capacity to determine just how big a role a person's diet plays in vitamin D deficiency. The test is presented in two papers of the Nutrition Journal. After evaluating data retrieved from 20 years of research, researchers discovered that a clear link between vitamin D deficiency and health and diseases was missing. Enter the test...

• Pour en savoir plus

Les Européens vivent plus longtemps. Il s’agit bien sûr d’une bonne nouvelle mais il ne suffit pas de vieillir, encore faut-il rester en bonne santé le plus longtemps possible. Le projet NU-AGE, financé par l’Union européenne, doit étudier l’impact du régime alimentaire sur la santé des personnes âgées afin de prévenir l’apparition de maladies liées au vieillissement.

• Pour en savoir plus

Inciter les enfants à pratiquer une activité physique en aménageant autour d’eux suffisamment d’espaces verts, de gymnases et de terrains de jeu, pourrait être un moyen très simple de lutter contre l’obésité infantile. Parallèlement, les parents doivent s’assurer que leurs enfants dorment suffisamment la nuit. Tels sont les derniers résultats du projet IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced Health EFfects In Children and infantS), financé par la Commission européenne.

• Pour en savoir plus

L'Agence vient de réaliser la plus large photographie jamais réalisée des apports nutritionnels et expositions alimentaires aux substances chimiques de la population en France, en vue d'évaluer le risque à long terme de ces expositions. D'une façon générale, EAT 2 confirme le bon niveau de maîtrise des risques sanitaires associés à la présence potentielle de contaminants chimiques dans les aliments en France, sur la base des seuils réglementaires et valeurs toxicologiques de référence disponibles.

• Pour en savoir plus

Chargée par le ministère de la Santé, d'établir un premier état des lieux national de la présence de composés perfluorés dans les eaux, l'Anses, via son laboratoire d'hydrologie de Nancy, publie ses résultats.

• Pour en savoir plus

The European Commission adopted today a draft regulation that will better inform consumers across the EU and achieving the aim of better and clearer legislation.

• Pour en savoir plus

European researchers led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland say the adaptation of fat cell membranes to obesity could contribute to early stage development of inflammatory diseases. Published in the journal PLoS Biology, the study was supported in part by the EU-funded ETHERPATHS and HEPADIP projects. ETHERPATHS ('Characterisation and modelling of dietary effects mediated by gut microbiota on lipid metabolism') has clinched almost EUR 6 million in funding under the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' (KBBE) Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and HEPADIP ('Hepatic and adipose tissue and functions in the metabolic syndrome') was funded under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to the tune of more than EUR 11.6 million.

• Pour en savoir plus

Researchers in Poland have discovered that combining omega-3 fatty acids with two blood-thinning drugs, aspirin and clopidogrel, changed the process of blood clotting, potentially helping reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients with stents in their heart arteries. The study's findings, which could lead to improved methods to protect patients, are published in the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

• Pour en savoir plus

Depuis fin mai 2011, une augmentation anormale de cas de diarrhées hémorragiques et de syndromes hémolytiques et urémique (SHU) est observée en Allemagne ainsi que dans certains pays européens. Une bactérie provenant de l'alimentation pourrait être à l'origine de ces cas. L'Anses fait le point ci-dessous sur l'état des connaissances sur cette bactérie, et sur les précautions à prendre sur un plan général.

• Pour en savoir plus

Quelles recommandations nutritionnelles peut-on faire en matière de prévention des cancers sur la base de l'ensemble des données scientifiques disponibles ? Face au problème majeur de santé publique que sont les cancers et dans un contexte foisonnant de conseils et prises de position parfois contradictoires, l'Anses a souhaité s'auto-saisir et publie aujourd'hui un rapport d'expertise « Nutrition et cancer : légitimité de recommandations nutritionnelles dans le cadre de la prévention des cancers». Ce rapport précise les niveaux de preuve scientifique établis pour différents facteurs nutritionnels pouvant intervenir dans la prévention des cancers, et formule plusieurs recommandations. Il met en évidence qu'il n'existe pas d'aliment ou de nutriment « anticancer » en soi.

• Pour en savoir plus

Depuis quelque temps, une augmentation anormale de cas de diarrhées hémorragiques et de syndromes hémolytiques et urémique (SHU) est observée en Allemagne. Une bactérie provenant de l'alimentation pourrait être à l'origine de ces cas. L'Anses fait le point ci-dessous sur l'état des connaissances sur cette bactérie, et sur les précautions à prendre sur un plan général.

• Pour en savoir plus

Le 25 novembre 2010, l'Anses a publié un rapport d'expertise sur l'évaluation des risques liés aux pratiques alimentaires d'amaigrissement. Elle a soumis ce travail à consultation auprès de toutes les parties prenantes. A la lumière des éléments reçus, l'Agence rend aujourd'hui son avis et réaffirme que la pratique de régimes à visée amaigrissante n'est pas un acte anodin et nécessite un suivi personnalisé par un professionnel de santé.

• Pour en savoir plus

Les œufs sont riches en protéines et en plusieurs nutriments essentiels. Les nouvelles données disponibles laissent à penser que la consommation d’œufs est associée à une meilleure qualité de l’alimentation, qu’ils possèdent un grand pouvoir rassasiant et pourraient être associés à un meilleur contrôle du poids. Certaines substances présentes dans le jaune d’œuf pourraient de plus aider à prévenir les troubles de la vue liés à l’âge. Grâce aux améliorations récentes des conditions d’exploitation agricoles, les normes de sécurité sanitaire des œufs ont été relevées ce qui a permis de réduire le risque de contamination par Salmonella dans plusieurs régions d’Europe.

• Pour en savoir plus

Scientists in Europe, led by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Germany, have found a link between genes and magnesium deficiency. Presented in the journal American Journal of Human Genetics, the study could lead to the development of new treatments for genetically triggered magnesium deficiencies. The research was funded in part by the EUNEFRON ('European network for the study of orphan nephropathies') project, which has clinched almost EUR 3 million under the Health Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to probe the natural history and pathophysiology of rare inherited diseases affecting key structures of the kidney.

• Pour en savoir plus

Medical, technological and educational advances are providing Europeans with a new boost for life. Standards of living are better than ever and people are living longer. The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) says we can expect to live up to 78 years of age compared to the 72 years recorded in the 1980s. But Europeans are also living to just over 60 years without poor health or disabilities affecting their daily routines, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report 'Health at a Glance: Europe 2010'. The question is: can people live healthier for longer? A new EU-funded project is set to find out. NU-AGE ('New dietary strategies addressing the specific needs of elderly population for a healthy ageing in Europe') has clinched EUR 9 million under the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' (KBBE) Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and is aiming to counteract both the cognitive and physical decline suffered by the elderly. Experts point out that the number of Europeans aged 65 and over is growing, and predict that this figure will reach 40?% of the general population in less than 19 years. Preventing age-related disease will also help burn fewer holes in our medical and social pockets.

• Pour en savoir plus

• Pour en savoir plus

Scientists in the UK have found a new way to produce water efficient seeds that they claim will help plants cope with drought resistance, thereby contributing to global food security. The research was partially supported by the PHARMA-PLANTA ('Recombinant pharmaceuticals from plants for human health') project, which clinched EUR 12 million under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

• Pour en savoir plus

In order to further limit possible risks to the safety of its Food Chain, the European Union decided today to reinforce controls on imports of food and feed from certain regions of Japan, where production could be affected by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Member States endorsed, at a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), a Commission proposal to impose special import conditions. The measures apply to all feed and food originating in or consigned from 12 prefectures of Japan, including the four most affected by the accident. All products from these prefectures have to be tested before leaving Japan and will be subject to random testing in the EU. Feed and food products from the remaining 35 prefectures will have to be accompanied by a declaration stating the prefecture of origin and will be randomly tested upon arrival in the EU. The Union will review these measures every month.

• Pour en savoir plus

• Pour en savoir plus

Dans le cadre de la veille permanente qu'elle exerce, l'Anses a examiné deux nouvelles études portant sur d'éventuels effets sanitaires qui pourraient être attribués à l'aspartame ou à des boissons contenant des édulcorants alimentaires, dont l'aspartame. Dans un avis publié ce jour, l'Agence confirme que ces deux nouvelles publications n'apportent pas de base scientifique suffisante pour une réévaluation de l'aspartame au plan toxicologique, mais indique souhaiter élargir ce travail. L'Anses va ainsi mettre en place un groupe de travail chargé d'évaluer les bénéfices et les risques nutritionnels des édulcorants intenses et la nécessité éventuelle d'élaborer des recommandations pour des populations sensibles qui seraient identifiées au cours de ce travail.

• Pour en savoir plus

One in five children in Sweden is overweight, and that there is a link between low levels of education and overweight children, according to the country's first ever national study of the prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren. Published online in the journal Obesity Reviews, the study was part of a European project, the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), that involved 17 European countries.

• Pour en savoir plus

Virologists the world over continue to investigate measures for fighting malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans triggered by the Plasmodium parasite. Now University of Maryland-led researchers from the UK and US have found that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be used to fight this disease. The outcome would be strong and would not harm the environment. Experts say this is good news, particularly as existing pesticides against malaria mosquitoes are losing their lustre. Presented in the journal Science, the findings of this study highlight the fact that this general approach could be used for keeping other dreadful insect and tick bug-borne diseases, like dengue fever, in check.

• Pour en savoir plus

A ban prohibiting the manufacture in the European Union of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA) substance enters into force next week, on March 1. BPA is widely used in the production of plastic baby bottles. The ban is foreseen in an EU directive (2011/8/EU) adopted in late January which also cover, on June 1, the placing on the market and import into the EU of baby bottles containing BPA. Meanwhile, the industry is voluntarily withdrawing from the market baby bottles containing BPA and replacing them with safer products. This voluntary action is expected to be completed by mid 2011. Member States now have to communicate to the Commission the national legal measures they take to comply with the provisions of the directive.

• Pour en savoir plus

La DG Recherche de la Commission Européenne a organisé un Workshop intitulé : "Consumer Science for Today and Tomorrow - Challenges for Research in the Aera : Food, Health and Well-Being", le 11 novembre 2010, à Bruxelles. Les présentations et conclusions de cette journée de travail, internes aux services de la Commission, mais rendues publiques, sont désormais disponibles.

• Pour en savoir plus

Even low levels of exposure to toxic metals can harm human health, warn researchers from the EU-funded PHIME ('Public health impact of long-term, low-level mixed element exposure in susceptible population strata') project. The PHIME team is calling on policymakers to systematically monitor levels of toxic metals in populations and take steps to reduce the release of these substances into the environment. PHIME received EUR 13.4 million from the 'Food quality and safety' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The goals of the project were to investigate the extent of exposure to toxic metals and its impact on public health as well as the sources of exposure. PHIME focused in particular on vulnerable groups, namely foetuses, babies and children, and fertile and elderly women.

• Pour en savoir plus

The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables have been underlined once again as UK researchers say they can protect people from the most common form of heart disease - and one of the leading causes of death - in the EU. The research was funded in part by the EPIC ('European prospective investigation into cancer, chronic diseases, nutrition and lifestyle') project, which was backed by almost EUR 1 million under the 'Research for policy support' Activity of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The study was recently presented in the European Heart Journal.

• Pour en savoir plus

Over half the EU adult population is now overweight or obese according to the "Health at a Glance: Europe 2010" report published by the European Commission and the OECD today. The rate of obesity has more than doubled over the past 20 years in most EU Member States. This has considerable implications on health, health systems and on the wider economy. This is one of the many findings in a report which provides useful insight into the current situation of health in the EU.

• Pour en savoir plus

EU-funded researchers have made an interesting discovery about what it takes to lose weight. People should maintain a high-protein diet with plenty of lean meat, low-fat dairy products and beans, and eat fewer finely refined starch calories, such as white bread and white rice, according to the University of Copenhagen, Denmark-led researchers. The study, the world's largest to focus on diet, was funded in part by the DIOGENES ('Diet, obesity and genes') project which clinched EUR 15 million under the 'Food quality and safety' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• Pour en savoir plus

Having a strong immune system may increase an animal's lifetime but lead to lower fertility, according to a new study by scientists in the UK and US. The findings, published in the journal Science, offer clues as to why some people are more prone to infections than others. There is a lot of variation in the strength of people's immune systems. The question is why evolution has not weeded out the genes associated with a weaker immune system. One possible answer is that a strong immune system may come at a price in the form of reduced fertility.

• Pour en savoir plus

EU-funded scientists have identified 18 new gene sites that impact overall obesity and 13 new sites associated with distribution of fat. The researchers from Europe, as well as Australia, Canada and the US, used a near 250,000-strong sample to investigate genetic links with human traits. The findings of the two studies, published in the journal Nature Genetics, shed light on why some people are more susceptible to obesity while others are not.

• Pour en savoir plus

EU-funded scientists have discovered that the antioxidant naringenin derived from the bitter flavour of grapefruits and other citrus fruits could potentially help diabetes sufferers. They claim it may cause the liver to break down fat while increasing insulin sensitivity. EU support for the research, presented in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE, came from the TMIHCV ('Microfabrication-Based rational design of transcriptional-metabolic intervention for the treatment of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection') project, which received just under EUR 2 million from the Ideas Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

• Pour en savoir plus

Exports of animals and animal products from the European Union to Russia are expected to receive a boost after five new certificates for exports between the EU and the Russian Federation entered into force on August 15. These certificates concern beef with bones, canned and dry petfood and breeding sheep and goats and open up new trade opportunities for European producers.

• Pour en savoir plus

Researchers in the UK and Canada have identified 229 human genes that are influenced by changes in vitamin D levels. Several of these genes are implicated in cancers and to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The findings, published in the journal Genome Research, have important implications for public health, in particular prenatal care.

• Pour en savoir plus

The success of the European Union's efforts in combating Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle or scrapie in sheep and goats, allows the EU to contemplate changes in some of its rules. Today the European Commission adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, which outlines areas where future possible changes to EU TSE-related measures could be made. The document –"The TSE Road Map 2 – A strategy paper on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies for 2010-2015" – underlines that any amendment should maintain the EU's high level of protection of human and animal health and of food safety and should be backed by solid science. The Road Map is a reflection paper that opens up dialogue on the issue.

• Pour en savoir plus

The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation as regards altered mozzarella cheese, and production of milk products at the affected establishment in Germany can resume only when it is verified that these products will be safe for consumption. This is the two-fold message that emerged from yesterday's meeting of EU experts (Member States and Commission) at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH). The German food safety authorities informed the other Member States and the Commission in detail about the controls carried out by its competent authorities and the corrective measures taken by the establishment. The Committee also discussed protection of laying hens, Aujeszky's disease in pigs and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheatis (IBR).

• Pour en savoir plus

Spanish scientists have discovered that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) could be transmitted through general surgery. The EU-funded team believes that the fatal brain disorder may remain latent for several decades before symptoms become apparent. The findings, which are published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, suggest that surgery could be to blame for the contraction of other neurological diseases. The study was part of the NEUROPRION ('Prevention, control and management of prion diseases') project, which was funded EUR 14.4 million under the Food Quality and Safety Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

• Pour en savoir plus

Tips for healthy eating, new diet fads, cookery shows, eating disorders and diseases... it seems the appetite for food-related news is insatiable. Now, a new publication by the European Commission is at hand to help the public better understand what 'functional food' means, and to learn more about EU research initiatives in the field. Food is life. So it is not surprising, as consumers, that we can't get enough information about healthy eating options. But one area of the 'food industry' - the so-called functional foods - remains something of an enigma.

• Pour en savoir plus

A UK-US research team has discovered that restricting calorie content can lengthen life. The results of the study, published in the journal Science, show that eating fewer calories can lead not only to a longer life, but a healthier one too, avoiding much of the disease that often plagues people in their later years.

• Pour en savoir plus