Communicating Food Risk-Benefit Assessments: Edible Insects as Red Meat Replacers

Risk-benefit Assessment (RBA) is an emerging methodology in the area of Food and Nutrition that offers a simultaneous evaluation of both risks and benefits linked to dietary choices. Communication of such research to consumers may present a challenge due to the dual nature of RBA. We present a case study of a communication strategy developed for the NovRBA-project. The NovRBA-project (Novel foods as red meat replacers—an insight using Risk Benefit Assessment methods) performed a risk-benefit assessment to evaluate the overall health impact of substituting red meat (beef) by a novel food (house cricket), considering the microbial, toxicological and nutritional characteristics of the respective dietary choices. A literature review of risk perceptions and acceptance of beef and insects as food formed the basis of the communication strategy for the study's results, drawing on environmental and emotional as well as health-related motivations to consume or avoid either food and considering the sociodemographic characteristics of likely consumers. Challenges and future directions for consumer protection organizations communicating findings of risk-benefit analyses on food safety are discussed.

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Approaches for Health Effect Characterization in Risk-Benefit Assessment of Foods: A Comparative Case Study

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.607929 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Sofie Theresa Thomsen ◽

Maarten Nauta ◽

Lea Sletting Jakobsen ◽

Marianne Uhre Jakobsen ◽

Heddie Mejborn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dose Response ◽

Health Effect ◽

Brown Rice ◽

Health Impact ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Comparative Case Study ◽

Food Component ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

The Impact

One of the challenges in quantitative risk-benefit assessment (RBA) of foods is the choice of approach for health effect characterization to estimate the health impact of dietary changes. The purpose of health effect characterization is to describe an association between intake of a food or food component and a health effect in terms of a dose-response relationship. We assessed the impact of the choice of approach for health effect characterization in RBA in two case studies based on substitution of (i) white rice by brown rice and (ii) unprocessed red meat by vegetables. We explored this by comparing the dose-response relations linking a health effect with (i) a food component present in the food, (ii) a food based on non-specified substitution analyses, and (iii) a food based on specified substitution analyses. We found that the choice of approach for health effect characterization in RBA may largely impact the results of the health impact estimates. Conducting the calculations only for a food component may neglect potential effects of the food matrix and of the whole food on the diet-disease association. Furthermore, calculations based on associations for non-specified substitutions include underlying food substitutions without specifying these. Data on relevant specified substitutions, which could reduce this type of bias, are unfortunately rarely available. Assumptions and limitations of the health effect characterization approaches taken in RBA should be documented and discussed, and scenario analysis is encouraged when multiple options are available.

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Public health risk-benefit assessment of red meat in France: Current consumption and alternative scenarios

Food and Chemical Toxicology ◽

10.1016/j.fct.2021.111994 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 149 ◽

pp. 111994

Author(s):

Juliana De Oliveira Mota ◽

Sandrine Guillou ◽

Fabrice Pierre ◽

Jeanne-Marie Membré

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Risk ◽

Red Meat ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Public Health Risk ◽

Current Consumption ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

Alternative Scenarios

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Quantitative risk-benefit assessment of Portuguese fish and other seafood species consumption scenarios

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114521004773 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-32

Author(s):

Catarina Carvalho ◽

Daniela Correia ◽

Milton Severo ◽

Cláudia Afonso ◽

Narcisa M. Bandarra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Impact ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Seafood Consumption ◽

Portuguese Population ◽

Life Years ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

Alternative Scenarios ◽

Predatory Fishes

Abstract Portugal has high fish/seafood consumption, which may have both risks and benefits. This study aims to quantify the net health impact of hypothetical scenarios of fish/seafood consumption in the Portuguese population using a risk-benefit assessment methodology. Consumption data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2015-2016 (n=5811) was used to estimate the mean exposure to methylmercury and EPA+DHA in the current and the alternative scenarios considered. Alternative scenarios (alt) were modelled using probabilistic approaches to reflect substitutions from the current consumption in the type of fish/seafood (alt1: excluding predatory fishes; alt2: including only methylmercury low-level fishes) or in the frequency of weekly fish/seafood consumption (alt3 to alt6: 1,3,5 or 7 times a week, replacing fish/seafood meals with meat or others). The overall health impact of these scenarios was quantified using Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). In the Portuguese population, about 11450 DALYs could be prevented each year if the fish/seafood consumption increased to a daily basis. However, such a scenario would result in 1398 extra DALYs considering the consumption by pregnant women and the respective risk on foetal neurodevelopment. Our findings support a recommendation to increase fish/seafood consumption up to 7 times/week. However, for pregnant women and children, special considerations must be proposed to avoid potential risks on foetal neurodevelopment due to methylmercury exposure.

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Novel foods and allergy: Regulations and risk-benefit assessment

Food Control ◽

10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.08.002 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 143-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M.C. van Putten ◽

G.A. Kleter ◽

L.J.W.J. Gilissen ◽

B. Gremmen ◽

H.J. Wichers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Benefit Assessment ◽

Novel Foods ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment

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Risk-Benefit Assessment of Cereal-Based Foods Consumed by Portuguese Children Aged 6 to 36 Months—A Case Study under the RiskBenefit4EU Project

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13093127 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 3127

Author(s):

Ricardo Assunção ◽

Géraldine Boué ◽

Paula Alvito ◽

Roberto Brazão ◽

Paulo Carmona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Impact ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Free Sugars ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Adverse Health Effects ◽

Healthy Life Years ◽

Life Years ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

Assessment Approach ◽

Alternative Scenarios

Cereal-based foods, including breakfast (BC) and infant cereals (IC), are among the first solid foods introduced to infants. BC and IC are sources of macro and micronutrients that have beneficial effects on health, but can also be sources of harmful chemical and microbiological contaminants and nutrients that may lead to adverse health effects at high consumption levels. This study was performed under the RiskBenefit4EU project with the aim of assessing the health impact associated with consumption of BC and IC by Portuguese children under 35 months. Adverse effects associated with the presence of aflatoxins, Bacillus cereus, sodium and free sugars were assessed against the benefits of fiber intake. We applied a risk–benefit assessment approach, and quantified the health impact of changes in consumption of BC and IC from current to various alternative consumption scenarios. Health impact was assessed in terms of disability-adjusted life years. Results showed that moving from the current consumption scenario to considered alternative scenarios results in a gain of healthy life years. Portuguese children can benefit from exchanging intake of IC to BC, if the BC consumed has an adequate nutritional profile in terms of fiber, sodium and free sugars, with levels of aflatoxins reduced as much as possible.

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Risk–Benefit Assessment of Consumption of Rice for Adult Men in China

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.694370 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Haiqin Fang ◽

Quantao Zhang ◽

Shengjie Zhang ◽

Tongwei Zhang ◽

Feng Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Effects ◽

Age Groups ◽

Health Impact ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Baseline Scenario ◽

Adult Men ◽

Life Years ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

Rice Consumption ◽

The Mean

Objective: To evaluate the health impact of current and alternative patterns of rice consumption in Chinese adult men (40–79 years of age).Methods: We applied a risk–benefit assessment (RBA) model that took into account the health effects of selenium (Se), cadmium (Cd), and inorganic arsenic (i-As). The health effects included the prevention of prostate cancer associated with exposure to Se, and an increased risk of lung, bladder, and skin cancer for i-As and chronic kidney disease (CKD) for Cd. We defined the baseline scenario (BS) as the current individual mean daily consumption of rice in the population of interest and two alternative scenarios (AS): AS1 = 50 g/day and AS2 = 200 g/day. We estimated the health impact for different age groups in terms of change in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (ΔDALY).Results: The BS of rice consumption was 71.5–105.4 g/day in different age groups of adult men in China. We estimated that for AS1, the mean ΔDALY was −2.76 to 46.2/100,000 adult men of 40–79 years old. For AS2, the mean ΔDALY was 41.3 to 130.8/100,000 individuals in this population group.Conclusion: Our results showed that, based on associated exposure to selenium, cadmium, and i-As in rice, the current consumption of rice does not pose a risk to adult men in China. Also, a lower (50 g/day) or higher (200 g/day) rice consumption will not bring larger beneficial effects.

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Differences between the European Union and United States of America in Drug Regulatory Affairs Affect Global Patient Safety Standards and Public Health Awareness: The Case of Deferasirox and Other Iron Chelating Drugs

Medicines ◽

10.3390/medicines8070036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 36

Author(s):

George J. Kontoghiorghes

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Generic Drugs ◽

Benefit Assessment ◽

Regulatory Control ◽

Pharmaceutical Companies ◽

The European Union ◽

Regulatory Policies ◽

Regulatory Affairs ◽

Risk Benefit Assessment ◽

The Eu

Regulatory policies on drugs have a major impact on patient safety and survival. Some pharmaceutical companies employ all possible methods to achieve maximum sales in relation to the monopoly of their patented drugs, leading sometimes to irregularities and illegal activities. Misinformation on the orphan drug deferasirox has reached the stage of criminal investigations and fines exceeding USD 100 million. Additional lawsuits of USD 3.5 billion for damages and civil fines were also filed by the FBI of the USA involving deferasirox and mycophenolic acid, which were later settled with an additional fine of USD 390 million. Furthermore, a USD 345 million fine was also settled for bribes and other illegal overseas operations including an EU country. However, no similar fines for illegal practises or regulatory control violations have been issued in the EU. Misconceptions and a lack of clear guidelines for the use of deferasirox in comparison to deferiprone and deferoxamine appear to reduce the effective treatment prospects and to increase the toxicity risks for thalassaemia and other iron loaded patients. Similar issues have been raised for the activities of other pharmaceutical companies promoting the use of new patented versus generic drugs. Treatments for different categories of patients using new patented drugs are mostly market driven with no clear safeguards or guidelines for risk/benefit assessment indications or for individualised effective and safe optimum therapies. There is a need for the establishment of an international organisation, which can monitor and assess the risk/benefit assessment and marketing of drugs in the EU and globally for the benefit of patients. The pivotal role of the regulatory drug authorities and the prescribing physicians for identifying individualised optimum therapies is essential for improving the survival and safety of millions of patients worldwide.

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