Microplastic Contamination in Human Stools, Foods, and Drinking Water Associated with Indonesian Coastal Population

Approximately 381 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, and the majority of it ends up as pollutants. In the environment, plastic waste is fragmented into microplastic particles less than 5 mm in size; owing to their small size, durability, and abundance, they can easily be dispersed, incorporated into the food chains, and enter the human body. The extent of microplastic exposure in the human body has become a major concern in many countries, including in Indonesia, the second largest plastic waste contributor in the world. Here, we report the detection of microplastics in human stools collected from a fisherman community in the coastal area of Surabaya, Indonesia. Microplastics were found in more than 50% of samples analyzed with a concentration ranging from 3.33 to 13.99 µg of microplastic per gram of feces (µg/g). HDPE was observed as the most prevalent type of microplastic, with an average concentration of 9.195 µg/g in positive samples. Different types of microplastics were also detected in seafood, staple foods, drinking water, table salts, and toothpaste, which were regularly used and consumed by the study participants. Results from this preliminary study indicate widespread contamination of microplastic in the human body and in consumables associated with the coastal populations of Indonesia.

ANALISIS PENGARUH LUAS PANEN DAN PRODUKTIVITAS UBI KAYU DI KABUPATEN KEBUMEN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN REGRESI LINIER BERGANDA

Cassava are one of the staple foods in place of rice. However, today almost no one consumes cassava as a staple food substitute for rice. Indonesia is ranked third as the world's largest producer of cassava. Therefore, to maintain the value of yam production, the author will look for linear regression models as well as the best models with factors that are harvest area and productivity. Productivity is defined as the result of a comparison between the area of harvest and production. To search for regression models use multiple linear regression methods, while the best models use stepwise methods. Based on existing data, the best model is obtained with negative interception and influenced by productivity and the extent of the yam harvest.

Development and scale-up of bioprotectants to keep staple foods safe from aflatoxin contamination in Africa

Aflatoxins pose a significant public health risk, decrease productivity and profitability and hamper trade. To minimize aflatoxin contamination a biocontrol technology based on atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus that do not produce aflatoxin is used widely in the United States. The technology, with the generic name Aflasafe, has been improved and adapted for use in Africa. Aflasafe products have been developed or are currently being developed in 20 African countries. Aflatoxin biocontrol is being scaled up for use in several African countries through a mix of public, private, and public-private interventions. Farmers in several countries have commercially treated nearly 400,000 ha of maize and groundnut achieving >90% reduction in aflatoxin contamination. This chapter summarizes the biology of aflatoxin-producing fungi and various factors affecting their occurence, including climate change. Various management practices for aflatoxin mitigation are then discussed. These include biological control, which is increasingly being adopted by farmers in several countries. We discuss biocontrol product development and commercialization in various African countries. Subsequently, we highlight some barriers to adoption and other challenges.

Omics Technologies to Enhance Plant Based Functional Foods: An Overview

Functional foods are natural products of plants that have health benefits beyond necessary nutrition. Functional foods are abundant in fruits, vegetables, spices, beverages and some are found in cereals, millets, pulses and oilseeds. Efforts to identify functional foods in our diet and their beneficial aspects are limited to few crops. Advances in sequencing and availability of different omics technologies have given opportunity to utilize these tools to enhance the functional components of the foods, thus ensuring the nutritional security. Integrated omics approaches including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics coupled with artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches can be used to improve the crops. This review provides insights into omics studies that are carried out to find the active components and crop improvement by enhancing the functional compounds in different plants including cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, spices, beverages and medicinal plants. There is a need to characterize functional foods that are being used in traditional medicines, as well as utilization of this knowledge to improve the staple foods in order to tackle malnutrition and hunger more effectively.

Perilous Fires, Pandemics and Price Gouging: The Need to Protect Consumers from Unfair Pricing Practices during Times of Crisis

Recent crises affecting Australia, including the Black Summer bushfires and Coronavirus pandemic, have devastated social morale and crippled our economy. Countless lives and properties have been damaged or lost. These conditions have inflated demand for basic consumer goods and services, such as hygiene products, staple foods, and utility services. Sadly, some sellers have exploited public desperation, with widespread reports of price gouging. This notorious practice involves pricing high-demand essentials at levels significantly higher than what is commonly considered acceptable, reasonable or fair. This article critically analyses moral and economic arguments surrounding statutory controls before proposing a model law regulating price gouging during times of crisis. It argues that such a law is both essential and easily adaptable to Australia’s consumer law framework. The model law provides a basis for the federal government to consider desperately required change to ensure consumers do not suffer during current crises or those to come.

Use of Low-Protein Staple Foods in The Dietary Management of Patients With Stage 3-4 Chronic Kidney Disease

BackgroundMaintaining a low-protein diet (LPD) is important for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to delay renal degradation and alleviate clinical symptoms. For most patients with CKD, it is difficult to maintain the necessary low level of dietary protein intake (DPI). To improve the current dietary management of CKD, we conducted an intervention study by administering low-protein staple foods (LPSF).MethodsWe conducted a prospective case-crossover study among 25 patients with stage 3-4 CKD. During the initial 12 weeks of the study, we instructed the patients regarding a standard LPD according to the recommendations of a renal dietitian. In the second stage of the study, we instructed the patients regarding an LPSF (250 g/d) diet, and followed these patients up for 12 weeks. We compared the DPI, dietary energy intake (DEI), normalized protein equivalent of total nitrogen appearance (nPNA), serum creatinine levels, and nutritional index between baseline and the end of the study.ResultsWe found no change in dietary variables among the patients during the first 12 weeks of the LPD. After subjecting them to an LPSF diet, the corresponding variables showed a pronounced change. The patients’ DPI decreased from 0.88±0.20 to 0.68±0.14 g/kg/d (P<0.01) and the nPNA value decreased from 0.99±0.18 to 0.87±0.19 g/kg/d (P<0.01). The high biological value protein intake proportion increased from 42% (baseline) to 57% (P<0.01) during the 24 weeks. No variation was found in the measured DEI (28.0±5.8 vs 28.6±5.4 kcal/kg/d), nutrition assessment, or renal function and serum creatinine levels.ConclusionOur prospective case-crossover study demonstrated that an LPSF diet can help patients with stage 3-4 CKD reduce DPI and nPNA values, improve the proportion of highly bioavailable proteins, ensure adequate calorie intake, and avoid malnutrition. An LPSF diet is an effective and simple therapy for patients with stage 3-4 CKD.Trial registrationThe research protocol has been registered in the website of Chinese Clinical Trials Register with the reference number ChiCTR 2000030112.

Plant-Based Dietary Practices and Socioeconomic Factors That Influence Anemia in India

While rates of malnutrition have declined over the last decade in India due to successful government interventions, the prevalence of anemia remains high. Staple foods provide almost 70% of the daily iron intake. As staple foods are a rich source of phytate, this ingested iron is poorly absorbed. Currently, 59% of children below 3 years of age, 50% of expectant mothers and 53% of women aged 15–19 years are anemic. The most common intervention strategy has been through the use of iron supplements. While the compliance has been low and supplies irregular, such high rates of anemia cannot be explained by iron deficiency alone. This review attempts to fit dietary and cooking practices, field-level diagnostics, cultural beliefs and constraints in implementation of management strategies into a larger picture scenario to offer insights as to why anemia continues to plague India. Since the rural Indian diet is predominantly vegetarian, we also review dietary factors that influence non-heme iron absorption. As a reference point, we also contrast anemia-related trends in India to the USA. Thus, this review is an effort to convey a holistic evaluation while providing approaches to address this public health crisis.

Development of common bean genotypes with high iron and zinc seed concentrations and superior canning and agronomic quality traits

Iron deficiency anemia is prevalent worldwide but mainly affects children under five years of age and women of reproductive age. One of the main causes of anemia in these groups is diet incapable of meeting daily iron requirements. Biofortification of staple foods is an approach aimed at contributing to reduction of anemia in Africa, and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), one of the leading staple foods in East and Central Africa, has gained attention as a valuable source of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). Its usefulness in improving iron status of iron anemic women and children is documented. Natural variation in iron and associated micronutrients like zinc exists in beans but their concentrations are below the target levels to meet daily requirements. This study aimed to develop and identify potential bean genotypes that surpass the HarvestPlus threshold of 90 ppm seed iron for possible promotion as high iron and zinc beans, and utilization in hybridization programs targeting these minerals, productivity and market traits. Advanced 578 genotypes were evaluated in five genotype groups planted in three locations from 2016 to 2018. Genotypes significantly differed (P≤0.05) in Fe, Zn, cooking time, canning quality and yield. Iron and Zn varied highly, ranging between 44-118 and 25-50 ppm, respectively, across the five-genotype groups. Cooking time ranged from 29-118 minutes and majority of the genotypes expressed good to excellent canning quality based on visual assessment (4-5) and hydration coefficients (2.1-2.2). Mean yields for bush beans and climbers were 1674-1977 kg ha-1 and 2204-3160 kg ha-1, respectively. The most outstanding genotypes that combined above average yield with high Fe/Zn were CMKN1109 (96/ 43 ppm), SMR103 (92/ 43 ppm), SMC12 (90/ 43 ppm), and NUS16 (91/ 48 ppm). In addition, NUA127 (84/ 42 ppm), SMR53 (84/ 42 ppm), SMC160 (84/ 43 ppm) and NUA595 (83/ 42 ppm) yielded above average and expressed high canning quality. The genotypes that combined high Fe/ Zn, canning quality, and yield are potential genotypes for further improvement or evaluation for possible release.

Penerapan Etika Bisnis Islam pada Pedagang Sembako di Desa Jumbleng Indramayu

Sembako (nine staple foods) is basic needs that must be fulfilled in order to maintain the food security and nutritional needs of the community. Therefore, sembako traders have an important role in how sembako items are properly distributed to the community. In achieving this goal, it is suggested that the traders operate based on an ethical business framework. Islam through the Qur'an and hadith has provided this framework in the form of Islamic business ethics principles. By using a qualitative descriptive analytical approach, this study aims to understand how the application of Islamic business ethics in the business activities of basic food traders in Jumbleng Village. The data in this study were collected through a process of observation and interviews. While the data analysis technique uses the analytical technique developed by Miles and Huberman, with the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Based on the results of research obtained from traders and buyers in Jumbleng Village, it shows that the principles of Islamic business ethics have not been fully implemented by traders due to their limited knowledge regarding Islamic business ethics.

Assessment of Some Heavy Metal Levels and its Related Health Hazards in Two Staple Foods Grown in Mining Communities of Ebonyi State

Background: This study assessed the levels of some heavy metals in two staple foods grown within mining sites at Ishiagu and Enyigba communities of Ebonyi State. The control site was Umuezeokoha community. The present study is significantly important in respect to hazardous effect of heavy metal accumulation in staple food as there was no or scarcity of data available in Nigeria on this aspect. Materials and Methods: The two commonly cultivated food crops namely Manihot esculentus (cassava) and Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) were grown within <20m, 100m before mining sites. The crops were collected from the three farms at the peak of the harvesting period, processed and were analyzed for heavy metals using AAS technique. Results: The results revealed that heavy metals; Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn and Mn in Manihot esculentus tubers in all the farms within Ishiagu and Enyigba mining sites were comparable to each other and control site but Cr levels in control site was higher than others and that of WHO/FAO maximum permissible limit. Only As from A2 in Ishiagu had the highest value and exceeded WHO/FAO maximum permissible limit. Fe from B1, B2 in Enyigba and that of control had the highest values when compared to others but Fe in all samples investigated exceeded WHO/FAO maximum. Also, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Mn in Telfairia occidentalis leaves in all the farms within mining sites were comparable to control site except As levels from A2 in Ishiagu and from control site which was higher compare to others including WHO/FAO maximum permissible limit. Cr only from A2 in Ishiagu, B2 and B3 in Enyigba was highest even with WHO/FAO maximum permissible limit. Fe too from all the farms in Enyigba and control had highest values even with WHO/FAO maximum permissible limit. Conclusion: The results showed that the investigated food crops from two mining communities and the control site were not safe for consumption.