Dietary Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic in the Norwegian Population

Request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) requested a statement from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) on the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian population. VKM was asked to comment on the following; 1.) Why the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment from 2009 found that the Norwegian population had higher dietary exposure to total arsenic than other European populations, 2.) Whether the Norwegian population or special groups of the population have food consumption patterns which could lead to a different dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than what is reported for the European population, and 3.) Whether the consumption rice and rice products, such as rice cakes, and in Hijiki seaweed could pose additional health risks for children and adults. How VKM has addressed the request: VKM has appointed a working group consisting of members of the Panel on Contaminants and from the VKM secretariat to answer the request. The Panel on Contaminants has reviewed and revised the draft prepared by the working group and finally approved the assessment on dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian population. What arsenic is and its toxicity to humans: Arsenic is a metalloid occurring in many different chemical forms in the environment. In the terrestrial environment, arsenic is mainly found as inorganic arsenic, i.e. arsenite and arsenate. In the aquatic environment, more than a 100 arsenic species have been identified. The organic form arsenobetaine is the major form in fish and other seafood. Humans are mainly exposed to arsenic through food and drinking water. Food is the major source for most people, but for people living in regions with naturally elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater, drinking water is the major source. The toxicity of arsenic species depends on the chemical form, with inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) being more toxic than organic arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic is carcinogenic, but not genotoxic, and is classified as a human carcinogen. Dietary total arsenic exposure in Europe and Norway: The dietary exposure to total arsenic for the Norwegian population was estimated by EFSA (2009). The Norwegian exposure levels were the highest among the European populations. A high exposure to total arsenic for Norwegian adults was also estimated in the Norwegian Fish and Game study (Birgisdottir et al., 2013). Fish and seafood is the main contributor to the dietary exposure to total arsenic, and a high consumption of fish and seafood leads to a high dietary exposure to total arsenic. Dietary inorganic arsenic exposure in Europe and Norway: There was little variation in the estimated dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic for the European populations (EFSA, 2014). The dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic has earlier been estimated for the Norwegian adult population based on a study including participants with high consumption of fish and other seafood and game meat, and participants representing the general population (Birgisdottir et al., 2013). The estimates for inorganic arsenic exposure were within the ranges reported by EFSA (2014), suggesting that Norwegian adults do not have specific eating patterns leading to a different dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than other European adult populations. In the European populations, the main contributors to dietary exposure of inorganic arsenic were the food groups “grain-based processed products (non rice-based)”, “rice”, “milk and dairy products” and “drinking water” (EFSA, 2014). There is no information regarding specific dietary patterns of Norwegian sub-populations possibly leading to a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic. Fish and other seafood generally contain high levels of total arsenic, but the level of inorganic arsenic is very low. Exposure to inorganic arsenic through consumption of rice and rice products, and Hijiki seaweed The dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic in the European populations are within the range of the BMDL01 values and therefore possible health risks cannot be excluded (EFSA, 2009; EFSA, 2014). The estimated dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian adult population (Birgisdottir et al., 2013) is also within the range of the BMDL01 values. Rice was identified as one of the main contributors to the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in Europe (EFSA, 2014). Rice and rice products contain higher levels of inorganic arsenic than other food groups and individuals with a high consumption of rice and rice products may have a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic than the rest of the population, resulting in an added health risk. For infants and toddlers, rice and rice products are not an important source of inorganic arsenic (EFSA, 2014). According to EFSA (2014) the main contributor to exposure to inorganic arsenic in infants and toddlers was “milk and dairy products”, then “drinking water”, “grain-based processed products (non rice-based)” and “Foods for infants and young children”. However, the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in toddlers and children is higher than in adults because of their higher food consumption relative to body weight (EFSA, 2014). Rice cakes are a product, which may contain particularly high levels of inorganic arsenic, and consumption of rice cakes by children will increase their exposure to inorganic arsenic (Livsmeddelsverket 2015, DTU Food 2013). Thus, Norwegian infants and toddlers with a high consumption of rice and rice products, such as rice cakes, may have a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic than other infants and toddlers, resulting in an added health risk. The edible seaweed Hijiki generally contains high levels of inorganic arsenic, whereas other seaweeds contain low levels of inorganic arsenic. Any consumption of Hikiji seaweed will lead to an additional exposure of inorganic arsenic, resulting in an added health risk.

Perception and Preference of Elementary Schoolchildren on Rice Foods in Changwon and Gimhae City

This study was based on the information provided by 1,180 elementary school children (630 boys and 550 girls) of 5th or 6th grade in Changwon and Gimhae of Gyeongnam province. They were asked about perception and preference for rice foods by questionnaires. The purpose of this survey was to find the way of encouraging rice intake and preference which is currently getting lower because of increasing simple westernized eating habits, and to provide basic information needed for inheriting and improving our traditional rice-based dietary culture. The results are summarized as follows. Most of subjects (91.2%) thought that steamed rice is better than bread for own health. The reason why they chose to eat steamed rice was 'because it is good for health' (61.2%), and 'because it is staple food item that we eat everyday' (26.4%). Seventy one percent of girls and 52.7% of boys gave the answer 'because it is good for health' as the reason for eating steamed rice. The reasons for the importance of the rice-based dietary culture were 'because of its superior nutritional value' (40.8%), and 'because it is our traditional eating culturec (28.6%). While significantly more girls (42.9%) answered as 'because of its superior nutritional value', more boys (39.0%) answered as 'because it is our traditional dietary culture'. More boys (59.0%) preferred noodles than girls' (54.7%), and fruits were preferred more by girls than boys as substitution foods for steamed rice showing significant difference (p<0.01). They wanted rice product developed in the forms such as Ssalamyun (29.8%), Ssalmandoo (24.1%), rice noodles (20.6%), and rice bread (15.6%). The preference score on rice products of subjects was one dish meals (4.27) and drinks (4.26), snacks (3.72), convenience foods (3.61), and steamed rice (3.44) in order. Preferred food showing points over 4 were Ssalbap (plain steamed rice) (4.29) in steamed rice type food, Kimchi bokeumbap (4.56), Bokeumbap (4.55), Bibimbop (4.45), Omelet rice (4.44), Kimbap (4.42), Ddukkuk (4.33), Curried rice (4.33), Jajangbap (4.28), and Ddukmandookuk (4.24) in one dish meal type food, Samgak Kimbap (4.26) in convenience type food, Songpyun (4.48), Injulmi (4.18), Teokbokki (4.71), Ddukkochiguyi (4.46), and rice cookies (4.24) in snack type food, and Shikhye (4.61) and Misugaru (4.28) in drink type food. Based on these results, it may be said that elementary school children think the rice-based diet is good for health and this dietary culture should be inherited and developed not only in a traditional aspect but also in a nutritional aspect. Therefore, more studies are needed to develop various forms of rice food products and cooking recipes.

A Study on Elementary Schoolchildren's Knowledge, One's Value and Consumption Pattern for Rice Foods in Changwon and Gimhae City

The informations concerning knowledge, value and consumption pattern for rice foods of elementary schoolchildren (630 boys and 550 girls in 5th or 6th grade) were investigated in Changwon and Gimhae of Gyeongnam province. They were asked based on knowledge, one's value and intake frequence of rice foods by questionnaries. Menus for 3 days including 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day were taken from 136 students (77 boys and 59 girls) in two Elementary Schools in Changwon and Gimhae to know intake reality of rice product. The purpose of this survey was to find the way of encouraging rice intake and preference which now seemed to be low because of simplified, westernized eating habits, and to provide basic information needed for inheriting and improving our traditional cooked rice centered eating culture. The results are summarized as follows. The knowledge of rice was positively correlated to the one's value (r=0.365, p<0.001) and the preference (r=0.132, p<0.001), the one's value was positively correlated to preference (r=0.409, p<0.001). The score of knowledge for rice was 12.8 points out of 20, the girls get points(13.12) significantly higher than the boys (12.53) (p<0.01). One's value about rice foods was 37.35 points out of 50 what is relatively high. They have eaten cooked rice type food for 2.24 times per day. Both boys and girls in Changwon and Gimhae area were having cooked rice type food significantly more during weekdays compared to weekends (p7lt;0.001) by 3 days food record. According the results, we can see the possibility that schoolchildren can be encouraged to eat more rice foods by nutritional education to go with the development of various programs.