Regional variation in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, hypertension and diabetes and their correlates among the adult rural population in India.

A community-based, cross-sectional study was carried out in five regions of India by adopting a multistage random sampling procedure. Information was collected from the participants about socio-demographic particulars such as age, sex, occupation, education, etc. Anthropometric measurements such as height, weight and waist and hip circumferences were measured and three measurements of blood pressure were obtained. Fasting blood sugar was assessed using a Glucometer. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, χ(2) test for association and logistic regression analysis. A total of 7531 subjects were covered for anthropometry and blood pressure. The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity was 29 and 21%, respectively, and was higher in the Southern region (40% each) as compared with other regions. The prevalence of hypertension was 18 and 16% and diabetes was 9·5% each among men and women, respectively. The risk of hypertension and diabetes was significantly higher among adults from the Southern and Western regions, the among elderly, among overweight/obese individuals and those with abdominal obesity. In conclusion, the prevalence of overweight/obesity and hypertension was higher in the Southern region, whereas diabetes was higher in the Southern and Western regions. Factors such as increasing age, male sex, overweight/obesity, and abdominal obesity were important risk factors for hypertension and diabetes. Appropriate health and nutrition education should be given to the community to control these problems.

Microbiological Quality of Salads Served along with Street Foods of Hyderabad, India.

A study has been done to analyse the microbiological quality of salads served along with street foods of Hyderabad. A total of 163 salad samples, 53 of carrot and 110 of onion samples, were collected from four different zones of Hyderabad. About 74% and 56% had Staphylococcus aureus in carrots and onions, respectively. Fifty-eight percent of carrots and forty-five percent of onions samples contained Salmonella, 68% of carrots and 24% of onions had Yersinia. HACCP study was carried out with 6 street food vendors to identify the source of Salmonella contamination in salads. Food handlers were found to be responsible for Salmonella contamination in salads. The present study revealed the potential hazards of street vended salad vegetables, considering the handling practice usually carried out by vendors. Ninety-eight percent of the vendors did not wash the vegetables before processing and serving while about 56.6% of the vendors did not peel the vegetables. Majority of street vendors' nails were uncut. A significant difference (P < 0.01) was observed in Yersinia spp. and Salmonella spp. in wet-dirty chopping board when compared to clean-dry chopping board. A significant difference (P < 0.05) of Staphylococcus spp. was observed when the status of cleaning cloth was neat/untidy.

Microbiological hazard identification and exposure assessment of poultry products sold in various localities of Hyderabad, India.

A study was carried out to identify microbiological hazards and assess their exposure associated with consumption of poultry based street food served in different localities of Hyderabad. The study indicated that chicken 65, chicken fried rice, chicken noodles, chicken Manchuria and chilly chicken are the most common recipes. A process flow diagram was developed to identify critical control points in the food item. After analysis of the samples at each level of preparation, it was observed that rice and noodles were kept at room temperature for about 5-6 hrs which was a critical control point. A total of 376 samples including chicken fried rice, chicken noodles, boiled noodles and boiled rice were collected from circle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation (GHMC) and analyzed for microbiological examination. The most prevalent pathogenic bacteria isolated were S. aureus (3.4 log 10 cfu/g) and B. cereus (3.4 log 10 cfu/g). Salmonella spp. was present in salads (3.2 log 10 cfu/g) and hand washings of the food handler (3.5 log 10 cfu/g). Salmonella contamination was found in salads served along with chicken fried rice and chicken noodles than in the food.

Evolution of approaches in conducting total diet studies.

One of the main routes of human exposure to contaminants is through food. To assess the health impact, it is necessary to determine the levels of contaminants in foods and evaluate the exposure estimates. Many countries regularly conduct total diet studies as a method of assessing the exposure of the population to various contaminants present in foods. It is a comprehensive approach and is based on determination of contaminants in foods. The risk assessment is done by taking into account the actual quantity consumed by specific age-sex groups of a population. The approach has developed through multiple changes since its inception. This article aims to review and summarize the changes that have occurred in different countries. Some of the attempts include the addition of analytes and the use of sophisticated instrumentation in conjunction with better extraction and types of food commodities. The present analytical methods have reduced the limits of detection for many analytes in many food matrices, making this approach much more accurate and sensitive.