Foodborne Salmonella-caused outbreaks in Catalonia (Spain), 1990 to 2003.

In most developed countries, nontyphoid Salmonella is an important cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of foodborne gastroenteritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the trend of foodborne Salmonella-caused outbreaks and number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths and compare them with those caused by other infectious agents. The study was carried out in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain with a population of 6.5 million inhabitants, in 2002. All information on reported outbreaks of foodborne disease from 1990 to 2003 was reviewed. For each outbreak, the following variables were collected: year; setting (household, restaurant, school, hospital, nursing home, and others); number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths; causal agent; and food vehicle involved. Of 1652 reported outbreaks, 1078 had a known causal agent. Among them, 871 (80.8%) were caused by Salmonella, with 14,695 cases, 1534 hospitalizations, and 4 deaths. The rate of hospitalization was higher in outbreaks due to Salmonella than in those caused by other infectious agents (rate ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.20 to 2.94). Forty-eight percent of Salmonella-caused outbreaks were eggborne, compared with 5.3% of those caused by other infectious agents (rate ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.33 to 1.48). The annual number of cases in household outbreaks of eggborne Salmonella rose over time (R2 = 0.82), but the number of outbreaks produced in other settings did not. Eggborne outbreaks caused by Salmonella in households are a major cause of disease, and increased preventive efforts are necessary, especially consumer education and awareness of the risk of eating food containing raw or slightly cooked eggs.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods: human exposure through the diet in Catalonia, Spain.

The dietary intake of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene) by the general population of Catalonia, Spain, was calculated. Concentrations of PAHs in food samples randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia from June to August 2000 were measured. Eleven food groups were included in the study. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze PAHs. The dietary intakes of total and carcinogenic PAHs was calculated for five population groups: children, adolescents, male adults, female adults, and seniors. Among the analyzed PAHs, there was a predominance of phenanthrene (16.7 microg/kg) and pyrene (10.7 microg/kg). By food group, the highest levels of total PAHs were detected in cereals (14.5 microg/kg) and in meat and meat products (13.4 microg/kg). The mean estimated dietary intake of the sum of the 16 PAHs was as follows: male adults, 8.4 microg/day; adolescents, 8.2 microg/day; children, 7.4 microg/day; seniors, 6.3 microg/day; female adults, 6.3 microg/day. The calculated daily intake of PAHs would be associated with a 5/106 increase in the risk for the development of cancer in a male adult with a body weight of 70 kg.

Medio ambiente saludable e higiene de los alimentos. Evaluación de los objetivos del Plan de Salud de Cataluña para el año 2000 / Environment and food hygiene. Evaluation of the objectives of the Health Plan for Catalonia for the year 2000

Fundamento y objetivo: El medio ambiente constituye uno de los cuatro grandes determinantes de la salud poblacional. Por ello a partir de la intensa relación entre salud, medio ambiente e higiene alimentaria se formularon objetivos de salud y de disminución de riesgo, explicitados en el Documento marco para la elaboración del Plan de Salud de Cataluña, con un horizonte de cumplimiento en el año 2000. La finalidad de este trabajo fue evaluar adecuadamente los objetivos que se propusieron en 1991 sobre este ámbito. Población y método: Se ha evaluado la evolución de los 14 objetivos formulados mediante el seguimiento de los correspondientes indicadores a partir de diversas fuentes de información, entre las que se han de destacar el Registro de Enfermedades de Declaración Obligatoria, la Red de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de Cataluña, así como los datos de actividad de las inspecciones y análisis de aguas de consumo público y residuales, asentamientos, mataderos y establecimientos de distribución de alimentos. Resultados: La morbilidad declarada por fiebre tifoidea y por brucelosis se ha reducido de forma clara, mientras que la disminución de casos de enteritis y diarreas, de brotes de toxiinfección alimentaria y de triquinosis ha resultado insuficiente para alcanzar los objetivos previstos. En cuanto a los indicadores relacionados con las aguas de consumo público, los establecimientos alimentarios y los asentamientos no permanentes se observa una tendencia positiva en su control. Respecto a las muestras de carne con residuos de componentes ilegales, se ha conseguido el valor propuesto (0%). Conclusiones: El balance global de los objetivos del área de salud alimentaria y medio ambiente formulados para el año 2000 puede considerarse positivo. De los 14 objetivos, 9 se han conseguido plenamente, 4 no se han alcanzado y uno se ha conseguido parcialmente. La creciente importancia de las condiciones ambientales y de la seguridad de los alimentos y bebidas en la reducción de riesgos para la salud de las personas fundamentan la elaboración y aplicación de objetivos rigurosos en los sucesivos períodos de planificación sanitaria (AU)

Background and objectives: Environment constitutes one of the four health determinants. Therefore, health and risk-reduction objectives were formulated in the Framework Document for the development of the Health Plan for Catalonia for the year 2000. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the degree of achievement of these targets. Subjects and method: We have assessed the evolution of 14 objectives by means of monitorizing appropriate indicators. We have scrutized several health information sources such as the Catalan Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. In addition, activity data from inspections and analyses of public water system, food distribution establishments and slaughterhouses were analized. Results: Brucellosis and typhoid Fever reported morbidity decreased dramatically, whereas the reduction of enteritis, food poisoning and trichinosis cases have been insufficient to achieve the predicted objective. There is a positive upward trend in the control of public water system and food establishments. Furthermore, meat containing illegal components has been eradicated. Conclusions: The assessment of the objectives is definetly positive. In other words, there are 9 of 14 fully achieved, 1 partially accomplished and 4 that have not been fulfilled. There is a growing importance of environmental conditions and drink and food safety in order to reduce health risks. Therefore, good definitions of strict objectives are required for the next health planning periods (AU)

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in foods: estimated dietary intake by the population of Catalonia, Spain.

Concentrations of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were measured in foodstuffs randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia, Spain. A total of 108 samples, belonging to 11 food groups (vegetables, tubers, fruits, cereals, pulses, fish and shellfish, meat and meat products, eggs, milk, dairy products, and oils and fats), were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). The levels of tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and hepta-CNs, those of octachloronaphthalene, and the mean sum concentration of tetra-octa-CN were determined. The highest concentration of total PCNs was found in oils and fats (447 pg/g), followed by cereals (71 pg/g), fish and shellfish (39 pg/g), and dairy products (36 pg/g). In general, tetra-CN was the predominant homologue in all food groups except for fruits and pulses, which had greater proportions of hexa-CNs. The dietary intake of total PCNs was subsequently determined. For calculations, recent data on consumption of the selected food items were used. Intake of PCNs was estimated for five population groups of Catalonia: children, adolescents, male and female adults, and seniors. When the dietary intake of total PCNs was expressed in nanogram per kilogram of body weight per day, it was age-dependent, with the highest and lowest values corresponding to children (1.65) and seniors (0.54), respectively. The largest contribution to the daily PCNs intake came from oils and fats and from cereals. The result of the current study is the first published report concerning human exposure to PCNs through the diet.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in foods from Catalonia, Spain: estimated dietary intake.

From June to August 2000, food samples were randomly acquired in seven cities in Catalonia, Spain. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were determined for 108 samples of vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, fish and shellfish, meats and meat products, eggs, milk and dairy products, and oils and fats. Levels of 11 PCB congeners (IUPAC 28, 52, 77, 101, 105, 118, 126, 138, 153, 169, and 180) were determined by high-resolution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. For toxic equivalent (TEQ) calculations, World Health Organization (WHO) toxicity equivalent factors (WHO-TEFs) were used. The highest levels of most congeners were found in fish and shellfish (11,864.18 ng/kg [wet weight]), and the next highest levels, which were substantially lower, were found in milk and dairy products (674.50 ng/kg [wet weight]). For the general population of Catalonia, the total dietary intake of PCBs was found to be 150.13 pg WHO-TEQ/day. The largest contribution to this intake came from fish and shellfish (82.87 pg WHO-TEQ/day) and dairy products (29.38 pg WHO-TEQ per day). A relatively large contribution was also noted for cereals (11.36 pg WHO-TEQ/day). Among the PCB congeners determined in this study, PCB 126 showed the largest contribution to total TEQ intake (50.56%). The data obtained in this study should be useful in risk assessment with regard to human PCB exposure through food in Catalonia.

Human exposure to dioxins through the diet in Catalonia, Spain: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk.

The main objectives of this study were to estimate the dietary intake of dioxins by the population of Catalonia, Spain, to determine which food groups showed the greatest contribution to this intake, and to assess the health risks potentially associated with the dietary dioxin intake. From June to August 2000, food samples were randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia. Dioxin concentrations were determined in 108 samples belonging to the following groups: vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, fish and shellfish, meats and meat products, eggs, milk and dairy products, and oils and fats. Estimates of average daily food consumption were obtained from recent studies. Total dietary intake of dioxins for the general population of Catalonia was estimated to be 95.4 pg WHO-TEQ/day (78.4 pg I-TEQ/day), with fish and shellfish (31%), diary products (25%), cereals (14%) and meat (13%) showing the greatest percentages of contribution to dioxin intake. The contribution of all the rest of food groups to the total dietary intake was under 20%. The non-carcinogenic risk index of dioxin intake through the diet was in the range 0.34-1.36, while the carcinogenic risk level was 1,360 excess cancer over a lifetime of 70 years. Our results corroborate the decreasing tendency in dietary intake of dioxins found in recent studies (2000-2001) from various countries.