- Independent consultant and adviser on nutrient and food risk assessment for deficiency and excess, and on Public Health Nutrition and Child Health and Nutrition.edit
The concerted action "The process for the assessment of the scientific support for claims on foods", PASSCLAIM, proposed criteria that could provide an... more
The concerted action "The process for the assessment of the scientific support for claims on foods", PASSCLAIM, proposed criteria that could provide an international yardstick for the harmonised transparent assessment of evidence submitted to support a claim for a food or food component. The evidence would be systematically appraised against specific criteria: namely, (1) a characterisation of the food or food component to which the claimed effect is attributed; (2) human data, primarily from intervention studies that represent the target populations for the claim; (3) a dose response relationship; (4) evidence allowing for confounders such as lifestyle, consumption patterns, background diet and food matrix etc.; (5) an appropriate duration for the study; (6) a measure of compliance; (7) adequate statistical power to test the hypothesis. Validated and quality assured markers of intermediate or final outcomes could be used when ideal endpoints are not easily accessible for measurement as long as their relationship to the development of the principal outcome relevant to the claim is well characterised and substantiated. The overall coherence and totality of published and unpublished evidence should be considered in the process. Assessments for substantiation claims need expert judgement, weighting of the strength of the claim, and intelligent use of the criteria applied on an individual basis with respect both to gaps in the knowledge and to any need for new knowledge and data.
Research Interests: Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutrition, Evidence Based Medicine, Biomarkers, Life Style, and 15 moreHealth, Public Health, Medicine, Humans, Europe, Functional Food, Food Labeling, Food Legislation, Process Assessment, Dose Response Relationship, Judgement, Biological markers, Intervention study, Health Food, and Health Claims
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Research Interests: Engineering, Environmental Health, European Union, International Cooperation, Health, and 15 moreRisk assessment, Medicine, Micronutrients, Population, Humans, Child, Confusion, Food Preferences, Reproducibility of Results, Micronutrient, Harmonization, Reference Values, Biological Availability, Energy Intake, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Research Interests: Gerontology and Obesity
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Demonstrating single and multiple functions attributable to foods or specific food components is a challenge. The International Life Sciences Institute Europe co-ordinated EU concerted actions, Functional Food Science in Europe (FUFOSE)... more
Demonstrating single and multiple functions attributable to foods or specific food components is a challenge. The International Life Sciences Institute Europe co-ordinated EU concerted actions, Functional Food Science in Europe (FUFOSE) and the Process for the Assessment of Scientific Support for Claims on Food (PASSCLAIM), respectively, addressed the soundness of the evidence and its coherence with a mechanistic schema comprising valid markers of exposure, intermediate and final outcomes and the quality and integrity of the evidence overall. Demonstrating causality often relies on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, in public health and biomedical science there is concern about the suitability of RCTs as sole standards of evidence-based approaches. Alternative and complementary approaches using updated Hill's viewpoints for appraising the evidence can be used in conjunction with evidence-based mechanistic reasoning and the quality criteria proposed in FUFOSE and PASSCLAIM to design studies and to assemble evidence exploring single or multiple benefits from food components and foods.
Research Interests: Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Promotion, Research Design, Evidence Based Practice, Medicine, and 13 moreFood Technology, Humans, Biomedical Research, Functional Food, Food Labeling, Animals, Scientific Evidence, Food Sciences, Viewpoints, Nutritional Sciences, Food sciences and nutrition, Health Claims, and Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Research Interests: Environmental Health, Food, Risk assessment, Medicine, Risk Analysis, and 15 moreEnvironmental Sciences, Humans, Reproductive health, Animals, Nutrient, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Homeostasis, Adverse Event, Risk Assessment, Upper Extremity, Health Effect, Reference Value, Nutritional Requirements of Freshwater Fish, Dietary intake, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Research Interests: Biology, Medicine, Humans, Protein Turnover, Low Birth Weight, and 15 moreMale, Hydrolysate, Infant, Nitrogen, Proteins, Pediatric, Nitrogen Isotopes, Protein Metabolism, Breast milk, Human Milk, Protein Biosynthesis, Protein hydrolysates, Infant food, Paediatrics and reproductive medicine, and Infant nutritional physiological phenomena
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Research Interests: Endocrinology, Food, Diet, Cardiovascular disease, Energy Metabolism, and 15 moreAdipose tissue, Functional Connectivity, Blood Glucose, Diabetes mellitus, Functional Food, Body Composition, Energy Expenditure, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Evaluation Methodology, Body Weight, Body Fat, Body Weight Regulation, Energy Intake, Dietary Habits, and Environmental factor
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Research Interests: Pediatrics, Adolescent, Medicine, Humans, Child, and 15 moreDiabetes mellitus, Retinitis pigmentosa, Female, Male, Infant, Clinical Sciences, Adult, Forced Vital Capacity, Hematologic Diseases, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Renal Dysfunction, Growth Retardation, Child preschool, Hypotonia, and Paediatrics and reproductive medicine
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Background The prevalence of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding of children in the UK has increased. This study explored how gastrostomy feeding affects the daily lives of children and their families, from the parents'... more
Background The prevalence of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding of children in the UK has increased. This study explored how gastrostomy feeding affects the daily lives of children and their families, from the parents' perspectives and developed a conceptual framework for assessing the impact of feeding on family life.Methods A semi‐structured interview approach was used to obtain the parents' views regarding the impact of feeding on daily lives; both of the children and their family. The study was a cross‐sectional qualitative design employing purposive sampling. Twenty‐four interviews were conducted and data were analysed descriptively and thematically.Results Difficulties arising from PEG feeding included vomiting (71%), diarrhoea (33%), infection of the PEG site (46%) and leakage (54%). The key issues that emerged included delayed and disturbed sleep, restricted ability to go out, difficulties finding a place to feed, childcare problems, negative attitudes of others towards feeding and family divisions. Parents primarily raised key issues regarding the impact of PEG feeding on themselves or the family rather than on the child.Conclusions An assessment framework has been developed, based on the parents perceptions, for use in assessing the impact of feeding upon family life and identifying the support required for parents of children receiving PEG feeding. Provision of adequate support is likely to require a network of healthcare professionals, social care and support groups, all working together to meet identified needs.
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This review summarises the methods available for the analysis of phytate and structurally related molecules, i.e., inositol polyphosphates. Phytate has been determined by colorimetry, low pressure ion exchange column chromatography,... more
This review summarises the methods available for the analysis of phytate and structurally related molecules, i.e., inositol polyphosphates. Phytate has been determined by colorimetry, low pressure ion exchange column chromatography, phosphorus-31 fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P FT NMR), near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among these techniques anion exchange column chromatography and HPLC were shown to be best suited for separation of inositol phosphates. Since inositol phosphates do not have a characteristic absorption spectrum, their detection in HPLC analysis is limited to methods employing monitoring of refractive index, post column reaction products, conductivity or indirect detection although other detection methods may be feasible. As refractive index detection under isocratic eluent conditions is relatively easy to manipulate, anion-exchange HPLC methods using a low capacity column or ion-pair HPLC methods are recommended for the analysis of inositol phosphates in nutritional studies.
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Research Interests: Pediatrics, Research Design, Child Development, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Developing Countries, and 13 moreMedicine, Hepatology, Breastfeeding, Humans, Internal Medicine, Pubmed, Infant, Newborn Infant, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Infant food, Medical and Health Sciences, Credence, and Infant nutritional physiological phenomena
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The creation of the Committee on Nutrition of ESPGAN (later ESPGHAN) in 1974 was stimulated by the need to define generally acceptable standards for infant feeding and for dietetic products for infants. Since the late 1970s the Committee... more
The creation of the Committee on Nutrition of ESPGAN (later ESPGHAN) in 1974 was stimulated by the need to define generally acceptable standards for infant feeding and for dietetic products for infants. Since the late 1970s the Committee has published a series of widely respected authoritative comments that have provided guidance for pediatricians, regulatory bodies and manufacturers of food products in Europe and other parts of the world. The Committee and its members have also contributed to the development of standards by the Codex Alimentarius Committee of the World Health Organization and of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and of standards in the European Union. Among the further aims of the Committee aims is the stimulation and support of young researchers entering the field of nutrition and metabolism, as well as the lobbying for public and private funding that supports pediatric nutrition research. The strong tradition of 30 successful years with the achievements made, and the appreciation of the vision and determination of the pioneers who had built the Committee, provide a major stimulus to strive for continued excellence in achieving the Committee's mission.
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Long-term selenium status in children from the North-East of Scotland was estimated using whole blood selenium content (BSe) and glutathione peroxidase activity (BGSH-Px). BSe was significantly lower than the reference range in children... more
Long-term selenium status in children from the North-East of Scotland was estimated using whole blood selenium content (BSe) and glutathione peroxidase activity (BGSH-Px). BSe was significantly lower than the reference range in children with cystic fibrosis, coeliac disease and in older patients with phenylketonuria. Whereas BGSH-Px of all the children with coeliac disease and those with cystic fibrosis aged over 6 years matched the reference range, it was reduced in younger patients with cystic fibrosis and in children with dietetically treated phenylketonuria. No child had clinical features of selenium deficiency. BSe in treated epileptics and asthmatics conformed to the reference range, but BGSH-Px in both groups was increased significantly; this was most evident in those receiving corticosteroid preparations.
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ABSTRACT The provision of home enteral tube feeding in adults has increased in the UK. This study explored how percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding impacts on daily lives of adult patients, from the patients' and... more
ABSTRACT The provision of home enteral tube feeding in adults has increased in the UK. This study explored how percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding impacts on daily lives of adult patients, from the patients' and carers' perspectives. A semi-structured interview approach was developed to obtain participants' views of the impact of living with a PEG. A cross-sectional qualitative purposive sampling design was employed. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted (15 adult patients and 19 carers) and data were analysed descriptively and thematically. Difficulties arising from PEG feeding included vomiting, diarrhoea, infection of the PEG site and leakage. The key issues that emerged included relief of pressure to consume an oral diet, disturbed sleep, restricted ability to go out, restricted choice of clothing, difficulties finding a place to feed, missing being able to eat and drink, social occasions, negative attitudes of others towards feeding and the burden placed on family members. The key themes that emerged from participants were diverse and highlight a need for increased social support for both patients and their carers, planned on an individual basis.