著者

Kazuo Koyama Azusa Hirakawa Chie Uehara Itsuko Horiguchi

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.8, no.3, pp.59-63, 2020 (Released:2020-09-25)

参考文献数

12

被引用文献数

1 1

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This study used questionnaires to evaluate knowledge levels of risk management of raw-consumption of oysters and of norovirus as health hazards among monitors signed up for Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) having work experiences in food fields. The mean scores of monitors on norovirus knowledge were relatively high (79%), but on oyster raw-consumption were low (64%). Scores varied depending on occupational experiences; highest among administrative officials, high among researchers in food companies, and low among medical workers and educators. The higher scores with more practical experiences for risk management of oyster raw-consumption and norovirus were observed among the monitors. These monitors were expected better to recognize the risks, wheres only few monitors among the opinion-leaders replied correctly to all the questions. These results suggest the need of improvement on the management system for oyster raw-consumption, from the current complicated to the more precise and reinforced for consumers. To efficiently manage the risk associated with the consumption of raw oysters, the government should provide more relevant information of risk management to persons having interest, particularly influencers, in order to disseminate information and to improve knowledge among cooks and consumers.

著者

Food Safety Commission of Japan

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.4, no.3, pp.93-102, 2016 (Released:2016-09-30)

被引用文献数

5

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The Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) conducted a risk assessment of glyphosate (CAS No. 1071-83-6), an amino acid herbicide, based on results from various studies. Major adverse effects of glyphosate were observed on reduced gain of body weight, GI tract (diarrhea, increased cecum weight, bowel dilatation, thickening of intestinal mucosa), and liver (increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hepatocellular hypertrophy). Glyphosate had no neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, teratogenicity, and genotoxicity. As the whole, the lowest value among no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) was 100 mg/kg bw/day obtained in the 90-days and one-year toxicity studies in dogs, and in the developmental toxicity studies of rabbits. FSCJ thus established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for glyphosate at 1 mg/kg bw/day, applying a safety factor of 100 to the NOAEL. The lowest NOAEL for adverse effects elicited by a single oral administration of glyphosate was 1,000 mg/kg bw observed in an acute toxicity studies in rats and mice. It is thus unnecessary to specify an acute reference dose (ARfD), due to the exceeding of the cut off level (500 mg/kg bw).

著者

Zachary Marsh Minesh P. Shah Mary E. Wikswo Leslie Barclay Hannah Kisselburgh Anita Kambhampati Jennifer L. Cannon Umesh D. Parashar Jan Vinjé Aron J. Hall

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.6, no.2, pp.58-66, 2018 (Released:2018-06-29)

参考文献数

32

被引用文献数

32

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Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne disease in the United States (U.S.). About 1 in 5 reported norovirus outbreaks are spread through foodborne transmission, presenting opportunities for prevention. We describe the epidemiology of U.S. foodborne norovirus outbreaks reported to national surveillance systems, including differences between genotypes. Foodborne outbreaks that occurred during August 2009–July 2015 with norovirus reported as a single confirmed etiology to the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) were matched with outbreaks reported to CaliciNet, a U.S. laboratory norovirus outbreak surveillance network. We analyzed these matched outbreaks stratified by genotype for epidemiologic characteristics, including setting, size and duration, health outcomes of case-patients, implicated food, and outbreak contributing factors. Four hundred ninety-three confirmed foodborne norovirus outbreaks were reported in both NORS and CaliciNet. The most common norovirus genotypes reported were GII.4 (52%), GII.6 (9%), and GI.3 (8%). Compared to non-GII.4 outbreaks, GII.4 outbreaks had higher hospitalization rates (12.8 vs. 4.8 per 1,000 cases, P < 0.01). While contaminated foods were identified and reported in only 35% of outbreaks, molluscan shellfish (4% overall) were more often implicated in non-GII.4 outbreaks than in GII.4 outbreaks (7% vs. 1%, P = 0.04). Of the 240 outbreaks reporting at least one contributing factor, food workers were implicated as the source of contamination in 182 (76%), with no difference between GII.4 and non-GII.4 (73% vs 79%, P = 0.3). Foodborne norovirus outbreaks are frequently reported in the U.S., most of which are caused by GII.4 noroviruses. Viruses of this genotype are associated with higher rates of hospitalization; non-GII.4 noroviruses are more frequently associated with contaminated molluscan shellfish. These surveillance data highlight the diversity of noroviruses causing foodborne disease and can help guide appropriate food safety interventions, including worker hygiene, improved food handling and preparation, and further development of norovirus vaccines.

著者

Jake P. Greenhalgh Daniel Amund

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.D-19-00004, (Released:2019-09-24)

参考文献数

26

被引用文献数

8

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Edible insects present a potential solution to increasing global food insecurity. However, there is limited research on the microbial hazards they may pose. These include opportunistic pathogens like Cronobacter spp. (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii). In this study, nine types of ready-to-eat edible insect products purchased in the UK were examined for their microbial load (total aerobic count, total Enterobacteriaceae count), and screened for the presence of Cronobacter sakazakii(C. sakazakii) by selective enrichment and plating on chromogenic agar. While microbial load was generally low, presumptive Cronobacter spp. were detected in five of the edible insect products. Four of the isolates were identified as C. sakazakii, using the Remel RapID ONE biochemical test kit. Genotypic characterisation of the isolates by ITS-PCR, however, demonstrated that the isolates may be other species of Cronobacter instead. Further studies into understanding microbial hazards linked to edible insects for human consumption are required.

著者

Kazuhiro Chiku Ai Yamada Yui Shibasaki Yoshiki Makino Taidoh Komatsuzaki Mitsuru Yoshida

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.11, no.2, pp.25-33, 2023 (Released:2023-06-23)

参考文献数

15

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We investigated the time-dependent acrylamide formation in mung bean sprouts during stir-frying under high and medium heat conditions. The acrylamide concentration range detected using the 3-mercaptobenzoic acid derivatization LC-MS/MS method was from below 29 ng/g [limit of detection (LOD)] to 6,900 ng/g. We also investigated the acrylamide levels in mung bean sprouts cooked using four methods while retaining their fresh firm texture using the thiosalicyclic acid derivatization LC-MS/MS method. The acrylamide concentration in microwave oven-cooked sprouts was below 16 ng/g (LOD). The samples cooked by stir-frying, parching, or boiling contained an acrylamide concentration above the LOD but below 42 ng/g [limit of quantification (LOQ)], except for one replicate of a stir-fried sample, whose acrylamide concentration was 42 ng/g. Bean sprouts are popular affordable vegetables, and when stir-fried, their acrylamide concentration is assumed to strongly affect the exposure of the Japanese population to acrylamide. Because the acrylamide concentration range of fried bean sprouts is as broad as mentioned above, the selection of a representative concentration value is difficult. A precise survey and data about acrylamide formation in relation to the bean sprout components before heating, their changes occurring during storage, and the cooking methods and conditions used are needed to estimate the exposure of the Japanese to acrylamide. Here, we showed that rinsing the sprouts before frying and frying them for a short time while mixing them well, while retaining the fresh firm texture to avoid burning and shriveling the sprouts is effective in decreasing the amount of acrylamide formed.

著者

Torrung Vetchapitak Naoaki Misawa

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.7, no.3, pp.61-73, 2019 (Released:2019-09-27)

参考文献数

73

被引用文献数

31

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According to the annual food poisoning statistics compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan, Campylobacter replaced Salmonella and Vibrio parahaemolyticus as the leading bacterium responsible for food poisoning in 2003. Although in 2006 the number of cases of Campylobacter food poisoning was 3,439 on the basis of the MHLW statistics, it was estimated to be 1,545,363 on the basis of active surveillance, suggesting that passive surveillance yields an incidence about 450 times lower than that revealed by active surveillance. Epidemiological investigations of Campylobacter food poisoning in Japan have shown that chicken meat and its products are the most important sources of infection, as is the case in other industrialized nations. Over the last two decades, the consumption of fresh raw chicken meat and liver has been increasing in Japan. Although the MHLW recommends that chicken meat should only be eaten after thorough cooking, it is likely to account for much of the increased incidence of human campylobacteriosis. In response to this situation, the Expert Committee on Microorganisms/Viruses, Food Safety Commission of Japan, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (FSCJ) has revised the previous risk profile of C. jejuni/coli in chicken meat by adding new findings for 2018. Moreover, the MHLW revised the Poultry Slaughtering Business Control and Poultry Meat Inspection Act in 2014 aiming at stepwise introduction of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system into poultry processing plants. Subsequently, the Japanese government amended the Food Sanitation Act in 2018, requiring all food business operators to implement hygiene control based on HACCP principles as a general rule. This paper reviews the current status of Campylobacter food poisoning due to consumption of chicken meat in Japan and extracts the issues underlying each step of the food supply chain in order to examine the implementation of effective measures for risk management.

著者

Akira Fukuda Ryu Tsunashima Masaru Usui

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.D-23-00006, (Released:2023-10-14)

参考文献数

37

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In aquaculture, bacterial infections in sea animals are treated using antimicrobials. As seafood is frequently consumed in its raw form, seafood contaminated with water-borne antimicrobial-resistant bacteria presents a potential transmission route to humans and can influence food safety. In this study, we aimed to determine the abundance of water-borne bacteria in retail raw seafood and to characterize their antimicrobial resistance profiles. In total, 85 retail raw seafood samples (32 fish, 26 shellfish, 25 mollusks, and two crustaceans) were purchased from supermarkets in Japan, and water-borne bacteria were isolated. The isolated bacterial species predominantly included Vibrio spp. (54.1%) and Aeromonas spp. (34.1%). Vibrio or Aeromonas spp. were isolated from more than 70% of the seafood samples. Tetracycline-, sulfamethoxazole-, and/or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-resistant Vibrio or Aeromonas spp. isolates were detected in seven (21.9%) fish samples (two wild-caught and five farm-raised) harboring tet, sul, and/or dfr genes. Sulfamethoxazole- and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-resistant isolates were only detected in farm-raised fish. Tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole are commonly used in aquaculture. These results suggest that water-borne bacteria like Vibrio and Aeromonas spp. should be the primary focus of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria monitoring to effectively elucidate their spread of bacteria via seafood.

著者

Kazunari Kondo Chie Taguchi

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.10, no.4, pp.113-128, 2022 (Released:2022-12-23)

参考文献数

80

被引用文献数

8

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The food supply system is facing important challenges and its sustainability has to be considered. Genome-editing technology, which accelerates the development of new variety, could be used to achieve sustainable development goals, thereby protecting the environment and ensuring the stable production of food for an increasing global population. The most widely used genome-editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9, is easy to use, affordable, and versatile. Foods produced by genome-editing technologies have been developed worldwide to create novel traits. In the first half of the review, the latest scientific findings on genome-editing technologies are summarized, and the technical challenge in genome sequence analysis are clarified. CRISPR/Cas9 has versatile alternative techniques, such as base editor and prime editor. Genome sequencing technology has developed rapidly in recent years. However, it is still difficult to detect large deletions and structural variations. Long-read sequencing technology would solve this challenge. In the second part, regulatory framework and approach for genome-edited foods is introduced. The four government ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), started to discuss how the regulation should be implemented in 2019. The SDN-1 technique is excluded from the current genetically modified organism (GMO) regulation. The Japanese regulatory framework includes pre-submission consultation and submission of notification form. In the last part of this review, transparency of regulatory framework and consumer confidence were described. Since maintaining consumer trust is vital, transparency of regulatory framework is a key to consumers. The information of notification process on approved genome-edited foods is made public immediately. This review will help regulators build regulatory frameworks, and lead to harmonization of the framework between the countries.

著者

Itsuko Horiguchi Kazuo Koyama Azusa Hirakawa Mieko Shiomi Kaoruko Tachibana Katsuyuki Watanabe

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.10, no.2, pp.43-56, 2022 (Released:2022-06-24)

参考文献数

18

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Key topics related to risk communication and food safety were investigated by three different expert groups. In this study, the Delphi method was used to systematically and iteratively aggregate experts’ opinions, and the topics to be communicated to consumers were expressed and prioritized. The opinions of three groups, consisting of 26 members of the expert committee (EC) from the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ), 29 local government officials (LGOs) from their respective food safety departments, and 25 food safety monitors (FSM) appointed by the FSCJ, were obtained in the period of June through September 2017. “Safety and security concept” was identified and ranked high in all groups. This topic identified “Zero-risk” demand of consumers without understanding risks as the reverse side of safety. The EC group prioritized additional issues, such as “concept of risk” and “safety costs and relevant risk management”. The LGO and FSM groups prioritized specific hazard items for food poisoning and preventive measures. With regard to the so-called “health foods”, the EC and LGO groups indicated insufficient transmission of scientific evidence from the government to consumers, and the FSM group indicated insufficient understanding by consumers of the food labeling system for health and nutrition. Because consumers do not fully understand all concepts of food safety, governments are encouraged to disseminate the probability of risk and the knowledge of risk reduction directly to the consumers by using simple and easy-to-understand terms.

著者

Hiroshi Asakura Junko Sakata Yoshimasa Sasaki Kentaro Kawatsu

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.9, no.3, pp.81-87, 2021 (Released:2021-09-24)

参考文献数

28

被引用文献数

1

---

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and Campylobacter coli (C. coli) are leading causes of foodborne gastroenteritis in Japan. Epidemiological surveillance has provided evidence that poultry meat is one of the main reservoirs for human campylobacteriosis, and therefore, improvement in process hygiene at slaughter is required to reduce the number of human infections. This study thus aimed to develop fluorescent immunochromatography strips for rapid and sensitive detection of thermophilic Campylobacter on poultry carcasses at slaughter. To establish the required detection levels, we first determined the numbers of C. jejuni and C. coli on poultry carcasses at one large-scale poultry slaughterhouse in Japan, resulting in the detection of Campylobacter at 1.97 ± 0.24 log CFU/25 g of neck skin during the post-chilling process by using ISO 10272-2:2017. Our developed Campylobacter fluorescence immunochromatography (FIC) assay exhibited a 50% limit of detection of 3.51 log CFU or 4.34 log CFU for C. jejuni NCTC 11168 or C. coli JCM 2529, respectively. Inclusive and exclusive tests resulted in good agreement. The practical usefulness of this test toward poultry carcasses should be evaluated in future studies, perhaps concentration of the target microorganisms prior to the testing might be helpful to further enhance sensitivity. Nevertheless, our data suggest the potential of FIC for rapid and sensitive detection of thermophilic Campylobacter for monitoring the process hygiene of poultry carcasses at slaughter.

著者

Takahiro Watanabe Yohei Kataoka Kyoko Hayashi Rieko Matsuda Chikako Uneyama

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.10, no.3, pp.83-101, 2022 (Released:2022-09-23)

参考文献数

34

被引用文献数

8

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Some countries have conducted a total diet study (TDS) focused on the estimation of specific trace elements. Although some results of a Japanese TDS examining trace elements were published, there have been no reports of a nationwide TDS across Japan over a multi-year period to estimate the level of exposure to multiple elements. In the present study, a TDS using a market basket approach was performed to estimate the dietary exposure levels of the general population of Japan to 15 elements, including aluminum (Al), total arsenic (tAs), boron (B), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), total mercury (THg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), and uranium (U). Samples prepared in eight regions across Japan over a 6-year period were analyzed using validated methods. The robust mean exposure estimates for Al, tAs, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, THg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, and U were 48, 4.2, 29, 8.6, 0.35, 0.17, 0.49, 0.14, 4.2, 2.8, 0.15, 0.022, 1.8, 0.10, and 0.021 μg/kg body weight/day, respectively. Although the variability in exposure estimates varied greatly from element to element, the relative standard deviations calculated from the robust means and robust standard deviations were ≤ 50% for all elements except Sn. Compared against the health-based guidance values, none of the robust and precise estimates obtained for the target elements would be associated with urgent health risk concern. In addition, the estimated exposure levels were generally in agreement with previously reported estimates, indicating that health risks associated with exposure to these elements have not changed markedly nationwide in Japan in recent years.

著者

Aiko Abe Kazuo Koyama Chie Uehara Azusa Hirakawa Itsuko Horiguchi

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.8, no.4, pp.90-96, 2020 (Released:2020-12-25)

参考文献数

13

被引用文献数

5 8

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To afford the future agenda of risk communication through an evaluation of the past, we examined the changes in risk perception in the food safety sector over the 15 years (2004–2018) since the establishment of the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) in 2003 by analyzing the data of the food safety monitor survey. Hazards such as contaminants including cadmium, methylmercury and arsenic, and pesticide residues caused high levels of concern among the public in 2004. In contrast, hazards such as food poisoning by harmful microorganisms and so-called “Health foods” have been ranked high among concerns since 2008 and 2014, respectively. Scoring of concern levels showed that concern related to food additives and pesticide residues intentionally added to foods and controlled has gradually decreased in a time-dependent manner. These concern scores were considerably lower in male monitors than in female ones; the scores were also lower for individuals with professional experience in the food sector than without the experience. The concern scores for contaminants were lower for males with professional experience. The concern scores related to food poisoning and health foods were not decreased and were remained high in recent years. These scores did not show clear dependence on job experience or gender of the monitors. A gap between food specialists and other attributes in the basic recognition of risk seems to make it difficult to communicate effectively and constructively among various interested individuals. To improve the quality of risk communication in the food safety field, it will be necessary to provide scientific knowledge and information regarding food safety management mechanisms for individuals without professional experience in the food sector, taking into account the changes in information media and influence on risk perception.

著者

Hiroshi Akiyama Reiko Adachi

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.9, no.4, pp.101-116, 2021 (Released:2021-12-24)

参考文献数

35

被引用文献数

18

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In the Japanese allergy-labeling system, food labeling is mandated for 7 specific ingredients (egg, cow’s milk, wheat, buckwheat, peanut, shrimp, and crab) and recommended for 21 food ingredients in reference to case numbers of actual illness and the degree of seriousness. To monitor the validity of the labeling system, official methods for the detection of specific ingredient proteins in processed foods were developed. The official methods consist of ELISA methods for screening, and western blot methods for egg and milk, and PCR methods for wheat, buckwheat, peanut, shrimp/prawn, and crab as confirmation tests. The official methods consist of ELISA methods for screening, and western blot methods for egg and milk, and PCR methods for wheat, buckwheat, peanut, shrimp/prawn, and crab as confirmation tests. Threshold amounts (a few mg/kg) for labeling were set based on the approach of the analytical detections. Any foods containing protein allergens should be labeled if these contain allergens at greater than 10 ppm (mg/kg). Validation protocol criteria were established to standardize the Japanese official method. Food Safety Commission of Japan conducted a risk assessment of egg as a specific ingredient and judged that current labeling system for foods containing allergens is generally appropriate for “eggs”. In the future, it is important to accumulate necessary scientific knowledge in order to carry out food health impact assessment including further refinement. The Japanese experience and knowledge of food allergy-labeling system would contribute to harmonize international labeling guidelines to protect allergic consumers globally.

著者

Hiroaki Kodama Taira Miyahara Taichi Oguchi Takashi Tsujimoto Yoshihiro Ozeki Takumi Ogawa Yube Yamaguchi Daisaku Ohta

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.9, no.2, pp.32-47, 2021 (Released:2021-06-25)

参考文献数

86

被引用文献数

9

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Grafting of non-transgenic scion onto genetically modified (GM) rootstocks provides superior agronomic traits in the GM rootstock, and excellent fruits can be produced for consumption. In such grafted plants, the scion does not contain any foreign genes, but the fruit itself is likely to be influenced directly or indirectly by the foreign genes in the rootstock. Before market release of such fruit products, the effects of grafting onto GM rootstocks should be determined from the perspective of safety use. Here, we evaluated the effects of a transgene encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS) on the grafted tomato fruits as a model case. An edible tomato cultivar, Stella Mini Tomato, was grafted onto GM Micro-Tom tomato plants that had been transformed with the GUS gene. The grafted plants showed no difference in their fruit development rate and fresh weight regardless of the presence or absence of the GUS gene in the rootstock. The fruit samples were subjected to transcriptome (NGS-illumina), proteome (shotgun LC-MS/MS), metabolome (LC-ESI-MS and GC-EI-MS), and general food ingredient analyses. In addition, differentially detected items were identified between the grafted plants onto rootstocks with or without transgenes (more than two-fold). The transcriptome analysis detected approximately 18,500 expressed genes on average, and only 6 genes were identified as differentially expressed. Principal component analysis of 2,442 peaks for peptides in proteome profiles showed no significant differences. In the LC-ESI-MS and GC-EI-MS analyses, a total of 93 peak groups and 114 peak groups were identified, respectively, and only 2 peak groups showed more than two-fold differences. The general food ingredient analysis showed no significant differences in the fruits of Stella scions between GM and non-GM Micro-Tom rootstocks. These multiple omics data showed that grafting on the rootstock harboring the GUS transgene did not induce any genetic or metabolic variation in the scion.

著者

Makoto Shibutani

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.3, no.1, pp.1-15, 2015 (Released:2015-03-30)

参考文献数

98

被引用文献数

8 19

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Evidence has been accumulating that environmental chemicals contained in foods can cause neurodevelopmental disabilities. However, regular developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) studies require large numbers of animals for detection of subtle dose-response changes, and it is urgent concern to establish a rapid and efficient evaluation system of DNT. Evidence from our recent studies points to the notion that adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus may represent vulnerable endpoint to cause DNT. Adult neurogenesis is the postnatal process of continued production of new neurons through the adult stage in the brain. Monitoring of granule cell lineage in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneurons in the dentate hilus is effective for detection of target cell populations of DNT as manifested by disruption of neurogenesis. Especially, reelin-expressing GABAergic interneurons are a useful marker to detect disruption of the migration and correct positioning of developing neurons following impairment of neurogenesis. Because axon terminal toxicants target granule cell lineage population growing dendritic processes, there may be common target mechanisms between the DNT and adult-type neurotoxicity affecting mature nervous system. Adult neurogenesis may also be a suitable endpoint for detection of DNT in a scheme of standard regular 28-day toxicity study. In other words, adult-type neurotoxicity could be detected by measuring the cellular responses in adult neurogenesis. Moreover, it should be stressed that there may be epigenome toxicity mechanisms to affect the process of hippocampal neurogenesis involving both neuronal stem cells and interneuron subpopulations, with continued disruption through the adult stage. These findings suggest that hippocampal neurogenesis is considered to be a critical target of environmental neurotoxicants contained in foods.

著者

Hiromi Nabeshi Tomoaki Tsutsumi Masaaki Imamura Yoshinori Uekusa Akiko Hachisuka Rieko Matsuda Reiko Teshima Hiroshi Akiyama

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.8, no.4, pp.97-114, 2020 (Released:2020-12-25)

参考文献数

28

被引用文献数

7

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Radionuclide contamination in foods has been a great concern after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. To estimate time trends of daily intake and annual committed effective dose of radionuclides after the accident, radioactive cesium (r-Cs; 134Cs and 137Cs) and potassium-40 (40K) in market basket (MB) samples prepared at 6-month intervals in periods from September 2013 to March 2019 in 15 regions of Japan were analyzed using γ-ray spectrometry. The annual committed effective dose of r-Cs, calculated at non-detected radionuclide levels assumed to be half the limit of detection (LOD), appeared to decrease gradually in 11 regions close to the FDNPP that were more likely to be affected by the accident. Differences in doses among the 15 regions were large just after the accident, but gradually decreased. In particular, 134Cs has not been detected in any MB sample in any region since September 2018, and annual committed effective dose from 134Cs in all regions was mostly constant at around 0.3 μSv/year (given the respective LODs). The maximum annual committed effective dose of r-Cs in this study was decreased from 2.7 μSv/year in September 2013 to 1.0 μSv/year in March 2019. In contrast, the range of annual committed effective dose of 40K varied from approximately 150 to 200 μSv/year during that time frame and did not change much throughout the period of this study. Although annual committed effective doses of r-Cs in regions close to the FDNPP appeared to be higher than in regions far from the FDNPP, doses in all regions are remaining at a much lower levels than the intervention exemption level, 1 mSv/year, in foods in Japan.

著者

Hiroshi Akiyama Hideki Matsuoka Takanori Okuyama Kyohei Higashi Toshihiko Toida Hiroyuki Komatsu Yoshiko Sugita-Konishi Satomi Kobori Yukio Kodama Midori Yoshida Hitoshi Endou

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.2014036, (Released:2015-03-11)

参考文献数

37

被引用文献数

6

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A novel type of encephalopathy associated with the ingestion of Sugihiratake mushroom (Pleurocybella porrigens) occurred in patients with chronic renal failure treated on hemodialysis in fall, 2004 in Japan. To clarify the mechanism of encephalopathy onset, we, for the first time, purified the cyanogen glycoside fraction (CG) from Sugihiratake mushroom using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction chromatography. Furthermore, we investigated single dose toxicity of the CG in an adenine-induced rat model of chronic renal damage (CRD). Pathological examination of kidneys indicates the development of CRD. Oral administration of the CG induces the accumulation of thiocyanate in the hemolyzed blood and brain in CRD rats, although no morphological changes were found in the brain. No further enhancement of kidney damage is observed after the oral administration of the CG in CRD rats. This is the first experimental report to suggest that acute encephalopathy, induced by Sugihiratake mushroom intake in the patients with chronic renal failure, is associated with intoxication of cyanide and thiocyanate, presumably produced metabolically produced after the ingestion of Sugihiratake mushroom.

著者

Jake P. Greenhalgh Daniel Amund

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.7, no.3, pp.74-78, 2019 (Released:2019-09-27)

参考文献数

26

被引用文献数

8

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Edible insects present a potential solution to increasing global food insecurity. However, there is limited research on the microbial hazards they may pose. These include opportunistic pathogens like Cronobacter spp. (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii). In this study, nine types of ready-to-eat edible insect products purchased in the UK were examined for their microbial load (total aerobic count, total Enterobacteriaceae count), and screened for the presence of Cronobacter sakazakii(C. sakazakii) by selective enrichment and plating on chromogenic agar. While microbial load was generally low, presumptive Cronobacter spp. were detected in five of the edible insect products. Four of the isolates were identified as C. sakazakii, using the Remel RapID ONE biochemical test kit. Genotypic characterisation of the isolates by ITS-PCR, however, demonstrated that the isolates may be other species of Cronobacter instead. Further studies into understanding microbial hazards linked to edible insects for human consumption are required.

著者

Mitsuru Yoshida Marino Isamu Kazuhiro Chiku

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.5, no.2, pp.54-60, 2017 (Released:2017-06-30)

参考文献数

16

被引用文献数

5

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Acrylamide has neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and genotoxicity in experimental animals and cellular systems. Fried potato is one of the major intake sources of acrylamide in food, and fried onion was reported to contain up to 100 ng/g level of acrylamide. To determine acrylamide concentration in potato and onion stir-fried prior to boiling for simmered dishes such as curry, stew, and Niku-jaga, a typical Japanese meat/potato/onion cuisine, we collected samples stir-fried at homes of volunteers who intended voluntarily to cook these simmered dishes. Acrylamide level was analyzed by GC-MS after the xanthydrol derivatization. Among 53 stir-fried potato samples, median and average values of acrylamide were found to be 2.0 ng/g and 11 ng/g, respectively. Acrylamide levels of 27 samples (51%) were less than limit of detection (LOD) (4 ng/g), and those of 13 samples (25%) were less than limit of quantification (LOQ) (10 ng/g). In cases with less than LOD and less than LOQ of acrylamide levels, one-half of LOD and average of LOD and LOQ were adopted, respectively, to calculate the median and average. This median was markedly lower than those of fried potato (180 ng/g) and potato snacks including potato chips (550 ng/g) reported in monitoring in 2013 fiscal year in Japan. Among 58 stir-fried onion samples, acrylamide level of only one sample (2%) was less than LOD (3 ng/g), and those of 15 samples (26%) were less than LOQ (8 ng/g). The median and average values in the stir-fried onion were 14 ng/g and 36 ng/g, respectively. These values are comparable to those for stir-fried onion reported by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan (median 19 ng/g, average 25 ng/g). But the maximum value of stir-fried onion 420 ng/g in the present study is much higher than the reported maximum value (70 ng/g).

著者

Ann Abraham Kathleen R. El Said Leanne J. Flewelling

出版者

Food Safety Commission, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

雑誌

Food Safety (ISSN:21878404)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.6, no.1, pp.33-43, 2018 (Released:2018-03-30)

参考文献数

46

被引用文献数

6

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Monitoring and management programs for marine toxins in seafood depend on efficient detection tools for their success in protecting public health. Here we review current methods of detection for neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) toxins, and current knowledge in brevetoxin metabolism in shellfish. In addition, we discuss a novel approach to developing monitoring tools for NSP toxins in molluscan shellfish. NSP is a seafood-borne disease caused by the consumption of brevetoxin-contaminated shellfish. Brevetoxins are a suite of cyclic polyether compounds found in blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (K. brevis) and are potent neurotoxins. Preventive controls for NSP in the U.S. currently rely upon environmental monitoring of K. brevis blooms and assessment of their shellfish toxicity by mouse bioassay. The mouse bioassay for NSP approved by National Shellfish Sanitation Program was developed in the 1960s when very little information on the structural and toxicological properties of brevetoxins in algae and shellfish was available. Alternative methods to mouse bioassay based on current scientific knowledge in the area are needed for monitoring NSP toxins. It is now established that brevetoxins are metabolized extensively in shellfish. Algal brevetoxins undergo oxidation and reduction, as well as conjugation with fatty acids and amino acids in shellfish. Recently, three metabolites have been identified as biomarkers of brevetoxin exposure and toxicity in Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and hard clam (Mercenaria sp.). The role of these biomarkers in monitoring NSP toxins in K. brevis exposed molluscan shellfish is reviewed. Comparisons of biomarker levels by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with composite toxin as measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and shellfish toxicity by mouse bioassay, support the application of these biomarkers as a dynamic and powerful approach for monitoring brevetoxins in shellfish and prevention of NSP.