Food enzymes are used for technical purposes in the production of food ingredients or foods‐as‐consumed. In the European Union, the safety of a food enzyme is evaluated by EFSA on the basis of a technical dossier provided by an applicant. Dietary exposure is an integral part of the risk assessment of food enzymes. To develop exposure models specific to each food manufacturing process in which food enzymes are used, different input data are required which are then used in tandem with technical conversion factors. This allows the use levels of food enzyme to be related to food consumption data collected in dietary surveys. For each food manufacturing process, EFSA identified a list of food groups (FoodEx1 classification system) and collated technical conversion factors. To ensure a correct and uniform application of these input data in the assessment of food enzyme dossiers, stakeholders were consulted via open calls‐for‐data. In addition to publishing and updating the identified input parameters on an annual basis, single‐process‐specific calculators of the Food Enzyme Intake Models (FEIMs) have been developed. These calculators have been deposited at https://zenodo.org/ since 2018 for open access. By 2023, EFSA had compiled the input data for a total of 40 food manufacturing processes in which food enzymes are employed. In this document, the food manufacturing processes are structured, food groups classified initially in the FoodEx1 system are translated into the FoodEx2 system, and technical factors are adjusted to reflect the more detailed and standardised FoodEx2 nomenclature. The development of an integrated FEIM‐web tool using this collection of input data is carried out for a possible release in 2024. This tool will be able to estimate the exposure to the food enzyme–total organic solids (TOS) when employed in multiple food manufacturing processes.
The Feel4Diabetes program was comprised of a community-based screening and a two-year intervention phase aiming to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D) in families at risk for diabetes across Europe. The current work aimed to identify the socio-demographic characteristics and body weight perceptions of participants who benefitted the most, achieving at least a 5% reduction in body weight, waist circumference and glycaemic indices (fasting plasma glucose, insulin, glycosylated haemoglobin levels), over two-year period. Following a two-stage screening procedure, 2294 high-risk parents were randomly allocated to standard care or more intensive intervention. The participants who benefitted most were living in Southern (OR 2.39–3.67, p < 0.001) and Eastern Europe (OR 1.55–2.47, p < 0.05), received more intensive intervention (OR 1.53–1.90, p = 0.002) and were younger (<40 years old) adults (OR 1.48–1.51, p < 0.05). Furthermore, individuals with tertiary education (OR 2.06, p < 0.001), who were unemployed (OR 1.62–1.68, p < 0.05) and perceived their body weight to be higher than normal (OR 1.58–3.00, p < 0.05) were more likely to benefit from the program. Lastly, males were more likely to show improvements in their glycaemic profiles compared to females (OR 1.40, p = 0.024). These findings point out the regions in Europe and the sociodemographic profile of individuals that benefitted the most in the current study, highlighting the need to prioritise regions in greater need for such interventions and also tailor future interventions to the characteristics and perceptions of the target populations.
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are common complications of diabetes mellitus that affect patients’ quality of life and pose a burden on the healthcare system. Although malnutrition and specific nutritional deficiencies can seriously impact wound healing in patients with chronic nonhealing wounds, the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of DFUs is still not clear. This review discusses the significance of frequent diet assessment and nutritional education of patients with DFUs with individualized correction of deficiencies and emphasis on adequate protein intake along with correction of vitamins D, C, E, and selenium status. Future research should clarify the impact of nutritional interventions, potentially involving the use of probiotics, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, and successfully translating the findings into practical guidelines for use in everyday clinical practice.
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