The government is on high alert following reports that a deadly outbreak linked to tainted food in South Africa is now threatening other African nations.

The recent increase in nanoparticle (P25 TiO2 NPs) usage has led to concerns regarding their potential implications on environment and human health. The food chain is the central pathway for nanoparticle transfer from lower to high trophic level organisms. The current study relies on the investigation of toxicity and trophic transfer potential of TiO2 NPs from marine algae Dunaliella salina to marine crustacean Artemia salina.

The following draft of certain regulations, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, with previous approval of the Central Government, proposes to make in exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (i) and (j) of sub-section (2)

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are highly complex technical mixtures, and the short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are classed as persistent and have been included in the Stockholm Convention. However, there have been few studies of SCCPs and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) and their bioaccumulation and biomagnification in different species of fish. The present study investigated the levels, congener group profiles, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of SCCPs and MCCPs in different species of fish from Liaodong Bay, North China.

1044 women of child-bearing age from 25 countries participated in the study. 42% of them had mercury levels greater than 1 ppm — the level that approximately corresponds to the US EPA reference dose.* 55% of the women had mercury levels greater than 0.58 ppm mercury, a more recent, science-based threshold based on data indicating harmful effects at lower levels of exposure. Mercury is a health threat to women and the developing fetus.

The country will get new national standards after 60 years that will standardise outdated benchmarks for determining adulteration. According to these revised standards introduced by top food regulator - Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) - fat content now ranges between 1.5% and 6%, down from a minimum of 3% before. The standards were revised because of the change in environmental conditions, quality of fodder, water that cattle consume.

Agricultural use of antimicrobials in subtherapeutic concentrations is increasing in response to the rising demand for food animal products worldwide. In India, the use of antimicrobials in food animal production is unregulated. Research suggests that many clinically important antimicrobials are used indiscriminately. This is the largest study to date in India that surveys poultry production to test for antimicrobial resistance and the occurrence of extended-spectrum b-lactamases (ESBLs) modulated by farming and managerial practices.

Ever thought the rice you eat might be made of plastic?

How is it possible that lychee, a deliciously sweet tropical fruit, could induce a fatal hypoglycemic encephalopathy in children? The answer is straightforward: the edible fruit (aril) of lychee or litchi (Litchi sinensis or Litchi chinensis), and other members of the Soapberry family (Sapindaceae), contains unusual amino acids that disrupt gluconeogenesis and β-oxidation of fatty acids. (Comment)

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More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of are attributable to unhealthy environments. Every year, environmental risks – such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene – take the lives of 1.7 million children under 5 years, says a new WHO report.

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