In the last few decades, emphases on the role of foods have shifted from substances consumed merely to quell hunger or to provide needed nutrients for normal cellular function to substances that can potentially promote health and wellness and, particularly, reduce risk of disease. These foods are frequently referred to as nutraceuticals and/or functional foods with various reported bioactive fu...

As genetically modified (GM) foods are starting to intrude in our diet concerns have been expressed regarding GM food safety. These concerns as well as the limitations of the procedures followed in the evaluation of their safety are presented. Animal toxicity studies with certain GM foods have shown that they may toxically affect several organs and systems. The review of these studies should no...

The aim of this special issue is to provide a foundation on which further research for the development of compounds from food as possible candidates for improving oral health could be based. The maintenance of oral health can be invariably achieved by manipulating the oral microbiota toward a population of mixed species that is less likely to induce diseases such as gingivitis or caries. Dental...

background and objectives: furfural (f) and hydroxymethyl furfural (hmf) are cyclic aldehydes, which are formed during the heat processing of foods. these chemical contaminants have received much attention due to their suspected health hazards and heat damage indicators. the aim of the present study was extraction and determination of f and hmf in baby-foods using dispersive liquid-liquid micro...

Because of the complex aetiology of modern obesity patterns, isolated therapeutic or public health measures will not solve the obesity problem. Consumers must be made aware of the ways in which the food industry influences their food purchases. Government needs to prioritise health ahead of industrial productivity and increased consumption. An obesity intervention wish list is presented as a su...

BACKGROUND Health foods have been widely sold and consumed in Japan. There has been an increase in reports of adverse effects in association with the expanding health food market. While health food-drug interactions are a particular concern from the viewpoint of safe and effective use of health foods, information regarding such interactions is limited owing to the lack of established methods to...

A survey was conducted to compare the total viable fungal content and the number of different mold species encountered in 10 types of health foods labeled organically grown and in the same foods without such a label. The foods were wheat flour, corn meal, brown rice, figs, split peas, pinto beans, soybeans, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts. Results showed no consistent difference in either the tota...

 Over-consumption of foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and salt content, associated with heightened risk for obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is one of the biggest public health problems facing the UK.  It is not only a worry for people who suffer from limiting conditions such as diabetes, types of cancers, cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, but it is al...

The phytochemical constituents which comprise many edible berry fruits have increasingly been linked to modulation of biomarkers associated with conditions of diabetes, overweight/obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), all components of metabolic syndrome. While many wild berries have long been valued in traditional medicine as health protective, it is only recently that the ability of berr...