Philosophy and Guidelines for Nutritional Standards for Processed Foods

Institute Affairs Philosophy and Guidelines for Nutritional Standards for Processed Foods A Report by an International Working Group Sponsored by International Union of Nutritional Sciences International Union of Food Science and Technology and National Academy of Science - National Research Council Washington, D.C. Aug. 3-7, 1970 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE R. E. Morse, Chairman Z. I. Sabry, Co-chairman J. A. Campbell L. Friedman SUMMARY Recent trends in food production, processing and consumption suggest that existing policies for ensuring nutritional adequacy of the food supply may no longer be as effective as desired. A critical review of these factors by a working group representing several countries and many disciplines has indicated that increasing emphasis must be placed on nutritional aspects of food standards. It is recommended that: 1. Nutrient content and safety considerations be given full consideration in the development of new varieties of plants and domestic animals. 2. Nutrient content and safety be studied and properly monitored in the processing, distribution and storage of conventional foods. 3. Enrichment of conventional foods be continued according to present policy to overcome specific nutritional deficiencies. 4. Nutrient content of fabricated foods be related to their place in the diet. 5. Nutrient content of foods that substitute for or simulate traditional foods be similar to that of the food they are intended to replace. 6. Fabricated foods used as meal replacements contain all the necessary nutrients in proportion to their caloric content. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND About three years ago, the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (I.U.N.S.), under the guidance and leaflership of Dr. C. Glen K;ng, then president of the Union, organized a series of commissions and committees to deal with various aspects of nutrition on an international basis. One of the committees of the Commission on Nomenclature, Procedures and Standards, headed then by the late Dr. A. C. Frazer, was Committee IV on Food Standards on which Dr. J. A. Campbell was asked to serve as chairman. Membership was drawn from many countries. The f'rst opportunity the Committee had to meet as a group was in Belgrade in August 1969 just prior to the VIIIth Internati()n'll Conrrress of Nutrition in Prague. At that meeting it was pOSSible for Dr. Leo Friedman of U.S., Dr. H. A. B. Parpia of India, Dr. M. J. L. Dols of The Netherlands, Dr. Z. I. Sabry and Dr. J. A. Campbell of Canada to get together to plan the work of the Committee. Terms of Reference of the Committee on Food Standards were stated as follows: 1. To develop a philosophy and formulate a rationale for dealing with nutritional aspects of food standards. 2. To keep under review nutritional implications of food standards. 3. To hold meetings relating to the above matters and to publish proceedings and monographs within the framework of the I.U.N.S. "Nutritional aspects" was defined to include all aspects of food that may have chronic health implications due to the absence or imbalance of nutrients or to the presence of deleterious substances. After reviewing various problems relating to the work of the Committee, it was obvious that one of the most important

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Affaires de I'lnstitut subjects which should be examined was the philosophy of nutritional standards for new processed foods and substitute foods. The meeting recommended that a working symposium be sponsored by the Food Standards Committee of I.U.N.S., in cooperation with other interested agencies. Regarding this matter the Committee made the following statement: ' "It is recognized that in certain areas of the world, food habits are changing rapidly and that a proportion of these populations no longer have three meals at home in the tra· ditional manner. In these areas, increasing numbers of people, including vulnerable groups, are consuming snacks and other new foods at intervals during the day. In other areas, where most of the population still depend on tradition. al foods, we may anticipate the introduction of new food products which are necessary to improve the nutritional status of the people. There is a need to examine the impact of these changes in dietary habits and to develop nutritional standards for these new and formulated foods. It is proposed to consider the definition of meals and snacks and to develop a philosophy for standards for such foods based on the nutr;ent composition of the foods. In general, it is felt that formulated foods supplying a significant proportion of the caloric requirements should contain proportional amounts of nutrients including protein, vitamins and minerals. In categorizing foods according to their caloric contribution it is recognized that those with insignificant amounts of calories may be exempt from nutritional requiremants. The labelling aspects of newly formulated foods should be conSidered, with particular emphasis on the need for listing ingredients causing allergic reactions or intolerances. The implications of these proposals on various classes of existing foodstuffs will also be examined, e.g., soft drinks, confectionery and breakfast cereals. It was also noted that until the time that caloric requirements are supplied largely by new food products, substitute foods made to resemble important conventional sources of nutrients should be similar in nutrient content to those sources. Examples of such conventional foods are milk and citrus juices. The most effective way of reviewing these matters is by means of a full discussion of all aspects by experts in the various fields concerned. It is therefore recommended that a worJdng symposium on these subjects be sponsored by' the Food Standards Committee of I.U.N.S. in cooperation with International Agencies. Attendance would be bv invitation and a requirement would be that definite proposals be formulated with regard to the philosophy of nutritional standards for new foods." At the same time, another conference was being organized to be held in Montebello, Quebec, in October 1969. This International Symposium on the Impact of Food Technology and Nutrition was sponsored jointly by the International Committee on Food Science and Technology, (lCFOST), the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, (I.U.N.S.), the Canadian Institute of Food Technology and the Food Research Institute (Canada Department of Agriculture). Two of its main objectives were to bring together persons from various disciplines, especially food scientists and nutritionists, to discuss the impact of food processing and preservation on the health and well-being of man and to demonstrate what food technology can do for and not just to man's food. As Dr. Geo. F. Stewart pointed out in his summary of the Symposium (Food Tech. 24, 271, 1970), it was the first time that a dialogue was established among agriculturalists, nutritionists, food scientists and medical people about foods and nutrition. Furthermore, it served to emphasize the need for the development of a philosophy for nutritional standards for fooels. Aocordingly, those of the Committee on Food Stanflards of LU.N.S. who were present at the Montebello meeting asked Dr. Roy E. Morse and Dr. Z. I. Sabry to act as Chairman and CoCan. lnst. Food Techno\. J. Vo\. 4, No.1, 1971

hainnan respectively, of a group to organize a Working Symc 'urn ~n Nutritional Standards for Processed Foods. The POSI osiurn was set up with the following purposes in mind. Sym~I) To develop a philosophy for nutritional standards for foods. (2) To set out guidelines for use by individual countries. (3) To make recommendations regarding the implementation of standards. It was planned that authorities in each major field of food technology would be asked to review their fields from the following aspects: (1) Current Trends in Food Habits and Usage. (2) Current Trends in Food Processing and Nutritional Implications. (3) Identify Problems. (4) Suggest Philosophy. (5) Make Recommendations. At the conference, held in Washington, Aug. 3-7, 1970, representatives from eight countries were present and provided background papers on meat products, cereal products, formulated foods, fats and oils, oil seeds, dairy products, fruit and vegetable products, seafood and fish, and the general philosophy of nutritional standards for foods. NEED FOR NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS In the past, food intake was largely, if not entirely, composed of traditional foods with their original nutrient content. Thus, food guides provided a measure of protection of the health of the consumer by recommending a regular intake of milk, meat, cereals and vegetables. In most countries, nutritional standards were limited largely to those permitting on an optional basis the addition of a few vitamins and minerals to foods such as flour which had had their natural nutrient content reduced in processing. Nutrients were also added to traditional foods on the basis of a need by a particular segment of the population e.g., the addition of vitamin D to milk, as required by infants. This philosophy consisted of (1) determining the need, (2) deciding which foodstuff would be the best vehicle to bring the nutrient to the needy population and (3) requiring that a particular foodstuff be adequately enriched and properly labelled. It has proved most successful in eliminating deficiency diseases in many countries. Today we are faced with a situation in which there is a steady but definite change in food usage and food habits. There is a decrease in activity in practically all segments of the population with a resultant decrease in intake of foods such as cereals and potatoes. With higher standards of living there is increased consumption of purified sugars and fats. There is an increasing demand for prepackaged, precooked and other types of convenience foods. There is a trend away from three normal meals a day consisting of the traditional food groups recommended in food guides for good nutrition. It has been estimated that probably one third of food is consumed away from home. There is also an increasing interest in the development of substitutes for traditional foods such as milk and meats. Finally, there is increasing and significant use of new formulated foods including snack foods and so-called "instant" meals. These developments indicate that food consumption patterns are becoming so complex that it is no longer practical to rely on nutrition education to ensure that all segments of the population will be able to select an adequate diet. Furthermore, food technology has become sophisticated to the extent that palatable processed foods can be developed that may be entirely devoid of certain essential nutrients. Conversely, when free from the restriction of naturally grown plant or animal tissues, the food technologist can now prepare foods which are better balanced nutritionally than those occurring in nature. It is im~ortant therefore that a new approach be taken toward the development of food standards, particularly with respect to these new formulated foods. In addition to ensuring ~reedom from substances hazardous to health, as accomplished 1Il existing food standards and regulations, increasing attention must be given to the nutrient content of foods and their nutritional adequacy for the purpose for which they may be used. While nutritional deficiencies are being found in some developed COuntries it is also important that we recognize the potential J. lnst. Can. Techno!. Aliment. Vo!. 4, No I, 1971

danger in the trends described above and prevent the occurrence of deficiencies by the adoption of appropriate standards for these foods. Although most of the population in "developing" areas of the world still depend largely on conventional foods, it may be anticipated that there will be increased use of fabricated foods in these areas in the future. At present, differences bewteen countries at different levels of devel~ment are largely related to the relative use of conventional and fabricated foods, thus the principles for nutritional enrichment do not differ significantly, althoush the nutrients required may not be the same. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Classes of Foods and Their Nutritional Standards The problems associated with different classes of food vary and it has been found convenient to discuss foods under three general classes; namely (1) conventional foods, (2) fortified conventional foods and (3) new fabricated foods. 1. 1 Conventional Foods The term "conventional foods" is meant to include those foods which reach the consumer with a minimum of processing e.g., steaks, fruit, ground meat, fluid milk. The food producer has been accustomed to developing foods on the basis of yield, freedom from disease, ease of handling, food texture, ,color and flavor. He has also paid attention to standards of hygiene, safety and economics. It has now been amply demonstrated, however, that dependence on these characteristics alone may permit the development of food with undesirable qualities e.g., varieties of fruit with low vitamin C content, potatoes with high solanine content. While technical and economic considerations are important, the fact that low nutritional value or the presence of toxic principles may occur, means that now, nutrient content and safety must be given full consideration in the development of new varieties of plants and domestiC animals. Although it is obviously impossible to standardize the nutritional characteristics of natural raw materials, attention must be given to maximum retention of desirable nutritional values by employing the most suitable production techniques and by incorporating nutritional evaluation into food development and quality assurance. The possibility of nutritional improvement of foods by genetics such as the production of high lysine com and wheat, and zero erucic acid rapeseed oil must also be encouraged and greatly expanded. It has also been pointed out that particularly in the tropic and sub-tropic area of the world there may be marked loss in nutritional value or development of toxic principles such as aflatoxin in the handling, storage and distribution of conventional fo~ds. Obviously there is a need for the study and monitoring of such factors in the interval between production of the food and its consumption. Among the fields offering promise of nutritional betterment due to breeding research are animals of higher lean-to-fat ratio, fruits and vegetables with improved vitamin A and C levels, milk with higher protein levels and cereal grains with improved protein quantity and quality. With processed commodities such as comminuted meats and fish, adequate protein quantity and nutritional quality shoul? be ensured by specifications which may be controlled by analYSIS or factory inspection. O'lseeds are usually processed to provide oil and protein ingredients for the food industry. Current trends point to increasing emphasis on the protein component. Such protein ingredients are being employed both singly and in combination with other protein ingredients. Attention must be given to adequate nutritional quality. In addition, protein preparations of oilseed origin must be so processed as to be free of toxic factors and low in fibre at the consumer level. Nutritional standards for fats and oils do not seem to be warranted. However, information should be available regarding saturated and natural cis-isomer levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Users of fats and oils in the manufacture of fried foods should give due heed to fat deterioration which may lead to nutritionally undesirable foods. Cereal products play a large part in many diets and should be processed or enriched so as to provide adequate nutrients as well as calories. 1. 2 Fortified Conventional Foods The term "fortified conventional foods" is meant to include

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foods such as bread, margarine, milk with added vitamins and apple juice with added vitamin C. Many countries have legislation which permits the addition of vitamins and minerals to foods. Usually this has been enacted as a result of a demonstrated need in some segment of the population. In the joint statement ot policy (May 1\:J61) of the Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Science National Research Council and the Council on Foods of the American Medical Association, it is stated that the requirements which should be met for the addition of a particular nutrient to a given food include "(a) acceptable evidence that the supplemented food would be physiologically or economically advantageous for a significant segment of the consumer population, (b) assurance that the food item concerned would be an effective vehicle of distribution for the nutrient to be added, and (c) evidence that such addition would not be prejudicial to the achievement of a diet good in other re9Pects." This statement and similar ones in other countries are endorsed. Changing consumption patterns and increasing nutritional knowledge may require reconsideration of fortification of conventional foods. Some segments of the population may benefit from having some foods fortified with certain nutrients beyond present levels of enrichment. For example, teen-agers who consume large quantities of so-caIJed empty-calorie foods such as soft drinks, snacks and confections require additional sources of nutrients This may be achieved by fortifying appropriate foods with needed nutrients. 1. 3 New Fabricated Foods The term "new fabricated foods" is meant to include complex food mixtures used as snack foods, meal replacements and substitutes for conventional foods. The nutrient composition of fabricated foods must be considered in relation to their place in the diet. So-caIJed "substitute" or "imitation" foods such as substitute milk or meat products sold or used in place of the traditional foods must supply at least the nutrients present in significant amounts in the food displaced. The amounts supplied should be in the upper range given in food composition tables. Where feasible it is desirable that fabricated foods be nutritionally complete. It should be kept in mind, however, that certain nutrients must not be present in excessive or imbalanced amounts. Foods intended as meal replacements should contain aIJ the necessary nutrients in proportion to the calories supplied. If such fabricated foods are intended only as a meal component or part of a meal, they should be so formulated that when added to the other meal components they jointly make up the necessary total of nutrients. 2. Methodology The development of nutritional guidelines must be accompanied by development of suitable and reliable methods of analysis. Much of the methodology presently available for nutrients is cumbersome and complex. The I.U.N.S. Committee on Food Standards should evaluate current methods and recommend priorities for development of new methods. Some of the areas warranting investigation include simpler methods for the evaluation of protein quality, simpler, more rapid methods for iron and lysine availahilitv and better methods for measuring level of fat oxidat;on and stability. It must be recognized that while planning for nutritional stannards is proceeding, the work on methodology must also go forward. 3. Lllbellin~ Foods should be labeIJed in such a manner that the labels are informative to the consnmer. They should permit the consumer readily to determine the nutritional value of the food and satisfy his need to know the prpsence of ingredients for health reasons. Thf're is urgent need for careful studies to determine what type of information is most useful and informative to the consumer. PARTICIPANTS A. E. Bender Queen Elizabeth College University of London London, England F. Bramsnaes University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark G. Brink· National Dairy Council Chicago, Illinois

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J. A. Campbell

Food and Drug Directorate Ottawa, Canada M. Copley U.S.D.A. Western Utilization Research Lab (RET) Berkeley, California National Polytechnic Institute O. Dahl Mexico City, Mexico D. R. Erickson Swift and Company, Inc. Chicago, Illinois L. Friedman· Food and Drug Administration Washington, D.C. M. Fujimaki University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan G. Galliver Colworth House, Unilever Sharnbrook, England .J. Hickson· International Sugar Research Foundation Washington, D.C. E. L. Hove Food and Drug Administration Washington, D.C. K. K. lye" India Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi, India D. W. Johnson Crest Products, Inc. Park Ridge, Illinois C. G. King Columbia University New York, New York UNICEF M. Milner" New York, New York R. E. Morse Department of Food Science Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey H. A. B. Parpia" Central Food Technological Research Institute Mysore, India L. J. Rubin Canada Packers Limited Toronto, Canada I. Rusoff National Biscuit Company Fairlawn, New Jersey Z. I. Sabry· Food and Drug Directorate Ottawa, Canada C. Sherck The Pillsbury Co. Minneapolis, Minnesota "Papers submitted, not in attendance. °Attended, nc paper submitted. O

Biochemical Engineering Symposium (Montreal 1971) A two-day symposium on Biochemical Engineering is scheduled for the 21st. C.S.Ch.E. Chemical Engineering Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 12-15, 1971. Sessions will cover topics on Microbial Technology, Food Processing and Formulations, and Waste Treatment and Pollution Control. Titles and abstracts of papers for possible presentation should be submitted before March 1, 1971 to the symposium Chairman, Professor M. Moo-Young, Department of Chemical Engineering, Uni· versity of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Proposed Amendment to CIFT /ICTA Letters Patent Notice is hereby given to CIFT/ICTA professional members of an amendment to the Institute's Letters Patent which was proposed by Council at the Annual Meeting of the Institute in Windsor, Ontario on June 10, 1970. The proposal - to change the name of the Institute to "Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology". It is the intention of Council to take a vote of professional members on this proposal at the Annual Meeting of the Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 18, 1971. Can. Jnst. Food Techno!. J. Vo!. 4, No. I, 1971