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Diets low in seafood omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are very prevalent. Such diets have recently been ranked as the sixth most important dietary risk factor—1.5 million deaths and 33 million disability-adjusted life-years worldwide are attributable to this deficiency. Wild oily fish stocks are insufficient to feed the world’s population, and levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in farmed fish have more than halved in the last 20 years. Here we report on a double-blinded, controlled trial, where 161 healthy normotensive adults were randomly allocated to eat at least three portions/week of omega-3-PUFA enriched (or control) chicken-meat, and to eat at least three omega-3-PUFA enriched (or control) eggs/week, for 6 months. We show that regular consumption of omega-3-PUFA enriched chicken-meat and eggs significantly increased the primary outcome, the red cell omega-3 index (mean difference [98.75% confidence interval] from the group that ate both control foods, 1.7% [0.7, 2.6]). Numbers of subjects with a very high-risk omega-3 index (index < 4%) were more than halved amongst the group that ate both enriched foods. Furthermore, eating the enriched foods resulted in clinically relevant reductions in diastolic blood pressure (− 3.1 mmHg [− 5.8, − 0.3]). We conclude that chicken-meat and eggs, naturally enriched with algae-sourced omega-3-PUFAs, may serve as alternative dietary sources of these essential micronutrients. Unlike many lifestyle interventions, long-term population health benefits do not depend on willingness of individuals to make long-lasting difficult dietary changes, but on the availability of a range of commonly eaten, relatively inexpensive, omega-3-PUFA enriched foods.

Aims/hypothesis Low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We evaluated whether a diet high in fatty fish, bilberries and wholegrain products (Healthy Diet) improves biomarkers reflecting inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in individuals with impaired glucose metabolism. Methods We recruited individuals with impaired glucose metabolism and features of the metabolic syndrome into a 12 week, parallel design, dietary intervention trial conducted at the Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland (Kuopio, Finland). Randomisation was performed by matching according to sex and medians of age, BMI and fasting plasma glucose of the study population at screening. The primary endpoint in the present study was the change in plasma inflammatory markers and the measurements were performed blinded to group assignment. High-sensitivity (hs) C-reactive protein (CRP) and E-selectin responses were also analysed separately in participants not using statins ( n  = 76). Results Altogether, 131 individuals were assigned to either the Healthy Diet ( n  = 44), a whole-grain-enriched diet (WGED) ( n  = 42) or a control ( n  = 45) diet, and 104 participants (mean ± SD: age 59 ± 7 years; BMI 31.1 ± 3.5 kg/m 2 ) who had completed the study, were analysed (Healthy Diet n  = 36, WGED n  = 34 and control diet n  = 34). Plasma E-selectin decreased only in the Healthy Diet group. This occurred in all group participants ( p  < 0.05) and also after excluding participants using statins ( p  < 0.05). Plasma hsCRP levels decreased in the Healthy Diet (median −17%, p  < 0.05) and WGED (median −27%, p  < 0.01) groups in participants not using statins. Controlling for confounding factors, including BMI or insulin sensitivity, did not alter the results. A greater increase in plasma concentration of very-long-chain n -3 fatty acids and in the intake of fibre during the study was associated with a greater decrease in plasma E-selectin ( p  < 0.05). The intake of test breads consumed during the Healthy Diet and WGED interventions was inversely associated with the change in hsCRP levels ( p  < 0.001). Conclusions/interpretation Our results suggest that the combined effect of fatty fish, bilberries and wholegrain products may improve endothelial dysfunction and inflammation in overweight and obese individuals at high risk of developing diabetes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00573781 Funding: The study was funded by the Academy of Finland (117844 and 118590 [to M. Uusitupa]; 131460 [to K. Poutanen]; 130469 [to H. Mykkänen] and 131593 [to V. D. F. de Mello]); the Kuopio University Hospital (5106, 5168, 5254 [to M. Uusitupa]); the Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation; the Sigrid Juselius Foundation; the Nordic Centre of Excellence on ‘Systems biology in controlled dietary interventions and cohort studies’ (SYSDIET; 070014); and the European Commission in the Communities 6th Framework Programme, Project HEALTHGRAIN (FOOD-CT-2005-514008).

Mental health and sleep problems are prevalent in children during preschool years. The aim of the current study was to investigate if increased intake of fatty fish compared with meat improves mental health and sleep in four- to six-year-old children. The children (n = 232) in the two-armed randomized controlled trial, Fish Intervention Studies-KIDS (FINS-KIDS), were randomly assigned to lunch meals with fatty fish (herring/mackerel) or meat (chicken/lamb/beef) three times a week for 16 weeks. The fish and meat were weighed before and after the meals to record the exact consumption in grams (dietary compliance). Mental health problems were assessed by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) and sleep by parent report pre- and post-intervention. There was no significant statistical difference between changes in mental health and sleep for the fish eating group compared with the meat eating group, neither in the crude analysis nor after adjusting for intake of fish or meat (dietary compliance).

Background and Objectives: Support from fortified food during hospitalization is an important factor to increase nutritional intakes of patients to meet nutritional needs and nutritional status. The objective of the study was to analyze the effects of eel biscuits on the nutritional intake of sick children. Methods and Study Design: The study had an experimental post-test design, and included 40 hospitalized children at Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, who were selected by consecutive sampling. The inclusion criteria were children aged from 1 to 18 years old who received standard hospital food. The exclusion criteria were patients with fish allergies and those undergoing special diet therapy. The intervention was conducted for 5 days, in which the intervention group was given eel biscuits while the control group was given standard hospital snacks. The food intake was assessed using the food record and 24-hour recall methods. Unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney test were used in data analysis. Results: There was an increase in nutritional intake from snacks in the intervention group, namely energy (p<0.001), protein (p<0.001), fat (p<0.001), carbohydrate (p=0.005), zinc (p=0.012), and vitamin A (p=0.046) intake. There was also a positive impact on the main meal intake, especially in protein (p=0.037), fat (p=0.032), and zinc (p=0.037) intake. Conclusions: Consumption of eel biscuits to hospitalized children could increase their nutrient intake. Eel biscuits could be given as a snack to fulfill the nutritional requirements for sick children.

The ubiquity of anthropogenic debris in hundreds of species of wildlife and the toxicity of chemicals associated with it has begun to raise concerns regarding the presence of anthropogenic debris in seafood. We assessed the presence of anthropogenic debris in fishes and shellfish on sale for human consumption. We sampled from markets in Makassar, Indonesia and from California, USA. All fish and shellfish were identified to species where possible. Anthropogenic debris was extracted from the digestive tracts of fish and whole shellfish using a 10% KOH solution and quantified under a dissecting microscope. In Indonesia, anthropogenic debris was found in 28% of individual fish and in 55% of all species. Similarly, in the USA, anthropogenic debris was found in 25% of individual fish and in 67% of all species. Anthropogenic debris was also found in 33% of individual shellfish sampled. All of the anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in Indonesia was plastic, whereas anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in the USA was primarily fibers. Variations in debris types likely reflect different sources and waste management strategies between countries. We report some of the first findings of plastic debris in fishes directly sold for human consumption raising concerns regarding human health.

This work investigates the level of exposure to cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) via fish and seafood products in adult population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Metals content was determined in seven commercial species of fish and seafood products widely available and consumed in BiH. Analysis of Cd and Pb was performed by GFAAS (Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry), and analysis of Hg by FIAS AAS (flow injection cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry) in accredited laboratory for food analysis. The health risk was determined by the estimated weekly intake, hazard index, target hazard quotients, and percent of tolerable weekly intake or percent of benchmark dose lower confidence limit. Concentration above the maximum residue level (MRL) set in the European Union was found in only one sample (Hg in mackerel). Cd content was generally high in squid, approaching the corresponding MRL in two samples. The hazard index was close to 1 in bluefin tuna and mackerel, mostly due to Hg content. These two fish species should be consumed in moderation, especially by pregnant women. While consumption of various fish and seafood on average is not of significant concern, health risk could not be ruled out for high consumers.

There is a growing global need to shift from animal- towards plant-based diets. The main motivations are environmental/sustainability-, human health- and animal welfare concerns. The aim is to replace traditional animal-based food with various alternatives, predominantly plant-based analogs. The elevated consumption of fish and seafood, leads to negative impacts on the ecosystem, due to dwindling biodiversity, environmental damage and fish diseases related to large-scale marine farming, and increased intake of toxic substances, particularly heavy metals, which accumulate in fish due to water pollution. While these facts lead to increased awareness and rising dietary shifts towards vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, still the majority of seafood consumers seek traditional products. This encourages the development of plant-based analogs for fish and seafood, mimicking the texture and sensorial properties of fish-meat, seafood, or processed fish products. Mimicking the internal structure and texture of fish or seafood requires simulating their nanometric fibrous-gel structure. Common techniques of structuring plant-based proteins into such textures include hydrospinning, electrospinning, extrusion, and 3D printing. The conditions required in each technique, the physicochemical and functional properties of the proteins, along with the use of other non-protein functional ingredients are reviewed. Trends and possible future developments are discussed.

Human exposure to microplastics contained in food has become a significant concern owing to the increasing accumulation of microplastics in the environment. In this paper, we summarize the presence of microplastics in food and the analytical methods used for isolation and identification of microplastics. Although a large number of studies on seafood such as fish and shellfish exist, estimating the overall human exposure to microplastics via food consumption is difficult owing to the lack of studies on other food items. Analytical methods still need to be optimized for appropriate recovery of microplastics in various food matrices, rendering a quantitative comparison of different studies challenging. In addition, microplastics could be added or removed from ingredients during processing or cooking. Thus, research on processed food is crucial to estimate the contribution of food to overall human microplastic consumption and to mitigate this exposure in the future.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the bioavailability and the configurational isomer distribution of the carotenoid astaxanthin (AST) in human plasma after ingestion of wild (Oncorhynchus spp.) and aquacultured (Salmo salar) salmon. In a randomised and double-blind trial, twenty-eight healthy men consumed 250 g wild or aquacultured salmon daily for 4 weeks which provided 5 μg AST/g salmon flesh. The plasma AST concentrations as well as the isomer distribution were measured by HPLC using a reversed and a chiral stationary phase. After 6 d of intervention with salmon, plasma AST concentrations reached a plateau of 39 nmol/l after consumption of wild salmon and of 52 nmol/l after administration of aquacultured salmon. At days 3, 6, 10 and 14 – but not at day 28 – the AST concentrations in human plasma were significantly greater after ingestion of aquacultured salmon. After administration of wild salmon, the (3S,3′S) isomer predominated in plasma (80 %), whereas after intake of aquacultured salmon the meso form (3R,3′S) prevailed (48 %). Therefore, the AST isomer pattern in human plasma resembles that of the ingested salmon. However, after consumption of both wild and aquacultured salmon for 28 d the relative proportion of the (3S,3′S) isomer was slightly higher and the (3R,3′R) form lower in human plasma compared with the isomer distribution in salmon flesh. A selective process of isomer absorption could be responsible for the observed differences in the relative proportions of the (3S,3′S) and (3R,3′R) isomers in human plasma compared with salmon flesh.

Herein, we design and prepare cellulose-based ratiometric fluorescent materials with superior amine-response, which offers the real-time and visual detection of seafood freshness. Through utilizing the reactive hydroxyl groups along cellulose chains, we covalently immobilize the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as indicator and protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) as internal reference onto cellulose acetate (CA), respectively. Subsequently, a series of dual-emission solid fluorescent materials are achieved by simply blending green emitting CA-FITC with red-emitting CA-PpIX with varying ratios. They exhibit a sensitive, color-responsive, rapid and linear response to ammonia in a wide range of 5.0 ppm to 2.5 × 10 4 ppm. Benefiting from the excellent solubility and processibility of cellulose derivatives, the as-prepared materials are readily processed into different material forms, including printing ink, coating, flexible film, and nanofibrous membrane. The electrospun nanofibrous membrane is successfully employed as a low-cost, high-contrasting, quick-responsive fluorescent trademark for visual monitoring the freshness of shrimp and crab. Simple, fast, and accurate detection of food freshness has great significance to food safety and business. Here, the authors develop cellulose-based ratiometric fluorescent materials with superior amine-response, which can be used for visual monitoring the freshness of shrimp and crab.