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One of the ways to optimize the potential of land to increase the income of lowland rice farmers is to engineer land from a monoculture system to a diversified rice-fish cultivation system. The study aimed to compare the feasibility of farming for three growing seasons using cropping pattern 1 with the Rice-Fish – Rice-Fish – Rice-Fish sequence and cropping pattern 2 with the Rice-Fish – Rice – Rice sequence and see which composition of the cropping pattern is the most profitable between the two. The research was conducted in Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia, using the survey method. The population consisted of 49 farmers; using the Slovin technique, a sample of 33 farmers was taken. The sample was taken using the simple random sampling technique. It was carried out during the 2020-2021 planting period. The results showed that farming using both cropping patterns is feasible because it has an R/C ratio > 1 (Revenue is higher than costs). Cropping pattern 1 shows greater farming profits compared to pattern 2. The difference in profits may be due to the income from fish planted in addition to rice yields. Planting with the Rice-Fish cropping system provides significant additional income for farmers, risk mitigations and improve environment.

One of the ways to optimize the potential of land to increase the income of lowland rice farmers is to engineer land from a monoculture system to a diversified rice-fish cultivation system. The study aimed to compare the feasibility of farming for three growing seasons using cropping pattern 1 with the Rice-Fish – Rice-Fish – RiceFish sequence and cropping pattern 2 with the Rice-Fish – Rice – Rice sequence and see which composition of the cropping pattern is the most profitable between the two. The research was conducted in Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia, using the survey method. The population consisted of 49 farmers; using the Slovin technique, a sample of 33 farmers was taken. The sample was taken using the simple random sampling technique. It was carried out during the 2020-2021 planting period. The results showed that farming using both cropping patterns is feasible because it has an R/C ratio > 1 (Revenue is higher than costs). Cropping pattern 1 shows greater farming profits compared to pattern 2. The difference in profits may be due to the income from fish planted in addition to rice yields. Planting with the Rice-Fish cropping system provides significant additional income for farmers, risk mitigations and improve environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the literature on food risk has grown significantly. Consumers are increasingly interested in being informed about the relationship between the food they purchase, their health, and current sustainability goals. In this study, university students' opinions on food quality attributes were collected through a survey in search of emerging common traits and taking into account the students' socio-demographic characteristics. The sample for the analysis consists of 5133 students enrolled at the University of Turin (Italy), whose perceptions of food risk are analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results reveal the existence of four clusters within the surveyed student population: "Detached", "Warranty-oriented", "Inattentive", and "Made in Italy-oriented". In particular, the analysis shows a significant influence of age, education level, income, and employment on students' preferences concerning the purchasing process and food safety. The results also provide some suggestions to stakeholders, underlying the necessity to strengthen the knowledge of the origin of food products and the awareness of the challenges of the global–local food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-related issues have recently become one of the most salient and controversial issues and have received increasing media and scholarly attention. This study examines the distinct effects of trust and distrust on the public's information behaviors, specifically in the context of two food-related issues including GM food and food additives. This study employs a cross-sectional survey with 1,089 Chinese citizens. This study demonstrates that trust and motivation positively predicted information transmission behaviors (i.e., information sharing and forwarding) and information acquisition behaviors (i.e., information attending and seeking). Distrust, on the other hand, predicted only information transmission behaviors. Motivation's effects on information acquisition behaviors were moderated by trust. This study contributes to the field of health information by expanding STOPS' applicability to food-related risk contexts, conducting research with culturally distinct populations different from those featured in prior research, and distinguishing the roles of trust and distrust in influencing information behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of organic food is becoming increasingly popular and, to avoid numerous threats to human health and the natural environment, the issues devoted to it require greater attention from decisionmakers, producers, and consumers. Consumer decisions have an impact on shaping food consumption patterns and recently the trend of the consumption of conventional versus organic food products has been widely discussed. This is especially true given the fact that the area of human health is strongly related to the consumption of food products produced under the challenges of environmental protection and sustainability. The study aimed to investigate if the perception of consumption among Polish respondents was risk-indicative or sustainable based on the animal, fruit, and vegetable products purchased from conventional or organic production. The results revealed that fruit and vegetable consumption was not identically related with socio-demographic features, but the income level equally affected consumer choices regarding the purchase of organic food products. Gender and marital status only influenced decisions regarding the purchase of organic fruit. The consumption of animal products regarding the frequency of their consumption did not reveal the features of sustainability. The metal accumulation index (MAI) for conventionally cultivated vegetables was not higher for all of the investigated vegetables, namely pumpkin, spring onion, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and garlic. Our study contributes to addressing the knowledge gap on consumer choices about organic food products in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Actualización en Nutrición is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Nutricion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of micronutrients but can usually contain contaminants such as pesticides and toxic heavy metals. In this work, we have evaluated the effectiveness of washing with tap water, vinegar-acidified water and basified water with sodium bicarbonate in eliminating three pesticides (methomyl, deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin) and some exogenous heavy metals. The HPLC-UV method was validated for pesticides analysis in vegetable matrices using the QuEChERS method extraction. The results showed that a ca. of 57 to 71% and 73 to 97% of the 3 pesticides are removed after washing with acidified and basified water, respectively. On the other hand, the ICP-MS method was used for analysing heavy metals and essentials elements in spinach. Washing with both acidic and alkaline water removed a part of toxic heavy metals. The decrease in metals concentrations indicated that, probably, the metals contamination of vegetables was mainly through the foliar deposition. Acidified and basified water solubilise small particles containing these exogenous metals In conclusion, the performance of washing with the basic medium was better to remove pesticides and some of exogenous toxic heavy metals from the surfaces of spinach leaves and to preserve the essential elements of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandipropamid, a new fungicide for oomycete disease, has a strong effect on the blight of many crops and has been registered for the treatment of ginseng blight in China. However, no maximum residue limit (MRL) of mandipropamid has been identified for ginseng, and there have been few related studies. We established and verified the analysis method of mandipropamid in ginseng using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method has good linearity and accuracy in the range of 0.002–0.5 mg/kg. The average recovery of mandipropamid was 87.4–101.6%, and the standard deviation was 1.1–4.0. Mandipropamid in ginseng plants and soil rapidly degraded following first-order kinetics models. The degradation dynamics showed that the half-life of mandipropamid in ginseng plant and soil was 13.8–28.0 and 9.8–27.4 d, respectively. After the recommended dose of mandipropamid was applied once, the residual content of mandipropamid in fresh ginseng, dried ginseng, red ginseng, ginseng plant, and ginseng soil was < 0.01–0.185, < 0.01–0.265, 0.085–1.544, 0.075–4.800, and < 0.01–0.014 mg/kg, respectively. The dietary risk assessment of mandipropamid on ginseng showed that the risk quotient value was far less than 100%, indicating that the recommended dose of mandipropamid does not cause unacceptable risks to humans. After the recommended dose of mandipropamid was applied once, it did not cause unacceptable risks to humans. This study not only provides a reasonable spray dosage of mandipropamid to ginseng but also offers a reference for the establishment of MRLs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a major threat to agricultural produce and it can pose potential ecological risks which subsequently impacts on human health. Strawberries are an economically important produce of China. The intrinsic link of heavy metal pollution risk in the soil-strawberry ecosystem is of concern. In this study, the pollution index of heavy metal pollutants in farmlands of different provinces were evaluated, and the results showed significantly high levels of cadmium. In addition, Nemerow integrated pollution index analysis showed that low-pollution farmlands only accounted for 14.07% of the total arable land area. Then, the transfer factors were used to calculate the migration of heavy metals from the soil into strawberries. The results showed that cadmium and nickel were relatively high in strawberries from the Guangxi province. Similar results were found for mercury in Jiangxi Province. The pollution index of single food pollution also showed that mercury in strawberries from Jiangxi Province was at a moderate pollution level. The comprehensive pollution index indicated that heavy metal pollution in strawberries in Central China may be severe. In addition, spatial clustering analysis showed that cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic and zinc in strawberries had significant hotspot clustering in central, south and southwest China. Finally, our studies also suggested that the risk of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic diseases was higher in the (2, 4] years age group than in other age groups. People in Yunnan Province were also found to have a higher non-carcinogenic risk than those in other provinces and cities in China. This study provides a comprehensive view of the potential risks of heavy metal contamination in strawberries, which could provide assistance in the design of regulatory and risk management programs for chemical pollutants in strawberries, thus ensuring the safety of consumption of these edible fruits.

The Equatorial South Atlantic region, spanning over 1700 km, is currently undergoing extensive exploitation through various activities such as oil extraction, desalination plants, marine mineral explorations, and wind power for green hydrogen production. This undoubtedly also contributes to the exacerbation of pre-existing chronic environmental impacts. This study aims to investigate the concentrations of 60 substances, categorized as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) from various classes including: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), as well as Pyrethroids (PPs), Triazines (TPs) and Organophosphates (OPPs) pesticides in consumable fish, shellfish, and crabs. The bivalve (Mytella charruana) , crab (Ucides cordatus) , and catfish (Sciades herzbergii) samples were collected in areas of ecological, environmental and economic importance. This data was used to estimate concentrations in the organisms, and to calculate cancer and human health risk. The most prevalent pollutant classes in the organisms were OCPs, followed by TPs and PPs. Shellfish and fish samples had more compounds indicating health risks, when compared to crabs. The substances causing cancer risks varied across organisms and study areas. The heightened cancer risks linked to specific compounds in various species highlight the urgent need to address persistent pollutants to prevent long-term health impacts on both humans and wildlife. Compounds such as PPs, TPs, and OPPs pose significant risks of neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. This study underscores the interconnectedness of environmental and human health in coastal ecosystems, calling for continuous monitoring and adaptive management strategies to protect these fragile environments and the communities that rely on them. [Display omitted] • Study showed high levels of CECs from various sources in seafood for the first time in the South America region. • Seafood studies revealed both traditional and globally permitted pesticides in very high concentrations. • The most prevalent pollutant classes in the organisms were OCPs, followed by TPs and PPs. • Compared to crabs, shellfish and fish contained more compounds, indicating greater health risks. • Studied organisms have cancer-linked substances affecting endocrine, immune, and reproductive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food risk analysis is very important. The risk management process is not only carried out in the event of a threat in the food consumed, but also at a time when there is no crisis situation - although during food crises it has a key role in dealing with panic and consumer health protection. Consumers see the risk in food associated with, for example, new technology, a new type of food (confront the risk with the benefits offered by new technology, product), food on which there are different opinions of specialists. In this paper the perception of food risk will be discussed as it depends on many characteristics such as: gender, level of education, age, income and others. In the next part of the paper the stages of food risk analysis will be presented: 1) risk assessment including: hazard identification, hazard characteristics, exposure estimation, risk characterization; 2) risk management: including risk evaluation, estimation possibilities, types of implementation, monitoring and review; 3) risk communication. In the third part of this paper tasks and responsibility in the field of risk communication will be shown.

Copyright of Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodistico is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Nacameh is the property of Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Unidad Iztapalapa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An analytical protocol for the determination of multi-class pesticide metabolites chlorpyrifos-methyl (Chlorp-M), S-metolachlor (S-Metola), malaoxon (malaox), 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (2-CAAT), carbofuran phenol (CarbPhenol), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and one polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in fish was developed using the analytical technique GC–MS. Besides the verification of metabolite occurrence in catfish from both metropolitan region and intensive farming region, the protocol was applied to evaluate human health risk due to the contaminated fish consumption in Brazilian tropical semiarid coast, for the first time. Following the national and international quality standards, the analytical protocol showed acceptable recoveries with good repeatability. Limit of detection (LD) and limit of quantification (LQ) values ranged from 0.15 µg L−1 to 36.0 µg L−1 and from 0.55 µg L−1 to 112.9 µg L−1, respectively, and the sensitivity was considered satisfactory since it is a complex matrix. Only tree pesticide metabolites were detected in the captured catfish. CarbPhenol and 3-PBA presence may be attributed to the application in rural and urban activities for pest control, public health campaigns and household, while malaox presence may be due to the dengue control program. Malaox contents were significantly higher than 3-PBA and CarbPhenol for the three estuaries of the Ceará coast, but the dietary risk due to the consumption of these fish, mainly for the coastal communities, based on the values established for their parental compounds, was considered low for both 3-PBA and malaox, and of probable high risk for CarbPhenol. Results represent an alert to the high possibility of risks to human health due to the overuse of pesticides in Brazil, mainly carbofuran pesticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analysed the media coverage of food risk in the online editions of the four leading Italian daily newspapers in order to explore which topics were mainly covered and which aspects were preferably stressed. The media coverage was compared to data published on the RASFF Portal, in order to verify whether the selected sources worked promoting adequate information about food risks, or rather responding to news making criteria. Time series and content analysis were conducted on 2286 food risk news published between 2010 and 2014. The RASFF Portal returned 2697 alert notifications that were analysed and compared with the media coverage results. Findings show that apart from media peaks the selected sources generally cover food risk without much variability. The great majority of RASFF data did not receive specific mention among the news articles analysed, suggesting that the selected sources cover food safety issues responding more to a gate keeping bias. In relation to food incidents that generated major coverage, apart from the 2011 E. coli outbreak, the media were functioning conveying alarmist messages rather than informing and mitigating risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First report on illegal fishing with agrochemicals and explosives in Ecuador Amazon. • Bad practices in fish catching were validated by 102 informants reported by local media. • Fishing practices in all amazon provinces resulted in fish pollution. • Agrochemicals and explosives usage linked with poverty and economic activities. • Local anglers and riparian were unaware of the danger of consuming contaminated fish. Illegal fishing with agrochemicals and explosives is an uncontrolled problem that is causing long-lasting, irreversible damage to the aquatic ecosystems. The present investigation was carried out based on cases reported by journalistic sources, which provided an overview of this unpleasant practice nationwide in Ecuador. To validate journalistic information, 102 surveys were conducted in the Ecuadorian Amazon in six population groups: students, anglers, UPMA (The Environmental Police Unit) police officers, Agrocalidad, MAATE (Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition) staff, and Amazon residents, categorized by their respective provinces. The survey results confirmed that 49% of participants knew about the illegal use of agrochemicals and dynamite in Amazonian fishing. Predominantly riverside communities were known to carry out this practice during the dry season. The identified agrochemicals, ranked by frequency of use were as follows: Rotenone (26%), Palmarol (l9%), Nuvan (3%), Methavin (2%); as well as Dynamite (9%); which were used to increase the fish catching rates. According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the frequency of annual fishing with agrochemicals or explosives was significantly differ between the Amazonian provinces; attributed to differences in the sources and level of incomes between the provinces. Therefore, a strong relationship between the economic status of fishermen and the unsustainable fishing (using agrochemicals-explosives)was evidenced by the Spearman coefficient, with a Rho of 0.985 (p ≤ 0.005). In summary, the use of agrochemicals and explosives is a common fishing method in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This practice is associated with their sources of income, such as mining, and agriculture. It is linked to the difficulty of controlling the commercialization of agrochemicals and dynamite, either through contraband or the inclusion of the active ingredient in a wide range of pesticides. Given the irreversible adverse impact of illegal fishing aquatic ecosystems, stringent action plants are greatly warranted by the Ecuadorian government and environmental agencies to protect the aquatic flora and fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Regulation of food systems exists to ensure safety and enhance consumer confidence in the food which they purchase and consume. However, some regulatory systems fail to instil public confidence. In China for example, trust in the domestic food system is low as a consequence of multiple high-profile food scandals, many of which linked to food fraud. Fraud occurs when food is intentionally adulterated for economic gain and may, but not always, pose a risk to the safety of food. Food authenticity and quality may also be compromised. The focus of this research relates to how Chinese consumers perceive food fraud and make choices in the absence of trust in regulatory systems. Seven focus groups with middle class Chinese participants in tier 1 and 2 cities (Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu) were conducted to explore attitudes of and perception towards food fraud. Infant milk formula, olive oil and Scotch whisky were used as prompts for attitudinal and perceptual elicitation. The findings indicated that Chinese consumers consider food fraud to represent a food hazard that poses a threat to the authenticity, quality and reliability of food and increased the risk of purchasing and consuming of unsafe food. Consumers were found to rely on informal kinship networks as trusted sources of information regarding food products' authenticity and safety. Behavioural responses included a range of risk relieving strategies to support food purchasing judgements, in the perceived absence of regulatory protection, that included: pre-purchase and consumption information seeking; the use of product attributes as authenticity cues; carefully selected acquisition sources; as well as a range of domestically-situated food practices. The strategic implications for food companies and policy are discussed. Highlights • Chinese consumers perceive food fraud to represent a risk to the safety of food. • To mitigate the perceived risks associate with food fraud, consumers developed a range of risk-relieving strategies. • The level of perceived risk posed by food fraud was product and consumption situation dependant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important determinants of risk perceptions associated with foods are the extent to which the potential hazards are perceived to have technological or naturally occurring origins, together with the acute vs. chronic dimension in which the potential hazard is presented (acute or chronic). This study presents a case study analysis based on an extensive literature review examining how these hazard characteristics affect people's risk and benefit perceptions, and associated attitudes and behaviors. The cases include E. coli incidences (outbreaks linked to fresh spinach and fenugreek sprouts), contamination of fish by environmental pollutants, (organochlorine contaminants in farmed salmon), radioactive contamination of food following a nuclear accident (the Fukushima accident in Japan), and GM salmon destined for the human food chain. The analysis of the cases over the acute vs. chronic dimension suggests that longitudinal quantification of the relationship between risk perceptions and impacts is important for both acute and chronic food safety, but this has infrequently been applied to chronic hazards. Technologies applied to food production tend to potentially be associated with higher levels of risk perception, linked to perceptions that the risk is unnatural. However, for some risks (e.g. those involving biological irreversibility), moral or ethical concerns may be more important determinants of consumer responses than risk or benefit perceptions. (Lack of) trust has been highlighted in all of the cases suggesting transparent and honest risk-benefit communications following the occurrence of a food safety incident. Implications for optimizing associated risk communication strategies, additional research linking risk perception, and other quantitative measures, including comparisons in time and space, are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of arsenic (As) in vegetables poses a risk of contamination to humans via the food chain. Two chard (var. cicla and var. d'ampuis ) crops were grown for 60 days in greenhouses on Aridisol soil, and irrigated with water from Pastos Chicos, Jujuy (Argentina). The soil and water used in the trial presented 49 and 1.44 mg/L As concentration levels, respectively. Total dry biomass (TDB) and total As were determined in soils, roots and leaves. The latter was quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation, and bioconcentration and translocation factors were determined. TDB in var. cicla showed statistically significant differences when the plant was cultivated in control soil and watered with the toxicant (2.04 g), as compared with the treatment without exposure (2.8 g). TDB in var. d'ampuis presented statistically significant differences with respect to that of the control when the plants were grown in soils with As and watered with the toxicant (3.3 g). This variety increased its biomass in the presence of As. In the two Swiss chard varieties evaluated, the largest As accumulation in root and leaves was found when they were cultivated in contaminated soil and watered with distilled water. The presence of the toxicant in the leaves exceeded the limits established by Código Alimentario Argentino, i.e. 0.30 mg/kg. Total target hazard quotient (THQ) values for As were higher than 1, suggesting that consumers would run significant risks when consuming these chard varieties. Furthermore, it was determined that the carcinogenic risk (CR) posed by this type of exposure to As exceeded the acceptable risk level of 1 × 10 −6 . Based on this evidence, we may conclude that consuming chard cultivated on the evaluated site brings about considerable risks to local residents' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety is a topic that is currently very much and often discussed. This may be a debate among political representatives, representatives of the food industry, but also among consumers, ie. general public. The issue of food safety and quality is very important in view of the growing globalization of economy, whose mission is to encourage food businesses to improve the production process as a whole and competitiveness. As in every sector, the food market faces many problems arising from market opening, business environment diversity or non-compliance with legislative requirements. The effects of these market imperfections are ultimately borne by the consumer. It is, therefore, appropriate to ensure that consumers are adequately informed about the food they consume. Food production is carried out according to European and world standards. A Slovak customer purchases food imported from abroad. This fact can be caused by the pricing of individual foods but also by the lack of Slovak producers. Foreign competition liquidates the quality Slovak producers. The principle of customers should be to support the economy of the state and to buy domestic food. The submitted document deals with issues of food safety, control and quality of food. The aim of the work was to examine the attitudes of consumers to food safety based on the acquired knowledge and research results, to identify their interest in food safety. It also involved identifying global food safety issues and analyzing consumers' views on the problem under consideration and its impact on their purchasing behavior. Primary data was obtained from a survey that was performed on a sample of 478 respondents. Based on the survey, it was confirmed that 85% of respondents perceive the different quality of the food sold on the Slovak market. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents said they were paying attention to the quality of the groceries. More than half of respondents expressed satisfaction with hygienic sales conditions. Almost 80% think that high-quality food is commonly available. Statistical testing has confirmed the significantly lower quality of food produced abroad. Other assumptions were formulated for more detailed analysis and their relationships were verified by using the statistical methods (Friedman Test, Chi-Square Test of Independence, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ibero-Latinoamericana de Seguros is the property of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigated the food risk perceptions of people living in the Triveneto area (Northeast Italy), a territory characterized by a particular interest in the production of quality foodstuffs, to determine what aspects people associate with food risk and to understand what beliefs underlie these perceptions. Four focus groups were conducted in the major towns of the target area (N = 45). A semi-structured interview was used that focused on beliefs about food risks, the use of information and media sources in relation to food risk, and the behaviours adopted when eating outside the home. A homogeneous view of food risk emerged among the respondents, and a common definition of risky food was identified. The concept of risk was in opposition to the quality and controllability of food, which emerged as major strategies to cope with food risks. Quality was linked to freshness and local origin, whereas controllability reflected a direct (e.g., checking labels, having a relationship with the vendor, cultivating one's own vegetable garden) or indirect (e.g., control guarantees provided by suppliers and the government) means to check the safety and quality of food. Although people seemed quite informed about food risks, a common sense of impotence with regard to one's own protection prevailed, together with a fatalistic sense of incomplete control over risk. The results identified food concerns for consumers living in this specific territory and might represent a starting point for public health authorities to increase compliance with responsible behaviours for risk mitigation and to define successful food policies for this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Southern area of the Caspian Sea is an important resource of seafood products in Iran. One of the major factors affecting the health of seafood consumers is lead (Pb), due to its wide distribution and bio-accumulative property. In this study, all the studies, conducted during 2003-2016 on the amount of lead in white, mullet, and carp fish at the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea were assessed. Materials and methods: This meta-analysis used the data on 1242 muscle tissues of Rutilus frisii kutum, Liza auratus, Liza saliens, and Cyprinus carpio collected from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The level of lead concentration in samples was obtained from recently published articles in valid scientific journals. Then, dietary consumption risk and consumption limit of these fishes were assessed. Results: In this study, mean concentrations of lead in fish muscle tissues were higher compared to levels accepted by various various national. However, daily and weekly absorption of this element through fish consumption was lower than the dose permitted by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. It was found that 0.23, 0.43, and 0.28 kg/day of Caspian white fish, mullet, and carp for adults, and 0.048, 0.09, and 0.58 kg/day of the these fishes can be consumed by children, respectively, without any non-carcinogenic effects. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, a great difference was observed between various studies in terms of the reported effect factor. While publication bias was notable, it seems that the current amount of consumption of the evaluated fish has led to no serious health risks in consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper had a primary task, namely “Proposal of a methodology for the process of preliminary assessment of flood risk – a methodological procedure for preliminary flood risk assessment from flash floods with respect to the need for its updating following from directive 2007/60/EC and its application in the conditions of a modelled territory”. The methods which are used in the contribution emerge from practical experience as well as from knowledge obtained from the available literature and consultations with experts dealing with the given problem in practice. The foundations of flood risk assessment are hypotheses on the impact of physiogeographical attributes of basins on the origin of floods. The conceptual framework for flood risk assessment of flash floods comes from the definition of a multidimensional conception of flood risk. The proposed methodology consists in the identification of critical points and contributing surfaces from the viewpoint of creation of a concentrated surface flow from flash floods and their adverse impacts on the built-up areas of a municipality. The primary goal of the assessment of risk of contributing surfaces was determining the riskiness of the locality with an ordinal degree (i.e., low, moderate, and high) and providing a foundation for a second stage, called controlling risk. The resulting risk of contributing surfaces is determined as a combination of danger and vulnerability according to a set matrix. Processing and analysis of the input data as well as visualization of the achieved results is carried out in the GIS environment (ArcGIS 9.3, 10) in integration with a spreadsheet of Microsoft Excel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to govern increasingly globalised, industrialised and risky food chains, food safety authorities (FSAs) have been established worldwide as part of a catalogue of food risk governance reforms undertaken in response to continuing food crises. Despite these significant shifts in governing arrangements however, little work has been conducted regarding how consumers respond to, resist and/or engage with these new governance systems in everyday, non-crisis contexts. As such, this paper explores the everyday governance of food risk from the perspective of those whose voices typically go unheard in food policymaking processes – consumers. Drawing on empirical results from focus groups conducted with publics across the Republic of Ireland, consumer perceptions, priorities and lived experiences relating to food risk governance, and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in particular, are explored. This analysis is couched within a normative frame of multi-scalar governance and what makes it ‘good’ or effective. Accordingly, the paper advances food risk policy debates through a lens of normative good food risk governance, including analysis of the perceived accountability, transparency and effectiveness of Irish food risk governing structures from a consumer perspective. Identifying limitations in current governing regimes, the paper concludes by critically reflecting on the opportunities and challenges for adopting more adaptive forms of governance in the multi-scalar and evolving policy context that typifies food risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uno de los mecanismos de gestión de alertas alimentarias es el intercambio rápido de información, de forma que la reacción se produzca cuanto antes y se puedan minimizar los impactos del riesgo. La estructura de la información que se transmite, la prioridad y la categorización del riesgo, el tratamiento diferenciado de las informaciones, la decisión sobre a quién se debe informar, la confidencialidad de lo que se transmite, la valoración de lo que se transmite, la reducción de la arbitrariedad o el uso que se le da al principio de precaución son cuestiones que nos sirven de hilo conductor para un análisis de los diferentes sistemas y proporcionan una perspectiva de comparación que puede ayudar a la mejora del intercambio de información sobre riesgos alimentarios en un contexto de «mercado global» de alimentos como el actual. El objetivo de este artículo es llevar a cabo una propuesta de mejora del sistema de gestión de las alertas alimentarias en nuestro país a través del análisis y la comparación de los elementos esenciales de diferentes sistemas de nuestro entorno.One of the mechanisms for food alerts management is the rapid interchange of information so that the response takes place the sooner and the impact of the risk can be diminished. The structure of information transmitted, the priority and categorization of the risk, the differentiated treatment of the information, the decision on who must be informed, the confidentiality of information transmitted, and evaluations of it, the reduction of the abuse or the use of precautionary principle are questions that can serve as guidelines for an analysis of the different systems and provide a comparison perspective that can help to improve the exchange of information on risks in the present day «global market» of foods. The main goal of this article is to provide a proposal for improvement in the food alerts management system in our country through an analysis and comparison of the essential elements of different systems in our context.