Food establishments vulnerabilities

As the global human population has increased signihcantly in the past 50 years, so has our need for food and water. Much more of the food supply is imported from other countries, processed and prepared outside of the home, and eaten in restaurants or quick-food establishments than in 1945. These factors make domestic and international agricultural industries, as well as foodstuffs importers and processors, a vulnerable target for biological or chemical attack. 

The short-term actions include (1) establishment of a priority list of substances for further evaluation of their role in endocrine disruption monitoring levels of suspect chemicals in food and the environment (2) identification of vulnerable groups of people (such as children) who need to be given special consideration (3) establishment of an international network to enable information exchange and coordination of research and testing and (4) communication with the public and continuing consultation with stakeholders. 

Many countries have also established specific regulations to protect children from exposure to certain environmental hazards, including toxic chemicals. Examples include banning of heavy metals in toys, strict limit setting for persistent toxic substances in baby foods, and the setting of environmental limit values derived on the basis of infants sensitivities (e.g. nitrates in drinking-water). In the United States, concerns about children s special vulnerabilities... 

Inhibition of liver MAO leaves the patient vulnerable to the so-called wine-and-cheese syndrome, with adverse cardiovascular effects caused by absorption of such vasoactive amines as tyramine into the general circulation [for review, see Blackwell et al. (23)], The syndrome can include severe headache and hypertension and may lead to cerebral hemorrhage and death. Although this is a real risk, it seems likely that fears of MAOfood interactions may have been grossly exaggerated. Pare (24) reviewed the evidence in 1985 and noted that despite the widespread use of MAO inhibitors in the previous decade there had only been 17 reports of food interactions with phenelzine (19) and none of these proved fatal. With tranylcypromine (23) seven deaths had been reported, but in only two of these could a definite relationship with diet be established. 

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