Latest news with #ANSES
Euronews
a day ago
- Health
- Euronews
How can you stay safe from E. coli amid a deadly outbreak in France?
A 12-year-old girl died in a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened about two dozen people in northern France. The outbreak, which appears to be linked to meat contaminated with the bacteria E. coli, has affected 24 children and one older person in the Saint-Quentin area since June 12. According to the regional health authority, nine patients – including the girl who died – developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause anaemia and kidney damage. As of Thursday, 10 people were still hospitalised. Here's what we know about the outbreak and how to keep yourself safe from E. coli. How were people infected with E. coli? French government agencies are investigating the origins of the outbreak. They believe it is linked to six butcher shops that may have sold contaminated meat, the regional government said on Thursday. Scientists are analysing samples from the butcher shops and patients to confirm where the bacteria came from. They expect to have answers in the coming days. Although most of the cases involve children, officials do not believe that school meals are to blame. How is France responding to the outbreak? The butcher shops under investigation have been temporarily closed, and prosecutors in Saint-Quentin and Paris have launched a legal probe into the outbreak. French authorities also issued public alerts about events where the shops sold meat in recent days, including a football tournament, a basketball festival, and a school fair. They advised people who have shopped there since June 1 to throw out any food, clean their refrigerators, and seek medical help if they develop symptoms such as bloody, mucousy diarrhoea. What are the symptoms of E. coli poisoning? Most strains of E. coli (Escherichia coli) are harmless, but some produce Shiga toxins that can make people sick, according to France's food safety agency (ANSES). Most people experience mild diarrhoea and stomach pain and tend to recover within a week. However, E. coli infection can also cause severe complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which occurs when small blood vessels are damaged and form clots that can hurt the organs. In 2023, 143 children in France developed HUS, with most cases among toddlers under the age of three, ANSES said. Symptoms can appear within 10 days of eating contaminated food, and include bloody diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, and stomach pain, cramping, or bloating. Signs of HUS-induced anaemia or kidney damage include easy bruising, loss of colour, fatigue, unusual bleeding, high blood pressure, and swelling of the legs, feet, or ankles. Kidney failure can be life-threatening, but most people who receive treatment for E. coli poisoning or HUS will recover. How can people protect against E. coli infection? Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before and after preparing food. Thoroughly cook your meat, wash your vegetables, and store and prepare raw foods separately from cooked foods, according to the regional government's alert. People should also refrigerate leftovers quickly and reheat them to kill off any bacteria. Meanwhile, children under the age of 5 should not drink raw milk or untreated water, for example, from a stream or well.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Glass traders' federation clarifies microplastics not caused by glass but metal caps
Mumbai: The All India Glass Manufacturers' Federation (AIGMF) Wednesday addressed media reports about a French study that showed the presence of microplastics in beverages packaged in glass bottles. "These reports misinterpret findings from a scientific study conducted by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES). The ANSES study, in its clear findings, points out that any plastic particles observed in drinks primarily originate from the paint on the caps used for decoration in glass bottles for packaging beverages," said a press release. "The study investigates the presence of microplastics across different types of beverage containers (plastic, cartons, cans and glass) in drinks such as water, soda, iced tea, wine and beer. The study is clear that the level of microplastics found in the bottles tested is linked to the metal caps/ closures of the bottles, and not from glass packaging itself." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Rajesh Khosla, president- AIGMF said, "Glass industry representatives unfortunately were not consulted before making this study public. We request the media and public to understand the manufacturing process of glass bottles to avoid spreading any misleading information on glass, which has been a trusted mode of packaging since ancient times."
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Microplastics in packaged beverages: Glass bottles not responsible; caps to blame, says glass industry body
Microplastics found in beverages packaged in glass bottles are attributable to the colour used on bottle caps instead of the bottle, according to a statement by the All India Glass Manufacturers' Federation (AIGMF). The industry body issued the statement in response to reports which stated that beverages — water, soda, iced tea, wine and beer — stored in glass bottles had higher plastic content than glass bottles, citing a study by the French agency ANSES. The AIGMF cited the ANSES study and responses from its EU counterparts to reiterate the safety of glass usage in packaging. According to the findings of a study by Boulogne-sur-Mer unit of the ANSES Lab for Food Safety in France, 'Microplastics are present in all beverages, but those packaged in glass bottles contain more microplastic particles than those in plastic bottles, cartons or cans.' 'The study is clear that the level of microplastics found in the bottles tested is linked to the metal caps/closures of the bottles, and not from glass packaging,' AIGMF said in its statement. On probing this difference, researchers concluded that the microplastics had probably originated from the metal caps on glass bottles — and more specifically from the paint on these caps. In its response to the ANSES study, the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE) also said that microplastics in glass bottles was 'linked to metal caps/closures of the bottles and not from glass packaging itself.' Urging stakeholders to understand the manufacturing process of glass bottles, AIGMF president Rajesh Khosla said 'glass has been a trusted mode of packaging since ancient times.' Elaborating on the composition of glass, Vinit Kapur, secretary, AIGMF, said glass is distinct from plastic since it is made from silica sand and recycled glass. It involves a high temperature process which does not involve plastic formation, he added. 'When plastic particles are observed in beverages packaged in glass bottles, these particles are attributed to external components like caps and closures, specifically those involving painted metal surfaces, plastic liners, or sealing compounds,' Kapur said. AIGMF re-emphasised that glass is non-toxic and chemically inert. Apart from being completely recyclable, glass does not contain harmful additives, according to the statement. Glass does not react chemically with food or drinks contained in it, FEVE said in its response to the ANSES study.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Scientists warn of surprising amount of microplastics found in glass and plastic bottles
Drinks sold in glass bottles, like soda, wine, or beer, may contain more microplastic particles than those in plastic ones, a surprising new study published by France's food safety agency suggests. Microplastics, several times smaller than the width of a single human hair strand, form as plastic waste breaks down into smaller pieces over time, finding their way into the environment and into the bodies of humans and other species. They have been detected almost everywhere, polluting the clouds, the deepest parts of the ocean and on the sides of the world's tallest mountains. A growing body of studies warns that exposure to these particles via the air we breathe and the food we eat could be linked to serious health conditions like strokes, hormone disruptions and several kinds of cancer. Scientists hope to better understand the prevalence of these potentially toxic particles and the ways in which humans get exposed to them. Previous research has found direct evidence linking a key ingredient of plastic bottles to an increased risk of diabetes. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis has found that microplastics are prevalent even in beverages sold in glass bottles. Researchers, including those from the French food safety agency ANSES, found an average of around 100 microplastic particles per litre in glass bottles of soft drinks, lemonade, tea, and beer. This could be five to 50 times greater than the rate found in plastic bottles or metal cans, scientists say. 'Counterintuitively, drinks sold in glass bottles were more contaminated by microplastics,' they wrote in the study. "We expected the opposite result," Iseline Chaib, one of the authors of the new study, told AFP. The study could not directly establish whether there was any health risk from the consumption of such beverages sold in glass bottles or not, due to the lack of toxicological data. Scientists found that the microplastic particles in the glass bottles corresponded to the colour and polymer composition of the paint on their caps, indicating that this was likely the main source of contamination. They recommend that glass bottle manufacturers clean new capsules before capping the bottles to reduce microplastic contamination. 'Pre-cleaning of new capsules, by blowing them out and rinsing them with water/ethanol/water, has significantly reduced the number of MPs (microplastics) per encapsulated bottle, lowering it by approximately three, compared to untreated capsules,' scientists said. Researchers suspect the capsules used for capping glass bottles likely undergo abrasion and surface friction as they collide during storage and transport, causing their particles to flake into bottles. 'Cleaning seems to be essential and could significantly minimise contamination of the liquid in the bottle by paint particles present in the capsule,' they added.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
New study found microplastics in a place you wouldn't expect — but does it really matter?
If you're trying to avoid microplastics, picking a glass bottle over a plastic one would seem like a sensible step. But a new study from researchers in France uncovered counterintuitive results showing higher concentrations of microplastics in beverages that came from glass bottles compared to other materials — including plastic. The study, titled 'Microplastic contaminations in a set of beverages sold in France,' was conducted by researchers at French food safety agency ANSES and is published in the August edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. In it, researchers looked at microplastic concentrations in drinks like water, cola, tea, lemonade, beer and wine in different types of containers, including plastic and glass bottles and metal cans. With the exception of wine, researchers found the most microplastic content in beverages that came out of glass bottles. So what's going on? How could there be more plastic in glass than plastic? The culprit: The cap. Though the bottles were made of glass, the caps were painted metal. Most paint is made of plastic. When scientists compared the color of the plastic particles in the liquid, it was the same color as the paint on the lid. That means bits of paint got scratched off the caps and went into the drinks. The study included close-up photos where you can see small scratches on the insides of the caps. That also explains why they found comparatively fewer particles in wine: They were traditional glass bottles capped with corks, not metal lids. The study was set up to examine the levels of microplastic content across different container materials, which is why the study phrases the highlighted results in that context ('Drinks in glass bottles more contaminated by microplastics'). But the conclusions indicate something more nuanced: There are multiple sources of microplastic contamination in what we eat and drink, and it's impossible to avoid them all, even if you're conscientious. The findings are consistent with what microplastics researchers around the world have found in many other studies, said Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist with environmental advocacy nonprofit the Environmental Working Group: 'It fits in with what we know, which is that microplastics are in a range of food and beverages.' The study only looked at a handful of brands per category, and only six samples per brand, which all came from the same batch lot. If anything, experts who reviewed the study said, the findings are an indication that bottled beverage manufacturers should be examining their materials and processes and seeing whether simple steps like pre-cleaning the caps with air or liquid could meaningfully reduce microplastic concentrations. The results don't mean that you should never drink a bottled beverage ever again, or that you need to scrutinize cap or bottle material. Microplastics are in just about everything we eat and drink, said Britta Baechler, the Director of Ocean Plastics Research for Ocean Conservancy. She co-authored a study published last year that found microplastics in every type of commonly consumed protein the researchers looked at, including seafood, chicken, steak, pork and plant-based protein. She called this study 'yet another reminder of how deeply embedded plastic is in our lives and our food system.' In the grand scheme of microplastic consumption, fussing over what a bottle or cap of an individual drink is made of won't make a huge difference. Here's what experts say you can do to reduce your exposure: Avoid heating up food in plastic. Heating plastic releases more particles into food, and faster. Nonstick coating is made of plastic, so opting to cook on stainless steel or cast iron is another smart step. Avoid storing food in or eating food off of plastic. Glass, metal and ceramic are all better picks for your plates and storage containers. Eat more whole, unprocessed food and drinks. Researchers found fewer microplastics in water than bottled lemonade, tea or cola. In Baechler's study on proteins, the ones with the fewest microplastics per gram were chicken breasts and pork chops; heavily processed products like breaded shrimp, fish sticks and chicken nuggets contained the highest concentrations. Drink filtered or tap water from your home out of stainless or glass drinkware. Tap water has consistently been found to contain fewer microplastics than other sources, Baechler said. Broadly speaking, despite the findings of this study, microplastics experts still say glass bottles are better than plastic ones. Glass itself does not — cannot — shed microplastics into what you drink. And glass bottles are much more recyclable than plastic. Many plastic bottles, even ones that make it into your recycling bin, wind up not being recycled. 'We're finding microplastics in everything,' said Amelia Meyer, a co-leader of the Plastics Working Group at Stanford University. 'You can only do so much. You have to drink water.'
