Energy Drinks Added To Alcohol Change The Perception Of Impairment, Increasing The Danger

Mixing an energy drink like Red Bull with alcohol changes the reaction to alcohol that a drinker experiences, compared to a drinker who imbibes alcohol only, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Drinking alcohol makes people act impulsively. For the study, researchers randomly assigned 56 male and female college students to one of four groups that drank alcohol alone, alcohol plus an energy drink or a placebo, then measured task execution times. Adding the energy drink to alcohol did not increase impairment, but did change the perception of impairment. “The mix of impaired behavioral inhibition and enhanced stimulation is a combination that may make energy drink consumption riskier than alcohol consumption alone,” the researchers concluded.

"Effects of Energy Drinks Mixed with Alcohol on Behavioral Control: Risks for College Students Consuming Trendy Cocktails", Alcoholism Clinical & Experimental Research, April 19, 2011

Canada’s Oversight Of Food Safety System Is Deemed Lax

An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal warns that Canada’s government sectors and private industry are not doing enough to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses. Regulation and oversight of food safety are lax and need to be strengthened. Key problems include inadequate surveillance systems, poor food traceability from “farm to fork,” and a lack of incentives to keep food safe throughout the food chain. "Private and public oversight of food safety should be reformed to ensure sufficiently uniform practices across the country,” the authors write. Though food can never be made completely sterile and risk free, there are measures that can be taken to prevent unnecessary deaths from food contamination.

"Food in Canada: Eat at your own risk", Canadian Medical Association Journal, April 13, 2011

Study Finds Widespread Bacterial Contamination Of Meat/Poultry Products

A study of 136 meat and poultry samples collected from 26 grocery stores in five U.S. cities has found widespread contamination by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In addition, according to the researchers, 96 percent of the bacteria were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. The researchers looked at 80 brands of meat and poultry products and found that 77 percent of the turkey samples were tainted, 42 percent of pork samples, 41 percent of chicken samples and 37 percent of beef samples. Some of the meat and poultry samples were contaminated by multiple unique S. aureus strains. “Our findings indicate that multidrug-resistant S. aureus should be added to the list of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens that routinely contaminate our food supply,” the researchers concluded.

"Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in US Meat and Poultry", Clinical Infectious Diseases, April 15, 2011

Levels Of Carcinogenic Compound In Coffee Vary Depending On Brewing Method

A study by Spanish researchers has found higher concentrations of the carcinogenic coffee compound known as furan in espresso and lower concentrations in coffee made in a drip coffee maker. Coffee prepared in drip machines is lower in temperature and brewed more slowly, the researchers found, allowing the furan to evaporate, lowering the concentrations. Furan levels in espresso range from 43 to 146 nanograms/milliliter. Coffee made in drip coffee makers, both regular coffee (20 to 78 ng/ml) and decaffeinated coffee (14 to 65 ng/ml) have significantly lower furan levels. The researchers stress, however, that the levels of furan found in all of the variations are considered "safe" to health.

"Occurrence of furan in coffee from Spanish market: Contribution of brewing and roasting", Food Chemistry, April 14, 2011