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the  source   of  the   problem.   In  With    acrylamide,    when   it  Sweden,   itwas   lowerthan   O.1  international     food    safety
              this   way,   we   will   obtain  better  came   out   five   years   ago,  one  %;  Sweden  said  to  the   Danish  crisis.   When  this   happens,   we
              and    more    sustainable  of  the   big  problems   was-it's  producers   of  poulhy,   we   will  send  out  information    to  the
              solutions.              going   to  be  difficult    to  tell  not    buy    your    chickens  countries   that  maybe  affected
                                      people   what   to  do,  because  because   of  the  risk   of   salmo-  by    that    emergency.     For
              Q:  Is  there   a  connection  we    cannot    suggest    an  nella.    So   Denmark,    after  instance,   in  the  USA   a  year
              between    the   food   people  alternative    to   French    fries,  some   tg    decided   to  do  ago   there   was   an   episode
              eat   and   the   development  potato   chips,   certain   breads,  something    about    it.   Today  inyolving    the  contamination
              of   cancer?            coffee    and    other    foods  they   are  down   to  1%.   When  of   spinach    with   E.   coli.
                                      containing    acrylamide.  the   Danes   started  to  do  some-  Information     about   this   was
              Yes!  I  mentioned    acrylamide,               thing   about    the   salrnonella  sent  out  to  all  the  member
              but    a   number     of   other  For   instance,   if   we  say  that  problem,   they   also  documen-  states   of  INFOSAN,    enabling
              substances    exist   in   food.  French    fries    contain  ted  it  very   carefully.   So  the  preventive    action  and  recalls   -
              Again   we  do  not   have   very  acrylamide,    this   does   not  Danish    example   is  a good  -  if   necessary.    We   report

              good   data,  and  investigating  necessarily    mean    that  you  one,  and   now   we  are  getting  about    ten   or   twenty    such
              cancer-causing    substances   is  w'll   develop   cancer   if  you   eat  other   examples   that  can  be  cases    of    international
              a  lot   more   difficult    than  French   fries.   But,   if  you   take  used   for   other   countries.   You  significance    every   year.
              showing     that    you    have  a  big   group   of   people   who  can  do  something   about   the
              salmonella    in  eggs.  If   a  per-  have  eaten  foods   with   high  salmonellaproblem,    butthere  Q:   Would     you   like   to
              son   falls   ill   from   salmonella,  levels   of   acrylarnide,    and   the  are othermicroorganisms   that  expand     INFOSAN
              you   can   detect   the   salrnonella  same   number   of   people   who  you   can   do  something   about.  further?
              in   the   body   (if   the   doctor  ate  foods   with   low   levels   of  However,   you   fuast have   to

              sends   in   a  sample   to  the  Jab.).  acrylamide-you    will   see  a  think   about   what   the   problem  Yes,   we  would!    But,  it's   a
              If   a  person   gets  cancer,   it  is  difference   in  the  cancer   rate  is  or  analyse   it.  You  must  find  question   of  resources.   For   the
             very   difficult     to   find   out  between    the   two   groups.  out   where   it  comes   from   and  time   being   there   is    only    a
             which   specific   substance   (if  However,   these  are  difficult  then   work   out  the  smartest  "half-person"     working    on
              any)   causedit.   Howeverthere  investigations    as  the   numbers  way   to   solve   it.   We   have  INFOSAN...
              are  some  scientists   that  are  of  "tested"   subjects   has  to  be  noted   that   progress   is  being
             knowledgeable    in  this  field,  high.   It  is  like   the  tobacco  made,   and  that   things   are  Leaving   Dr   Schlundt's   office,
              and   they   say  that   up  to  10%  tests  that   were   caied    out  a  indeed  happening.  we   are  a  litkle   wiser   perhaps,
              or  maybe   even   one-third   of  few   years  ago.  If   you   only   but  defu'iitely   more   concer-
              cancers   can  be  related  to  food  compare   100   persons,   you   do  Q:   If  I want   to  find   out  ned   ...   We  only   hope  that

              consurnphon.            not  find   a  clear   result.   It  is  where     I  can    get    this  INFOSAN    will   obtain   all   the
                                      only   when   you   compare   high  information    on   the   web,  necessai'y   funds   to  develop   its
              I  mentioned    substances   other  niunbers    over   a  period    of  where    can   I look?  activities   :[urther   so  that  we

             than   acrylamide.    For   instan-  titne   that   you   will   be  able  to  can   receive   more   infornnation
              ce,  if  you   grill   a  steak   for   too  see  the  difference.  All   that   I  have   been   talking  and  become    more    oriented
              long,   it  gets  black.   And   it  is         about,   you   can  actually   find  towards   "a   healthier   life".
             this  black   part   of   the  meat  Acrylamide    has  been   shown  on  the   web:   www.who.inV
             that  contains   cancer-causing  to  cause  cancer   in  animals,  foodsafety.   On  the  web   you  For    er  infomafion    you
              substances.   Thus,   we  know  and    new    epidemiological  can   also   find   reference   to  our  can   see   their   website   at:
             that   a  number   of   cancers   are  data   comparing    big   groups   of  new  network   for  the  Food  www.who.int/foodsafety/en
              caused   by   food,   and  we  also  cancer   patients     seems   to  Safety    authorities     in   the
             lmow   that   we  can  do  some-  show   that   it   also   causes  world    called    INFOSAN.     It
             thing   about   this  problem   in  cancer  in  human  beings.   I  can  was  set  up  in  2005  so  it  is
             the  future.             see  the   trend,   but   it's  different  fairly   new,   and   we   think   it's  a
                                      in   different    areas.   I   talked  partial   success.  To  date  we
              Q:  So   why   is  it  not   being  earlier   about    salmonella.    I  have   165   members   out   of  the
             done   now?              can    see    the    trend    of  193  WHO   Member   States.  It
                                      salmonella   in  a number   of  still    doesn't    fiinction

             Well,   again  there   are  different  countries,   and  we  in  WHO  optimally    since   the   only
             reasons.   If   we  talk   about   the  are  saying   to  some   of   these  information     going    into   the
             grill   and   the  grilling   of  meat,  countries   that  you  shouldtake  network   comes   from   WHO,
             one   reason   is  that   we   are  your   good   example   and   show  whereas   in   the   future    we
             talking   about   a  change   in  atti-  it  to  the  whole   world.  would     hope    that    the
             tude-making    people   grill                    infornnation    will   also   come
             meat  in   a  different   way.   So  it's  The   Danes   had   the   best  from    Member     States
              about   educating   people.   Food  example   of  how  you   can   deal  themselves.
             safety   authorities    are  ti'y'ng  to  with   salmonella   in  chicken.
             do   that   in   some   countries.  Fifteen     years    ago,    in    a  An   important    park  of   INFO-
              Sometimes     they    succeed,  chicken    farm    in   Denmark  SAN   is  what   we   call   "INFO-
             sometimes   they   don't.  you   would   find   that   40  %  of  SAN   emergency",    which   is
                                      the  birds   had  salmonella.   In  activated   when   there   is  an
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