HLTH 330

HLTH 330

Journal Analysis: Micronutrients and Water Assignment Instructions

Overview

The purpose of this assignment to give students the opportunity to examine and analyze food records for vitamin and mineral content as well as water as they relate to adequacy, deficiency and health benefits. This fulfills Learning Outcomes 1 and 4.

Instructions

1. For this assessment, you are analyzing the following:

Vitamins:

Vitamin A

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Thiamine

Riboflavin

Niacin

Pantothenic Acid

B6 (Pyridoxine)

Folate

B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin C

Minerals:

Sodium

Potassium

Calcium

Magnesium

Iron

Zinc

Water (NOTE: this reads as “Moisture” on the Intake Compared to DRI Report.)

Enter
iProfile and click on REPORTS.

Select the
date range that includes your food record. The calendar on the LEFT is your Start Date. The calaendar on the RIGHT is your End Date. Note: iProfile will only calculate days for which food is recorded. It does not matter how many days are selected in this date range, as long as it includes your 3 day record.

View the following
Reports: (If you need to review how to read these reports, return to “Reading Reports in iProfile” that was completed at the beginning of the semester.)

· Intake Compared to DRI

· Intake Spreadsheet or Single Nutrient

5. Writing your summary:

· Write a 2-3 page analysis of your findings (double space preferred). (As long as your writing is pertinent [i.e. your diet needs a lot of improvement, thus you needed more discussion] no points will be reduced for going over the 3 page limit.)

· This paper focuses on your vitamin, mineral, and water (moisture) intake. You are assessing how much of these nutrients you consumed compared to your DRI recommendation.

· For this assignment, the goal is to
meet the DRI.

· If you meet the DRI, simply state this in your paper and briefly discuss why or how you meet the DRI (i.e. what foods contributed to your intake of that specific nutrient).

· If you were
below any recommendation, briefly discuss the health risks and concerns of falling short. Next, make clear recommendations for improvement (see paragraph below).

· If you were
over the DRI for any nutrient, gain an understanding of health risks and concerns and briefly discuss. (Hint: For vitamins and minerals in which you were over, determine whether or not this nutrient has an Upper Tolerable Limit [UL]; state your findings, evaluate your intake against the UL, and discuss whether or not changes need to be made to your eating habits according to the paragraph below.)

When making recommendations for improvement to your eating (i.e. increasing/decreasing consumption of a specific nutrient),
provide SPECIFIC FOOD EXAMPLES of things you will actually do (i.e. increasing/decreasing specific food items or number of servings of specific food items). Points are earned by demonstrating, through specific examples, that you understand your current eating patterns - the healthful patterns as well as areas in need of improvement.
Note: stating that your plan is to add a supplement will NOT be acceptable for this assignment, unless you have severe food allergies or explained food avoidances.

6. Submitting your assignment: In the submission link in Module/Week 4, attach the following:

· Your written summary

· Food Journal Summary (report form iProfile)

· Intake Compared to DRI (report from iProfile)

· NOTE: To submit the iProfile reports, please use the PDF option in iProfile (upper right-hand side above summary box) to create a PDF and upload this along with your written summary. If you are unable to create as a PDF, you may submit as an Excel document. Please do NOT submit as HTML or a link to your iProfile page - this requires the instructor to have your user name and passcode information.

Additional Advice

This is a very different type of paper to write. There are 17 vitamins and minerals to discuss as well as moisture (water). Concise and efficient are the key words for writing this paper effectively - i.e. to the point and no “fluff.”

It is going to be essential that you know how to read the
Intake Compared to DRI Report accurately. A few have range-type DRIs but most have a single number DRI - this means, if you do not reach “within recommended range” or “100%” you need to discuss a plan for improvement. And if you are over 100% (or the range), you need to research for a UL (upper tolerable limit) and determine whether or not any changes need to be made to your eating patterns based on this information.

Writing your paper

To discuss all 18 items, it is suggested that you designate a single paragraph to each nutrient. Discuss that nutrient only and completely in that single paragraph. Here are a couple examples below. The italicized information is from the Student Sample Intake Compare to DRI Report. This information is shown here simply so you can compare the sample paragraph with what was displayed on the report.

Nutrient: Calcium DRI: 1000-2500 mg Actual Intake (student example): 880 mg - below recommended range

For calcium, my DRI was 1000-2500 mg. I consumed 880 mg which means I did not meet the DRI. Although this is very close to 1000 mg, a deficiency in calcium can effect bone health and nerve transmission. I can add a cup of milk or yogurt at dinner and a slice of cheese to my sandwich at lunch to improve intake.

Nutrient: Vitamin C DRI: 75 mg Actual Intake (student example): 125 mg (166% DRI)

For vitamin C, my DRI was 75 mg. I went over the DRI at an average intake of 125 mg (166%). Vitamin C toxicity can cause gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea. The upper tolerable limit (UL) for vitamin C is 2000 mg, which I did not reach. I do not feel I need to decrease any of my sources of vitamin C - primarily my fruits and vegetables consumed.

These sample paragraphs demonstrate what is meant by to the point, not any extra information, and specific examples for change. What is desired is a proper assessment of your intake for this nutrient and a clear discussion of your plan for your eating habits - no change or change with specific examples for improvement .

Page 2 of 4

Page 1 of 4

Pathogens in Food

Although the US has one of the safest food supplies in the world, Americans still suffer from foodborne illnesses.  According to the CDC, an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.

What causes foodborne illness?

To get sick from a foodborne illness, we have to eat foods or beverages that are contaminated with harmful agents.  These are mostly caused by disease-causing microbes, or pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or molds.  Think E. Coli, salmonella,  and norovirus (on cruise ships), which are usually the ones that we hear about in the media. This foodborne illness chart

Actions lists the most common pathogens, their incubation period and symptoms. As you go through this chart, think about strategies to prevent these diseases in an ECE setting, which would also apply in a home setting.

Now, pathogens are live microorganisms that when ingested, will continue to grow and multiply in our intestines, thereby causing an infection.  The good news is that these can be destroyed by cooking, which is why cooking food to the appropriate temperature is very important in preventing foodborne illness.  However, in some cases, it's not ingesting a pathogen that causes illness, instead it's consuming a chemical or a toxin, which cannot necessarily be killed by cooking.  Examples of chemical hazards are fertilizers, sanitizers, cleaning agents that foods may come in contact with. Toxins may be something that is naturally present in the food, or it's produced by bacteria or fungi.  An example would be E. Coli O157:H7 which produces the Shiga toxin, which can be deadly. 

How does food become contaminated?

What is the role of government?

The government sets standards and regulations for how food should be handled.  There are several government agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Dept. or Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that regulate the use of additives, agricultural chemicals, inspect farms, food processing and storage facilities, monitor domestic and imported foods for contamination, and investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness, with the most recent one being the recall of red onions for possible contamination with salmonella. 

For more information on food recalls, visit The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection ServiceLinks to an external site.

What is the role of food manufacturers and retailers?

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system helps prevent foodborne illness.  At every step of food production, processing, and transport, potential sources of contamination are identified and checkpoints are established to  prevent illness.  These critical control points, such as controlling how food is stored and how it's cooked, are monitored and corrected, if needed, to prevent or eliminate contamination.  More on the HACCP system in the next section.

What should we, as consumers, do to prevent foodborne illness?

Even though government, food manufacturers, and retailers have a responsibility in ensuring a safe food supply, once food is in our homes, it's ultimately up to us to practice safe food handling.  In this week's discussion board assignment you will have to consider your own food preparation habits and determine how well you're protecting your family against foodborne illness.  In addition to our textbook, the section on what consumers can doLinks to an external site. and the additional videos in this module go over how to minimize contamination risks.

Pathogens in Food

Although the US has one of the safest food supplies in the world, Americans still suffer from foodborne illnesses.  According to the CDC, an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.

What causes foodborne illness?

To get sick from a foodborne illness, we have to eat foods or beverages that are contaminated with harmful agents.  These are mostly caused by disease-causing microbes, or pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or molds.  Think E. Coli, salmonella,  and norovirus (on cruise ships), which are usually the ones that we hear about in the media. This foodborne illness chart

Actions lists the most common pathogens, their incubation period and symptoms. As you go through this chart, think about strategies to prevent these diseases in an ECE setting, which would also apply in a home setting.

Now, pathogens are live microorganisms that when ingested, will continue to grow and multiply in our intestines, thereby causing an infection.  The good news is that these can be destroyed by cooking, which is why cooking food to the appropriate temperature is very important in preventing foodborne illness.  However, in some cases, it's not ingesting a pathogen that causes illness, instead it's consuming a chemical or a toxin, which cannot necessarily be killed by cooking.  Examples of chemical hazards are fertilizers, sanitizers, cleaning agents that foods may come in contact with. Toxins may be something that is naturally present in the food, or it's produced by bacteria or fungi.  An example would be E. Coli O157:H7 which produces the Shiga toxin, which can be deadly. 

How does food become contaminated?

What is the role of government?

The government sets standards and regulations for how food should be handled.  There are several government agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Dept. or Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that regulate the use of additives, agricultural chemicals, inspect farms, food processing and storage facilities, monitor domestic and imported foods for contamination, and investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness, with the most recent one being the recall of red onions for possible contamination with salmonella. 

For more information on food recalls, visit The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection ServiceLinks to an external site.

What is the role of food manufacturers and retailers?

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system helps prevent foodborne illness.  At every step of food production, processing, and transport, potential sources of contamination are identified and checkpoints are established to  prevent illness.  These critical control points, such as controlling how food is stored and how it's cooked, are monitored and corrected, if needed, to prevent or eliminate contamination.  More on the HACCP system in the next section.

What should we, as consumers, do to prevent foodborne illness?

Even though government, food manufacturers, and retailers have a responsibility in ensuring a safe food supply, once food is in our homes, it's ultimately up to us to practice safe food handling.  In this week's discussion board assignment you will have to consider your own food preparation habits and determine how well you're protecting your family against foodborne illness.  In addition to our textbook, the section on what consumers can doLinks to an external site. and the additional videos in this module go over how to minimize contamination risks.