Food safety explained in a child-friendly way: the BfR children's book “Luis’ and Maya’s adventure in the shrinking lab: searching for clues in the kitchen” is now also available in English. Following the great success of the German version, English-speaking children can now also embark on a journey of discovery. With large illustrations and entertaining texts, Luis and Maya, together with the friendly germ Fred, dive into the world of bacteria and viruses. They learn why it is important to wash their hands regularly, how bacteria spread in the kitchen and how to store food properly in the refrigerator. “In Germany, 100,000 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food – the hidden figure is likely much higher. For children especially it can be very dangerous because their immune systems are not yet completely developed. Our children’s book intends to make these topics accessible to even very young children and thus help them to protect themselves from foodborne diseases,” says Professor Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR . “While the children do detective work, they learn in a playful way why kitchen hygiene is so important.”

A new paper in the Journal of Public Health indicates that maternity services in the North of England most consistently report higher-than-average rates of baby mortality, including stillbirths, compared to those in the South.

Playing video games for more than 10 hours a week could have a significant impact on young people’s diet, sleep and body weight, according to a new Curtin University-led study published in Nutrition.

 

Fingertip monitors known as pulse oximeters that can be used at home to detect low blood oxygen levels (hypoxaemia) give higher readings for patients with darker than lighter skin tones, finds the largest study on this topic published by The BMJ today.

Alcohol-free and low alcohol (“nolo”) drinks have the potential to improve public health, but experts in The BMJ today call for a precautionary approach that maximises potential benefits (eg. increased substitution of alcoholic drinks with nolo alternatives) while minimising risks (eg. preventing encroachment of nolo drinks into alcohol-free spaces).