Biohit Expands Services to Reduce the Risk of Cancers of the Digestive Tract

Biohit announces expansion to its services for acetaldehyde determinations, specialising in safe and cost-effective diagnostic systems for diseases of the digestive tract. The company has also brought to market acetaldehyde binding medical products to reduce the risk of cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Biohit has now expanded this business, investing in both technology and expertise, so that the carcinogenic acetaldehyde contained in, for example, foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages can be measured. Companies in the food and drink industry will now be able to send product samples to Biohit for analysis, thereby enabling them to offer safer products to their customers. Biohit believes that its assay services will also be used by a variety of research institutions, supervisory authorities and possibly even consumers.

In addition to its assay services, Biohit is also commercialising its BioFood innovation. BioFood can significantly reduce - or even completely remove - the acetaldehyde contained in, for example, beer, wine, strong alcoholic beverages and yoghurts. BioFood's core target customer group comprises companies in the food and drink industry. For such companies BioFood, when used in conjunction with Biohit's assay services, will open up new avenues for product development.

The health risks associated with acetaldehyde reached the public eye in October 2009, when the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO, IARC) classed the acetaldehyde contained in or endogenously produced from alcoholic beverages as a Class 1 carcinogen, that is, a substance that causes cancer in humans. Since the WHO's verdict, acetaldehyde has been in the same hazard class as, for example, asbestos, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde and smoking.

Acetaldehyde exposure is cumulative, and we should therefore attempt to reduce it by all possible means. The easiest way is to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. Exposure can also be reduced by consuming alcoholic beverages that contain as little acetaldehyde as possible in additive form. Alcoholic beverages with acetaldehyde concentrations of almost zero are already available. It can, however, be difficult for consumers to make right choices, as there are also alcoholic beverages whose acetaldehyde concentrations are up to 500 times over the safe limit.

Choosing beverages and foodstuffs that do not contain any alcohol and/or acetaldehyde whatsoever can also significantly reduce acetaldehyde exposure. Drinking habits and good dental hygiene can also influence your personal exposure to acetaldehyde.

The risk of acetaldehyde exposure is fairly widespread. This is evident in a recent study conducted at Biohit's service laboratory. The acetaldehyde volume of three out of fifteen medium-strength brands of beer exceeded permitted levels (over 100 µmol /l), and three brands also had an acetaldehyde volume that was significantly over the risk threshold. The other brands studied also contained acetaldehyde, but in concentrations under the risk threshold (40 µmol /l).

Foodstuffs are the primary source of acetaldehyde exposure for non-smokers, non-drinkers and those who use alcohol in moderation. Acetaldehyde is used in flavourings and may either be present as an additive or generated during the production process itself.

Beverages containing over 2.8 per cent ethanol are classed as alcoholic beverages. Foodstuffs and so-called non-alcoholic beverages can contain 1-2 per cent alcohol and free acetaldehyde in concentrations of up to 3,000 µmol/l (home-brewed beer, for example). They expose the mucosa of the upper gastrointestinal tract to acetaldehyde through practically identical mechanisms as alcoholic beverages.