Helmut Schafft

• PD Dr. habil. PhD
• Researcher at German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment / Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR)

Zusammenfassung Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Beschreibung der Entwicklung einer webbasierten, interaktiven Darstellung von maximalen tolerierbaren Verzehrmengen für ausgewählte Lebensmittel, die beispielsweise in einer Ereignissituation als potenziell kontaminiert angenommen werden („Kontaminantenrechner“). Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt einen Kat...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental pollutants that accumulate in tissues of exposed animals and humans. This case report refers to n=3dairy cows accidentally exposed to non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs) of unknown origin on a German farm. At study start they had a cumulative total of 122-643ng/g fat in milk and 105-591ng/g...

Environmental, hunting and handling factors affect the microbial load of hunted game and the resulting meat products. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the influence of several factors on the initial microbial load (IML) of game carcasses during the early hunting chain. Eviscerated roe deer body cavities (n = 24) were investig...

In the context of the discussion on an amendment of the Federal Hunting Act, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany has dealt with scientific principles that enable an assessment of the introduction of bullet fragments into game meat. Until now, neither standardized terms nor definitions nor standardized procedures for quantifyi...

Ensuring good game meat hygiene is a challenge in the hunting supply chain. Game carcasses can be soiled with intestinal contents or other substances from the environment due to hunting and handling practices. This soiling can increase the microbial load (ML) of the carcass and the resulting game meat. The aim of this study was to investigate wheth...

As a consequence of the toxicological lead characteristics, a reduction of its exposure should consider all sources. Game meat might contain elevated levels of lead due to the use of lead ammunition. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acidic marination on the bioavailability of ammunition-derived lead in game meat (Roe d...

A feeding study was performed to examine the bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in laying hens' tissues and plasma and feed-to-egg transfer rates and half-lives. A 25 day exposure was followed by a 42 day depuration period. A target analysis revealed substantial amounts of the precursors N-methyl and N-ethyl perfluoroocta...

The group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprises thousands of chemicals, which are used in various industrial applications and consumer products. In this study, a feeding experiment with laying hens and feed grown on a contamination site was conducted, and PFAS were analyzed in the feed and eggs to assess the transfer of PFAS into...

Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitous, toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative organic pollutant. TCDD can potentially enter the food chain through contaminated food of animal origin as a consequence of feed contamination. Prediction of the TCDD transfer from feed into animal products is thus important for human health risk assessment. H...

For decades, phthalates have been widely used as plasticizers in a large number of consumer products, leading to a complex exposure to humans via ingestion, inhalation or dermal uptake. Children may have a higher unintended dust intake per day compared to adults. Therefore, dust intake of children could pose a relevant exposure and subsequently a p...

Eleven laboratory‐scale trials were undertaken in different years where ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) were ensiled with different concentrations of tannin extracts (quebracho, Schinopsis balansae Engl., mimosa, Acacia mearnsii DE WILD.), and the effects on protein degradation were assessed. The dry‐matter (DM) content...

Iron (Fe) is ubiquitous in the environment and has possible impact on quality and safety of feed and food due to the fact that it can be transferred from soil to animal feed and further to the products of animal origin. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of contamination of forage with soil differing in Fe conc...

Wildlife species, such as roe deer, moose, brown hare, wild boar, etc., are known to accumulate persistent environmental contaminants and thus are useful as bioindicators for environmental pollution. Wild boars become exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) from flora, fauna, water, and soil. The main exposu...

The toxicity of lead has been known for a long time, and no safe uptake level can be derived for humans. Consumers’ intake via food should therefore be kept as low as possible. Game meat can contain elevated levels of lead due to the use of lead ammunition for hunting. A risk assessment conducted in 2010 by the German Federal Institute for Risk Ass...

Granted permission to Fig 4_Schafft, H. (PDF)

Overview of the ammunition used within the scope of the LEMISI-project. (XLSX)

Granted permission to Fig 1_Ulbig, E. (PDF)

The aim of this study was to examine the contamination of game meat with copper and zinc and establish whether the use of alternative (non-lead) ammunition can lead to higher or unsafe levels of copper and zinc in the meat of roe deer, wild boar and red deer. The research project “Safety of game meat obtained through hunting” (LEMISI) was conducted...

Beanplot of zinc content in different edible parts of roe deer and wild boar by bullet material (logarithmic scale). (PDF)

Beanplot of copper content in different edible parts of roe deer and wild boar by bullet material (logarithmic scale). (PDF)

Data File. This file (Zip format) contains the data file (both csv and xlsx format) on which analyses were based and a corresponding readme file. (ZIP)

Due to its high toxicity, no safe alimentary uptake level can be defined for lead. Therefore, an effort has to be made to minimize lead intake. Game meat belongs to the foods with a comparatively high lead content. A research project was carried out to study the effect of lead-based ammunition as compared to non-lead ammunition on contamination of...

Aim: This study was performed in a well-established in vitro model to investigate whether the application of a glyphosate-containing herbicide might affect the bacterial communities and some biochemical parameters in a cow's rumen. Methods and results: The test item was applied in two concentrations (high and low) for five days. In a second tria...

From 6 balance experiments with total collection of feces and urine, samples were obtained to investigate the excretion pathways of glyphosate (GLY) in lactating dairy cows. Each experiment lasted for 26 d. The first 21 d served for adaptation to the diet, and during the remaining 5 d collection of total feces and urine was conducted. Dry matter in...

Wildtiere werden zum Teil schon als Bioindikatoren und für das Monitoring von Umweltkontaminanten eingesetzt. Bisher wurden reine Pflanzenfresser (Rehwild) aufgrund ihres gut eingrenzbaren Nahrungsspektrums bevorzugt. Neben der Nahrung spielen weitere Charakteristika eine Rolle, die über die Verwendung einer Wildtierart als Bioindikator oder Biomon...

According to guideline 2008/120/EC on minimum requirements for protection of pigs, implemented in the national "Tierschutz-Nutztierhaltungsverordnung (TierSchNutztV), the supply of manipulable material for pigs is prescribed by law in the European Union. Every pig for breeding and fattening purposes must have permanent access to safe and sufficient...

Background The behaviour of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in tissues of ruminants has been shown to differ from that of monogastrics (J Agric Food Chem 61(12):2903–2912 doi:10.1021/jf304680j, 2013; J Agric Food Chem 62(28):6861–6870, 2014). This may be a consequence of the complex microbial ecosystem in the rumen. To evaluate this hypothesis, the re...

Hepatotoxic 1,2-dehydro-pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) and their N-oxides (PANO) in feed are a potential threat for animal and human health. However, their risk assessment in preserved animal forage is difficult due to data gaps regarding their occurrence in field samples and contradictory results regarding their behavior during the ensilage process....

Animal by-products arise from animal husbandry or slaughter of animals. While offal is considered as an edible product this is not the case for animal by-products. Animal by-products include whole animal bodies, parts of animal bodies, killed or died animals or products thereof which are by definition not intended for human consumption. Animal by-p...

The advent of new testing systems and "omics"-technologies has left regulatory toxicology facing one of the biggest challenges for decades. That is the question whether and how these methods can be used for regulatory purposes. The new methods undoubtedly enable regulators to address important open questions of toxicology such as species-specific t...

This study was conducted to measure the concentrations of strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) in canine liver, renal cortex, and renal medulla, and the association of these concentrations with age, gender, and occurrence of chronic kidney disea...

The European Food Safety Authority in 2010 published the "Scientific opinion on Lead in food" (EFSA, 2010). Based on model calculations of new data the panel concludes that the former PTWI (provisional tolerable weekly intake) was no longer appropriate as reference value for a health based risk assessment for lead exposure. The Federal Institute fo...

A major part of sheep livers contains levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) above the former but to some extent also the new maximum levels (MLs) in the EU. In order to investigate the relationship between the intake of these contaminants and their accumulation in livers, kidney...

In einer Carry-over-Studie wurde der Transfer von Melamin aus dem Futter in das Ei der Legehenne untersucht. Dazu wurde ein Fütterungsversuch an Legehennen durchgeführt, in dem ein Mischfutter, das mit drei gestaffelten Konzentrationen an Melamin (2,5; 100 und 400 mg Melamin pro kg Futter) supplementiert worden war, an Legehennen in Gruppenhaltung...

Only few data are available for the storage of elements in the organs of dogs. This study aimed at determining the concentrations of strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se) and lead (Pb) in the canine liver, renal cortex and renal medulla, evaluating also the rel...

Background In order to provide new knowledge on the storage of strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se) and lead (Pb) in the feline organism, we measured the concentrations of these elements in the liver, renal cortex and renal medulla, evaluating also the impact...

The concentrations of specific elements in the equine liver and kidneys are of practical relevance since horses are not only food-producing animals, but also partially serve as an indicator for the environmental pollution, as the basic feed includes plants like grass, grain and fruits. In this study, the concentrations of strontium (Sr), barium (Ba...

We investigate the transfer of a mixture of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from contaminated feed into the edible tissues of 24 fattening pigs. Four perfluoroalkyl sulfonic (PFSAs) and three perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were quantifiable in feed, plasma, edible tissues and urine. As percentages of unexcreted PFAA, the substances accumulate...

In Deutschland lagen bisher nur wenige Daten zur Schwermetallbelastung von Lebern und Nieren von zwei Jahre alten oder älteren Schlachtrindern und -schweinen vor. Mit einer Pilotstudie sollte daher überprüft werden, wie hoch die aktuellen Gehalte der drei Schwermetalle Blei, Cadmium und Quecksilber in Lebern und Nieren älterer Schlachttiere sind, u...

Der Einfluss des Alters von Rindern und Schweinen auf die Schwermetallgehalte in den von ihnen stammenden Nieren und Lebern wurde untersucht. Es zeigte sich, dass die mittleren Gehalte von Blei, Cadmium und Quecksilber bei den Organen ab zwei Jahre alter Tiere signifikant höher waren als in der Vergleichsgruppe der unter zwei Jahre alten Tiere.

Abstract The transfer of the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) from feed into tissue and milk of dairy cows was investigated. Holstein cows (n=6) were fed with a PFAA-contaminated feed for 28 days. After the PFAA-feeding perio...

Dietary selenium (Se) can be supplemented from organic or inorganic sources and this may affect Se metabolism and functional outcome such as antioxidative status and immune functions in dairy cows. A feeding trial was performed with 16 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows fed with a total mixed ration (0.18 mg Se/kg dry matter (DM)) either without Se suppl...

In the future there will be a very strong competition between arable land use for phytogenic biomass production for feed/food, fuel, fibre and other industrial materials, as well as for settlements and natural conservation areas because of the growing population and limited natural resources. Therefore plants with high and stable yields, and requir...

A Tool for Quantitative Assessment of Dioxin Contamination

Maduramicin is a coccidiostat authorized as feed additive in the European Union for chickens and turkeys for fattening but not for laying hens, considering the risk of residues in eggs. The unavoidable cross-contamination of non-target feed with coccidiostats is regulated by Commission Directive 2009/8/EC and resulting carry-over in food by Commiss...

During a recent incident in Germany, it was reported that animal feeds were contaminated with dioxins. Although the established traceability system enabled the source of the contamination to be identified, the incident only came to light after most of the contaminated material had already been consumed by livestock. This case describes the event an...

A pilot study was performed with dairy sheep to generate the first data on the transfer of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from feed into food of animal origin. Corn silage was cultivated on cropland in Lower Saxony in Germany where, as a result of illegal waste disposal in 2006, farmland was contaminated with per...

The feeding of animal fats to food producing animals was generally prohibited by law in Germany between 2001 and 2009. As a result, manufacturers of animal fats from Category 3 material, being principally suited for feed utilization according to Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002, had to find alternative consumers for their products, for instance in the...

Mastitis is not only a major cause of economic losses to the dairy industry but also a major problem in ensuring the quality and safety of the milk, associated with high somatic cell counts and residues of antibiotics used for treatment. One innovative approach to protection against mastitis is to stimulate the animal's natural defense mechanisms....

A number of zero tolerance provisions are contained in both food and animal feed law, e.g. for chemical substances whose occurrence is not permitted or is directly prohibited in food or animal feed. In the European Union, bans of this kind were introduced to give consumers and animals the greatest possible protection from substances with a possible...

Prediction equations for duodenal non-ammonia nitrogen (NAN) flow in dairy cows were derived from a total of 84 individual experimental results, representing 22 different diets. With a forage:concentrate ratio of between 100:0 and 49:51, the feeding level ranged from 1.1 to 3.7. Nitrogen intakes varied between 186 g day-1 and 468 g day-1. Informati...

Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Einfluß einer intensiven Nachzerkleinerung von Maissilage auf die Kohlenhydrat- und Stickstoffumsetzungen in den Vormägen überprüft. Als Versuchstiere standen 3 laktierende Kühe zur Verfügung, die mit je einer Pansenfistel und einer Duodenalkanüle ausgestattet waren. Die eingesetze Futterration b...

Duodenal flow as derived from total collection and spot sampling was compared in three Friesian cows, using a re-entrant cannula without transecting the intestine. Cr2O3 was used as a single marker. Small differences in flow of dry matter, organic matter and nitrogen indicate that the spot sampling procedure may render valid results. The mean recov...