Less salt in certain foods, sugar contents remain unchanged The salt content in bread was on average 19 percent lower compared to 2011. In addition, certain types of sauces, soups, canned vegetables and pulses, and crisps had a lower salt content.
Blood spot test extended as of 1 January 2017 to include two more disorders As of 1 January 2017, the disorders alpha and beta thalassaemia will be added to the neonatal blood spot (‘heel prick’) screening programme.
Moderate flu season Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.
Assessment of health effects of alternative tobacco products To assess the effects on the health of users of alternative tobacco products, more knowledge is required about the composition of the product, the smoker’s behaviour (such as the amount of cigarett
First patient infected by tick-borne encephalitis virus For the first time, a person in the Netherlands has fallen ill after a bite from a tick carrying the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE virus).
More tobacco products, number of additives stable In 2014, the number of tobacco products on the Dutch market increased to 4212. This is a 5 percent increase compared to 2013.
Newborn heel prick screening starts on St Eustatius and Saba On 26 October 2015, heel prick screening started for all newborns on St Eustatius and Saba.
Eating less salt can prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes Lowering the amount of salt in processed foods or choosing low-salt alternatives can lead to substantial health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular disease.
Flu season in the winter of 2014 / 2015 more severe and longer than preceding years The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.
Interspecies website transferred from RIVM to Utrecht University The Interspecies website which helps researchers to reduce and refine the use of laboratory animals is transferred to the 3Rs database Programme of the 3Rs-Centre Utrecht Life Sciences (ULS) of Utr