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    • Consumers advised to limit consumption of paterson’s curse or salvation jane honey(9 February 2004)
    • Mercury in fish - further information(18 March 2004)
    • Nitrofurans In Imported Honey and Prawns (31 March 2004 )
    • nitrofurans in imported honey and prawns (australia only) -3May2004
    • Semicarbazide used as a sealant in jar lids not a food safety risk
    • Dioxins in food:questions and answers(28 May 2004)
    • GM Canola safety assessments (28 June 2004)
    • Information about Tagatose for Individuals with Disorders in Fructose Metabolism(21 July 2004)
    • Intolerance to food additives (22 July 2004)
    • Lead Contamination of Flour
    • MILK - Part of a balanced diet (updated August 2004)
    • Fish Mislabelling Survey - commonly asked questions
    • Lupin products and allergies (19 August 2004)
    • Bottled wine labelled with a vintage date of 2002 or earlier (March 2004)
    • Monsanto MON863 corn safety assessment
    • Aluminium in food and water - November 2004
    • Aged Related Macular Degeneration and Diet (3 December 2004)
    • New advice for the preparation of raw cassava and bamboo shoots (7 December 2004)
    • Mecury in Fish - Updated Information (22 December 2004)
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• Fact Sheets 2004

Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diet

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in Australia.   The macula is the area located at the centre of the retina and is responsible for detailed, fine central vision.
  
  
• The causes of AMD are unknown but many risk factors have been hypothesised, including smoking, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high plasma cholesterol and bodyweight.  
  
  
• Many dietary and lifestyle factors are likely to contribute to the onset and progression of AMD.   There is currently insufficient evidence that specific dietary factors are linked to increased risk of AMD development.
  
  
• There is more information on this issue on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists’ website at http://www.ranzco.edu/news/news.php?news_id=185&PHPSESSID=7a2ad6e3de68427622d0f87595378fcb .

3 December 2004