Nutrition knowledge and food intake

In many studies, correlations between nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviour have failed to reach statistical significance, leading researchers to question the relevance of nutrition knowledge to food choice, and the value of nutrition education campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between knowledge and intake of fat, fruit and vegetables using a well-validated measure of nutrition knowledge. The study was a postal survey, using 1040 adult participants selected at random from General Practitioners' lists in England. Nutrition knowledge and food intake followed the expected demographic patterns. Knowledge was significantly associated with healthy eating, and the effect persisted after controlling for demographic variables. Logistic regression showed that respondents in the highest quintile for knowledge were almost 25 times more likely to meet current recommendations for fruit, vegetable and fat intake than those in the lowest quintile. Nutrition knowledge was shown to be a partial mediator of the socio-demographic variation in intake, especially for fruit and vegetables. This demonstrates the value of using more sophisticated statistical techniques to investigate associations between knowledge and food intake and indicates that knowledge is an important factor in explaining variations in food choice. The results support the likely value of including nutrition knowledge as a target for health education campaigns aimed at promoting healthy eating.     

Nutrition and health--toxic substances in food

With respect to food, the most important factors causing adverse health effects are: an unbalanced diet, resulting in obesity or vitamin deficiencies, overconsumption of alcohol or fat, the presence of microbial contamination and the presence of natural toxins. Two additional factors, the presence of environmental contaminants and products formed on heating food, may also be of importance. It is generally assumed that, when combined, food-related factors contribute to around 35% of overall cancer incidence. The most important groups of health-threatening compounds to be found in the food chain include natural toxins, such as those produced by plants (phytotoxins), fungi (mycotoxins), marine algae (phycotoxins) and by bacteria, and toxins present in animals for human consumption, especially fish. A second important group of toxic compounds in food consists of environmental contaminants, including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, all of which may unintentionally end up in the food chain. A third group of toxins present in food are those substances produced when food is heated, and include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic amines and acrylamide.     

Nutrition and health--infections caused by food

The annual incidence of food-borne infections in the Netherlands is estimated to be 250,000 or more; registration, however, is lacking. Meat, poultry, milk and eggs are contaminated primarily by intestinal animal commensals (Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica) or secondarily by animals, humans and the environment during processing (typhoid fever, Shigella, Listeria, Clostridium, hepatitis A virus, Norwalk virus, parasites). The guidelines for the prevention of contamination are insufficient. Intensity of production and the economic importance of fast, large-scale production are given priority over food safety. Information fails to reach the consumer.     

Nutrition and health--safety of new types of food

In Europe it is currently a statutory requirement that all novel foods must first be tested before they can be put on the market to establish that they pose no hazard to consumers. A novel food is a food or food ingredient which was not used to a significant degree on the European market prior to 1997 and which falls within one of the categories described in a specific European regulation. The procedure used to establish the safety of such a novel food involves a request for authorization. The company compiles a safety dossier containing a comprehensive report on the characteristics of the substance, details of toxicological studies and any other relevant information. The company submits the dossier to the relevant authority in one of the European member states. In the Netherlands, this is the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Ministry then arranges for an initial assessment to be carried out. In the Netherlands the Committee on Safety Assessment of Novel Foods (Dutch acronym: VNV), part of the Health Council, conducts the assessment. Following the completion of the assessment, other member states may carry out their own assessments. Finally, the member states make a collective decision on whether or not to authorise the marketing of the product. The VNV assessment takes a case-by-case and step-by-step approach. Each request for authorization is individually examined to determine the types of research data that will be needed to reach a verdict. A short-track procedure or 'notification' is available for products that are substantially equivalent to existing foods. The VNV Committee operates as transparently as possible. All dossiers are available for inspection. The Committee's advisory reports are available to the public and committee members provide details of their personal interests.     

Nutrition research priorities for the food industry

The food industry must take an interest in nutrition research prioritisation both for short‐ and long‐term commercial reasons and to fulfil its social responsibilities towards its customers. It should be emphasised, however, that these responsibilities are necessarily limited by practical considerations. Research priorities should take account of strategic goals as well as the technical capability of the nutrition research community at any particular point in time. Important strategic needs for research in nutrition require techniques that have yet to be developed. Whether or not the outcome of research may be commercially exploitable may significantly influence the enthusiasm of companies to provide funding but should not be the main criterion in setting priorities for publicly funded research. Opportunities for co‐operation in research funding should be sought only after the object of the research, the methods to be used and the principal researchers have been chosen. Programmes that place too great an emphasis on co‐operation tend to distort and trivialise the subjects given priority. A number of areas of research into the common ‘nutrition‐related’ diseases of our time (cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, anaemia, osteoporosis and dental caries) fulfil strategic needs, are practical and timely, are commercially exploitable and also offer opportunities for co‐operative funding. These areas should be prime targets for research funding from both public and private sources.     

Nutrition knowledge and food practices of high school athletes

The purpose of this study was to analyze the food practices and nutrition knowledge of high school athletes currently participating in interscholastic sports and to evaluate differences in terms of selected sports variables. The data for the study were obtained by a questionnaire administered to a sample of 943 athletes from randomly selected high schools in Connecticut. The stated hypotheses were tested statistically using analysis of variance, t-tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients where appropriate. The results of the study indicated that the female athletes had better knowledge of nutrition but poorer food practices than the male athletes. There were also significant relationships between sport forms, seasons, and nutrition knowledge and food practices. High school athletes perceived their best source of nutrition knowledge to be their parents. Results on the nutrition knowledge component of the instrument showed that out of 48 possible answers, the mean correct was 26.4, while out of a possible score of 5, the mean score for food practices was 2.2. Because a positive relationship existed between the number of sport seasons and nutrition knowledge and food practice scores, sport participation may be a catalyst for learning about nutrition.     

Nutrition and the commoditization of food in sub-Saharan Africa

During the past decade, Africa, more than any other continent, has been associated with famine and malnutrition. The Sahelian drought of the early 1970s, the Wollo and Karamoja famines and most recently, mass starvation in Ethiopia, have followed one another in rapid succession. The term 'food crisis' continually crops up in the popular and academic press. An increasing number of researchers probe possible causes; many seek a systemic reason for the present situation. One working hypothesis is that increasing commoditization of food has undermined Africa's food systems. This paper does not purport to prove or disprove this. Less ambitiously, its aim is to draw attention to inter-relationships between commoditization and physical and social aspects of African food systems, tracing their possible effects on the nutritional status of the African population. In so doing, some of the complexities of developing food production and consumption in the transition from peasant societies to more urban-based national economies become evident. The paper is divided into three main parts: a discussion of conceptual categories and general background information about sub-Saharan African food zones and commodity and factor markets; a review of literature on rural food availability and nutrition; and a review of urban food availability and nutrition.     

Nutrition research to affect food and a healthy lifespan

Proper nutrition offers one of the most effective and least costly ways to decrease the burden of many diseases and their associated risk factors, including obesity. Nutrition research holds the key to increasing our understanding of the causes of obesity and its related comorbidities and thus holds promise to markedly influence global health and economies. After outreach to 75 thought leaders, the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) convened a Working Group to identify the nutrition research needs whose advancement will have the greatest projected impact on the future health and well-being of global populations. ASN’s Nutrition Research Needs focus on the following high priority areas: 1) variability in individual responses to diet and foods; 2) healthy growth, development, and reproduction; 3) health maintenance; 4) medical management; 5) nutrition-related behaviors; and 6) food supply/environment. ASN hopes the Nutrition Research Needs will prompt collaboration among scientists across all disciplines to advance this challenging research agenda given the high potential for translation and impact on public health. Furthermore, ASN hopes the findings from the Nutrition Research Needs will stimulate the development and adoption of new and innovative strategies that can be applied toward the prevention and treatment of nutrition-related diseases. The multidisciplinary nature of nutrition research requires stakeholders with differing areas of expertise to collaborate on multifaceted approaches to establish the evidence-based nutrition guidance and policies that will lead to better health for the global population. In addition to the identified research needs, ASN also identified 5 tools that are critical to the advancement of the Nutrition Research Needs: 1) omics, 2) bioinformatics, 3) databases, 4) biomarkers, and 5) cost-effectiveness analysis.     

Unpacking atitudes towards genetically modified food

The present study investigates the structure of attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) food. A total of 431 respondents completed a questionnaire measuring their overall attitude, cognition and affect towards GM food. A model with distinct positive and negative, affective and cognitive components and a separate factor for perceived risk and worry best accounted for the data. Negative - but not positive - components directly affected behavioural intentions. Implications of these findings for our understanding of attitudes towards GM food and their impact on behaviour are discussed.     

杭州市售婴幼儿食品营养标签调查

目的         了解浙江省杭州市售婴幼儿食品营养标签标示现状并分析存在的问题。         方法        采用自行设计的食品标签评价表,抄录杭州市世纪联华超市庆春路店内全部婴幼儿食品营养标签并判断标签标示内容的规范性。         结果         共调查婴幼儿食品253种,标示营养成分表、营养声称、营养成分功能声称的分别有250(98.8%)、241(95.3%)、113种(44.7%);标示率较高的营养成分是能量、碳水化合物、蛋白质、脂肪、维生素B1、维生素A、铁、锌,标示率分别为100.0%(250/250)、95.2%(238/250)、89.2%(223/250)、96.8%(242/250)、84.8%(212/250)、83.6%(209/250)、88.8%(222/250)、85.2%(213/250);共出现739条营养声称,出现频数较多的是益生元/菌13.3%(98/739)、花生四烯酸11.5%(85/739)、胆碱9.3%(69/739)等;共出现339条营养成分功能声称,出现频数较多的是益生元/菌20.6%(82/399)、蛋白质11.5%(46/399)、钙11.01%(44/399)等。         结论         婴幼儿食品营养标签标示率较高,但规范性较差,应加强营养标签规范工作,完善标签法规,便于消费者正确选择营养健康的婴幼儿食品。

     

Nutrition and health--sense and nonsense regarding food supplements and functional foods

A functional food is a proprietary food or beverage with a health-related claim. Such functional foods could make it easier to maintain a healthy diet. Unfortunately, in many countries regulations allow manufacturers to imply that a food promotes health without providing proper scientific evidence. At the same time, regulations may forbid claims that a food product prevents disease, even when it does (e.g. folic acid, which reduces the risk of neural tube defects). Functional foods may have beneficial health effects compared with traditional foods in some cases, but current legislation in the Netherlands cannot protect consumers from misleading claims.     

Perceived naturalness and acceptance of genetically modified food

This study examines people's acceptance of genetically modified (GM) food. Results suggest that GM acceptance depends most on how natural the genetically modified product is perceived and not directly on how natural the non-GM product is seen. A GM product that is perceived as more natural is more likely to be accepted than a GM product that is perceived as less natural. The extent to which GM affects the perceived naturalness of a product partly depends on the kind of product.