Eat a variety of healthful foods: old advice with new support

Although dietary guidelines have long advised eating a variety of foods, most nutrition research has focused on specific nutrients and their relationships to health and disease. The recent failure of several randomized trials to confirm results of observational studies linking specific nutrients to disease outcomes, and a growing understanding of the beneficial phytochemicals in the natural food supply, has redirected attention to the complexity and importance of the foods themselves. Studies identifying associations between diet quality and mortality are beginning to quantify the importance of eating a variety of healthful foods and are helping to refine that advice.     

Increasing access to healthful foods: a qualitative study with residents of low-income communities

Background

Inadequate access to healthful foods has been identified as a significant barrier to healthful dietary behaviors among individuals who live in low-income communities. The purpose of this study was to gather low-income community members’ opinions about their food purchasing choices and their perceptions of the most effective ways to increase access to healthful foods in their communities.

Methods

Spanish and English focus groups were conducted in low-income, ethnically-diverse communities. Participants were asked about their knowledge, factors influencing their food purchasing decisions, and their perceptions regarding solutions to increase access to healthful foods.

Results

A total of 148 people participated in 13 focus groups. The majority of participants were female and ethnically diverse (63% Hispanic, 17% African American, 16% Caucasian, and 4% “other”). More than 75% of the participants reported making less than $1999 USD per month. Participants reported high levels of knowledge and preference for healthful foods. The most important barriers influencing healthful shopping behaviors included high price of healthful food, inadequate geographical access to healthful food, poor quality of available healthful food, and lack of overall quality of the proximate retail stores. Suggested solutions to inadequate access included placement of new chain supermarkets in their communities. Strategies implemented in convenience stores were not seen as effective. Farmers’ markets, with specific stipulations, and community gardens were regarded as beneficial supplementary solutions.

Conclusion

The results from the focus groups provide important input from a needs assessment perspective from the community, identify gaps in access, and offer potential effective solutions to provide direction for the future.

     

The occurrence of Bacillus cereus in fast foods

The rate and the level of contamination by Bacillus cereus in various fast foods were investigated. The strains isolated were differentiated by DNA digestion with restriction enzymes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 90 single servings of foods were purchased in 16 restaurants, cafeterias and buffets in Naples (Italy). Ten samples (11.1%) resulted in contamination by B. cereus. The contamination levels ranged from 10³ to 10⁵ cfu g^-1. The most contaminated foods were the fish dishes (21.4%), with counts ranging between 10⁴ and 10⁵ cfu g^-1. Such rate of contamination is noticeably lower than those reported in other countries. The genomic typing obtained by the PFGE of the restriction digests showed the existence of a high polymorphism also in the B. cereus strains isolated from different ready-to-eat foods purchased together in the same restaurant.     

Older adults in the rural South are not meeting healthful eating guidelines

Objective

To evaluate diet quality of rural older adults using national dietary guidelines and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI).

Design

Five to six 24-hour recalls were conducted at monthly intervals over a 6-month period, using the Nutrition Coordinating Center food grouping system to calculate intake.

Subjects

Included in this cross-sectional study were 63 females and 59 males aged 65 to 93 years residing in two rural North Carolina counties; one third of each sex group was African American, Native American, or white. Inclusion criteria included age >65 years, education ≤12 years, and low income.

Analyses

HEI scores were computed from the average of the recalls, and compared using one-way analysis of variance. Multiple regression modeling was utilized to evaluate effects of demographic and self-reported health variables on HEI score.

Results

Most study participants did not meet minimum Food Guide Pyramid recommended servings of grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. They exceeded recommendations for discretionary calorie servings (median=3.3 and 5.3 for females and males, respectively). Using the HEI, 24% had poor diets, 75% needed improvement, and only 1% had good diets. Of the participants with an eighth-grade education or less, men had a mean HEI score 9.6 units lower than women.

Conclusion

These rural adults are not meeting recommended nutrition guidelines, and most are consuming diets considered poor or needing improvement. Health care providers should recognize barriers that put these older adults at risk for poor nutrition and should be prepared to initiate referrals to community resources. Nutrition counseling should include strategies to increase whole grain, fruit, vegetable, and reduced-fat dairy consumption with the ultimate goal of improving dietary intake to prevent declines in functional status and independence associated with aging.     

食品中单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌快速检测方法研究

[目的 ]　建立一种快速准确检验食品中单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌的方法。　 [方法 ]　以miniVIDAS仪结合API系统 ,将该法与传统方法进行比较。　 [结果 ]　该方法能检出 <10个 /mL模拟样品中的单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌 ,与食品中常见的细菌无交叉反应 ,能对非单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌作出正确鉴定。在 4天内能作完全鉴定结果。对 2 2 6份实样的检测 ,检出率为 11.5 %。　 [结论 ]　以miniVIDAS仪结合API系统建立的方法具有特异性好、灵敏度高、快速简便的特点 ,是一种较好的检测单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌的方法     

Proximate and mineral content of fast foods. Pizzas, Mexican-American-style foods, and submarine sandwiches

Pizzas, Mexican-American style foods, and submarine sandwiches were analyzed for proximate and mineral composition, and the nutrients compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowances for teen-agers. Fast foods can be a source of considerable nutrition. More nutritional analyses of fast foods are warranted and should be encouraged.     

2010年吉林省部分风险食品化学污染状况分析

目的了解吉林省内采集的食品化学污染状况。方法选择本省6个有代表性地区为监测采样点,监测食品12大类63种,采集样品2 239件,开展金属元素、农药残留、食品添加剂、违禁添加物质及食品加工过程形成的有害物质等共67个项目检测,采用相应的国家标准检验方法。结果得到监测数据22 631个,铝元素在粮食及其制品类(馒头、油条、麻花)的超标率为44.74%;食品添加剂二氧化硫在金针菇中严重超标,超标率为46.67%;违禁物质溴酸钾在焙烤食品及零食类有检出,检出率为6.67%;违禁物质甲醛存在于蔬菜、肉类中,其他食品及制品中检出率达61.90%;食品添加剂糖精钠在软饮料、酒类等食品中超量使用,超标率为13.33%。结论食品安全关系民生,对监测中发现的高风险食品应加强卫生监督和监测。     

A pilot study of a pictorial bilingual nutrition education game to improve the consumption of healthful foods in a head start population

The prevalence of early childhood obesity has increased dramatically particularly among the Mexican American population. Obesity leads to earlier onset of related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The Head Start population of Texas is largely Mexican American. Dietary intake in this population demonstrated a diet very low in fiber, high in salt, and containing excessive calories with a low intake of fruit and vegetables. This study was performed in a Texas Head Start population to evaluate a bilingual pictorial nutrition education game. Acceptance of the bilingual concept and the game had been previously studied in a Head Start population in five Texas counties. The effectiveness in producing a change in eating habits was studied as a pilot project 413 children and their parents at the Bastrop County Head Start. Parents were asked to supply data about at home food frequency at the beginning and the end of the school year and the results compared. The parents were given a demonstration of the educational objectives and the students played the game throughout the year. By the end of the school year there was a statistically significant increase in the vegetables offered to this population both during the week at home (p = 0.009) and on the weekends (p = 0.02).     

Occurrence of arsenic in seafoods from fast foods analyzed by X-ray fluorescence

Arsenic was detected in 22 of 525 samples of fruits, vegetables, grain products, fast foods, dairy products, and seafoods analyzed by a multielement X-ray fluorescence method. The arsenic occurrences corresponded almost completely and exclusively with seafoods, and the correspondence was confirmed by additional analyses of separated parts of fast-food fish sandwiches. The geometric mean arsenic concentration for all seafoods was 2.1 μg/g (dry weight), with a geometric standard deviation of 3.2. Relative analytical precisions averaged 5.9% standard deviation, and arsenic inhomogeneity among sample aliquots averaged 4.5%. Accuracies validated by six National Institute of Standards and Technology reference materials averaged within 0.2 μg/g, or 5.1 % of certified values, with a net bias of less than 0.1 μg/g. Total arsenic contents in single servings of the seafoods (geometric MEAN = 109 μg) may account completely for the average U.S. arsenic intake if one serving is consumed every 2 to 10 days. Average total arsenic contents are similar among single servings of fish sandwiches, fish fillets, shrimp, and clam chowder; however, variation among specific samples of these seafoods amounts to a factor of 2 to 3. Arsenic concentrations in fish and shrimp agree with values predicted from bioaccumulation from seawater, suggesting consistency with a broader range of seafoods.     

Supplementation with soy-protein-rich foods does not enhance weight loss

The objective of this study was to determine whether a weight-loss diet high in soy-protein-rich foods leads to greater weight loss and reductions in waist circumference, fat mass, and cardiovascular disease risk factors than a control diet. Groups of overweight women (body mass index [calculated as kg/m(2)] of 28 to 33, aged 25 to 49 years) were counseled to decrease their caloric intake by 500 kcal/day for a period of 12 weeks; in addition, the soy-protein-rich group was counseled to consume 15 g soy protein/1,000 kcal daily. Soy-protein-rich foods were provided to subjects. Body weight, waist circumference, percent body fat, fat-free mass, lipids, glucose, and insulin were measured at repeated intervals. Forty-seven women completed the study. Both groups lost a similar amount of weight both when a completers only (-3.18%+/-0.63% vs -4.04%+/-0.95% for soy-protein-rich and control diets, respectively) and a last-observation-carried-forward analysis (-1.93%+/-0.50% vs -2.50%+/-0.67%, for soy-protein-rich and control diets, respectively) were performed. There was no difference between groups in change in percent fat mass (-5.31%+/-1.50% for soy-protein-rich diet vs -3.94%+/-1.68% for control diet), percent fat-free mass, and waist circumference. There was no dietary assignment-by-group interaction on lipid, glucose, and insulin concentrations when analyses were done on completers only or on all subjects using a last-observation-carried-forward approach. Percent change in any of the biochemical parameters studied over the 12-week period was not significantly different between groups. Our results do not lend support to the emerging notion that soy-protein-rich foods could be considered potential functional foods for weight management, in the quantities consumed in this study.     

International collaborative project to compare and track the nutritional composition of fast foods

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with over-nutrition a primary cause of diet-related ill health. Excess quantities of energy, saturated fat, sugar and salt derived from fast foods contribute importantly to this disease burden. Our objective is to collate and compare nutrient composition data for fast foods as a means of supporting improvements in product formulation. Methods/design Surveys of fast foods will be done in each participating country each year. Information on the nutrient composition for each product will be sought either through direct chemical analysis, from fast food companies, in-store materials or from company websites. Foods will be categorized into major groups for the primary analyses which will compare mean levels of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, energy and serving size at baseline and over time. Countries currently involved include Australia, New Zealand, France, UK, USA, India, Spain, China and Canada, with more anticipated to follow. DISCUSSION: This collaborative approach to the collation and sharing of data will enable low-cost tracking of fast food composition around the world. This project represents a significant step forward in the objective and transparent monitoring of industry and government commitments to improve the quality of fast foods.     

Salt content of some fast foods in Casablanca,Morocco: Pilot study

Introduction

High salt intake is associated with high blood pressure. This pilot study aimed to measure the salt content of some fast foods in Casablanca, Morocco.

Korean adolescents' perceptions of nutrition and health towards fast foods in Busan area

Adolescents in Busan area were asked in a survey about their perception and attitudes towards fast food. Most respondents answered that they consume fast food once a month because it is fast, easily accessible and tasty. Although they perceived fast food as unhealthy and less nutritious, they were less aware of its effect on their health and nutritional status. The more knowledgeable respondents were about nutrition and health the less likely they were to choose fast food over other meals. However, respondents who had little or no knowledge about the nutritional factors of fast food accounted for 43.1%. As to their source of dietary information, students relied on themselves (31.0%), parents (20.5%) and friends (19.9%). The medium through which students got the most nutrition and health information was television (66.8%), followed by the Internet (36.7%) and magazines (29.7%). This study will enable educators to plan more effective strategies for improving the dietary knowledge of the adolescent population.     

Predictors of self-initiated, healthful dietary change

OBJECTIVE: To examine demographic and psychosocial factors that predict healthful dietary change. DESIGN: A cohort study, examining how factors assessed at baseline predicted change in fat-related dietary habits and fruit and vegetable intakes 2 years later. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited in 1995 and 1996 by random-digit dialing (response rate 0.63), and followed-up in 1997 and 1998 (follow-up rate 0.82). The final sample included 336 men and 502 women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fruit and vegetable intake and fat-related dietary patterns, measured by telephone-administered surveys. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Chi2 tests and linear regression were used to test associations of baseline characteristics with dietary change. RESULTS: Fat intake (energy from fat) decreased by approximately 2 percentage points and fruits and vegetables intake increased by 0.17 servings per day (both P<.001). Changes were significantly larger among women and persons who were well educated. Persons in the maintenance stage of change and persons who believed there was a strong relationship between diet and cancer made the largest dietary changes. Use of food labels was strongly associated with fat reduction, but not with increases in fruits and vegetables. APPLICATIONS: These results suggest that food labels are useful for helping people reduce fat intake, that interventions should target persons at all stages of dietary change, and that new efforts are needed to reach men and persons who are less well educated.