Density, growth and annual food consumption of gobiid fish in the saline Lake Grevelingen, The Netherlands

Sociological research on sustainable consumption has seen widespread application of theories of practice (‘practice theories’) as a means of transcending the limitations of epistemologically individualistic ‘behaviour change’ approaches. While in many ways the central insights of practice theories vis-a-vis consumption are now well established, this article argues that the approach holds further insights for sociological analysis of food consumption in general, and of novel foods in particular. Based on empirical research with consumers of a range of insect-based convenience foods in the Netherlands, this article introduces two practice-theoretic concepts – ‘modes of eating’ and ‘phased routinisation’ – which contribute to sociological theorisations of how food practices are established, maintained, interdepend and change. Beyond its theoretical contribution, the article substantively extends research literatures on the introduction, uptake and normalisation of insect-based and other novel foods.

Download Full-text

Consumption of organic foods and risk of atopic disease during the first 2 years of life in the Netherlands

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114507815844 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 99 (3) ◽

pp. 598-605 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Ischa Kummeling ◽

Carel Thijs ◽

Machteld Huber ◽

Lucy P. L. van de Vijver ◽

Bianca E. P. Snijders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Organic Food ◽

Atopic Disease ◽

Specific Ige ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Recurrent Wheeze ◽

Organic Food Consumption

We prospectively investigated whether organic food consumption by infants was associated with developing atopic manifestations in the first 2 years of life. The KOALA Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands (n 2764) measured organic food consumption, eczema and wheeze in infants until age 2 years using repeated questionnaires. Diet was defined as conventional ( < 50 % organic), moderately organic (50–90 % organic) and strictly organic (>90 % organic). Venous blood samples taken from 815 infants at 2 years of age were analysed for total and specific IgE. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to control for potential confounding factors. Eczema was present in 32 % of infants, recurrent wheeze in 11 % and prolonged wheezing in 5 %. At 2 years of age, 27 % of children were sensitised against at least one allergen. Of all the children, 10 % had consumed a moderately organic diet and 6 % a strictly organic diet. Consumption of organic dairy products was associated with lower eczema risk (OR 0·64 (95 % CI 0·44, 0·93)), but there was no association of organic meat, fruit, vegetables or eggs, or the proportion of organic products within the total diet with the development of eczema, wheeze or atopic sensitisation. Further studies to substantiate these results are warranted.

Download Full-text