scholarly journals Examination of food industry progress in reducing the sodium content of packaged foods in Canada: 2010 to 2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 684-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
JoAnne Arcand ◽  
Katherine Jefferson ◽  
Alyssa Schermel ◽  
Ferdeela Shah ◽  
Susan Trang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reduction Strategy ◽  
Canned Vegetables ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Industry Needs

In 2010, as part of a national sodium reduction strategy, Canada published sodium reduction benchmark targets for packaged foods; however, no evaluation of this policy has occurred. The objective was to evaluate changes in the sodium content of packaged foods, identify categories reduced in sodium, and determine the proportion meeting Health Canada’s sodium reduction benchmarks. This was a cross-sectional analysis of Canadian packaged foods in 2010 and 2013 (n = 10 487 and n = 15 394, respectively). Sodium content was obtained from the Nutrition Facts table. Overall, 16.2% of food categories had significantly reduced sodium levels. The greatest shifts in the distribution of sodium within food categories occurred in imitation seafood (mean ± SD, mg/100 g; 602 ± 50 to 444 ± 81, 26.2%, p = 0.002), condiments (1309 ± 790 to 1048 ± 620, 19.9%, p = 0.005), breakfast cereals (375 ± 26 to 301 ± 242, 19.7%, p = 0.001), canned vegetables/legumes (269 ± 156 to 217 ± 180, 19.3%, p < 0.001), plain chips (462 ± 196 to 376 ± 198, 18.6% p = 0.004), hot cereals (453 ± 141 to 385 ± 155, 15.0%, p = 0.011), meat analogues (612 ± 226 to 524 ± 177, 14.4%, p = 0.003), canned condensed soup (291 ± 62 to 250 ± 57, 14.1%, p = 0.003), and sausages and wieners (912 ± 219 to 814 ± 195, 10.7%, p = 0.012). The proportion of foods meeting at least 1 of the 3 phases of the sodium reduction benchmark targets slightly increased (51.4% to 58.2%) and the proportion exceeding maximum benchmark levels decreased (25.2% to 20.8%). These data provide a critical evaluation of changes in sodium levels in the Canadian food supply. Although progress in reducing sodium in packaged foods is evident, the food industry needs to continue efforts in reducing the sodium in the foods they produce.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Sodium Content and Compliance with the National Sodium Reduction Targets among Packaged Foods Sold in Costa Rica in 2015 and 2018

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2226
Author(s):  
Jaritza Vega-Solano ◽  
Adriana Blanco-Metzler ◽  
Karla Francela Benavides-Aguilar ◽  
JoAnne Arcand
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
Gradual Reduction ◽  
Processed Meats ◽  
Tomato Paste ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Health Organization

High blood pressure is a leading cause of death in Costa Rica, with an estimated mortality rate of 30%. The average household sodium intake is two times higher than the World Health Organization recommendation. The consumption of processed foods is an important and growing contributor to sodium intake. The objective of this study was to describe the sodium content of packaged foods (mg/100 g) sold in Costa Rica in 2015 (n = 1158) and 2018 (n = 1016) and to assess their compliance with the national sodium reduction targets. All 6 categories with national targets were analyzed: condiments, cookies and biscuits, bread products, processed meats, bakery products, and sauces. A significant reduction in mean sodium content was found in only 3 of the 19 subcategories (cakes, tomato-based sauces, and tomato paste). No subcategories had statistically significant increases in mean sodium levels, but seasonings for sides/mains, ham, and sausage categories were at least 15% higher in sodium. Compliance with the national sodium targets among all foods increased from 80% in 2015 to 87% in 2018. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to reduce the sodium content in packaged foods in Costa Rica, but more work is needed to continually support a gradual reduction of sodium in packaged foods, including more stringent sodium targets.

scholarly journals Contribution of major food companies and their products to household dietary sodium purchases in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy H. Coyle ◽  
Maria Shahid ◽  
Elizabeth K. Dunford ◽  
Cliona Ni Mhurchu ◽  
Sarah Mckee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Dietary Sodium ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Per Capita

Abstract Background The Australian federal government will soon release voluntary sodium reduction targets for 30 packaged food categories through the Healthy Food Partnership. Previous assessments of voluntary targets show variable industry engagement, and little is known about the extent that major food companies and their products contribute to dietary sodium purchases among Australian households. Methods The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the relative contribution that food companies and their products made to Australian household sodium purchases in 2018, and to examine differences in sodium purchases by household income level. We used 1 year of grocery purchase data from a nationally representative consumer panel of Australian households who reported their grocery purchases (the Nielsen Homescan panel), combined with database that contains product-specific sodium content for packaged foods and beverages (FoodSwitch). The top food companies and food categories were ranked according to their contribution to household sodium purchases. Differences in per capita sodium purchases by income levels were assessed by 1-factor ANOVA. All analyses were modelled to the Australian population in 2018 using sample weights. Results Sodium data were available from 7188 households who purchased 26,728 unique products and purchased just under 7.5 million food product units. Out of 1329 food companies, the top 10 accounted for 35% of unique products and contributed to 58% of all sodium purchased from packaged foods and beverages. The top three companies were grocery food retailers each contributing 12–15% of sodium purchases from sales of their private label products, particularly processed meat, cheese and bread. Out of the 67 food categories, the top 10 accounted for 73% of sodium purchased, particularly driven by purchases of processed meat (14%), bread (12%) and sauces (11%). Low-income Australian households purchased significantly more sodium from packaged products than high-income households per capita (452 mg/d, 95%CI: 363-540 mg/d, P < 0.001). Conclusions A small number of food companies and food categories account for most of the dietary sodium purchased by Australian households. Prioritizing government engagement with these groups could deliver a large reduction in population sodium intake.

scholarly journals Contribution of major food companies and their products to household dietary sodium purchases in Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Hannah Coyle ◽  
Maria Shahid ◽  
Elizabeth K Dunford ◽  
Cliona Ni Mhurchu ◽  
Sarah Mckee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Dietary Sodium ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Per Capita

Abstract Background: The Australian federal government will soon release voluntary sodium reduction targets for 30 packaged food categories through the Healthy Food Partnership. Previous assessments of voluntary targets show variable industry engagement, and little is known about the extent that major food companies and their products contribute to dietary sodium purchases among Australian households. Methods: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the relative contribution that food companies and their products made to Australian household sodium purchases in 2018, and to examine differences in sodium purchases by household income level. We used one year of grocery purchase data from a nationally representative consumer panel of Australian households who reported their grocery purchases (the Nielsen Homescan panel), combined with database that contains product-specific sodium content for packaged foods and beverages (FoodSwitch). The top food companies and food categories were ranked according to their contribution to household sodium purchases. Differences in per capita sodium purchases by income levels were assessed by 1-factor ANOVA. All analyses were modelled to the Australian population in 2018 using sample weights. Results: Sodium data were available from 7,188 households who purchased 26,728 unique products and purchased just under 7.5 million food product units. Out of 1,329 food companies, the top 10 accounted for 35% of unique products and contributed to 58% of all sodium purchased from packaged foods and beverages. The top three companies were grocery food retailers each contributing 12-15% of sodium purchases from sales of their private label products, particularly processed meat, cheese and bread. Out of the 67 food categories, the top 10 accounted for 73% of sodium purchased, particularly driven by purchases of processed meat (14%), bread (12%) and sauces (11%). Low-income Australian households purchased significantly more sodium from packaged products than high-income households per capita (452mg/d, 95%CI: 363-540mg/d, P<0.001). Conclusions: A small number of food companies and food categories account for most of the dietary sodium purchased by Australian households. Prioritizing government engagement with these groups could deliver a large reduction in population sodium intake.

scholarly journals Contribution of major food companies and their products to household dietary sodium purchases in Australia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Hannah Coyle ◽  
Maria Shahid ◽  
Elizabeth K Dunford ◽  
Cliona Ni Mhurchu ◽  
Sarah Mckee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Dietary Sodium ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Per Capita

Abstract Background: The Australian federal government will soon release voluntary sodium reduction targets for 30 packaged food categories through the Healthy Food Partnership. Previous assessments of voluntary targets show variable industry engagement and little is known about the extent that major food companies and their products contribute to dietary sodium purchases among Australian households. Methods: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the relative contribution that food companies and their products made to Australian household sodium purchases in 2018, and to examine differences in sodium purchases by household income level. We used one year of grocery purchase data from a nationally representative consumer panel of Australian households who reported their grocery purchases (the Nielsen Homescan panel), combined with database that contains product-specific sodium content for packaged foods and beverages (FoodSwitch). The top food companies and food categories were ranked according to their contribution to household sodium purchases. Differences in per capita sodium purchases by income levels were assessed by 1-factor ANOVA. All analyses were modelled to the Australian population in 2018 using sample weights. Results: Sodium data were available from 7,188 households who purchased 26,728 unique products and purchased just under 7.5 million food product units. Out of 1,329 food companies, the top 10 accounted for 58% of all sodium purchased from packaged foods and beverages. The top three companies were grocery food retailers each contributing 12-15% of sodium purchases from sales of their private label products, particularly processed meat, cheese and bread. Out of the 67 food categories, the top 10 accounted for 73% of sodium purchased, particularly driven by purchases of processed meat (14%), bread (12%) and sauces (11%). Low-income Australian households purchased significantly more sodium from packaged products than high-income households per capita (452mg/d, 95%CI: 363-540mg/d, P<0.001). Conclusions: A small number of food companies and food categories account for most of the dietary sodium purchased by Australian households. Prioritizing government engagement with these groups could deliver a large reduction in population sodium intake.

scholarly journals Consumer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Sodium Intake and Reduction Strategies in Los Angeles County

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjana N. Wickramasekaran ◽  
Lauren N. Gase ◽  
Gabrielle Green ◽  
Michelle Wood ◽  
Tony Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Consumer Knowledge ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Reduce Sodium Intake ◽  
And Behaviors

Background and Purpose: In Los Angeles County, over 27% of the population has been diagnosed with hypertension and over 60% is considered overweight or obese. To help address the burden of hypertension and other diet-associated diseases, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched its sodium reduction initiative to scale sodium reduction approaches and, ultimately, reduce sodium intake in the region. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sodium consumption and reduction to inform ongoing program efforts. Methods: A cross-sectional Internet panel survey was administered from December 2014 to January 2015 to a panel of Los Angeles County adult residents (n=848). Results: Results suggest low levels of consumer knowledge of recommended daily sodium intake limits (5.9%), high levels of support for reduction of sodium in the food supply (>70%), and moderate levels of healthy behavior change (e.g., 48.1% reported determining their food purchases based on the sodium content, 56.3% reported watching their sodium intake). Conclusions: These findings support the continued need to work at multiple levels (consumer, food supplier/manufacturer, retail) to reduce sodium intake in Los Angeles County.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Application Sustainability and Current Practices of Value Management at the Briefing Stage

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 620-625
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Management Application ◽  
Management Concept ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Industry Needs

The value management concept is becoming increasingly relevant to the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study to analyse the technical knowledge of value management practitioners concerning the sustainability aspects and its implementation all over the country. A quantitative research design used to analyse the application of value management among stakeholders associated with construction projects. The results shown that 10% of consultants and 8% of the contractors were having a useful application of value management; while, 4% consultants and 6% contractors have full maturity of the value management application. The findings have shown that unqualified individuals (24%), lack of client’s experience (24%) and not part of the project (17%) are the main reasons behind the restriction of value management implementation. Despite the implications of value management is extensive in developed and developing countries, the Saudi construction industry needs to increase the level of application of value management.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional comparisons of sodium content in processed meat and fish products among five countries: potential for feasible targets and reformulation

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e046412
Author(s):  
Yuzhu Song ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Chunlei Guo ◽  
Yishan Wang ◽  
Liping Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Processed Meat ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fish Products ◽  
The Usa

IntroductionReducing sodium intake has been identified as a highly cost-effective strategy to prevent and control high blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular mortality. This study aims to compare the sodium content in processed meat and fish products among five countries, which will contribute to the evidence-base for feasible strategies of sodium reduction in such products.MethodsSodium content on product labels of 26 500 prepackaged products, 19 601 meat and 6899 fish, was collected in supermarkets from five countries using the FoodSwitch mobile application from 2012 to 2018. To be specific, it was 1898 products in China, 885 in the UK, 5673 in Australia, 946 in South Africa and 17 098 in the USA. Cross-sectional comparisons of sodium levels and proportions meeting 2017 UK sodium reduction targets were conducted using Kruskal-Wallis H and the χ2 test, respectively across the five countries.ResultsThe results showed that processed meat and fish products combined in China had the highest sodium level (median 1050 mg/100 g, IQR: 774–1473), followed by the USA, South Africa, Australia, with the lowest levels found in UK (432 mg/100 g, IQR: 236–786) (p<0.001). Similar variations, that is, a twofold to threefold difference of sodium content between the highest and the lowest countries were found among processed meat and fish products separately. Large sodium content variations were also found in certain specific food subcategories across the five countries, as well as across different food subcategories within each country.ConclusionProcessed meat and fish products differ greatly in sodium content across different countries and across different food subcategories. This indicates great potential for food producers to reformulate the products in sodium content, as well as for consumers to select less salted food.

scholarly journals Use of added sugars in packaged foods sold in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 3328-3334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tailane Scapin ◽  
Ana Carolina Fernandes ◽  
Adilson dos Anjos ◽  
Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença
Keyword(s):  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Food Label ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Added Sugar ◽  
Added Sugars ◽  
Glucose Syrup ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Packaged Food ◽  
Sectional Analysis

AbstractObjectiveStudies have shown that the consumption of added sugars may be associated with harmful health effects. The present study investigated the presence and types of added sugars in packaged foods.DesignCross-sectional analysis of the presence and types of added sugars in the ingredients lists of packaged foods sold in a major Brazilian supermarket. The nomenclature of ingredients classified as added sugars and their frequency were identified. Data were organised and analysed through descriptive statistics: absolute and relative frequencies of the presence of added sugars categorised by food groups were calculated, and ingredients were analysed by text mining using R statistical environment.SettingA supermarket in Florianópolis, a metropolis in southern Brazil.SubjectsPackaged food products (n 4539) classified into eight groups.ResultsOf the 4539 products, 71 % had some type of added sugar. The group with the highest frequency of added sugars was ‘products in which carbohydrates and fats are the main energy source’ (93 %). Food groups containing predominantly salty foods had a high frequency of added sugars, such as ‘meats and eggs’ (61 %). In total, 179 different terms for added sugars were identified, of which sugar, maltodextrin and glucose syrup were the most frequent.ConclusionsMost of the packaged foods sold in Brazil contain added sugars, which may hamper adherence to the recommendation of limiting added sugars intake. The data may be useful for monitoring tendencies in the use of added sugars in packaged foods and as supplementary information to support the improvement of food label regulations.

scholarly journals Changes in the Sodium Content of Foods Sold in Four Latin American Countries: 2015 to 2018

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4108
Author(s):  
Adriana Blanco-Metzler ◽  
Jaritza Vega-Solano ◽  
Beatriz Franco-Arellano ◽  
Lorena Allemandi ◽  
Rodrigo Burgos Larroza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Food Label ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Pan American ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Latin American Countries ◽  
Made In

In 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published sodium targets for packaged foods, which included two distinct levels: one “regional” and one “lower” target. Changes to the sodium content of the food supply in Latin American Countries (LAC) has not been evaluated. A repeated cross-sectional study used food label data from 2015 (n = 3859) and 2018 (n = 5312) to determine changes in the proportion of packaged foods meeting the PAHO sodium targets and the distribution in the sodium content of foods in four LAC (Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru). Foods were classified into the 18 food categories in the PAHO targets. The proportion of foods meeting the regional targets increased from 82.9% to 89.3% between 2015 and 2018 (p < 0.001). Overall, 44.4% of categories had significant decreases in mean sodium content. Categories with a higher proportion of foods meeting the regional and lower targets in 2018 compared to 2015 (p < 0.05) were breaded meat and poultry, wet and dry soups, snacks, cakes, bread products, flavored cookies and crackers, and dry pasta and noodles. While positive progress has been made in reducing the sodium content of foods in LAC, sodium intakes in the region remain high. More stringent targets are required to support sodium reduction in LAC.

Ultramicrotomy as a Technique for Materials Specimen Preparation

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 428-429
Author(s):  
S.R. Glanvill
Keyword(s):  
Materials Science ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Preparation Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Surfaces And Interfaces ◽  
Beam Analysis ◽  
Flat Embedding ◽  
20 Nm ◽  
Sectional Analysis

This paper summarizes the application of ultramicrotomy as a specimen preparation technique for some of the Materials Science applications encountered over the past two years. Specimens 20 nm thick by hundreds of μm lateral dimension are readily prepared for electron beam analysis. Materials examined include metals, plastics, ceramics, superconductors, glassy carbons and semiconductors. We have obtain chemical and structural information from these materials using HRTEM, CBED, EDX and EELS analysis. This technique has enabled cross-sectional analysis of surfaces and interfaces of engineering materials and solid state electronic devices, as well as interdiffusion studies across adjacent layers.Samples are embedded in flat embedding moulds with Epon 812 epoxy resin / Methyl Nadic Anhydride mixture, using DY064 accelerator to promote the reaction. The embedded material is vacuum processed to remove trapped air bubbles, thereby improving the strength and sectioning qualities of the cured block. The resin mixture is cured at 60 °C for a period of 80 hr and left to equilibrate at room temperature.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document