scholarly journals Economic theory and the low quality of American beer

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
John Hall
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Theory ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Brewing Industry ◽  
Path Creation ◽  
Path Dependent ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Over Time

Conventional wisdom regarding the quality of American beer is explored. Three traditions in economic theory: neoclassical, path dependent, and path creation are applied to explain deteriorating nutritional quality of American beer. Broader notions of evolution over the course of time are also considered. Three tables of empirical evidence measure changes in the brewing industry, suggesting to explain decline in the nutritional quality of beer over time. Speculation is made regarding the future of beer quality (as well as the U.S. beverage and food industry), noting implications for public health.

scholarly journals A multipurpose tool to evaluate the nutritional quality of individual foods: Nutrimap®

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 690-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Labouze ◽  
C Goffi ◽  
L Moulay ◽  
V Azaïs-Braesco
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Consumer Information ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Nutritional Needs ◽  
Health Objectives

AbstractBackground/objectivesWith obesity and nutrition-related diseases rising, public health authorities have recently insisted nutritional quality be included when advertising and labelling food. The concept of nutritional quality is, however, difficult to define. In this paper we present an innovative, science-based nutrient profiling system, Nutrimap®, which quantifies nutritional assets and weaknesses of foods.MethodsThe position of a food is defined according to its nutritional composition, food category, the consumer's nutritional needs, consumption data and major public health objectives for nutrition. Amounts of each of 15 relevant nutrients (in 100 kcal) are scored according to their ability to ‘rebalance’ or ‘unbalance’ the supply in the whole diet, compared with current recommendations and intakes. These scores are weighted differently in different food categories according to the measured relevance of the category to a nutrient's supply. Positive (assets) and negative (weaknesses) scores are totalled separately.ResultsNutrimap®provides an overall estimate of the nutritional quality of same-category foods, enabling easy comparisons as exemplified for cereals and fruit/vegetables. Results are consistent with major nutritional recommendations and match classifications provided by other systems. Simulations for breakfasts show that Nutrimap®can help design meals of controlled nutritional value.ConclusionsCombining objective scientific bases with pragmatic concerns, Nutrimap®appears to be effective in comparing food items. Decision-makers can set their own limits within the Nutrimap®-defined assets and weaknesses of foods and reach categorisations consistent with their objectives – from regulatory purposes to consumer information or support for designing meals (catering) or new products (food industry).

A Survey of Food Allergen Control Practices in the U.S. Food Industry

2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEVEN M. GENDEL ◽  
NAZLEEN KHAN ◽  
MONALI YAJNIK
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Food Allergy ◽  
Food Allergen ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Adverse Reactions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
The U.S

Despite awareness of the importance of food allergy as a public health issue, recalls and adverse reactions linked to undeclared allergens in foods continue to occur with high frequency. To reduce the overall incidence of such problems and to ensure that food-allergic consumers have the information they need to prevent adverse reactions, it is important to understand which allergen control practices are currently used by the food industry. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration carried out directed inspections of registered food facilities in 2010 to obtain a broader understanding of industry allergen control practices in the United States. The results of these inspections show that allergen awareness and the use of allergen controls have increased greatly in the last decade, but that small facilities lag in implementing allergen controls.

scholarly journals SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR EM GRUPOS DE RISCO

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Cristina Santos ◽  
Esmeralda Santos ◽  
Victor Branco ◽  
Cecília Soares ◽  
António Saraiva
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Measuring Equipment ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Polar Compounds ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Social Solidarity ◽  
Food Handlers ◽  
Public And Private

Abstract.FOOD SECURITY IN RISK GROUPSFood security is a basic requirement in all locations where they are provided food, being one of the main concerns in terms of public health, mainly because it can affect the health of the most vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and people with special needs. This study, it was intended to assess the structural conditions and canteens, measurement of polar compounds of frying oils, the evaluation of the temperature of the food before consumption and before their distribution and the assessment of the nutritional quality of meals served. The sample is composed by canteens of public and private education institutions (nursery to secondary education) and of public and private institutions of social solidarity, totaling 30 canteens and food handlers. The data collection took place using a checklist of structural and operating conditions of the facilities, temperature measuring equipment HI9060-Hanna Instruments, HI76692W, probe for measuring the temperature of the measuring equipment, meals of polar compounds, Testo probe, model 270 and a checklist for assessing the nutritional quality of meals served. The results obtained with regard to the structural and operational conditions of the facilities concluded that the canteens revealed good condition, however it is recommended the need for correction of some non-conformities. It was found that some foods are served at temperatures that are in the danger zone and regarding the nutritional valuation sensed-if food monotony, excess lipids and inadequacy of the menus to various age groups. Given the relevance of the theme, it becomes important the improvement of structural conditions and functioning of canteens and the nutritional quality of meals served and the promotion of knowledge and development of skills of the professionals involved, being key players in the process of food safetyKeywords: Food Security; Food Hygiene; Public Health; Food handlers; Risk groupsResumo.A segurança alimentar é uma exigência básica, em todos os locais onde são fornecidos alimentos, sendo uma das principais preocupações ao nível da Saúde Pública, principalmente por poderem afetar a saúde dos grupos mais vulneráveis, como crianças, idosos e pessoas com necessidades especiais. Com este estudo, pretendeu-se avaliar as condições estruturais e de funcionamento das cantinas/refeitórios, a medição de compostos polares dos óleos de fritura, a avaliação das temperaturas dos alimentos antes do consumo nos refeitórios (sem confeção) e à saída dos locais de confeção, antes da sua distribuição e ainda a avaliação da qualidade nutricional de refeições servidas. A amostra é composta por cantinas/refeitórios dos estabelecimentos de ensino públicos e privados (creche ao ensino secundário) e de instituições públicas e privadas de solidariedade social, totalizando 30 cantinas e 85 profissionais/manipuladores de alimentos. A recolha de dados realizou-se com recurso, a uma lista de verificação das condições estruturais e de funcionamento das instalações, equipamento de medição de temperatura HI9060- Hanna Instruments, sonda HI7669/2W, para medição das temperaturas das refeições, equipamento de medição de compostos polares, sonda Testo, modelo 270 e uma grelha de avaliação da qualidade nutricional de refeições servidas. Dos resultados obtidos quanto às condições estruturais e de funcionamento das instalações conclui-se que as cantinas revelaram boas condições, no entanto recomenda-se a necessidade de correção de algumas não conformidades. Verificou-se que alguns alimentos são servidos a temperaturas que se situam na zona de perigo e quanto à avaliação nutricional detetou-se monotonia alimentar, excesso lípidos/glícidos e desadequação das ementas aos diversos grupos etários. Atendendo à relevância do tema, torna-se fulcral a melhoria das condições estruturais e de funcionamento das cantinas/refeitórios e da qualidade nutricional das refeições servidas e a promoção do conhecimento e do desenvolvimento de competências dos profissionais envolvidos, sendo os principais intervenientes no processo de segurança alimentar.Palavras Chave: Segurança Alimentar; Higiene Alimentar; Saúde Pública; Manipuladores de alimentos; Grupos de Risco

scholarly journals Charity vs. government health care

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (26) ◽  
pp. 51-57
Author(s):  
Gilbert Berdine
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Marginal Utility ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Government Health ◽  
Relief Of Suffering ◽  
Sustainable Health ◽  
Over Time

Part 3 of this series on sustainable health care discusses charity as a market phenomenon. Charity is explained as a result of the Law of Marginal Utility and the limitation of scare resources. Charity is contrasted with government health care or public health care. Charity and government health care are driven by different incentives. Charities compete for limited donations leading to improved relief of suffering at lower cost over time. Government health care acts like all monopolies and delivers a declining quality of output at ever increasing cost.

scholarly journals Junk Food on Demand: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Popular Online Food Delivery Outlets in Australia and New Zealand

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3107
Author(s):  
Stephanie R. Partridge ◽  
Alice A. Gibson ◽  
Rajshri Roy ◽  
Jessica A. Malloy ◽  
Rebecca Raeside ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Outlets

The demand for convenience and the increasing role of digital technology in everyday life has fueled the use of online food delivery services (OFD’s), of which young people are the largest users globally. OFD’s are disrupting traditional food environments, yet research evaluating the public health implications of such services is lacking. We evaluated the characteristics and nutritional quality of popular food outlets on a market-leading platform (UberEATS®) in a cross-sectional observational study conducted in two international cities: Sydney (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand). A systematic search using publicly available population-level data was used to identify geographical areas with above-average concentrations (>30%) of young people (15–34-years). A standardized data extraction protocol was used to identify the ten most popular food outlets within each area. The nutritional quality of food outlets was assessed using the Food Environment Score (FES) (range: −10 ‘unhealthiest’ to 10 ‘healthiest’). Additionally, the most popular menu items from each food outlet were classified as discretionary or core foods/beverages according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The majority of popular food outlets were classified as ‘unhealthy’ (FES range −10 to −5; 73.5%, 789/1074) and were predominately takeaway franchise stores (59.6%, 470/789, e.g., McDonald’s®). 85.9% of all popular menu items were discretionary (n = 4958/5769). This study highlights the pervasion and accessibility of discretionary foods on OFD’s. This study demonstrated that the most popular food outlets on the market-leading online food delivery service are unhealthy and popular menu items are mostly discretionary foods; facilitating the purchase of foods of poor nutritional quality. Consideration of OFD’s in public health nutrition strategies and policies in critical.

scholarly journals Changes in the nutritional quality of fast-food items marketed at restaurants, 2010v.2013

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2117-2127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Soo ◽  
Jennifer L Harris ◽  
Kirsten K Davison ◽  
David R Williams ◽  
Christina A Roberto
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Fast Food Restaurant ◽  
Nutrient Profile ◽  
Food Items ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the nutritional quality of menu items promoted in four (US) fast-food restaurant chains (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell) in 2010 and 2013.DesignMenu items pictured on signs and menu boards were recorded at 400 fast-food restaurants across the USA. The Nutrient Profile Index (NPI) was used to calculate overall nutrition scores for items (higher scores indicate greater nutritional quality) and was dichotomized to denote healthierv.less healthy items. Changes over time in NPI scores and energy of promoted foods and beverages were analysed using linear regression.SettingFour hundred fast-food restaurants (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell; 100 locations per chain).SubjectsNPI of fast-food items marketed at fast-food restaurants.ResultsPromoted foods and beverages on general menu boards and signs remained below the ‘healthier’ cut-off at both time points. On general menu boards, pictured items became modestly healthier from 2010 to 2013, increasing (mean (se)) by 3·08 (0·16) NPI score points (P<0·001) and decreasing (mean (se)) by 130 (15) kJ (31·1 (3·65) kcal;P<0·001). This pattern was evident in all chains except Taco Bell, where pictured items increased in energy. Foods and beverages pictured on the kids’ section showed the greatest nutritional improvements. Although promoted foods on general menu boards and signs improved in nutritional quality, beverages remained the same or became worse.ConclusionsFoods, and to a lesser extent, beverages, promoted on menu boards and signs in fast-food restaurants showed limited improvements in nutritional quality in 2013v.2010.

scholarly journals Nutritional quality of food consumed (graded by the FSAm-NPS / Nutri-Score) and mortality in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Deschasaux ◽  
I Huybrechts ◽  
N Murphy ◽  
C Julia ◽  
S Hercberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Quality Of Food ◽  
Health Applications

Abstract Background Unhealthy diets are major contributors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related deaths. To help consumers make healthier food choices, political authorities are considering implementing a simple label to reflect the nutritional quality of food products. The Nutri-Score, based on the nutrient profiling system of the Food Standards Agency (FSAm-NPS), was chosen by several countries in Europe (France, Belgium, Spain). Yet, its implementation is only voluntary per EU regulation. Scientific evidence is therefore needed regarding the relevance of the FSAm-NPS at the European level. Hence, our objective is to study how the nutritional quality of foods consumed graded by the FSAm-NPS relates to NCDs-related mortality in European populations. Methods Our prospective analyses included 501,594 adults from the EPIC cohort (1992-2015, median follow-up: 17.2y). Usual food intakes were assessed with standardized country-specific methods. The FSAm-NPS was calculated using the 100g content of each food in energy, sugar, saturated fatty acid, sodium, fibres, proteins, and fruits/vegetables/legumes/nuts. Multi-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were computed. Results The consumption of foods with a higher FSAm-NPS score (lower nutritional quality) was associated with a higher risk of mortality overall (n = 50,743 events: HRQ5vs.Q1=1.06 [95%CI: 1.02-1.09], P-trend&lt;0.001) and by cancer (n = 21,971 events: HRQ5vs.Q1=1.06 [1.01-1.11], P-trend=0.003), respiratory diseases (n = 2,796 events: HRQ5vs.Q1=1.33 [1.16-1.52], P-trend&lt;0.001) and cardiovascular diseases, although more weakly (n = 12,407 events: HRQ5vs.Q1=1.05 [0.98,1.11], P-trend=0.04). Conclusions In this large multinational European cohort, consuming foods with a higher FSAm-NPS score was associated with higher mortality, supporting the relevance of the FSAm-NPS to grade the nutritional quality of food products for public health applications (e.g, Nutri-Score) to guide the consumers towards healthier food choices. Key messages The consumption of food products with a lower nutritional quality as graded by the FSAm-NPS score was associated with higher mortality in the large multinational European EPIC cohort. This adds support to the relevance of the FSAm-NPS to grade the nutritional quality of foodstuffs for public health applications (e.g. Nutri-Score label) to help consumers make healthier food choices.

Improvement of the nutritional quality of foods as a public health tool

Public Health ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 125 (10) ◽  
pp. 717-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Combris ◽  
R. Goglia ◽  
M. Henini ◽  
L.G. Soler ◽  
M. Spiteri
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality

scholarly journals Evaluating the healthiness of chain-restaurant menu items using crowdsourcing: a new method

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenard I Lesser ◽  
Leslie Wu ◽  
Timothy B Matthiessen ◽  
Harold S Luft
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Registered Dietitian ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Large Scale Data ◽  
Nutrient Profiling ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Scale Data

AbstractObjectiveTo develop a technology-based method for evaluating the nutritional quality of chain-restaurant menus to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of large-scale data analysis of food items.DesignUsing a Modified Nutrient Profiling Index (MNPI), we assessed chain-restaurant items from the MenuStat database with a process involving three steps: (i) testing ‘extreme’ scores; (ii) crowdsourcing to analyse fruit, nut and vegetable (FNV) amounts; and (iii) analysis of the ambiguous items by a registered dietitian.ResultsIn applying the approach to assess 22 422 foods, only 3566 could not be scored automatically based on MenuStat data and required further evaluation to determine healthiness. Items for which there was low agreement between trusted crowd workers, or where the FNV amount was estimated to be >40 %, were sent to a registered dietitian. Crowdsourcing was able to evaluate 3199, leaving only 367 to be reviewed by the registered dietitian. Overall, 7 % of items were categorized as healthy. The healthiest category was soups (26 % healthy), while desserts were the least healthy (2 % healthy).ConclusionsAn algorithm incorporating crowdsourcing and a dietitian can quickly and efficiently analyse restaurant menus, allowing public health researchers to analyse the healthiness of menu items.

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