scholarly journals Evaluating Animal-Based Foods and Plant-Based Alternatives Using Multi-Criteria and SWOT Analyses

Author(s):  
Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez ◽  
Consuelo Varela-Ortega ◽  
Rhys Manners

Global diets have transitioned in recent decades with animal and processed products increasing. Promoting a reversal in these trends towards plant-based diets could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems and reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and malnutrition. In Spain, a reference point for the Mediterranean diet (predominantly plant-source based), plant-based alternatives to traditional animal-based products are receiving increased attention. However, limited focus has been given to the opinions of stakeholder groups on the potential of these novel products. We evaluate the opinions of stakeholders within the Spanish agri-food sector, using multicriteria and SWOT analyses, on traditional and novel food products. Stakeholders involved in the supply chain of food products (producers, processors, and distributors) were critical of novel plant-based foods, highlighting problems with their taste, processing technology, and high prices. These results contrast with the perspectives of policymakers, researchers, environmental NGOs, and consumers who see novel products more positively - healthier, more sustainable, and highly profitable. These results illustrate the more traditional mindset seen in Spanish production systems, contrasting with the rapidly shifting tastes and demands of consumers and the potential legislative orientation of policymakers. This study calls for improved understanding and collaboration between stakeholders to better manage complex choices that affect the future of food systems during their needed transformation.

Author(s):  
Ola Bareja-Wawryszuk ◽  
Tomasz Pajewski

Direct selling is one of the most common local activities in the agri-food sector. Contemporary trends in the production and consumption of food indicate a duality of food systems, in which the concept of industrialization of the agri-food sector is simultaneously developing together with a concept of local food systems. In this article, it was noticed that the direct sale of agri-food products is in a line with the contemporary trends in the agri-food sector, and that it is important to analyze its spatial patterns. Taking into account the spatial concentration of direct selling entities, it has been proved that their distribution is random and does not show clustering patterns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-17
Author(s):  
Nato Jabnidze ◽  
Leila Tsetskhladze ◽  
Ia Meskhidze

Introduction. Food security has not been a concern of any particular state and is a global problem for already a long time. It, as an economic category in the scientific literature, is considered from the position of ensuring the security of the global world problem, regions, individual countries, population groups and individual people. It is a multifaceted issue, closely linked to other security issues, and has a great impact on the national safety situation, which in turn is an economic, social and political category. COVID-19 has created a large-scale economic crisis. The pandemic has had a major impact on food security and the field of nutrition. The crisis has affected food systems and threatened public access to food, raising the issue of food self-sufficiency in countries.Aim and tasks. In order to assess food security, the paper examines the self-sufficiency coefficients of basic agro-food products in Georgia under the conditions of the World Pandemic, and evaluates its components: local production, import, export. In addition, local production trends have been analyzed, Results. Thus a study of the current state of the agro-food sector shows that the problem of providing the population with food is becoming more acute. The pace of development of the agro-food sector lags significantly behind the growth rates of other sectors of the economy. The current economic growth has not yet created the conditions for sustainable economic development: The level of supply of essential agro-food products is quite low, the number of jobs has not increased substantially, the level of income is low, poverty rates are still high and the food deficit is filled mainly with imported products.Conclusions. This study showed that the issue of the food security is still unresolved for Georgia. Despite the state support activities, the agro-food sector still needs assistance. We have developed recommendations, the consideration of which will significantly contribute to food supply of the markets and food supply to the population. Keywords: agro-food products, local production, food independence, self-sufficiency coefficients.


Author(s):  
Sri Winarti ◽  
Yuni Ningsih

Gunung Anyar Tambak is one of the villages that is located adjacent to the UPN "Veteran" campus in East Java. Most (2/3) of the Gunung Anyar Tambak area is the pond area, which has the main yield is milkfish. Besides being sold in fresh form, milkfish from ponds from Gunung Anyar Tambak are also processed into a variety of processed products including shredded, crackers, soft thorns and milkfish “sapit”. Milkfish “Sapit” is a processed milkfish which is unique in its serving. The milkfish are clamped using bamboo stems and then processed using a choice of spices that make a distinctive taste in this dish. Processing by burning, causing a distinctive aroma that is not forgotten. Barokah is one of the community groups of “sapit” milkfish processing in RW I of Gunung Anyar Tambak Village which consists of 6 people. Chairman of UD. Barokan is Hj's. Khasibah, explained that most of the milkfish produced are only fulfilling orders from the surrounding area and orders from outside the city to be used as souvenirs typical of Surabaya. From observations and interviews it is known that the problem in processing milkfish is a very simple packaging that is a very thin plastic bag that is not closed. The second problem is that the packaging has no labeling at all, even though the label can identify the identity of the product in the package. The importance of labels on food products in addition to being the identity of the packaged product is also a communication between producers and consumers. Therefore a very absolute label must be given to the marketed food products. Training has been conducted on packaging and labeling milkfish “sapit” in UD. BAROKAH, Gunung Anyar Tambak, Surabaya. Before being packed with a vacuum packer, milkfish saplings are first dried in a cabinet dryer for 3 hours at 60°C. Labeling on milkfish packaging is in accordance with the law on food labeling on primary (plastic) and secondary (carton) packaging. In addition to providing training, our team also donates dryers and Vacuum Sealers.


Author(s):  
Anneli Lofstedt ◽  
Baukje de Roos ◽  
Paul G. Fernandes

Abstract Purpose To review the seafood dietary recommendations of European countries and compare them to national seafood supplies. Methods Current seafood dietary recommendations were collated from national health authorities across Europe. Food balance sheets were downloaded from the FAO, and appropriate conversion factors were applied to each seafood commodity. Average net per capita seafood supplies from 2007 to 2017 were derived from data on imports and production for food from both capture fisheries and aquaculture, accounting for exports. Results Both national dietary recommendations and seafood supplies varied considerably throughout Europe. At a national level, on a per capita basis, only 13 out of the 31 of European dietary recommendations for fish consumption were satisfied by national seafood supplies. Most of the countries with coastal access, as well as those with traditional fish-eating cultures, such as France and countries in Northern Europe, had adequate seafood supplies to meet their recommendations. The landlocked countries of Central and Eastern Europe did not have enough seafood supplies to satisfy their recommendations. Conclusions Our findings emphasise the need to not only consider consumer health outcomes when developing and advocating dietary recommendations, but also the sustainability of food production systems. As many foods are not necessarily locally sourced but traded as part of global production and distribution systems, it is important to consider greater consistency between national dietary recommendations to facilitate more sustainable marine food systems.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 2498-2508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W James ◽  
Sharon Friel

AbstractObjectiveTo determine key points of intervention in urban food systems to improve the climate resilience, equity and healthfulness of the whole system.DesignThe paper brings together evidence from a 3-year, Australia-based mixed-methods research project focused on climate change adaptation, cities, food systems and health. In an integrated analysis of the three research domains – encompassing the production, distribution and consumption sectors of the food chain – the paper examines the efficacy of various food subsystems (industrial, alternative commercial and civic) in achieving climate resilience and good nutrition.SettingGreater Western Sydney, Australia.SubjectsPrimary producers, retailers and consumers in Western Sydney.ResultsThis overarching analysis of the tripartite study found that: (i) industrial food production systems can be more environmentally sustainable than alternative systems, indicating the importance of multiple food subsystems for food security; (ii) a variety of food distributors stocking healthy and sustainable items is required to ensure that these items are accessible, affordable and available to all; and (iii) it is not enough that healthy and sustainable foods are produced or sold, consumers must also want to consume them. In summary, a resilient urban food system requires that healthy and sustainable food items are produced, that consumers can attain them and that they actually wish to purchase them.ConclusionsThis capstone paper found that the interconnected nature of the different sectors in the food system means that to improve environmental sustainability, equity and population health outcomes, action should focus on the system as a whole and not just on any one sector.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Chalmer

Global food security is dependent on ecologically viable production systems, but current agricultural practices are often at odds with environmental sustainability. Resolving this disparity is a huge task, but there is much that can be learned from traditional food production systems that persisted for thousands of years. Ecoagriculture for a Sustainable Food Future describes the ecological history of food production systems in Australia, showing how Aboriginal food systems collapsed when European farming methods were imposed on bushlands. The industrialised agricultural systems that are now prevalent across the world require constant input of finite resources, and continue to cause destructive environmental change. This book explores the damage that has arisen from farming systems unsuited to their environment, and presents compelling evidence that producing food is an ecological process that needs to be rethought in order to ensure resilient food production into the future. Cultural sensitivity Readers are warned that there may be words, descriptions and terms used in this book that are culturally sensitive, and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. While this information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided by the author in a historical context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Ashok Kumar Pandey ◽  

Bamboo shoots being low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in mineral contents have been consumed traditionally by the people world over. Besides nutrients it also contains some anti-nutrients e.g. cyanogens. Due to seasonal availability of bamboo shoots, processing for reducing anti-nutrients in raw shoots while keeping nutrients intact and enhancement of shelf life of the value added products assume great significance for its utilization. This paper focuses on post harvest processing and value addition of bamboo shoots for its utilization as food products. Juvenile bamboo shoots of Bambusa bambos, B. tulda, Dendrocalamus asper and D. strictus were collected and processed, by boiling in brine solution, to remove the anti-nutrients (cyanogen). A simple, efficient and cost effective processing method for bamboo shoots was developed. This method significantly reduces the amount of cyanogens and retains considerable amount of nutrients and thus may be utilized for processing of bamboo shoots. Different value added edible products viz. chunks or bari (by adding pulses), pickle, sauce and papad (by adding potato) were prepared. All products were good in taste and texture. Nutritional analysis was done to determine the shelf life of the products. The nutrient content of processed products (chunks, sauce, pickle and papad) showed a gradual decrease and need to be consumed within 6 months from the date of making. However, in case of papad the carbohydrate content did not decrease much but the taste was not acceptable after 8 months. Whereas, in case of pickles, even nutrient content decreased but the product was acceptable even after two years after preparation as it was good in taste and texture. Thus, processing and value addition practices can be considered as key to the future of sustainable management of bamboo resources because they not only provide quality edible products but also enable harvesters/collectors to get better income opportunities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3647-3653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aarti B. Tobin ◽  
Peggy Heunemann ◽  
Judith Wemmer ◽  
Jason R. Stokes ◽  
Timothy Nicholson ◽  
...  

Cohesiveness and flowability of particulated food systems is of particular interest in the oral processing and swallowing of food products, especially for people suffering from dysphagia.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Célia Regina Barbosa de Araújo ◽  
Karla Danielly da S Ribeiro ◽  
Amanda Freitas de Oliveira ◽  
Inês Lança de Morais ◽  
João Breda ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to characterise the availability, the nutritional composition and the processing degree of industrial foods for 0–36-month-old children according to the neighbourhoods affluence. Design: A cross-sectional exploratory study. Setting: All food products available in retail stores for children aged 0–36 months were analysed. Data collection took place in two neighbourhoods, comparing two different sociodemographic districts (high v. low per capita income), Campanhã and Foz do Douro in Porto, Portugal. Participants: A total of 431 commercially processed food products for children aged 0–36 months which are sold in 23 retail stores were identified. Food products were classified according to their processing degree using the NOVA Food Classification System. Results: For NOVA analysis, of the 244 food products that were included 82 (33·6 %) were minimally processed, 25 (10·2 %) processed and 137 (56·1 %) ultra processed. No food product was classified as a culinary ingredient. The products included mostly cereals, yogurts, prevailed in high-income neighbourhoods for the 0–6-month-old group. It was observed that some categories of ultra-processed food (UPF) presented higher amounts of energy, sugars, saturated fat and salt than unprocessed/minimally processed products. Conclusions: The high availability of UPF offered for 0–36-month-old children should be considered when designing interventions to promote a healthy diet in infancy.


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