Production technology and quality assessment of milk shakes for baby food with vitamin complex enrichment

Diversification of dairy products for baby food is a topical trend in the development of the dairy industry. In the process of producing an ultra-heat-treated (UHT) milkshake, milk with a mass fraction of fat 3.5 %, skim milk with a mass fraction of fat 0.5 %, fruit filling "Cherry" and a vitamin premix are used. The technological process of production includes the acceptance of raw materials, assessment of their quality in accordance with regulatory documents; heat treatment of raw milk; preparation of a normalized mixture; adding ingredients. The prepared mixture is sent for deaeration to a flow-through apparatus, then to a homogenizer, where it is subjected to ultra-pasteurization at a temperature of 136 ± 2 °C with a holding time of 4 ± 1 s. The final stage of cocktail production is packaging and intermediate storage. The resulting product was tested in the laboratory for organoleptic and physicochemical indicators. During the experiments, it has been found that the taste, smell, colour, appearance and consistency meet the requirements of state standards. The content of protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium and titratable acidity are within acceptable values; the content of vitamins A, D, E, B is higher than the minimum values. The research results on safety indicators meet the requirements of technical regulations. Antibiotics, GMO-derived materials and preservatives are not found in the product. The energy value of the baby milk shake is 63.7 kcal (266.6 kJ/100 g of product).

Comparative analysis of chemical contamination of baby foods and primary pediatric morbidity

The safety of baby foods is key to a child’s health, which, in turn, is one of the prioritized national goals. As they grow, children get exposed to numerous negative environmental impacts. Chemical contamination of baby foods can increase pediatric morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate possible correlations between baby food contamination and primary pediatric morbidity using data on 65 Russian regions collected in 2012–2017 by the Russian Federal Information Public Health Surveillance Foundation. The data were processed in Microsoft Word 2010 and Microsoft Excel 2010. Of 67,940 samples of baby foods analyzed for chemical contamination, priority pollutants (toxic element) were detected in 14.1%. The most contaminated were fruit and vegetable purees (47.1%), followed by milk formulas and cultured dairy products (19.9%). We also analyzed 32,914 indicators of pediatric morbidity. The Pearson correlation analysis detected reliable correlations between baby food contamination and the primary incidence of endocrine disorders in infants, as well as the primary incidence of obesity, diabetes mellitus and cancer in children aged 0 to 14 years.

Corporate political activity of baby food companies in Thailand

Background Recent studies show corporate political activity (CPA) can have detrimental impacts on health policy processes. The Control of Marketing Promotion of Infant and Young Child Food Act B.E. 2560 (the Act) was implemented in Thailand in 2017, but there have been no studies documenting CPA during its policy processes. Furthermore, the effects of CPA on the Act and how non-industry stakeholders dealt with the CPA have not been explored. This study aimed to analyze the CPA of baby food companies in Thailand, its effects on the Act, and how policymakers have responded to CPA around the Act. Methods This qualitative study applied an established framework developed by Mialon and colleagues to collect and systematically analyze publicly available information from seven baby food companies with the highest percentage market share in Thailand. In-depth interviews were also used to explore how people involved in the policy process of the Act experienced the CPA of baby food companies, the consequent effects on the Act, and how they responded to the CPA. Results During development of the Act, baby food companies used two main strategies, ‘information and messaging’ and ‘constituency building’. We found the companies met policymakers, and they employed evidence or provided information that was favorable to companies. Also, they established relationships with policymakers, health organizations, communities and media. The effects of CPA were that the scope of products controlled by the Act was reduced, and CPA led relevant people to misunderstand and have concerns about the Act. Officials and others countered the influence of CPA by raising awareness and building understanding among involved people, as well as avoiding contact with companies informally. Conclusions CPA consists of a variety of practices that resulted in a weakened Act in Thailand. Government officials and other non-industry stakeholders employed strategies to counteract this influence. This study suggests the Department of Health, and other relevant government agencies, would benefit from establishing safeguards and protections against CPA. Efforts to raise awareness about the harms of CPA within and outside of government and establish a systematic monitoring system, including avoid conflict of interest in policy process would improve policymaking and implementation of the Act.

The Effect of Baby Food E-Store Image (for Ages 0–3) on Consumers’ Purchase Intention

This research aims to investigate the influence of baby food e-store image (for ages 0–3) on consumers’ purchase intention, mainly based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model. Perceived value is additionally tested as a mediator of the relationship between baby food e-store image and consumers’ purchase intention. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among consumers of baby food e-stores that specialize in ages 0–3. The final sample comprised 584 valid responses. To test the hypotheses in the relationships among latent variables, structural equation model analysis was used in this study. The findings showed that design image, order fulfillment image, communication service image, and security image of baby food e-stores have positive effects on consumers’ perceived value, while perceived value mediates the relationship between baby food e-stores and consumers’ purchase intention. As a result, more perceived value would be created between online stores and their consumers with a higher level of value. Two managerial implications derived from this study explain how to manage baby food e-stores and how to promote online baby food undertakings. Particularly, consumers’ perceived emotional and functional value can be shaped by four dimensions of baby food e-store image, e-store design image, order fulfillment image, communication service image, and security image, which finally determines their purchase intentions. The originality and value of this study enriches the importance of consumers’ perceived value in the field of online store image. Moreover, this study demonstrates that baby food e-store image increases consumers’ perceived value and purchase intention.

Marina Ferreira Rea: A Militant Doctor Active in the Endless Fight for Breastfeeding as a Human Right - A Luta Continua!

Marina Ferreira Rea is a Brazilian medical doctor. She has a masters and a doctorate degree in public health from the University of São Paulo (USP). She specialized in breastfeeding at Wellstart International, and completed post-doctoral research at Columbia University, New York, USA, focusing on working women and breastfeeding. She was a researcher at the Health Institute at Columbia University in New York, the Center for Population and Family Health, and at the postgraduate studies, Nutrition in Public Health, University of São Paulo, where she advised many students and published many articles and books (a few selected below). She was a Coordinator of International Breastfeeding Actions at the World Health Organization (Geneva), in the early 1990s, when actions like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, breastfeeding counseling, and other courses were started. During this same period, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and World Breastfeeding Week were initiated. In 1981 she participated in the launching of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Marina Rea is a member of the International Baby Food Action Network and its Latin American policy committee, and is the founder of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) Brazil group. Since 2017, she has been a member of the IBFAN Global Council. She is now retired but continues to volunteer as an IBFAN member. She has two daughters and four grandchildren. A more detailed curriculum vitae in Portuguese can be found here: http://lattes.cnpq.br/8193850878281835 (MR = Marina Rea; MA = Maryse Arendt)