The Effect of Downsizing Packages of Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor Snacks and Drinks on Consumption, Intentions, and Perceptions—A Scoping Review

The single-serve packaging of discretionary foods is becoming increasingly popular, but evidence is limited on whether smaller package sizes can reduce food intake. The aim of this scoping review is to assess the effect of reducing the package size of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) snacks and drinks on consumption, intentions, and perception, and to examine the effects of potential moderators or mediators. The search was conducted in six selected databases and grey literature sources, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for the scoping review process (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. After screening 5562 articles, 30 articles comprising 47 intervention studies were included. Twelve of 15 studies found a significant effect in lowering the actual or intended consumption when a single smaller package was offered compared with a single larger package. When the total serving size was held constant between varying package conditions, such as a multipack, single package, or unpackaged, the results on the actual and intended consumption were inconsistent and varied according to the presence of moderators. Overall, these findings suggest that an overall reduction in the size of a single package is a more promising strategy than providing multipacks to reduce consumption. Changes to the current food environment to promote single smaller packages of EDNP snacks and drinks are necessary to support the better selection of appropriate portion sizes and reduce consumption.

Energy, Sodium, Sugar and Saturated Fat Content of New Zealand Fast-Food Products and Meal Combos in 2020

This study aimed to benchmark the healthiness of the New Zealand (NZ) fast-food supply in 2020. There are currently no actions or policies in NZ regarding the composition, serving size and labeling of fast food. Data on serving size and nutrient content of products was collected from company websites and in-store visits to 27 fast-food chains. For each fast-food category and type of combo meal, medians and interquartile ranges were calculated for serving size and energy, sodium, total sugar, and saturated fat per serving. Nutrient contents/serving were benchmarked against the United Kingdom (UK) soft drinks levy sugar thresholds and targets for salt for away from home foods, the NZ daily intake guidelines for energy, sodium, and saturated fat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for free sugars. Analyses were conducted for the 30.3% (n = 1772) of products with available nutrition information and for 176 meal combos. Most (n = 67; 91.8%) sugar-sweetened drinks would qualify for a UK soft drink industry levy and 47% (n = 1072) of products exceeded the relevant UK sodium target. Half of the meal combos provided at least 50.3% of the daily energy requirements and at least 88.6% of the maximum recommended intake of sodium. Fast-food products and combo meals in NZ contribute far more energy and negative nutrients to recommended daily intake targets than is optimal for good health. The NZ Government should set reformulation targets and serving size guidance to reduce the potential impact of fast- food consumption on the health of New Zealanders.

CHEMICAL AND ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES OF COOKIES FROM CORN FLOUR AND MUNG BEAN AS A GLUTEN-FREE SNACKS

Autism disorders can reduce the ability to communicate, socialize, and respond to the environment. Some children with autism disorders are allergic to gluten. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of gluten-free cookies from corn flour and mung bean flour. The experimental design used was a Randomized Block Design. The formulation of corn flour : mung bean flour were 60%: 40%, 55%: 45%, 50%: 50%, 45%: 55%, 40%: 60%, each treatment was repeated 5 times. The best treatment is the formulation of 50% corn flour + 50% mung bean flour. The nutrient content of cookies (per 100g) are 18.47 kcal energy, 4.94 grams of protein, 6.93 grams of fat, 25.33 grams of carbohydrates. The serving size for autism children aged 4-6 years is 8 pieces (± 80 grams) per day with 2 feeds.

An Overview on Nutritional Aspects of Plant-Based Beverages Used as Substitutes for Cow’s Milk

The presence of milk in meals and products consumed daily is common and at the same time the adoption of a milk-free diet increases due to milk allergy, lactose intolerance, vegan diets, and others. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for plant-based beverages, which present variable and, sometimes, unknown nutritional characteristics. This study sought to compare the nutritional aspects of plant-based beverages used as substitutes for cow’s milk described in scientific studies. Therefore, we used a review of the scientific literature on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Patents, Embase, and ScienceDirect databases. The inclusion criteria were scientific studies referring to plant-based beverage used as an alternative to cow’s milk; published in the English language; present data on the serving size, ingredients, and nutritional composition, containing at least data on energy and macronutrients of plant-based beverages. Ingredients and data on energy, macronutrients, and, if available, dietary fiber and some micronutrients of plant-based beverages were collected. Data were obtained from 122 beverages of 22 different matrices, with soy being the most used (27.87%, n = 34). The variation in the amount of nutrients found was 6–183 Kcal/100 mL for energy value; 0.00–22.29 g/100 mL for carbohydrate; 0.06–12.43 g/100 mL for protein; 0.00–19.00 g/100 mL for lipid; 0.00–4.40 g/100 mL for dietary fiber; 0.00–1252.94 mg/100 mL for calcium; 0.04–1.40 mg/100 mL for iron; 0.84–10,178.60 mg/100 mL for magnesium; 0.00–343.43 mg/100 mL for sodium. Salt was the most commonly found added ingredient in plant-based beverages. Some beverages have reached certain amounts of cow’s milk nutrients. However, studies have pointed out differences in their qualities/types. Thus, attention is needed when replacing milk with these alternatives.

Gluten Cross-Contact in Restaurant-Scale Pasta Cooking

Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are provoked by the consumption of gluten from wheat, barley, rye, and related grains. Affected individuals are advised to adhere to gluten-free diets. Recently, gluten-free foods have become a marketing trend with gluten-free options in both packaged foods and restaurants/ foodservice establishments. Pasta is one of the primary gluten-containing foods in diets in North America and Europe. Gluten-free pasta formulations are commercially available. In restaurants, multiple pasta dishes are often prepared simultaneously in large multi-compartment pots, with shared cooking water. The objective of this study was to determine if gluten transfer occurs between traditional and gluten-free pasta when cooked simultaneously. Pasta was boiled in a commercial, 4-compartment, 20-qt. cooking pot containing three batches of traditional penne pasta and one batch of gluten-free penne pasta. The amount of pasta (dry weight) was either 52 g (recommended serving size) or 140 g (typical restaurant portion). Five consecutive batches of pasta were boiled, with sampling of cooking water and gluten-free pasta at completion of cooking. Water and gluten-free pasta samples were tested for gluten using the Neogen Veratox for Gliadin ELISA kit. Gluten levels were low (<20 ppm) in both water and gluten-free pasta samples through five batches at the 52-g quantity. The gluten levels in the gluten-free pasta at the 52-g quantity slowly increased through five batches but never exceeded 20 ppm. With the 140-g quantity, the levels of gluten in the cooking water increased with each batch, exceeding 50 and 80 ppm after the fourth and fifth batches. The gluten levels in the gluten-free pasta at the 140-g quantity approached 20 ppm by the fourth batch and reached nearly 40 ppm after the fifth batch. While gluten transfer does not occur at a high rate, gluten-free pasta should be prepared in a separate cooking vessel in restaurant and foodservice operations.

Development and Validation of a Sustainable Diet Index among Malaysian Adults: Protocol

Adopting a sustainable diet is an alternative to address the pandemics of obesity, undernutrition and climate change that are threatening human health. Sustainable diet considers the health aspect as well as the environmental impact of diets. There is a scarcity of research on sustainable diet and lack validated tools for its measurement. This article aimed to describe the protocol on the development and validation of a Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) among Malaysian adults. A Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) was developed based on previous studies and available dietary guidelines on sustainable diet. Five indicators (rice, animal-based food, plant-based food, food waste and packaging) were included in the SDI. The index will be validated among Malaysian adults using mobile food record as the dietary assessment tool. The index has the potential to measure the level of healthy and sustainable diet behaviour of an individual. The use of mobile food record provides images of each eating occasion for the evaluation of serving size and the information on waste management. Health and environmental impacts from the diet can be evaluated through the integration of all indicators in the SDI. The index developed is novel and expected to provide a feasible measurement to assess the level of sustainable diet of an individual.

Monte Carlo Simulation Model for Predicting Salmonella Contamination of Chicken Liver as a Function of Serving Size for Use in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

The first step in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is to determine distribution of pathogen contamination among servings of the food at some point in the farm-to-table chain. In the present study, distribution of Salmonella contamination among servings of chicken liver for use in QMRA was determined at meal preparation. A combination of five methods: 1) whole sample enrichment; 2) quantitative polymerase chain reaction; 3) cultural isolation; 4) serotyping; and 5) Monte Carlo simulation were used to determine Salmonella prevalence (P), number (N), and serotype for different serving sizes. In addition, epidemiological data were used to convert serotype data to virulence (V) values for use in QMRA. A Monte Carlo simulation model based in Excel and simulated with @Risk predicted Salmonella P, N, serotype, and V as a function of serving size from one (58 g) to eight (464 g) chicken livers. Salmonella P of chicken livers was 72.5% (58/80) per 58 g. Four serotypes were isolated from chicken livers: 1) Infantis (P = 28%, V = 4.5); 2) Enteritidis (P = 15%, V = 5); 3) Typhimirium (P = 15%, V = 4.8); and 4) Kentucky (P = 15%, V = 0.8). Median Salmonella N was 1.76 log per 58 g (range: 0 to 4.67 log/58 g) and was not affected ( P > 0.05) by serotype. The model predicted a non-linear increase ( P ≤ 0.05) of Salmonella P from 72.5% per 58 g to 100% per 464 g, minimum N from 0 log per 58 g to 1.28 log per 464 g, and median N from 1.76 log per 58 g to 3.22 log per 464 g. Regardless of serving size, predicted maximum N was 4.74 log, mean V was 3.9, and total N was 6.65 log per lot (10,000 chicken livers). The data acquired and model developed in this study fill an important data and modeling gap in QMRA for Salmonella and chicken liver.

Analysis of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Content in Fish Oil Products

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosehexaenoic acid (DHA), often found in fish oil supplements, have been linked to cardiovascular benefits in proper doses. Objectives: Quantify serving sizes and EPA and DHA content of fish oil products and determine which products contain appropriate amounts of EPA and DHA per serving to lower cholesterol. Methods: Products were identified through the National Institutes of Health’s Dietary Supplement Label Database using the search term “fish oil.” Product labels were reviewed for EPA and DHA content. The number of units, such as capsules, gummies, or milliliters, necessary to obtain a total of at least 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA was also evaluated. Descriptive statistics were used to report findings. Results: Of 493 products identified, 231 products were analyzed. Two (0.9%) products, both of which were liquid formulations, contained at least 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA in the standard serving size listed on the labeling. The total amount of EPA and DHA per serving ranged from 60.2 mg to 2684 mg with an average of 697 mg. The number of servings necessary to achieve 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA ranged from 1 to 34 servings with an average of 5 servings. Conclusions: Serving sizes of fish oil products rarely result in adequate EPA and DHA intake to provide cholesterol-lowering benefit. Instruction by a trained healthcare professional, such as a pharmacist, is important to ensure patients are taking an appropriate serving of fish oil to obtain cardiovascular benefit.

Effect of breakfast cereal type on portion size and nutritional implications

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the effect of different types of breakfast cereal on portion size and the nutritional implications of potential under or overserving. Design: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using one BC from the 7 established BC manufacturing methods (flaking [F], gun puffed [GP], oven puffed [OP], extruded gun puffed [EGP], shredded wholegrain [SW], biscuit formed [BF], and granola). Participants were asked to pour cereal as if they were serving themselves (freepour). Difference between the freepour and recommended serving size (RSS) were calculated (DFR). The Friedman test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test was used to test for a significant differences between cereal categories. Setting: City of Chester, North West of the UK Participants: Adults (n=169; n=110 female, 32±18 years) Results: Freepour values were greater than RSS for all categories of BC. Median values for denser cereals such as SW, granola and oats were significantly (P<0.001) greater than all other categories with granola having the highest median freepour value of 95 g. Median (and range of) DFR weight values for granola were significantly higher than other BCs (50.0 g [-24.0-267.0g], P<0.001). BCs with the lowest median DFRs were F1 (7.0 g [-20-63.0g]), GP (6.0 g [-26.0-69.0g]), EGP (6.0 g [-26.0-56.0g]), OP (5.0 g [-27.0-53.0g]), and BF (0.0 g [-28.2-56.4g]). Conclusions: The degree of overserving may be related to the type of BC with denser cereals more readily overserved. Encouraging manufacturers to reformulate cereals and improving their nutritional properties may have benefit in reducing excess energy intake.