Food Safety Audits

Food safety has gained global attention due to rising issues of food-borne illnesses, adulteration, and increased consumer awareness about food safety worldwide. It is a challenge for the governments and the food industry itself to maintain food safety throughout the food and supply chain. There are several systems and processes adopted by various countries to ensure food safety, and the food safety audits are one of the indispensable tools to achieve the goals of food quality and safety. Rising trends of consuming processed foods, eating out in restaurants and cafes, home deliveries of food from outside worldwide have made the auditing process very essential to ensure that the food products are being manufactured, stored, and sold in compliance with national and international standards. This chapter aims at providing an overview of the food audit processes, scope, importance, challenges, and future trends.

Acculturation and Rediscovery in Japanese Food Culture

Since the Meiji era (from 1868), in Japan, the excess acculturation towards foreign cultures cannot be stopped. Japan is a surprising food acculturation country. Recently Japan recorded the worst self- sufficiency rate, and the diet has been placing disproportionate weight on meat. Japanese people see its diet as unhealthy and try to find a way to coexist for both their traditional food culture and international one. In Italy, many families still keep eating together at home, but in Japan, families are often eating out. Now Japanese people should rediscover the value of home-made dishes.

Changes in Eating Habits and Physical Activity after COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns in Italy

The introduction of lockdowns and other containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic substantially altered people’s lifestyle and dietary behavior. Several studies evaluated the short-term effects of these measures; yet reports on long-term consequences are scarce. We sought to address this gap in the literature by analyzing dietary and lifestyle data collected at an obesity center in Rome, Italy. The Italian region of Lazio was hit hard by the pandemic. To evaluate the potential health impacts, we compared the pre- and post-lockdown data of 118 individuals. Contrary to the common belief that lockdown had adverse effects solely on people’s dietary habits, we observed a significantly increased consumption of raw vegetables, whole grains, and water in our study sample. Favorable effects, however, were also accompanied by adverse trends, such as a higher prevalence of sleeping difficulties. Our data emphasize that the lockdowns associated with the pandemic also influenced participants’ social behavior, with less individuals reporting eating out or in company. Our study highlights the substantial impact of lockdowns on many dimensions of life. As such, it is of utmost importance in the critical evaluation of such stringent containment measures.

An outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis food poisoning following consumption of chicken shawarma: A brief epidemiological investigation

Background: Shawarma, a popular meat-based fast food could be a source of foodborne outbreak due to non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). A clustering of acute gastrointestinal (GI) illness following intake of chicken shawarma occurred primarily among the staff and students of a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 348 undergraduate medical students (33 cases, 315 controls). Data was collected using direct interviews and a simple online questionnaire. Epidemiological associations of GI illness were evaluated at three levels of exposure namely-eating food from any restaurant, eating food from the implicated food outlet, eating chicken shawarma from the implicated outlet. Results: Of 33 cases, 26 had consumed food from a particular food outlet, 4 from other outlets, and 3 did not report eating out. Consumption of food from the suspected food outlet was significantly associated with GI illness (odds ratio 121.8 [95% CI 28.41 to 522.66]; P<0.001); all the 26 cases who had eaten from the particular outlet had eaten chicken shawarma. By comparison, only one of the 315 controls had eaten this dish. Of the 27 persons (cases as well as controls) who had consumed chicken shawarma from the outlet, 26 were ill. Culture of stool samples from 10 affected individuals and implicated food item yielded Salmonella Enteritidis. Conclusions: Meat-based shawarma is a potential source of NTS infection. Food safety authorities should enforce guidelines for safe preparation and sale of shawarmas and similar products.

TREN EATING OUT, KEGIATAN MEMASAK, DAN HUBUNGANNYA DALAM MENUNJANG POLA HIDUP SEHAT

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami fenomena dan tren mengonsumsi makanan di luar, dan efek-efek negatif yang didapat dari hal tersebut, serta memahami keuntungan dari kegiatan memasak, dan hubungannya dalam menunjang pola hidup yang sehat. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kajian pustaka, dengan mengkaji berbagai jurnal internasional, nasional, dan juga buku mengenai topik terkait. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kebiasaan makan di luar memberikan banyak efek negatif terutama untuk kesehatan, dengan minimnya kandungan nutrisi yang dibutuhkan oleh tubuh, dan banyaknya energi dan kandungan sodium, lemak, dan kandungan jahat lainnya. Hal ini dapat diperbaiki dengan menerapkan kebiasaan untuk memasak, karena beberapa hasil analisa yang menunjukkan berbagai macam keuntungan jika melakukan kegiatan memasak. Keuntungan-keuntungan ini menjadi hal yang penting dalam pembentukkan pola hidup yang lebih sehat, dan terbebas dari berbagai macam penyakit kronis yang dapat diderita di kemudian hari. Kata Kunci: Kesehatan, makanan, nutrisi, penyakit, pola hidup sehat

An outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis food poisoning following consumption of chicken shawarma: A brief epidemiological investigation

Background: Shawarma, a popular meat-based fast food could be a source of foodborne outbreak due to non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). A clustering of acute gastrointestinal (GI) illness following intake of chicken shawarma occurred primarily among the staff and students of a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 348 undergraduate medical students (33 cases, 315 controls). Data was collected using direct interviews and a simple online questionnaire. Epidemiological associations of GI illness were evaluated at three levels of exposure namely-eating food from any restaurant, eating food from the implicated food outlet, eating chicken shawarma from the implicated outlet. Results: Of 33 cases, 26 had consumed food from a particular food outlet, 4 from other outlets, and 3 did not report eating out. Consumption of food from the suspected food outlet was significantly associated with GI illness (odds ratio 121.8 [95% CI 28.41 to 522.66]; P<0.001); all the 26 cases who had eaten from the particular outlet had eaten chicken shawarma. By comparison, only one of the 315 controls had eaten this dish. Of the 27 persons (cases as well as controls) who had consumed chicken shawarma from the outlet, 26 were ill. Culture of stool samples from 10 affected individuals and implicated food item yielded Salmonella Enteritidis. Conclusions: Meat-based shawarma is a potential source of NTS infection. Food safety authorities should enforce guidelines for safe preparation and sale of shawarmas and similar products.

What Is on the Menu?—A Quantitative Analysis on Label Format among (Potential) Restaurant Guests and Restaurant Owners

About 20% of energy intake in the Netherlands is consumed out-of-home. Eating out-of-home is associated with higher energy intake and poorer nutrition. Menu labeling can be considered a promising instrument to improve dietary choices in the out-of-home sector. Effectiveness depends on the presentation format of the label and its attractiveness and usability to restaurant guests and restaurant owners. This exploratory study investigated which menu labeling format would be mostly appreciated by (a) (potential) restaurant guests (n386) and (b) the uninvestigated group of restaurant owners (n41) if menu labeling would be implemented in Dutch full-service restaurants. A cross-sectional survey design was used to investigate three distinct menu labeling formats: a simple health logo; (star) ranking and calorie information. Questionnaires were used as study tool. Ranking has been shown to be the most appreciated menu labeling format by both (potential) restaurant guests and owners. Statistical analysis showed that label preference of potential restaurant guests was significantly associated with age, possibly associated with level of education, and not associated with health consciousness. In summary, we found that ranking is the most appreciated menu label format according to both (potential) restaurant guests and restaurant owners, suggesting it to be a promising way to improve healthy eating out-of-home.

Food and You 2: Northern Ireland. Wave 1-2 Key Findings

Food and You 2 is a biannual representative sample survey, recognised as an official statistic, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The survey measures selfreported consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. Food and You 2 uses a methodology, known as ‘push-to-web’, which is primarily carried out online. Fieldwork for Food and You 2: Wave 1 was conducted between 29th July and 6th October 2020. In Northern Ireland, 2,079 adults from 1,389 households completed the survey, with 57% of respondents completing the survey online. A total of 9,319 adults from 6,408 households across Northern Ireland, Wales, and England completed the survey. Fieldwork for Food and You 2: Wave 2 was conducted between 20th November 2020 and 21st January 2021. In Northern Ireland, 1,566 adults from 997 households completed the survey, with 60% of respondents completing the survey online. A total of 5,900 adults from 3,955 households across Northern Ireland, Wales, and England completed the survey. This survey was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic and so it records the reported attitudes and behaviours under unusual circumstances which have had a significant impact on how and where people buy and eat food, and on levels of household food insecurity. The modules presented in this report include ‘Food we can trust’, ‘Concerns about food’, ’Food security’, ‘Food shopping’, ‘Eating out and takeaways’, ‘Food hypersensitivities’ and ‘Eating at home’. Findings presented in this report refer to data collected in Northern Ireland unless otherwise specified.

Food and You 2: Wales Wave 1-2 Key Findings

Food and You 2 is a biannual representative sample survey, recognised as an official statistic, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The survey measures selfreported consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. Food and You 2 uses a methodology, known as ‘push-to-web’, which is primarily carried out online. Fieldwork for Food and You 2: Wave 1 was conducted between 29th July and 6th October 2020. In Wales, 2,100 adults from 1,579 households completed the survey, with 68% of respondents completing the survey online. A total of 9,319 adults from 6,408 households across Wales, England, and Northern Ireland completed the survey. Fieldwork for Food and You 2: Wave 2 was conducted between 20th November 2020 and 21st January 2021. In Wales, 1,366 adults from 1,042 households completed the survey, with 67% of respondents completing the survey online. A total of 5,900 adults from 3,955 households across Wales, England, and Northern Ireland completed the survey. This survey was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic and so it records the reported attitudes and behaviours under unusual circumstances which have had a significant impact on how and where people buy and eat food, and on levels of household food insecurity. The modules presented in this report include ‘Food we can trust’, ‘Concerns about food’, ’Food security’, ‘Food shopping’, ‘Eating out and takeaways’, ‘Food hypersensitivities’ and ‘Eating at home’. Findings presented in this report refer to data collected in Wales unless otherwise specified.