Nutritional status of school children in South-west Nigeria: Inferences from a national homegrown school feeding programme.

Background: The School Feeding Programme if properly executed has the capacity to improve the nutritional status of the school children. Objective: To assess the nutritional status of school children in Ondo State Nigeria given that the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) has been operational in the state for over five years. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Results: A total of 234 subjects from public schools and 227 subjects from private schools were enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 8.23 ± 1.92 years. Wasting, overweight, obesity, underweight, and stunting were noted in 19.4%, 11.4%, 0.4%, 5.0%, and 20.7% of the children, respectively. The prevalence of stunting (30.3%) and wasting (23.9%) was more among subjects from the public schools. A significant association was found between Weight-for-Age Z-score, Height-for-Age Z-score, and BMI-for-Age Z-score and the children's school type (p < 0.005). Conclusion: Majority of the children showed normal growth, the rest were in both extremes of malnutrition, the subjects from private schools seem to present better nutritional status, although there is no baseline data to ratify this finding. A further study on this subject using the current finding as a baseline data is recommended.

A Pilot Study on Dietary Choices at Universities: Vending Machines, Canteens, and Lunch from Home.

Commercial environments and food acquisition methods significantly shape dietary practices and impact health. This study assesses dietary choices among Portuguese university students regarding vending machines, canteens, and lunches from home. It also evaluates their use of the university canteen and their tendency to bring lunch from home. This pilot cross-sectional study used a self-administered electronic questionnaire, made available in early 2023. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. The study included 137 students from Portuguese higher education institutions, mainly women (74.5%), pursuing degrees or integrated Master's degrees (83.2%), primarily in health-related fields (55.5%). The median age was 21 years (20 to 23.5 years). About 70.0% regularly consumed food from vending machines, while approximately 60.0% brought lunch from home, avoiding the canteen. Factors such as convenience (48.5%), price (47.5%), product availability (40.6%), and taste (39.6%) mainly influenced vending machine choices. Monthly, chocolates, water, coffee, cookies, treats, and soft drinks were the most commonly acquired items, with coffee being the most frequent daily purchase. These findings provide insights for creating policies and initiatives to promote healthier and more accessible food options for students and strategies to encourage positive eating behaviors.

Children's liking for vegetarian and non-vegetarian school meals at the scale of a French city.

In Western countries, a behavioural shift towards more plant-based diets is helpful in protecting population and planet health. School canteens are an important public policy target to achieve this transition. Increasing the frequency of vegetarian meals in school canteens has been proposed as a solution to decrease greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining a good nutritional quality. However, vegetarian meals acceptance by children is key to limit unintended consequences such as increased food waste or increased nutritional inequalities. We aimed to examine children's liking for vegetarian and non-vegetarian main dishes at school canteens; and whether it varied across socioeconomic level. Connected scoring devices displaying a five-point smiley scale were installed in all the 38 primary school canteens of a French city, located in socially diverse neighbourhoods. Every day after their school lunch, children were asked to rate the main dish they had just eaten. During one school year, from September 2021 to June 2022, we collected 208,985 votes for 125 main dishes, including 32 vegetarian (i.e., no meat or fish) and 93 non-vegetarian dishes, for an average of 1672 (SD 440) votes per day across the 38 school canteens. We showed no difference in children's liking for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Additionally, the socioeconomic level of the schools was found to interact negatively with children's liking for vegetarian main dishes whereby vegetarian main dishes tended to be more liked in schools of lower socioeconomic level. In this French city, children's acceptance would not be a barrier to increase the frequency of vegetarian school meals and would not increase social dietary inequalities.

Something to Chew on; Plate-Waste at an Ontario Veteran's Centre.

There is paucity of data assessing levels of food/beverage waste in long-term care (LTC) facilities, especially in Ontario. Observations in the Veteran's Centre (VC) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Sunnybrook) indicated food/beverage waste may be high, potentially impacting sustainability efforts within our institution. Before proceeding with waste reduction efforts, we conducted a comprehensive 3-day waste-audit of food/beverage items provided to VC residents with the goal of understanding the extent of food/beverage waste at VC, items wasted, and any other factors that may inform future changes. Our results indicate that 28% of items served to residents were wasted. Lunch was the meal with greatest waste at 31% and waste of solid items was 12% higher than that of liquids. We observed a large variability in waste between residents and within each resident, with 15% of residents wasting >50% of items provided. This study provides a deeper insight into the magnitude of food/beverage waste in a LTC population and highlights the importance of considering individualized strategies to address waste to avoid negative impact on residents.

Prevalence of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and intestinal parasites among food handlers working in University of Gondar student's cafeteria, Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: Food-borne infections continue to be a major public health problem at the international level. The issue becomes more serious in developing countries like Ethiopia. Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella species and intestinal parasites, as well as antimicrobial resistance patterns and associated factors among food handlers at the University of Gondar cafeteria in northwest Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2021 in the University of Gondar cafeterias. Data related to the socio-demographic characteristics and hygienic practices of study participants were collected using structured questionnaires. A total of 290 stool samples were collected from food handlers. Culture and conventional biochemical tests were used to isolate the Salmonella and the Shigella species. Wet mount, Formol-ether concentration, and Kato Katz techniques were applied to identify intestinal parasites. Additionally, drug susceptibility tests were performed using the disk diffusion method. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 26. Results: Of 290 food handlers' stool samples analyzed, Twenty-seven 27 (9.3%) were positive for both Salmonella and Shigella species. The prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella species was 16 (5.5%) and 11 (3.8%), respectively. Most of the isolated pathogens were resistant to tetracycline 19 (70.4%), and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole 19 (70.4%). The overall rate of multi-drug resistant Shigella and Salmonella isolate was 59.3%. Besides, Fifty-seven 57 (19.7%) of the participants were positive for one or more intestinal parasites. The most prevalent intestinal Parasitosis was E. histolytica/dispar 22 (7.6%), followed by G. lamblia 13 (4.5%), and Ascaris lumbricoides 11 (3.8) not washing hands after using the toilet (AOR: 4.42, 95% CI: 1.57, 10.56), and consuming unpasteurized milk (AOR: 3.14, 95% CI: 1.65, 3.96), were factors significantly associated with the prevalence of Salmonella, and Shigella infection. Similarly, not washing hands after using the toilet (AOR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.4), and consuming unpasteurized milk (AOR: 10.4, 95% CI: 3.8, 28.8), were factors significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites infection. Conclusion: The prevalence of intestinal parasites, Salmonella, and Shigella species was high. Therefore, it is imperative to implement a public health policy that includes ongoing microbiological surveillance.

Plate Food Waste in Food Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Food waste is considered to be a social, environmental, administrative, and economic problem. Given the large-scale production and distribution of food, food waste in food services has been widely discussed by experts, professors, and scientists in the field. This systematic review aimed to understand which food service has the highest percentage of plate food waste. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted until January 2024 in ten electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, IBECS, BINACIS, BDENF, CUMED, BDNPAR, ARGMSAL, Cochrane Library, Sustainable Development Goals, and the gray literature. The protocol was previously registered with PROSPERO under the code CRD42024501971. Studies that have assessed plate food waste in food services were included. There were no restrictions on language, publication location, or date. The risk of bias analysis was carried out using the JBI instrument. A proportion meta-analysis was carried out using R software (version 4.2.1). This systematic review with meta-analysis showed that the type of distribution and the food service are the factors that have the greatest impact on the percentage and per capita of plate food waste. In the face of increased waste, interventions should be targeted by type and distribution system, diners, and meals in order to lessen the impact of these factors.

A Price Too High: Injury and Assault among Delivery Gig Workers in New York City.

The occupational health burden and mechanisms that link gig work to health are understudied. We described injury and assault prevalence among food delivery gig workers in New York City (NYC) and assessed the effect of job dependence on injury and assault through work-related mechanisms and across transportation modes (electric bike and moped versus car). Data were collected through a 2022 survey commissioned by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection among delivery gig workers between October and December 2021 in NYC. We used modified Poisson regression models to estimate the adjusted prevalence rate ratio associations between job dependence and injury and assault. Of 1650 respondents, 66.9% reported that food delivery gig work was their main or only job (i.e., fully dependent). About 21.9% and 20.8% of respondents reported being injured and assaulted, respectively. Injury and assault were more than twice as prevalent among two-wheeled drivers, in comparison to car users. Fully dependent respondents had a 1.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.16) and a 1.36 (95% CI 1.03, 1.80) times greater prevalence of injury and assault, respectively, than partially dependent respondents after adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, language, employment length, transportation mode, and weekly work hours. These findings suggest that fully dependent food delivery gig workers, especially two-wheeled riders, are highly vulnerable to the negative consequences of working conditions under algorithmic management by the platforms. Improvements to food delivery gig worker health and safety are urgently needed, and company narratives surrounding worker autonomy and flexibility need to be revisited.

State Legislation Related to School Nutrition: Predictors of Bill Passage From 2010-2019.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to discover the prevalence of school nutrition state legislation and to identify the correlates of enactment. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: An online legislative database, Legiscan, was used to collect bills related to school nutrition from the US from 2010 to 2019. Bills were coded and compiled into a study database with state-level dietary variables (obesity prevalence, fruit, and vegetable intake, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption), community variables (percent White, poverty), and bill-characteristic variables (party affiliation in legislature, strength of language, party of governor, school gardens, vegetable intake, and other salient variables). Multivariable models were built to examine predictors of bill enactment. RESULTS: Of the 462 bills introduced, 38.7% (n = 156) were enacted. In a multivariable model, the strength of bill language, political party affiliation, implementation of school gardens, and vegetable intake were the variables associated with bill passage. Bills with strong language were less likely to be enacted (P <0.001). Bills introduced by Democrats were more likely to be enacted (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: This study showed a better understanding of legislative support for child nutrition via policy surveillance of bills and their correlates of enactment. This information can be used to prioritize advocacy efforts and identify ways research can better inform policy.

More than the worksite cafeteria: the workplace food environment of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise the food environment of Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encompassing physical, sociocultural, economic and policy features and to explore variations within SMEs according to company characteristics (number of employees, location of work and presence of worksite cafeteria). DESIGN: Online cross-sectional survey study of a representative Dutch SME sample by a panel agency. SETTING: Dutch SMEs. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and fifteen employees of Dutch SMEs responsible for food and drink in their company. RESULTS: Most SMEs did not have a worksite cafeteria, no provision of fruits or vegetables, and did not offer discounts on food or drinks. The food environment of these SMEs varied significantly based on company characteristics. For example, SMEs with a worksite cafeteria were significantly more likely to have fruits (OR = 8·76, 95 % CI (4·50, 17·06)), vegetables (OR = 10·29, 95 % CI (5·49, 19·31)) and company food policies (OR = 5·04, 95 % CI (2·08, 12·20)) than SMEs without. Additionally, SMEs with ≥ 50 employees were more likely to have fruits (OR = 2·39, 95 % CI (1·42, 4·03)), vegetables (OR = 1·89, 95 % CI (1·04, 3·46)) and company food policies (OR = 2·82, 95 % CI (1·09, 7·29) than SMEs with < 50 employees. Moreover, having a worksite cafeteria (B = 0·23, 95 % CI (0·08, 0·38)) and employees working mostly on-site (B = 0·14, 95 % CI (0·01, 0·28)) were associated with stronger social norms of healthy and sustainable eating at work compared to SMEs without a worksite cafeteria and working mostly off-site. CONCLUSIONS: In SMEs, an overall comprehensive picture of the food environment points to its limited active encouragement of healthy food choices, particularly so in small SMEs without a worksite cafeteria. Company characteristics strongly influence SME food environments and should be considered when developing interventions improving SME workplace food environments.

School Meal Nutrition Standards Reduce Disparities Across Income and Race/Ethnicity.

INTRODUCTION: Children's diets in the U.S. typically fail to meet dietary recommendations, contributing to associated adverse health outcomes. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 required the U.S. government to update nutrition standards for school meals to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). This study estimates the evolving impact of substituting school-prepared food for home-prepared food on overall daily diet quality and by subcomponents of diet quality. Subgroup analyses are performed by race/ethnicity and income. METHODS: Two, nonconsecutive days of dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-March 2020) are used to calculate schoolchildren's Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 scores. The study includes children with complete two-day dietary intakes who attend kindergarten through twelfth grade in a school offering lunch. An individual-level fixed effects regression is employed to examine the relationship of school food consumption on HEI-2020 scores before and after HHFKA-mandated changes in nutrition standards. Analyses were conducted on September 23, 2023. RESULTS: Prior to changes in standards (2005-2008), school food did not impact diet quality within the overall group of children. In 2009-2012, positive associations between school food and diet quality emerged for low-income students and for non-Hispanic Black students. By 2013-2020, improvements were seen across all groups. The association between school food and diet quality was most attributable to more favorable consumption of dairy, fruit, whole grains, refined grains, added sugars and saturated fats. CONCLUSIONS: HHFKA-based nutrition standards were associated with beneficial dietary changes and reduced dietary disparities for children across diverse backgrounds.

Examining school nutrition policies and their effect on the promotion of low-nutrient foods in the context of sports advertising.

OBJECTIVES: Despite recommendations to implement nutrition standards in schools, low-nutrient foods and high-energy drinks are still some of the most important challenges for school management and students' purchasing and consumption behavior. In this regard, the aim of the present study is to examine school nutrition policies and their effect on the promotion of low-nutrient foods in the context of sports advertising. METHODS: A partial least square technique with SmartPLS 3.0 and bootstrapping with 500 resamples was used to examine the effect of food marketing on school nutrition policies and students' nutritional involvement. Online surveys were done through The Iranian Educational Network of students and measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The survey questionnaire consisted of 3 scales to measure the following: school nutrition policies, advertising of low-nutrient foods, and student nutritional involvement. RESULTS: Results from a sample of 382 Iranian high school students revealed that low-nutrient food advertising has a significant effect on student consumption, and the greatest overall effect on students' nutritional involvement. School nutrition policies were affected by media, endorsement, and the environmental advertising, whereas school financial capabilities had the greatest direct effect on students' nutritional involvement. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that advertising through sports media plays a mediating role in school nutrition policies and student nutritional involvement. Policy changes to restrict food marketing for young people must include both television and non-broadcast media.

Nutritional, environmental and economic implications of children plate waste at school: a comparison between two Italian case studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at comparing two Italian case studies in relation to schoolchildren's plate waste and its implications, in terms of nutritional loss, economic cost and carbon footprint. DESIGN: Plate waste was collected through an aggregate selective weighting method for 39 d. SETTING: Children from the first to the fifth grade from four primary schools, two in each case study (Parma and Lucca), were involved. RESULTS: With respect to the served food, in Parma, the plate waste percentage was lower than in Lucca (P < 0·001). Fruit and side dishes were highly wasted, mostly in Lucca (>50 %). The energy loss of the lunch meals accounted for 26 % (Parma) and 36 % (Lucca). Among nutrients, dietary fibre, folate and vitamin C, Ca and K were lost at most (26-45 %). Overall, after adjusting for plate waste data, most of the lunch menus fell below the national recommendations for energy (50 %, Parma; 79 %, Lucca) and nutrients, particularly for fat (85 %, Parma; 89 %, Lucca). Plate waste was responsible for 19 % (Parma) and 28 % (Lucca) of the carbon footprint associated with the food supplied by the catering service, with starchy food being the most important contributor (52 %, Parma; 47 %, Lucca). Overall, the average cost of plate waste was 1·8 €/kg (Parma) and 2·7 €/kg (Lucca), accounting respectively for 4 % and 10 % of the meal full price. CONCLUSION: A re-planning of the school meals service organisation and priorities is needed to decrease the inefficiency of the current system and reduce food waste and its negative consequences.

Participation in the US Department of Agriculture's Summer Meal Programs: 2019-2021.

BACKGROUND: The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) summer meal programs are designed to provide meals at no cost while school is out of session. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several regulatory waivers were enacted to facilitate meal distribution. The aim of this study was to assess the rates of meal distribution before and after these waivers were in effect. METHODS: Meal distribution patterns for 2019, 2020, and 2021 were examined through (1) a descriptive comparison of the number of participating districts, sponsors, meal sites, and meals distributed statewide, and (2) repeated measures ANOVAs to examine changes among districts in operation all years. RESULTS: The waivers were associated with an increase in the total number of participating districts, sponsors, and meal sites; an increase in the total number of meals distributed to children during the summer months; and an increase in meal distribution among sponsors that had been in place since 2019. CONCLUSION: Expanding the area eligibility criteria and enabling flexibility in meal distribution methods increased the number of meals provided. This study provides important preliminary evidence to suggest that the USDA should consider permanent regulatory changes to this program to maximize its reach.

Estresse ocupacional em nutricionistas atuantes na área de alimentação coletiva / Occupational stress in nutritionists working in the área of colletctive food / Estrés laboral em nutricionistas que trabajan em el área de alimentación colectiva

Objetivo: identificar o nível de estresse ocupacional de nutricionistas atuantes na alimentação coletiva. Método: estudo transversal e quantitativo realizado com nutricionistas da área de alimentação coletiva, de ambos os sexos. Os dados foram obtidos por meio da aplicação de questionário online, auto preenchido pelo voluntário. Resultados: verificou-se nível moderado e alto de estresse nos nutricionistas estudados. Esses resultados são preocupantes, sendo necessário ações aliadas a programas de prevenção. Os principais estressores são: deficiência nos treinamentos e pouca perspectiva de crescimento na carreira. A variável estresse apresentou associação estatística com as variáveis filhos (p=0,0152) e renda mensal (p=0,0387). Conclusão: torna-se fundamental consolidar ações de intervenções visando prevenir e minimizar tal resultado, por meio de ações de orientação no processo de formação ao ingressar na organização bem como no desenvolvimento de habilidades de enfrentamento.

Objective: to identify the level of occupational stress of nutritionists working in collective feeding. Method: cross-sectional and quantitative study carried out with nutritionists in the área of collective feeding, of both sex. Data were obtained through the application of an online questionnaire, self-completed by the volunteer. Results: moderate and high levels of stress were found in the nutritionists studied. These results are worrying, requiring actions combined with prevention programs. The main stressors are: deficiency in training and little prospecto f career growth. The stress variable showed a statistical association with the child variables (p=0.0152) and monthly income (p=0.0387). Conclusion: it becomes essential to consolidate intervention actions aimed at preventing and minimizing this result, through guidance actions in the training process when joining the organization as well as in the development of coping skills.

Objetivo: identificar el nivel de estrés laboral de nutricionistas que trabajan en alimentación colectiva. Método: estudio transversal y cuantitativo realizado con nutricionistas del área de alimentación colectiva, de ambos sexos. Los datos se obtuvieron mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario em línea, autocompletado por el voluntario. Resultados: se encontraron niveles moderados y altos de estrés em los nutricionistas estudiados. Estos resultados son preocupantes, requiriendo acciones combinadas con programas de prevención. Los principales factores de estrés son: deficiencia em la formación y pocas perspectivas de crecimiento profesional. La variable estrés mostro asociación estadística com las variables hijo (p=0,0152) e ingresso mensual (p=0,0387). Conclusión: se hace imprescindible consolidar acciones de intervención encaminadas a prevenir y minimizar este resultado, a través de acciones de orientación en el proceso de formación al ingresso a la organización así como em el desarrollo de habilidades de afrontamiento.

Purchasing Behavior, Setting, Pricing, Family: Determinants of School Lunch Participation.

Despite growing school lunch availability in Germany, its utilization is still low, and students resort to unhealthy alternatives. We investigated predictors of school lunch participation and reasons for nonparticipation in 1215 schoolchildren. Children reported meal habits, parents provided family-related information (like socioeconomic status), and anthropometry was conducted on-site in schools. Associations between school lunch participation and family-related predictors were estimated using logistic regression controlling for age and gender if necessary. School was added as a random effect. School lunch participation was primarily associated with family factors. While having breakfast on schooldays was positively associated with school lunch participation (ORadj = 2.20, p = 0.002), lower secondary schools (ORadj = 0.52, p < 0.001) and low SES (ORadj = 0.25, p < 0.001) were negatively associated. The main reasons for nonparticipation were school- and lunch-related factors (taste, time constraints, pricing). Parents reported pricing as crucial a reason as an unpleasant taste for nonparticipation. Nonparticipants bought sandwiches and energy drinks significantly more often on school days, whereas participants were less often affected by overweight (OR = 0.66, p = 0.043). Our data stress school- and lunch-related factors as an important opportunity to foster school lunch utilization.

Energy and Nutritional Composition of School Lunches in Slovenia: The Results of a Chemical Analysis in the Framework of the National School Meals Survey.

BACKGROUND: Slovenia similar to some European countries has a long tradition of the organized system of school meals. The present survey aimed to compare school lunch composition in Slovene primary schools (n = 40) with the national dietary guidelines; Methods: The survey took place from January to September 2020. Sampling of a 5-day school lunch (n = 200) for adolescents aged 10 to 13 years, were performed in schools. Chemical analysis was provided by an accredited national laboratory. RESULTS: The median energy value of school lunches was 2059 kJ (24% of the recommended daily energy intake). The school lunches contained 24.8 g of proteins, 52.9 g of carbohydrates and 16.7 g of dietary fats. Saturated fatty acids represent 4.7 g, polyunsaturated fatty acids 4.7 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 5.8 g, and industrial trans fats 0.2 g/100 g of a meal (1.2 g/meal). Dietary fibre represented 7.8 g, free sugars for 14.7 g and salt for 3.9 g; Conclusions: The survey showed lower values for energy, carbohydrates and total fats in school lunches as recommended, and exceeded values of salt, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Nutritional Quality of New South Wales High School Student Food and Drink Purchases Made via an Online Canteen Ordering System.

Unhealthy dietary patterns in adolescence are associated with an increased risk of future chronic disease. This study aimed to assess online canteen lunch purchases made by high school students to identify: (1) the nutrient composition of purchases (energy, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, percent energy from saturated fat and total sugar); (2) the proportion of items classified as healthier ('Everyday') and less healthy ('Occasional' or 'Should not be sold') according to the New South Wales Healthy Canteen Strategy; (3) the frequency of purchases by product type (e.g., salty snacks), their classification and nutrient composition; and (4) associations between student characteristics and the nutrient composition and classification of purchases. The average order contained 2075 kJ of energy, 6.4 g of saturated fat, 18.4 g of sugar and 795 mg of sodium. Less healthy ('Occasional' and 'Should not be sold') items combined accounted for 56% of purchases. The most frequently purchased products were burgers and crumbed/coated foods. Students in higher grades purchased a significantly higher mean percent of 'Everyday' items, compared to students in grades 7 or 8. The majority of high school student purchases were less healthy ('Occasional' or 'Should not be sold') items, warranting further investigation of factors influencing online canteen purchasing behaviour in this setting.

Validation of a Web-Based, Time-Use Application to Assess Children's School Meal Intakes: My E-Diary for Activities and Lifestyle (MEDAL).

My E-Diary for Activities and Lifestyle (MEDAL), a web-based application, was developed to assess the diets of children. This study examined the validity of school recess meals reported by children on MEDAL, using meal photography as the reference. Recess meals were photographed by trained researchers, and food items and portion sizes of recess meals reported on MEDAL were compared to recess meal photos. Validity was assessed by percentages of match, omission and intrusion for food items and percentages of the match, underestimation and overestimation for portion sizes. The Mann-Whitney test and the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test examined if sex, school and day of recording influenced the validity of food item reporting. We found that participants (n = 33, aged 10-11 years) recalled 60.2% of food items consumed at recess accurately (matches); omissions (24.6%) were more common than intrusions (15.2%). Omissions tended to be side dishes, and intrusions tended to be high-calorie items. Sex, school and day of recording did not influence validity. For food portion sizes, 58.3% of items were accurately reported. Overestimations (33.3%) were more common than underestimations (8.3%). In conclusion, these children were able to report food items consumed during school recess meals using MEDAL, albeit with limitations on the degree of accuracy.

Connecting Families to Food Resources amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Early Care and Education Providers in Two U.S. States.

Early care and education (ECE) settings are important avenues for reaching young children and their families with food and nutrition resources, including through the U.S. federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of ECE providers in two U.S. states in November 2020 to identify approaches used to connect families with food and nutrition resources amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds of sites reporting no approaches and adjusted Poisson models were used to estimate the incidence rate ratio of the mean number of approaches, comparing sites that participate in CACFP to those that did not. A total of 589 ECE sites provided responses. Of those, 43% (n = 255) participated in CACFP. CACFP participating sites were more likely to report using any approaches to connecting families to food resources and significantly more likely to report offering "grab and go" meals, providing meal delivery, distributing food boxes to families, and recommending community food resources than non-CACFP sites. This study suggests that CACFP sites may have greater capacity to connect families to food resources amid emergencies than non-CACFP participating sites.

Analysis of Caloric and Noncaloric Sweeteners Present in Dairy Products Aimed at the School Market and Their Possible Effects on Health.

Over the past decades, Mexico has become one of the main sweetener-consuming countries in the world. Large amounts of these sweeteners are in dairy products aimed at the children's market in various presentations such as yogurt, flavored milk, flan, and cheeses. Although numerous studies have shown the impact of sweeteners in adults, the current evidence for children is insufficient and discordant to determine if these substances have any risk or benefit on their well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the sweeteners present in 15 dairy products belonging to the school-age children's market in Mexico and their impact on health. These dairy products were selected through a couple of surveys directed at parents of school-age children. After that, the list of ingredients of each product was analyzed to identify their sweetener content. From there, exhaustive bibliographic research on sweeteners and their possible health effects was carried out, which included 109 articles and 18 studies. The results showed that at a neurological, endocrinological, cardiovascular, metabolic, osseous, renal, hepatic, dental, reticular, carcinogenic, and gut microbiota level; sucrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrins, sucralose, and acesulfame K, have a negative effect. While maltodextrins, stevia, polydextrose, and modified starch have a positive one. For these reasons, it is necessary to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages that the consumption of each sweetener entails, as well as a determination of the appropriate acceptable daily intake (ADI).