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Food preservation has many benefits, such as increasing shelf life, retaining nutritional values and biological activities. In the current study, total phenolic content (TCP), antioxidant and anti-glucosidase activities, and kinetic of glucose inhibition of stingless bee honey, honey mixed with fruits, and extracts of Citrus japonica were evaluated by measuring color of a reaction using a spectrophotometer. The result showed that high TPC was found in ethanol extract of C. japonica leaves and fruits (26.79 ± 6.94 and 12.79 ± 0.87 mg of gallic acid per g extract), while stingless bee honey revealed the highest antioxidant activity (1/EC50 = 0.2921) and honey mixed with fruits revealed the strongest anti-glucosidase activity (1/EC50 = 1.8181), significantly (P-value <0.05). Kinetic of glucosidase inhibition of honey were found as uncompetitive and mixed competitive inhibition, while the honey mixed with fruits showed mixed competitive inhibition. The FTIR and GC-MS analysis demonstrated the presence of several bioactive compounds. Very strong positive relationship between total phenolic content with GC-MS data was found (r = 0.926, P-value < 0.05). This knowledge confirmed that stingless bee honey and honey mixed with fruits had greater anti-diabatic potential in comparison with the extracts of C. japonica leaves and fruits.
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In recent years, organic agriculture has gained more popularity, yet its approach to food production and its potential impact on consumers' health and various environmental aspects remain to be fully discovered. The goal of organic farming practices is to maintain soil health, sustain ecological systems, maintain fairness in its relationship with the environment and protect the environment in its entirety. Various health benefits have been associated with higher consumption of organic foods. This review identified some of these health benefits, including a reduction in obesity and body mass index (BMI), improvements in blood nutrient composition as well as reductions in maternal obesity and pregnancy-associated preeclampsia risks. Furthermore, organic food consumption can reduce the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and colorectal cancers. Upon reviewing the existing literature regarding the nutritional value of organic foods, it was found that organic food contained higher levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin C. However, the evidence available to draw definitive causations remains limited due to study biases, short study durations and confounding variables; thus, it cannot be concluded that the organic diet provides any related health benefits. In this review, we provided essential insights and statistical analysis from the evidence available and consider study limitations to evaluate the potential of organic food consumption in positively impacting human health.
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High urinary levels of dialkylphosphates (DAPs), which are common structures of organophosphate pesticides (OPs), have been associated with several adverse health outcomes in human biomonitoring studies. Previous studies have indicated that dietary OP exposure and ingestion of environmentally degraded DAP, which is inactive with acetylcholinesterase, can lead to an increase in urinary DAP levels in the general population. However, the specific food sources contributing to the intake of OPs and DAPs have not been identified. In this study, we analyzed the levels of OPs and preformed DAPs in various food items. DAP levels were markedly high in certain fruits, such as persimmon, apple juice, kiwi, and mandarin. In contrast, only moderate levels of OPs were detected in these foods. Furthermore, the levels of OPs and DAPs were positively associated with vegetables, whereas no such association was observed in fruits. Increased consumption of certain fruits presumably leads to a marked increase in urinary DAP levels in individuals despite limited exposure to OPs, resulting in reduced reliability of urinary DAPs as a marker of OP exposure. Therefore, the possible effects of dietary habits and the resulting intake of preformed DAPs should be considered when interpreting biomonitoring data of urinary DAPs. Additionally, DAP levels in most organic foods were much lower than those in conventional foods, suggesting that the reduction in urinary DAPs by organic diet intervention may be mainly attributed to the reduced intake of preformed DAPs rather than reduced exposure to OPs. Therefore, urinary DAP levels may not be suitable indicators for evaluating ingested OP exposure.
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Inseticidas , Praguicidas , Humanos , Japão , Acetilcolinesterase , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Inseticidas/urina , Compostos Organofosforados/urina , Organofosfatos/urina , Praguicidas/análise , Exposição Ambiental/análiseRESUMO
The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of social class and lifestyle on the consumption of organic foods in South Korea. Consumer behavior regarding organic foods is influenced by lifestyle, as well as income-level and education. This study provides a new perspective on the socio-economic structure of organic food consumption patterns in urban areas by extracting information from big data. The organic food consumption patterns are then analyzed through visualization of the geographical distribution of organic food stores. In addition, this study estimates the effects of social class and lifestyle variables on the consumption of organic foods based on survey data. This study finds that social class characteristics are factors that influence the consumption of organic foods. However, individual lifestyle plays a more important role in actual buying behavior.
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This study focuses on the perception of ethnic foods by European consumers. The aim of this work is to enrich the literature on the analysis of consumer perception of ethnic foods by focusing on the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, the possible role played by product attributes, psychographic characteristics, and willingness to pay for these products, specifically date fruits. We surveyed a representative sample of 1123 Italian and French consumers. Using an ordered logit model, we found that, as for any other product, geographical indication, region of production, organic character, and fair trade are attributes that individuals consider in their purchase decisions for ethnic foods. Similarly, country of origin is a source of quality for ethnic foods such as dates. The results reveal that women, more educated individuals, and Generation Z (younger individuals) have a higher willingness to pay for organic, fair trade, and GI-labeled ethnic foods. Finally, this willingness to pay is driven more by product knowledge than by cognitive closeness to the ethnic food.
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This study aims to identify the topics that users post on Twitter about organic foods and to analyze the emotion-based sentiment of those tweets. The study addresses a call for an application of big data and text mining in different fields of research, as well as proposes more objective research methods in studies on food consumption. There is a growing interest in understanding consumer choices for foods which are caused by the predominant contribution of the food industry to climate change. So far, customer attitudes towards organic food have been studied mostly with self-reported methods, such as questionnaires and interviews, which have many limitations. Therefore, in the present study, we used big data and text mining techniques as more objective methods to analyze the public attitude about organic foods. A total of 43,724 Twitter posts were extracted with streaming Application Programming Interface (API). Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm was applied for topic modeling. A test of topic significance was performed to evaluate the quality of the topics. Public sentiment was analyzed based on the NRC emotion lexicon by utilizing Syuzhet package. Topic modeling results showed that people discuss on variety of themes related to organic foods such as plant-based diet, saving the planet, organic farming and standardization, authenticity, and food delivery, etc. Sentiment analysis results suggest that people view organic foods positively, though there are also people who are skeptical about the claims that organic foods are natural and free from chemicals and pesticides. The study contributes to the field of consumer behavior by implementing research methods grounded in text mining and big data. The study contributes also to the advancement of research in the field of sustainable food consumption by providing a fresh perspective on public attitude toward organic foods, filling the gaps in existing literature and research.
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The present study investigates how consumers perceive organic-certified versus non-certified natural foods relative to each other, compares motives for purchasing them, and explores how these influence purchase behaviors toward the combined natural foods category. Analysis of a USA shopper survey finds there are still pronounced differences in perceptions, trust, and willingness to pay. Some 57% of respondents agree at a level of 4 or 5 (out of 5) that there are differences between organic-certified and non-certified natural foods. Mean levels of trust for natural and certified organic labels are 2.67 and 3.50 respectively. Consumers are willing to pay price premiums of 25% and 37% for non-certified and organic-certified respectively. Results show shoppers have shared and different motives for purchasing. No added growth hormones and No artificial additives or preservatives are the two reasons that appear in the top five for purchasing organic-certified and non-certified foods. Other top five reasons for organic-certified are agriculture oriented: No chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, No antibiotics, and USDA organic certification. Other top five reasons for non-certified are processing oriented: No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, Minimal processing, and No high fructose corn syrup. Some of these differences influence intended purchase behaviors. Trust in organic-certified and non-certified labels affects willingness to pay. Four of the organic-certified attributes have a relationship with one or more of purchase frequency, number of items per trip, weekly spending, and willingness to pay.
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Comportamento do Consumidor , Alimentos Orgânicos , Certificação , Preferências Alimentares , Humanos , MotivaçãoRESUMO
Following an application from Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Cyprus, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to organic foods and contribution to the protection of body cells and molecules (lipids and DNA) from oxidative damage. The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to children's development and health. The food proposed by the applicant as the subject of the health claim is 'organic foods'. The applicant claimed that organic foods are characterised by their lower level of pesticides residues compared with foods not labelled as organic. The Panel notes, however, that in the application and the human studies submitted the nutritional composition and the pesticide concentration in 'organic food' are not reported. The Panel considers that organic foods which are the subject of the health claim, and the foods that they are intended to replace are not sufficiently characterised. Therefore, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of organic foods and contribution to the protection of body cells and molecules (lipids and DNA) from oxidative damage.
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In order to meet the rising global demand for food and to ensure food security in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 2, technological advances have been introduced in the food production industry. The organic food industry has benefitted from advances in food technology and innovation. However, there remains skepticism regarding organic foods on the part of consumers, specifically on consumers' acceptance of food innovation technologies used in the production of organic foods. This study measured factors that influence consumers' food innovation adoption and subsequently their intention to purchase organic foods. We compared the organic foods purchase behavior of Malaysian and Hungarian consumers to examine differences between Asian and European consumers. The findings show food innovation adoption as the most crucial predictor for the intention to purchase organic foods in Hungary, while social lifestyle factor was the most influential in Malaysia. Other factors such as environmental concerns and health consciousness were also examined in relation to food innovation adoption and organic food consumerism. This paper discusses differences between European and Asian organic foods consumers and provides recommendations for stakeholders.
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Objectives: To assess (1) whether a history of allergy is associated with feeding with organic foods (OFs) during the complementary feeding period and (2) whether OF consumption in infancy is related to the incidence of respiratory and allergic diseases up to age 5.5 years. Study Design: Analyses involved more than 8,000 children from the nationwide Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance (ELFE) birth cohort. Associations between family or infant history of allergy and frequency of OF consumption during the complementary feeding period were assessed with multinomial logistic regression. Associations between OF consumption in infancy and respiratory or allergic diseases between age 1 and 5.5 years were assessed with logistic regression. Results: A family history of allergy or cow's milk protein allergy at age 2 months was strongly and positively related to feeding with OF during the complementary feeding period. Feeding with OF during the complementary feeding period was not related to respiratory diseases or eczema up to age 5.5 years. Compared to infrequent consumption of both organic and commercial complementary foods, frequent OF consumption without commercial complementary foods was associated with a higher risk of food allergy, whereas frequent commercial complementary food consumption without OF use was associated with a lower risk of food allergy. Conclusions: This study suggests that a history of allergy strongly affects feeding with OF during the complementary feeding period. However, OF consumption was not associated with reduced odds of food allergy later in childhood but could be associated with increased odds, which should be examined more deeply.
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Organic food consumption and its effects on health remain understudied in adults and in children. The aim of this study was to describe family characteristics associated with feeding infants organic foods during the complementary feeding period. The analysis included 9764 children from the French Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance (ELFE) birth cohort. In addition to telephone interviews conducted at 2, 12 and 24 months, a monthly questionnaire about milk feeding and complementary foods (including organic foods) was completed by parents between 3 and 10 months. Associations between family characteristics and feeding with organic foods during complementary feeding were analysed by multivariable multinomial logistic regression. Overall, 51 % of infants never consumed organic food during the complementary feeding period (up to 10 months), 24 % sometimes, 15 % often and 9 % always or almost always. As compared with infants never fed organic foods, those 'often' or 'always' fed organic foods were born to older mothers, with higher education level or family income, and lower pre-pregnancy BMI. As compared with never-smoking women, women who had stopped smoking before pregnancy were more likely to feed their infant organic foods. Feeding with organic foods was also related to long breast-feeding duration and later introduction to complementary foods. To conclude, associations between feeding with organic foods and family socio-economic position as well as infant feeding practices need to be considered when studying the impact of organic foods on children's health and development.
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Alimentos Orgânicos , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição do Lactente , Coorte de Nascimento , Aleitamento Materno , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , França , Humanos , Lactente , Alimentos Infantis , Gravidez , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
The popularity of organic foods grows systematically. In the last decade, several critical reviews and meta-analysis concerning organic food consumption and their effect on some chosen health problems have been published. The aim of the work was to present the current state of knowledge regarding the influence of organic food consumption on human health. On average, organic food of plant origin is characterized by a trace presence of pesticides, a lower content of nitrates and an increased content of polyphenols and vitamin C. Organic products of animal origin contain more beneficial for health unsaturated fatty acid. Organic dairy products, in contrast to meat products, are characterized by a higher content of protein and saturated fatty acids, however, the differences more result from the length of the grazing period and access to fresh forage than to the production system. Although generally, the consumption of organic food does not provide a significant nutritional advantage compared to a conventional diet, regular and frequent consumption of organic products generally reduces the risk of overweight and obesity, both for women and men, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma in case of women. Besides those, consumption of organic fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy products significantly reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and eczema in infants, respectively. Positive effect on selected health problems probably results from a reduced amount of pesticide residues and an increased secondary plant metabolites intake which characterize organic food. This review showed that there is a need for further, especially, large cohort studies concerning the effect of organic food consumption on specific diseases development.
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Atitude Frente a Saúde , Dieta Saudável/estatística & dados numéricos , Alimentos Orgânicos/estatística & dados numéricos , Valor Nutritivo , Prática Clínica Baseada em Evidências , Feminino , Contaminação de Alimentos/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Linfoma não Hodgkin/prevenção & controle , Masculino , Obesidade/prevenção & controleRESUMO
The objective of this dataset is to find out retail price differences between organic and conventional food items. Organic foods are often considered healthier and better quality than conventional foods and are sold at premium prices. However, first-hand data on retail price levels to substantiate that argument is meager. With a view to filling up that gap, we collected retail prices for pairs of conventional and organic food items in three supermarket chains (Save On Foods, Superstore, and Sobeys) in Edmonton, Alberta, for seven consecutive weeks in spring 2011. We find that the average prices significantly vary among supermarkets and among different food groups. Organic food prices show a different pattern than conventional food prices.
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Resumen El objetivo del estudio fue determinar los efectos sobre los hábitos alimentarios de escolares en una intervención educativa alternativa al modelo convencional de promoción de alimentación a un centro con comedor y proyecto de huerto ecológico. Estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transversal y comparativo de 111 niños y niñas entre 9 y 12 años, en el periodo 2013-15. Se comparó un colegio con intervención alternativa con otro que únicamente incluía contenidos propios del currículo de Educación Infantil y Primaria, mediante evaluación de adherencia a la dieta mediterránea del alumnado con cuestionario validado Kidmed. El centro de intervención presentó mayor adherencia a la dieta mediterránea que el centro control. En el centro de intervención el porcentaje de alumnado con dieta óptima (64,52%) fue mayor que los que necesitaban mejorar su dieta (33,87%), mientras que en el centro fue inferior (42,86% y 51,02% respectivamente). Los escolares del centro de intervención presentaron mayor porcentaje de respuestas afirmativas en ítems Kidmed. El programa de promoción de alimentación saludable alternativo del centro de intervención podría ser efectivo para la adquisición de una dieta de mayor adherencia a la dieta mediterránea.
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effects on school feeding habits in an educational intervention alternative to the conventional model of feeding promotion to a center with school canteens and ecological garden project. Cross-sectional and comparative descriptive observational study of 111 boys and girls between 9 and 12 years old, in the 2013-15 period. A school with alternative intervention was compared with another one that only included contents of the Infant and Primary Education curriculum, by means of evaluation of adherence to the mediterranean diet of the students with a validated Kidmed questionnaire. The intervention center presented greater adherence to the mediterranean diet than the control center. In the intervention center, the percentage of students with optimal diet (64.52%) was higher than those who needed to improve their diet (33.87%), contrary to what occurs in control center (42.86% and 51.02% respectively). The students of the intervention center presented a higher percentage of affirmative answers in Kidmed test. The program of promotion of healthy alternative food of the intervention center could be effective for the acquisition of a diet of greater adherence to the mediterranean diet.
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Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Criança , Instituições Acadêmicas/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudantes/estatística & dados numéricos , Dieta Saudável , Promoção da Saúde/métodos , Estudos Transversais , Inquéritos e Questionários , Dieta Mediterrânea/estatística & dados numéricos , Comportamento Alimentar , Serviços de Alimentação/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Antecedentes: el abastecimiento de alimentos en las ciudades es mayoritariamente dirigido por empresas transnacionales; usa circuitos largos, estimula el uso de agroquímicos en la producción de alimentos y con frecuencia no genera precios justos. Estas características han llevado a la construcción de un sector alternativo que articule nuevos mecanismos de producción, distribución y consumo de alimentos. Objetivo: describir las principales características de las redes alimentarias alternativas de Medellín y la subregión Oriente del departamento de Antioquia, sus actores, procesos y relacionamiento entre productores, distribuidores y consumidores. Materiales y métodos: estudio cualitativo de casos colectivos; se entrevistaron personas relacionadas con 15 redes alimentarias alternativas, se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, observación participante en espacios de distribución y no participante en zonas de producción. Resultados: se halló en estas iniciativas el cimiento de un sistema alimentario alternativo, fundamentado en la agroecología, el comercio justo y el consumo saludable. Al ser analizadas desde los constructos teóricos del capital social, se halló que estas redes trabajan por tender puentes entre productores y consumidores y reforzar lazos entre los primeros eslabones del sistema; sin embargo, un posicionamiento más fuerte requiere fortalecer la asociatividad. Conclusiones: el naciente sector alternativo representa una oportunidad para consolidar sistemas alimentarios que contribuyan a generar capital social como bien público colectivo
Background: Food supply in cities is largely managed by multinational companies using widespread systems, promoting the use of agrochemicals in food production, and generating unfair pricing and access. These factors have led to the creation of an alternative sector highlighting new mechanisms of production, distribution, and consumption of foods. Objective: Describe the principle characteristics of alternative food networks in Medellin and the eastern sub-region of the state of Antioquia, highlighting the actors, processes, and relationships among producers, distributors, and consumers of said food products. Materials and Methods: Qualitative collective case study in which the participants were selected for interviews given their ties to 15 alternative food networks and systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, as well as active observation in distribution areas and passive observation in production zones. Results: The basis for healthy food systems was found in these alternative initiatives, which are based on agro-ecology, fair trade, and healthy consumption and consumerism. When analyzed from the theoretical constructs of social capital, it's seen that these networks help build ties between producers and consumers, and reinforce the bonds between the first links of these systems; however, stronger positioning is needed to strengthen these association. Conclusions: The recent advent of alternative food systems represents an opportunity to consolidate food sectors that contribute to the generation of social capital for the collective good of the population.
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Inteligência AmbientalRESUMO
We conducted a bibliometric review on a small but promising body of literature on consumers' willingness to pay for organic foods in China. Results found that consumers' health consciousness, individual norms, consumer knowledge, food safety, environmental concerns, animal welfare, and purchasing power are major influencing factors for willingness to pay for organic foods in China. Notably, most research methods utilized are quantitative methods, leading us to call for the adoption of more qualitative, review, or mixed-methods. These findings increase our understanding of the knowledge structure of this emerging context-specific literature.
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Comportamento do Consumidor/economia , Alimentos Orgânicos/economia , Bem-Estar do Animal , Bibliometria , China , Inocuidade dos Alimentos , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , HumanosRESUMO
This study provides insight into the attitude of Romanian consumers towards organic food. Furthermore, it examines the sustainable food production system in Romania from the perspective of consumer behavior. This study used a mathematical model of linear regression with the main purpose being to determine the best prediction for the dependent variable when given a number of new values for the independent variable. This empirical research is based on a survey with a sample of 672 consumers, which uses a questionnaire to analyze their intentions towards sustainable food products. The results indicate that a more positive attitude of consumers towards organic food products will further strengthen their purchasing intentions, while the status of the consumption of organic consumers will not affect their willingness to purchase organic food products. Statistics have shown that sustainable food consumption is beneficial for health, so it can also become a profitable business in Romania. Furthermore, food sustainability in Romania depends on the ability of an organic food business to adapt to the new requirements of green consumption.
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A lower BMI has been reported among consumers of organic foods, but this relationship has never been examined in a prospective design study. Our aim was to prospectively investigate the association between frequency of organic food consumption and weight change. We analysed data from 62 224 participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort (78 % women, mean age=45 years) with information on consumption frequency of organic foods, dietary intake and repeated anthropometric data. For sixteen products, participants reported their consumption frequency of labelled organic foods (never, occasionally, most of the time). An organic score (OS) with a maximum of thirty-two points was computed. The associations of the OS (modeled as quartiles (Q)) with change in BMI during follow-up (on average 3·1 years) and with the risk of overweight and obesity were estimated by ANCOVA and multivariable logistic regression. A lower BMI increase was observed across quartiles of the OS (mean difference Q4 v. Q1=-0·16 (95 % CI -0·32, -0·01). An increase in the OS was associated with a lower risk of overweight and obesity (among non-overweight and non-obese participants at inclusion): OR for Q4 v. Q1 were 0·77 (95 % CI 0·68, 0·86) and 0·69 (95 % CI 0·58, 0·82), respectively. Concerning obesity risk, the association was stronger among participants with higher adherence to nutritional guidelines. This study supports a strong protective role of consumption frequency of organic foods with regard to the risk of overweight and obesity that depends on overall dietary quality. Upon confirmation, these results may contribute to fine-tune nutritional guidelines by accounting for farming practices in food production.
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Índice de Massa Corporal , Dieta , Comportamento Alimentar , Alimentos Orgânicos , Obesidade/prevenção & controle , Aumento de Peso , Adulto , Análise de Variância , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Política Nutricional , Inquéritos Nutricionais , Razão de Chances , Sobrepeso , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess dietary profiles of adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort according to different levels of organic food consumption using detailed self-reported data on organic food intakes. DESIGN: Food intakes were obtained using an organic food frequency questionnaire (Org-FFQ). The participants were ranked into five groups (quintiles, Q) according to the proportion of organic foods in their diet. To determine diet quality, two scores were computed reflecting adherence to food-based recommendations (mPNNS-GS) and the probability of adequate nutrient intake (PANDiet). Relationships between levels of organic food consumption and dietary characteristics were assessed using multivariable-adjusted ANCOVA models. SETTING: The NutriNet-Santé Study. SUBJECTS: French adults from the NutriNet-Santé Study (n 28 245). RESULTS: Intakes of foods of plant origin increased along with the contribution of organic foods to the diet while a reverse trend was identified for dairy products, cookies and soda (P-trend<0·0001). The diet quality scores increased from Q1 (mPNNS-GS, 7·89 (se 0·02); PANDiet: 63·04 (se 0·11)) to Q5 (mPNNS-GS, 8·78 (se 0·02); PANDiet, 69·37 (se 0·10)). Overall, high organic food consumers exhibited better diet quality, although intermediate organic food consumers showed better adherence to specific nutritional recommendations related to animal products. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides new insights into the understanding of organic food consumption as a part of a healthy diet and sheds some light on the dietary profiles of different categories of organic food consumers. These results underline strong dietary behaviour correlates associated with organic food consumption that should be controlled for in future aetiological studies on organic foods and health.
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Dieta/métodos , Alimentos Orgânicos/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos Nutricionais/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Estudos de Coortes , Estudos Transversais , Ingestão de Energia , Feminino , França , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
AIMS: The traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) is reportedly associated with lower risk of major chronic diseases and long considered to contribute to the reduced rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and to the highest life expectancy in adults who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. But despite its widely documented health benefits, adherence to this dietary pattern has been rapidly declining over the last decades due to a clear socioeconomic influence. The present review provides an overview of the evidence on the current major determinants of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with a particular emphasis on Mediterranean Countries at a time of economic crisis; second it explores emerging socioeconomic inequalities in other domains of healthy dietary behaviours such as dietary variety, access to organic foods and food purchasing behaviour. DATA SYNTHESIS: According to ecological evidence, the Mediterranean Countries that used to have the highest adherence to the Mediterranean pattern in the Sixties, more recently experienced the greatest decrease, while Countries in Northern Europe and some other Countries around the world are currently embracing a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern. A potential cause of this downward trend could be the increasing prices of some food items of the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Recent evidence has shown a possible involvement of the economic crisis, material resources becoming strong determinants of the adherence to the MD just after the recession started in 2007-2008. Beyond intake, the MD also encourages increasing dietary diversity, while international dietary recommendations suggest replacing regular foods with healthier ones. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic factors appear to be major determinants of the adherence to MD and disparities also hold for other indices of diet quality closely related to this dietary pattern.