Differences in the nutritional content of baby and toddler foods with front-of-package nutrition claims issued by manufacturers v. governments/health organizations.

OBJECTIVE: Nutritional information panels are required on all packaged food products in the USA, yet are perceived as difficult to use by consumers. Nutritional symbols have been developed by various groups to assist consumers in making healthier food purchases. Different nutritional criteria are used depending on the authorizing body of these symbols. The present study assesses the nutrient profile of baby and toddler foods in light of their accompanying nutritional symbols. DESIGN: Kruskal-Wallis and χ 2 tests were used to assess differences in the nutritional content of products based on the presence and issuing body of nutritional symbols. SETTING: Nine grocery, drug and department stores in Philadelphia, PA, USA. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and forty packaged baby and toddler foods. RESULTS: Products whose nutritional symbol was issued by government/health professionals contained significantly more Ca (P = 0·002), fibre (P = 0·001), protein (P = 0·005), vitamin A (P = 0·011), vitamin C (P < 0·001) and Zn (P < 0·001) and less sugar (P = 0·004) per serving than products without a nutritional symbol and products whose nutritional symbol was issued by the manufacturer. CONCLUSIONS: Products with a nutritional symbol issued by government/health professionals were healthier than foods with nutritional symbols issued by the manufacturer directly and foods with no nutritional symbols.

Launching a new food product or dietary supplement in the United States: industrial, regulatory, and nutritional considerations.

Launching a new food/dietary supplement into the US market can be a confusing process to those unfamiliar with the food industry. Industry capability and product specifications are initial determinants of whether a candidate product can be manufactured in a reproducible manner and whether pilot production can be brought up to the market scale. Regulatory issues determine how a product can be produced and marketed; the primary federal institutions involved in regulations are the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission. A primary distinction is made between food and drugs, and no product may enter the food market if it is in part or whole a drug. Product safety is a major concern, and myriad regulations govern the determination of safety. New foods/dietary supplements are often marketed by health claims or structure/function claims, and there are specific regulations pertaining to claims. Not understanding the regulatory issues involved in developing a new product or failing to comply with associated regulations can have legal and financial repercussions.

Analysis of ingredient lists of commercially available gluten-free and gluten-containing food products using the text mining technique.

Ingredients mentioned on the labels of commercially available packaged gluten-free and similar gluten-containing food products were analyzed and compared, using the text mining technique. A total of 324 products' labels were analyzed for content (162 from gluten-free products), and ingredient diversity in gluten-free products was 28% lower. Raw materials used as ingredients of gluten-free products were limited to five varieties: rice, cassava, corn, soy, and potato. Sugar was the most frequently mentioned ingredient on both types of products' labels. Salt and sodium also were among these ingredients. Presence of hydrocolloids, enzymes or raw materials of high nutritional content such as pseudocereals, suggested by academic studies as alternatives to improve nutritional and sensorial quality of gluten-free food products, was not identified in the present study. Nutritional quality of gluten-free diets and health of celiac patients may be compromised.

[Express method to estimate alpha-amilase activity in specialized food products and dietary supplements].

More simple method to estimate of alpha-amilase activity in special foods and food supplements is proposed.

Sensory and rheological properties of Polish commercial mayonnaise.

Sensory and rheological analyses were performed to compare seven commercial mayonnaises having various fat contents and containing, or not, thickening and stabilizing agents. It was found that mayonnaise samples differed in their sensory and rheological properties. The samples with a higher fat content scored higher in sensory analysis than the low-fat ones. The mayonnaises studied showed non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic flow with yield stress and thixotropy. All mayonnaises, although to a different degree, exhibited a decrease in the apparent viscosity at constant shear. The mayonnaise samples which contained thickeners and stabilizers had a greater rheological stability.