The Role of Health Information in Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Canned Crushed Tomatoes Enriched with Lycopene.

The paper investigated whether information about the health benefit produced by lycopene could influence consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for canned crushed tomatoes enriched with lycopene. An additional aim was to determine whether the main socio-demographic variables, such as sex, age, income and selected attitudinal factors, affect WTP. To this end, a non-hypothetical experimental auction was carried on with five repeated rounds. Results show a relevant impact of information on WTP in the case of lycopene-enriched products, whereas no difference in bids emerges for the conventional product, either on average or at the quantiles. Previous knowledge seems to have a modest influence upon WTP, but it shows a significant interaction with the information shock provided during the experiment, so that the effect of the latter is more pronounced when previous knowledge is low. In addition, age, sex, food technology neophobia, trust in science and implicit attitudes towards food technology significantly affect participants' WTP.

Measuring the Healthiness of the Packaged Food Supply in Australia.

The increasing availability of packaged foods plays a key role in nutritional transition. This study examined the healthiness of the Australian packaged food supply using a range of different metrics; 40,664 packaged products from The George Institute's FoodSwitch database were included. Median and interquartile range (IQR) were determined for each measure of nutrient composition; mean and standard deviation (SD) for the measure based upon Health Star Rating (HSR); and proportions (%) for the measures based upon products with a higher HSR, classification of foods as either core or discretionary, extent of processing and proportions of foods that met reformulation targets for sodium, saturated fat and total sugars. Overall median (IQR) values were 1093 (1256) kJ/100 g for energy, 1.7 (6.3) g/100 g for saturated fat, 5.3 (21.4) g/100 g for total sugars, 163 (423) g/100 g for sodium and 50 (100) g or mL for serving size. Overall mean (SD) HSR was 2.8 (1.4), proportion with HSR < 3.5 was 61.8%, proportion of foods defined as discretionary was 53.0% and proportion of foods defined as highly processed was 60.5%. There were sodium targets set for 21,382/40,664 (53%) foods and achieved for 14,126/40,664 (35%). Corresponding figures for saturated fat were 328/40,664 (0.8%) and 130/40,664 (0.3%). Nutrient profiling, dietary guidelines and the extent of food processing provided comparable assessments of the nutritional quality of Australia's packaged food supply. Individual measures of nutrient composition did not, but may be of value for identifying specific foods of concern.

Application of winter mushroom powder as an alternative to phosphates in emulsion-type sausages.

This research evaluated the utilization of winter mushrooms as a replacement for phosphate in emulsion-type sausages. Winter mushroom powder (WMP) was added to the sausages at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% (w/w), and phosphate was added at 0.3% as a positive control. The WMP additions above 1.0% increased the pH of meat batter and efficiently inhibited the exudation of fat from the sausages (p < 0.05). Lipid oxidation of sausages was inhibited by the addition of WMP (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the addition of phosphate and WMP provided different instrumental texture properties. However, no adverse effects were observed with respect to the color and sensory properties of the sausages containing WMP, except for that containing 2.0% WMP. Therefore, this research indicates that WMP can effectively replace phosphate in meat products, and that the most effective addition level may be 1.0% WMP.

Co-occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial formula milk and cereal-based baby food on the Qatar market.

The present study was conducted to explore the occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial baby foods in Doha-Qatar. LCMS/MS- and HPLC-based analysis of baby food (n = 67) for 12 mycotoxins confirmed the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1, 33%), ochratoxin A (OTA, 31%), deoxynivalenol (DON, 27%), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, 22%), fumonisin B2 (FB2, 10%), zearalenone (ZEN, 4%) and T-2 toxin (2%). Noodles exhibited the maximum contamination percentage, with 33% of the samples being contaminated above the EU maximum limits, for at least one mycotoxin. Among the multi-grain flake samples, up to 28% and for the milk and milk-based-cereal samples, 14% contained at least one mycotoxin above the EU maximum limits. From all cereal-based food samples, 22%, 5%, 2% and 2% were concurrently contaminated with 2, 3, 4 and 5 mycotoxins, respectively. The occurrence of toxicological important mycotoxins in Qatari market warrants the implementation of strict regulatory limits to protect human health.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in traditionally smoked meat products from the Baltic states.

A total of 77 traditionally smoked meat samples produced in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were tested for the occurrence of four EU regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Levels of PAHs exceeding the EU maximum levels for benzo[a]pyrene and for the sum of four PAHs (PAH4) were detected in 46% and 48% of the samples originating from Latvia. The detected BaP levels in smoked meats ranged from 0.05 to 166 µg kg-1, while the PAH4 content ranged from 0.42 to 628 µg kg-1. The mean dietary exposure to PAHs was estimated at the levels of 5.4 ng BaP/kg bw/day and 36 ng PAH4/kg bw/day. The margin of exposure (MOE) approach was utilised to assess the risks to Latvian consumers due to PAHs and the obtained MOEs were in a range of 7205-24,434, thus indicating a potential concern for consumer health for specific population groups.

Characterization of the Types of Sweeteners Consumed in Honduras.

Sweeteners are found in all types of foods, and their high consumption is associated with chronic degenerative diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, among others. A characterization was carried out of food products with sweeteners from the three biggest supermarkets at a national level; they were identified by the list of ingredients and classified according to caloric or non-caloric intake, and pursuant to their country of origin. A statistical interpretation of results was made using descriptive measures such as the number of times the sweeteners were found in the formulation of the products and how many of them were found in a product at the same time. In total, 341 products were evaluated and classified according to the processed food categories of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) nutrient profile. The category of beverages had the highest quantity of products with sweeteners, and their consumption by the inhabitants represents a high exposure. Overall, 60.1% of the products evaluated were of US origin; these US exports have a significant impact on the Honduran market. A high-fructose corn syrup caloric sweetener was the one most frequently found in these products; at least 51% are combined with additional sweeteners to increase the sweetening effect.

Total and Free Sugar Content of Pre-Packaged Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages in Slovenia.

Scientific evidence of the association between free sugar consumption and several adverse health effects has led many public health institutions to take measures to limit the intake of added or free sugar. Monitoring the efficiency of such policies and the amount of free sugar consumed requires precise knowledge of free sugar content in different food products. To meet this need, our cross-sectional study aimed at assessing free sugar content for 10,674 pre-packaged food items available from major Slovenian food stores during data collection in 2015. Together, 52.6% of all analyzed products contained free sugar, which accounted for an average of 57.5% of the total sugar content. Food categories with the highest median free sugar content were: honey and syrups (78.0 g/100 g), jellies (62.9 g/100 g), chocolate and sweets (44.6 g/100 g), jam and spreads (35.9 g/100 g), and cereal bars (23.8 g/100 g). Using year-round sales data provided by the retailers, the data showed that chocolate, sweets, and soft drinks alone accounted for more than 50% of all free sugar sold on the Slovenian market. The results of this study can be used to prepare more targeted interventions and efficient dietary recommendations.

Process Evaluation and Costing of a Multifaceted Population-Wide Intervention to Reduce Salt Consumption in Fiji.

This paper reports the process evaluation and costing of a national salt reduction intervention in Fiji. The population-wide intervention included engaging food industry to reduce salt in foods, strategic health communication and a hospital program. The evaluation showed a 1.4 g/day drop in salt intake from the 11.7 g/day at baseline; however, this was not statistically significant. To better understand intervention implementation, we collated data to assess intervention fidelity, reach, context and costs. Government and management changes affected intervention implementation, meaning fidelity was relatively low. There was no active mechanism for ensuring food companies adhered to the voluntary salt reduction targets. Communication activities had wide reach but most activities were one-off, meaning the overall dose was low and impact on behavior limited. Intervention costs were moderate (FJD $277,410 or $0.31 per person) but the strategy relied on multi-sector action which was not fully operationalised. The cyclone also delayed monitoring and likely impacted the results. However, 73% of people surveyed had heard about the campaign and salt reduction policies have been mainstreamed into government programs. Longer-term monitoring of salt intake is planned through future surveys and lessons from this process evaluation will be used to inform future strategies in the Pacific Islands and globally.

Cadmium and lead in cocoa powder and chocolate products in the US Market.

Cocoa powder and chocolate products are known to sometimes contain cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from environmental origins. A convenience sample of cocoa powder, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and cocoa nib products was purchased at retail in the US and analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to assess Cd and Pb concentrations. Cd and Pb were evaluated in relation to the percent cocoa solids and to the reported origin of the cocoa powder and chocolate products. Cd ranged from 0.004 to 3.15 mg/kg and Pb ranged from

Effect of pear apple and date fibres incorporation on the physico-chemical, sensory, nutritional characteristics and the acceptability of cereal bars.

Cereal bars are nutritious food composed of several ingredients including dry raw and agglutinative ingredients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pear apple and date fibres, from cooked fruit co-product, addition on the physico-chemical textural and sensory properties of cereal bars. First, five formulations containing an amount of 10% of co-products and commercial fibre, used as a reference, were elaborated and their physico-chemical composition was determined. Second, to determine the acceptability of consumer, apple fibre co-products were added (6, 10 and 14%). Products were evaluated for their texture using a texturometer and sensory characteristics using an acceptance test. Results showed that physico-chemical composition of cereal bars elaborated with co-products was slightly different compared to those elaborated with commercial fibre. All bars have low water activity levels (∼0.470) and interesting energy (300 kcal/100 g bar). External appearance revealed a darker colour (L*:∼42/a*:∼8/b*:∼20). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in texture values (hardness: 40.8 N; cohesiveness: 0.34; springiness: 0.60; chewiness: 8.30 N) between cereal bars prepared with pear co-product and wheat bran. Acceptance test confirms the formulation used for cereals bars and showed that incorporation of 10% of co-product produced cereal bars with the highest acceptability. Sensory characteristics revealed that appearance is the limiting factor for consumer acceptability, essentially for cereal bars containing pear co-product. Apple, pear and date co-products could be used successfully as a food ingredient to develop new formulations of cereal bars.

Quality characteristics of sauerkraut fermented by using a Lactobacillus paracasei starter culture grown in tofu whey.

The quality parameters of sauerkraut fermented using Lactobacillus paracasei in terms of its lactic acid bacteria count, texture, colour and biochemical properties were studied. As a starter culture L. paracasei grown in tofu whey was used for sauerkraut fermentation. The experiments were planned using central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology for input variables - culture volume (ml), fermentation time (days) and salt concentration (g/100 g). The linear and interactive effect of variables on responses was understood by statistically significant (p < 0.01) second-order models. Amongst all the input variables culture volume was found to have an overwhelming effect over all the responses. There was a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the lactic acid bacteria count of finished product; it was less hard but there was a departure in colour from the traditional product. The optimized condition for sauerkraut fermentation in terms of culture volume (ml), fermentation time (day) and salt concentration (g/100 g) was 30 ml, 28 days and 1 g/100 g, respectively. It was also observed that phenolics content was better in starter culture sauerkraut over the one traditionally prepared.

Labelling completeness and sodium content of packaged foods in India.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of products meeting Indian government labelling regulations and to examine the Na levels in packaged foods sold in India. DESIGN: Nutritional composition data were collected from the labels of all packaged food products sold at Indian supermarkets in between 2012 and 2014. Proportions of products compliant with the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations and labelled with Na content, and mean Na levels were calculated. Comparisons were made against 2010 data from Hyderabad and against the UK Department of Health (DoH) 2017 Na targets. SETTING: Eleven large chain retail stores in Delhi and Hyderabad, India. SUBJECTS: Packaged food products (n 5686) categorised into fourteen food groups, thirty-three food categories and ninety sub-categories. RESULTS: More packaged food products (43 v. 34 %; P<0·001) were compliant with FSSAI regulations but less (32 v. 38 %; P<0·001) reported Na values compared with 2010. Food groups with the highest Na content were sauces and spreads (2217 mg/100 g) and convenience foods (1344 mg/100 g). Mean Na content in 2014 was higher in four food groups compared with 2010 and lower in none (P<0·05). Only 27 % of foods in sub-categories for which there are UK DoH benchmarks had Na levels below the targets. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with nutrient labelling in India is improving but remains low. Many packaged food products have high levels of Na and there is no evidence that Indian packaged foods are becoming less salty.

Deal or no deal? The prevalence and nutritional quality of price promotions among U.S. food and beverage purchases.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines trends in the prevalence of price promotions among packaged food and beverage purchases, differences in prevalence by household race/ethnicity or income, and the association between price promotions and the nutritional profile of purchases. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study utilizes a dataset of 90 million purchases from 38,744 (2008) to 45,042 (2012) US households in 2008-2012. Chi-square tests were used to examine whether the proportion of purchases with price promotions changed over time or differed by household race/ethnicity or income. T-tests were used to compare purchased products' nutritional profiles. RESULTS: Prevalence of price promotions among packaged food and beverage purchases increased by 8% and 6%, respectively, from 2008 to 2012, with both reaching 34% by 2012. Higher-income households had greater proportions of purchases with price promotions than lower-income households. Asian households had the highest proportion of purchases with any price promotion, followed by non-Hispanic whites. While total price-promoted packaged food purchases had higher mean energy, total sugar, and saturated fat densities than purchases with no price promotions, absolute differences were small. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of price promotions among US household purchases increased from 2008 to 2012 and was greater for higher-income households. No clear associations emerged between presence of price promotions and nutritional quality of purchases.

Attribute importance segmentation of Norwegian seafood consumers: The inclusion of salient packaging attributes.

The main purpose of this study is to identify consumer segments based on the importance of product attributes when buying seafood for homemade meals on weekdays. There is a particular focus on the relative importance of the packaging attributes of fresh seafood. The results are based on a representative survey of 840 Norwegian consumers between 18 and 80 years of age. This study found that taste, freshness, nutritional value and naturalness are the most important attributes for the home consumption of seafood. Except for the high importance of information about expiration date, most other packaging attributes have only medium importance. Three consumer segments are identified based on the importance of 33 attributes associated with seafood: Perfectionists, Quality Conscious and Careless Consumers. The Quality Conscious consumers feel more self-confident in their evaluation of quality, and are less concerned with packaging, branding, convenience and emotional benefits compared to the Perfectionists. Careless Consumers are important as regular consumers of convenient and pre-packed seafood products and value recipe information on the packaging. The seafood industry may use the results provided in this study to strengthen their positioning of seafood across three different consumer segments.

Lost in processing? Perceived healthfulness, taste and caloric content of whole and processed organic food.

The "organic" claim explicitly informs consumers about the food production method. Yet, based on this claim, people often infer unrelated food attributes. The current research examined whether the perceived advantage of organic over conventional food generalizes across different organic food types. Compared to whole organic foods, processed organic foods are less available, familiar and prototypical of the organic food category. In two studies (combined N = 258) we investigated how both organic foods types were perceived in healthfulness, taste and caloric content when compared to their conventional alternatives. Participants evaluated images of both whole (e.g., lettuce) and processed organic food exemplars (e.g., pizza), and reported general evaluations of these food types. The association of these evaluations with individual difference variables - self-reported knowledge and consumption of organic food, and environmental concerns - was also examined. Results showed that organically produced whole foods were perceived as more healthful, tastier and less caloric than those produced conventionally, thus replicating the well-established halo effect of the organic claim in food evaluation. The organic advantage was more pronounced among individuals who reported being more knowledgeable about organic food, consumed it more frequently, and were more environmentally concerned. The advantage of the organic claim for processed foods was less clear. Overall, processed organic (vs. conventional) foods were perceived as tastier, more healthful (Study 1) or equally healthful (Study 2), but also as more caloric. We argue that the features of processed food may modulate the impact of the organic claim, and outline possible research directions to test this assumption. Uncovering the specific conditions in which food claims bias consumer's perceptions and behavior may have important implications for marketing, health and public-policy related fields.

Consumer Perception of the Healthfulness of Ultra-processed Products Featuring Different Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling Schemes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of front-of-pack nutrition information on the perception of healthfulness of ultra-processed products across 2 income levels. DESIGN: A between-participants design was used to compare healthfulness perception of ultra-processed products featuring different front-of-pack nutrition information schemes (guideline daily amount system, traffic light system, and monochromatic traffic light system). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 300 people (aged 18-70 years, 75% female) from Montevideo, Uruguay, participated in the study; half were middle- or high-income people and the other half were low-income people. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were shown the labels of each product and asked to rate their perceived healthfulness and the frequency with which each product should be consumed. ANALYSIS: Results were analyzed using analysis of variance for statistical significance (P < .05). RESULTS: Low-income participants perceived ultra-processed products to be significantly (P < .05) more healthful than did middle- and high-income participants. The lowest perceived healthfulness scores for low-income participants were obtained for products featuring the colored and monochromatic traffic light system whereas no significant differences (P > .05) among schemes were found for middle- and high-income participants. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Nutrition education programs aimed at increasing low-income people's knowledge of the nutritional composition of these products and their potential negative effects on health seem to be necessary. Although the inclusion of semidirective front-of-pack nutrition information decreased the perceived healthfulness of low-income people, it seemed unlikely to influence how they perceive these products.

The use of exergetic indicators in the food industry - A review.

Assessment of sustainability will become more relevant for the food industry in the years to come. Analysis based on exergy, including the use of exergetic indicators and Grassmann diagrams, is a useful tool for the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the efficiency of industrial food chains. In this paper, we review the methodology of exergy analysis and the exergetic indicators that are most appropriate for use in the food industry. The challenges of applying exergy analysis in industrial food chains and the specific features of food processes are also discussed.

Organochlorine pesticides in canned tuna and sardines on the Serbian market.

The aim of this study was to determine the level of organochlorine (OC) pesticides in 57 samples of canned tuna and 31 samples of canned sardines in vegetable oil, collected from supermarkets in Serbia. OC pesticides α-HCH, ß-HCH, δ-HCH, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), DDE, DDD, dielderin, endosulfane I, endosulfane II, endosulan sulfate, endrin, endrin ketone, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, lindane, aldrin, metoxichlor, cis-chlordane and trans-chlordane were determined using a GS-MS method. The highest concentrations (µg kg-1, arithmetic means) in canned tuna were for δ-HCH (60.6 ± 97.0) and p, p´-DDT (55.0 ± 25.1), while the corresponding values in canned sardines were for δ-HCH (90.7 ± 102.7) and endosulfane II (78.0 ± 145.9). Mean level for the sum of endosulfans was above the maximum limit in canned sardines (85.0 µg kg-1). Also, dieldrin (39.7 µg kg-1) was measured above the ML.

Food and value motivation: Linking consumer affinities to different types of food products.

This study uses the consumer affinity concept to examine the multiple motives that may shape consumers' relationships with food. The concept was applied in a study on four broad product types in the Netherlands, which cover a wide range of the market and may each appeal to consumers with different affinities towards foods. These product types may be denoted as 'conventional', 'efficient', 'gourmet' and 'pure'. A comparative analysis, based on Higgins' Regulatory Focus Theory, was performed to examine whether food-related value motivations could explain different consumer affinities for these product types. The affinities of consumers were measured by means of a non-verbal, visual presentation of four samples of food products in a nationwide survey (n = 742) among consumers who were all involved in food purchasing and/or cooking. The affinities found could be predicted fairly well from a number of self-descriptions relating to food and eating, which expressed different combinations of type of value motivation and involvement with food. The analysis demonstrated the contrasting role of high and low involvement as well as the potential complementarity of promotion- and prevention-focused value motivation. It is suggested that knowledge of the relationships between product types, consumer affinities and value motivation can help improve the effectiveness of interventions that seek to promote healthy and sustainable diets in developed countries.