Food fraud threats in UK post-harvest seafood supply chains; an assessment of current vulnerabilities.

Seafood fraud is commonly reported on food fraud databases and deceptive practices are highlighted by numerous studies, with impacts on the economy, health and marine conservation. Food fraud assessments are a widely accepted fraud mitigation and prevention activity undertaken to identify possible points of deception within a supply chain. This study aims to understand the food fraud vulnerability of post-harvest seafood supply chains in the UK and determine if there are differences according to commodity, supply chain node, business size and certification status. The SSAFE food fraud vulnerability assessment tool was used to assess 48 fraud factors relating to opportunities, motivations and controls. The analysis found seafood supply chains to have a medium vulnerability to food fraud, with the highest perceived vulnerability in technical opportunities. Certification status was a stronger determinant of vulnerability than any other factor, particularly in the level of controls, a factor that also indicated a higher perceived level of vulnerability in smaller companies and the food service industry. This paper also reviews historic food fraud trends in the sector to provide additional insights and the analysis indicates that certain areas of the supply chain, including uncertified prawn supply chains, salmon supply chains and food service companies, may be at higher risk of food fraud. This study conducts an in-depth examination of food fraud vulnerability relating to the UK and for seafood supply chains and contributes to a growing body of literature identifying areas of vulnerability and resilience to food related criminality within the global food system.

A model framework to communicate the risks associated with aflatoxins.

Risk communication is defined as the interactive exchange of information and opinions concerning risk, risk-related factors and risk perceptions amongst all the stakeholders of food safety throughout the risk analysis process. The interactive exchange of information occurs at three different levels i.e. informed level, dialogue level and engagement level. For an effective food safety risk communication (FSRC), it is important that the information should adhere to the core principles of risk communication which are transparency, openness, responsiveness and timeliness. Communication of a food safety risk within all the components of risk communication strategy constitutes a complex network of information flow that can be better understood with the help of a framework. Therefore, a model framework to communicate the risks associated with aflatoxins (AFs) dietary intake has been developed with the aim of (a) creating general awareness amongst public and (b) involving industry stakeholders in the prevention and control of risk. The framework has been motivated by the learnings and best practices outlined in the identified technical guidance documents for risk communication. Risk assessors, risk managers, industry stakeholders and general public have been identified as the major stakeholders for the present framework. Amongst them, industry stakeholders and general public has been selected as the major target audience for risk managers. Moreover, population residing in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has been identified as the main target group to reach.

Capturing the whole-school food environment in primary schools.

OBJECTIVE: The school food environment (SFE) is an ideal setting for encouraging healthy dietary behaviour. We aimed to develop an instrument to assess whole-SFE, test the instrument in the school setting and demonstrate its use to make food environment recommendations. DESIGN: SFE literature and UK school food guidance were searched to inform instrument items. The instrument consisted of (i) an observation proforma capturing canteen areas systems, food presentation and monitoring of food intake and (ii) a questionnaire assessing food policies, provision and activities. The instrument was tested in schools and used to develop SFE recommendations. Descriptive analyses enabled narrative discussion. SETTING: Primary schools. PARTICIPANTS: An observation was undertaken at schools in urban and rural geographical regions of Northern Ireland of varying socio-economic status (n 18). School senior management completed the questionnaire with input from school caterers (n 16). RESULTS: The instrument captured desired detail and potential instrument modifications were identified. SFE varied. Differences existed between food policies and how policies were implemented and monitored. At many schools, there was scope to enhance physical eating environments (n 12, 67 %) and food presentation (n 15, 83 %); emphasise healthy eating through food activities (n 7, 78 %) and increase parental engagement in school food (n 9, 56 %). CONCLUSIONS: The developed instrument can measure whole-SFE in primary schools and also enabled identification of recommendations to enhance SFE. Further assessment and adaptation of the instrument are required to enable future use as a research tool or for self-assessment use by schools.

Factors influencing dairy farmers' antibiotic use: An application of the COM-B model.

In dairy farming, mastitis treatment is the most common reason for antimicrobial use. The overuse or misuse of antibiotics in agriculture has been associated with the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Traditionally, blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT), in which all cows receive antibiotic treatment, was used prophylactically to prevent and manage disease spread. In recent years, there has been a move toward selective dry cow therapy (SDCT), in which only clinically infected cows are treated with antibiotics. This study aimed to explore farmer attitudes toward antibiotic use (ABU), using the COM-B (Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior) model as a framework, to identify predictors of changing behavior toward SDCT and suggest interventions to encourage its uptake. Participant farmers (n = 240) were surveyed online between March and July 2021. Five items were found to be significant predictors of farmers having stopped BDCT: (1) having lower knowledge of AMR, (2) greater awareness of AMR and ABU (Capability), (3) feeling social pressure to reduce ABU (Opportunity), and (4) having greater professional identity, and (5) having positive emotions associated with stopping BDCT (Motivation). Direct logistic regression found that these 5 factors explained between 22 and 34.1% of the variance in making changes to BDCT practices. Additionally, objective knowledge was not correlated with current positive antibiotic practices, and farmers often perceived their antibiotic practices as more responsible than they actually were. A multifaceted approach, encompassing each of the predictors highlighted, should be taken to encourage farmer behavior change in relation to stopping BDCT. Additionally, as farmers' perceptions of their own behaviors may not align with their actual practices, awareness raising of what constitutes "responsible" behavior should be targeted at dairy farmers to motivate them to take action and adopt more responsible antibiotic practices.

Behaviour change interventions for responsible antimicrobial use on farms.

BACKGROUND: In the coming years, major governance changes in the form of policy directives and regulations will catalyse major top-down change with respect to animal health on European farms in an effort to combat the OneHealth threat of antimicrobial resistance. This top-down approach must be met with bottom-up strategies to ensure target actors (namely, farmers and vets) are supported and motivated to change their practices, thus, avoiding unintended consequences of forced change. Although much behavioural research has explored the factors influencing antimicrobial practices on farms, a gap exists translating these findings into evidence-based behaviour change interventions that can be put into practice. The current study aims to fill this gap. It provides insights into identifying, understanding, and changing the behaviours of farmers and veterinarians with respect to the responsible use of antimicrobials in farming. RESULTS: Through an inter-disciplinary and multi-actor approach, the study combines scientific knowledge from the behavioural sciences and animal health sciences, coupled with tacit knowledge from a co-design, participatory approach to recommend seven behaviour change interventions that can help to support good practices amongst farmers and vets, with respect to animal health, and reduce the use of antimicrobials on farms. The behaviour change interventions include message framing; OneHealth awareness campaign; specialised communications training; on-farm visual prompts and tools; social support strategies (for both farmers and vets); and antimicrobial use monitoring. The study details each intervention with respect to their evidence base and scientific concept, grounded in behavioural science, along with stakeholder feedback on design and delivery of the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: These behaviour change interventions can be taken, adapted, and put into practice by the agri-food community to support good animal health practices and responsible antimicrobial use on farms.

Exploring veterinarians' behaviour relating to antibiotic use stewardship on Irish dairy farms using the COM-B model of behaviour change.

Employing a theoretical model of human behaviour (COMB), the current study explores the factors influencing veterinarians' engagement with antibiotic use stewardship on Irish dairy farms. One-to-one semi structured interviews were carried out by telephone with 12 veterinarians whose daily work focused on dairy cattle. A thematic analysis approach was undertaken. The identified themes and sub-themes were then mapped to the COM-B model. This study identified challenges faced by veterinarians when trying to prescribe responsibly which included lack of training to encourage farmer behaviour change, issues with laboratory testing, pressures from farmers to prescribe antimicrobials, concern for animal welfare and farmers going elsewhere for prescriptions. Having a good knowledge of AMR, peers as an advice source, potential financial benefits for farmers as a result of reduced antimicrobial costs and accepting a shared responsibility for AMR, facilitate veterinarians in their role as antimicrobial stewards. The barriers and facilitators identified as influencing veterinarians' capability, opportunity and motivation to responsibly prescribe antimicrobials formed the basis for a number of practical recommendations which should be considered by advisory and policy making teams. Recommendations include; continuous training for veterinarians on AMR and alternatives to overcome the barriers faced when trying to promote reduced AMU, veterinarian peer support groups to improve confidence in their knowledge and decision making to minimise the effect of client pressures/expectations, setting up collaborative farmer and veterinarian working groups to promote a transparent working relationship and the development of affordable and efficient diagnostic and susceptibility testing.

Fun with food - A parent-child community cooking intervention reduces parental fear and increases children's perceived competence.

Cooking is being promoted as a preventative strategy for numerous health outcomes. However, there has been a reported decline in opportunities for children to learn in the home environment due to parental barriers such as time and concerns around children conducting certain skills. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the impact of a parent-child community cooking intervention on children's perceived cooking competence and interest in cooking and parental perceptions around including children in cooking. 'Fun with Food' was a four-week parent-child cooking intervention based on Experiential Learning Theory and designed by Home Economists. A mixed-method approach was undertaken to understand the effectiveness of the community-based intervention. Parents completed pre and post focus group discussions that were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Pre and post surveys were used to investigate children's perceived cooking competence and analyzed with paired-samples t-tests and Cohen's d. Children's perceived cooking competence significantly increased after the intervention (P < 0.001, effect size -0.92). Parental fears around children performing certain skills, such as chopping and cutting, were reduced. Additionally, both children and parents found it an enjoyable experience, and appreciated the time spent together, which may be an indicator for positive wellbeing. Parents reported that children have been more actively involved in cooking since the intervention. Further, parents felt strongly that children should be cooking from as young as possible and that Home Economics should be introduced in primary school and made compulsory for older students in secondary school. The parent-child format for cooking has shown to be effective for increasing children's perceived cooking competence and reducing parental fears, highlighting it as a promising method for future interventions.

Percepções de adultos jovens brasileiros sobre o ato de cozinhar / Perceptions of Brazilian young adults about cooking

Introdução: Cozinhar em casa pode promover uma alimentação mais saudável. Porém, uma possível redução na transmissão de conhecimentos e habilidades culinárias parece prejudicar a confiança e a autonomia dos jovens para preparar as refeições. Para informar o desenvolvimento de iniciativas que apoiem os jovens adultos a superar as barreiras para cozinhar e melhorar a qualidade da dieta, é importante investigar o processo de socialização culinária no contexto de seu próprio curso de vida. Objetivo: Este estudo qualitativo teve como objetivo explorar como jovens adultos que têm o hábito de cozinhar percebem seu envolvimento com essa prática e identificar quais agentes socializadores culinários fizeram parte de seu processo de aprendizagem. Método: Entrevistas abertas baseadas na abordagem da perspectiva do curso de vida foram realizadas com adultos jovens brasileiros de 19 a 24 anos de ambos os sexos e analisadas tematicamente. Resultados: As percepções sobre cozinhar e sobre aprender a cozinhar levaram à criação de seis temas: (1) "Cuidar de mim"; (2) "Sentimentos (des)agradáveis"; (3) "Promover o convívio"; (4) "Preocupação com os resultados"; (5) "Habilidades necessárias"; e (6) "Agentes de socialização". Conclusões: As iniciativas para permitir que os adultos jovens superem as barreiras para cozinhar e potencialmente melhorar a qualidade da dieta precisam se concentrar não apenas no desenvolvimento prático de habilidades culinárias, mas também em habilidades, como planejamento. Também é importante fomentar mensagens positivas envolvendo autocuidado, prazer e convívio. Formas de usar a internet e as mídias sociais para engajar essa população a cozinhar mais merecem ser mais bem exploradas.

Introduction: Cooking at home is conducive to better diet quality and can help improve health. Nevertheless, the reduced transmission of culinary knowledge and skills worldwide hinders young adults' confidence and autonomy to prepare meals. To inform the development of initiatives that support young adults to overcome barriers to cook and improve their diet quality, it is important to investigate the process of culinary socialization in the context of their own life course. Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore how young adults who cook perceive their involvement with this practice and to identify which culinary socializing agents were part of their learning process. Method: Open interviews based on the life-course perspective approach were conducted with male and female Brazilian young adults aged 19-24 years-old and thematically analysed. Results: Perceptions about cooking and about learning how to cook led to the creation of six themes: (1) "Caring about myself"; (2) "(Un)pleasant feelings"; (3) "Promoting conviviality"; (4) "Worrying about outcomes"; (5) "Skills needed"; and (6) "Socializing agents". Conclusions: Initiatives to enable young adults overcoming barriers to cook and potentially improve their diet quality need to focus not only on practical cooking skills development, but also on planning. Also important is to foster positive messages involving self-care, pleasure, and conviviality. Ways of using the internet and social media to engage this population to cook more deserves to be further explored.

The Power of Suggestion: Subjective Satiety Is Affected by Nutrient and Health-Focused Food Labelling with No Effect on Physiological Gut Hormone Release.

Health claims on food labelling can influence peoples' perception of food without them actually eating it, for example driving a belief that a particular food will make them feel fuller. The aim of this study was to investigate whether nutrient and health claims on food labelling can influence self-reported, and physiological indicators of, satiation. A total of 50 participants attended two visits where they were asked to consume a 380 kcal breakfast (granola and yogurt) labelled as a 500 kcal 'indulgent' breakfast at one visit and as a 250 kcal 'sensible' breakfast at the other. The order of the breakfast descriptions was randomly allocated. Participants were unaware that the two breakfasts were the same product and that only the food labels differed. At each visit blood samples were collected to measure gut hormone levels (acylated ghrelin, peptide tyrosine-tyrosine and glucagon-like peptide-1) at three time points: 20 min after arrival (baseline), after 60 min (anticipatory, immediately prior to consumption) and after 90 min (post-consumption). Visual analogue scales measuring appetite (hunger, satiety, fullness, quantity and desire to eat) were completed prior to each sample. Between 60 and 90 min, participants consumed the breakfast and rated its sensory appeal. Participants reported a higher mean change in self-reported fullness for the 'indulgent' than the 'sensible' breakfast from anticipatory to post-consumption (mean difference: 7.19 [95% CI: 0.73, 13.6]; p = 0.030). This change was not observed for the other appetite measures at the other time points or gut hormone levels. This study suggests that nutrient and health claims on food labels may influence satiation as measured by self-reported fullness. It also suggests that the observed differences in satiety scores are not due to changes in the main appetite regulating gut hormones, but are more likely centrally mediated. More high-quality trials are required to confirm these findings.

An innovative food system approach to diversifying protein intake: Protein-I: Shared Island sustainable healthy nutrition.

There is a need to transform our current food system if we are to feed the rapidly expanding global population while maintaining planetary health. Within the island of Ireland, there is an urgent need to diversify the foods that currently contribute to our populations' protein intake. A Shared Island Innovative Food System approach is required to achieve this in a manner that is sustainable and provides benefits to producers, consumers and other supply chain participants. The Protein-I project employs such an approach, with the paradigm focusing on production of plant food through to human health, while paying particular attention to the development of the rural bioeconomy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the team will develop strategies to maximise sustainable plant protein production in a traceable/transparent fashion and assess the impact of changes to existing value chains and the development of new value chains for the rural economy. A smart supply chain technology solution tailored to the needs of the agri-food industry will be developed and tested. Additionally, we will co-design consumer-led approaches to diversify plant protein intake, model the impact of changes at the population level and perform human interventions to demonstrate efficacy in terms of achieving adequate nutrition and improved health. Comprehensive engagement with stakeholders is embedded throughout the whole project to embrace the multi-actor approach. Overall, the project will be a key step towards future-proofing our food system on the island of Ireland and moving towards protecting planetary and population health, within the context of a just transition.

Factors influencing pig farmers' perceptions and attitudes towards antimicrobial use and resistance.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR1) is of increasing concern in livestock production as usage has been linked to the emergence of resistant bacteria in humans. The intricacies of the UK pig production system alongside limited research into farmers' perceptions has highlighted the need to investigate farmers' perceptions and attitudes to gain an understanding of the factors that influence antimicrobial use (AMU2). Therefore, this study aimed to qualitatively explore pig farmers' views of AMU, AMR, and to identify the specific factors that influence antibiotic administration practices in the UK pig industry. METHODS: Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with independent pig farmers in Northern Ireland and vertically integrated pig farmers in England, eliciting perceptions towards AMU and AMR and exploring administration practices. The interviews were professionally transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. RESULTS: At the outset, AMU practices were ascertained creating the first major theme: (1) current AMU practices. Three major themes were identified as influencing pig farmers' practices and behaviour towards AMR: (2) awareness and attitudes towards AMR; (3) perceived alternatives to AMU and (4) barriers to changing current farming practices. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the complexity of the UK pork industry and the myriad of factors that drive AMU. AMU in the pork sector is multifactorial as drivers of administration are diverse and differ between farms. Therefore, it is recommended that farms are assessed on an individual basis in collaboration with a veterinarian to determine the most effective tailor-made antibiotic reduction techniques.

An online survey of dietary quality during complementary feeding; associations with maternal feeding self-efficacy and adherence to dietary recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Parents are the gatekeepers of nutrition in early life and their feeding practices form children's dietary behaviours. Although maternal characteristics have been associated with certain feeding practices, their relationship with overall quality of complementary feeding diets has not been explored. This study aimed to: assess dietary quality in complementary feeding age; explore its association with maternal and child characteristics; and evaluate the association between complementary feeding practices and child weight. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey captured data from a self-selected sample of mothers living in the UK with a healthy full-term child in complementary feeding age. A total of 466 mothers completed a questionnaire on their complementary feeding practices, demographics, anthropometrics, rates of maternal food neophobia, feeding self-efficacy, social support, postnatal depression and infant temperament. Dietary quality was assessed using the Complementary Feeding Utility Index (CFUI). Children were classified into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. RESULTS: Majority of participants reported high levels of dietary quality as determined by a mean CFUI score of 80%. High dietary quality was associated with reliance on the NHS recommendation on timing of complementary feeding and maternal self-efficacy in promoting a healthy diet and limiting non-recommended foods. Responsive feeding, longer breastfeeding duration, frequent exposure to fruits and to a high variety of protein-rich animal foods were significantly associated with lighter child weight status. Consumption of sweetened drinks and delayed introduction of lumpy foods were associated with heavier child weight status. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided an evaluation of dietary quality in complementary feeding in a UK sample of children and explored its relationship with maternal and child attributes. Increasing understanding of the current complementary feeding recommendations and strengthening maternal feeding self-efficacy may be key for healthcare professionals and researchers to improving complementary feeding practices.

Ultra-Processed Foods as Ingredients of Culinary Recipes Shared on Popular Brazilian YouTube Cooking Channels.

Social media platforms are readily accessible sources of information about cooking, an activity deemed crucial for the improvement of a population's diet. Previous research focused on the healthiness of the content shared on websites and blogs, but not on social media such as YouTube®. This paper analysed the healthiness of 823 culinary recipes retrieved from 755 videos shared during a six-month period on ten popular Brazilian YouTube® cooking channels. Recipes were categorized by type of preparation. To assess recipes' healthiness, ingredients were classified according to the extension and purpose of industrial processing, in order to identify the use of ultra-processed foods. Additionally, a validated framework developed from criteria established in both editions of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population was employed. Recipes for cakes and baked goods, puddings, snacks and homemade fast foods, which were among the most frequently posted, contained the lowest proportion of unprocessed/minimally processed ingredients and the highest proportion of ultra-processed ingredients. Recipes containing whole cereals, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds were scarce. Results indicate that users should be critical about the quality of recipes shared on YouTube® videos, also indicating a need for strategies aimed at informing individuals on how to choose healthier recipes or adapt them to become healthier.

The 11 sins of seafood: Assessing a decade of food fraud reports in the global supply chain.

Due to complex, valuable, and often extremely opaque supply chains, seafood is a commodity that has experienced a high prevalence of food fraud throughout the entirety of its logistics network. Fraud detection and prevention require an in-depth understanding of food supply chains and their vulnerabilities and risks so that food business operators, regulators, and other stakeholders can implement practical countermeasures. An analysis of historical criminality within a sector, product, or country is an important component and has not yet been conducted for the seafood sector. This study examines reported seafood fraud incidents from the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, Decernis's Food Fraud Database, HorizonScan, and LexisNexis databases between January 01, 2010 and December 31, 2020. Illegal or unauthorized veterinary residues were found to be the most significant issue of concern, with most reports originating from farmed seafood in Vietnam, China, and India. For internationally traded goods, border inspections revealed a significant frequency of reports with fraudulent or insufficient documentation, indicating that deceptive practices are picked up at import or export but are occurring further down the supply chain. Practices such as species adulteration (excluding veterinary residues), species substitution, fishery substitution, catch method fraud, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing were less prevalent in the databases than evidenced in the scientific literature. The analysis demonstrates significant differences in outcomes depending on source and underlines a requirement for a standardized and rigorous dataset through which food fraud can be scrutinized to ensure enforcement, as well as industry and research resources are directed accurately. Practical Application: Levels of historic food fraud in a product, sector, supply chain node or geographic location provide an indication of historic criminality, the methods used and the location of reported frauds. This study provides an overview of historic levels of seafood fraud that can be used to inform seafood fraud prevention and mitigation activities by the food industry, regulators and other stakeholders.

The effects of nutrition and health claims on the nutrient composition of single and subsequent meal servings.

Nutrition and health claims (NHCs) can help individuals make better food choices. While NHCs have been found to influence consumer perceptions and consumption, there has been less focus on how claims influence the nutritional composition of servings. There has also been little attention paid to longer term or compensatory effects of claims on subsequent food selection. This manuscript details two studies considering these matters. Study 1 (n = 60) was a within-subjects experiment to measure the impact of NHCs on food selection and nutritional composition at single meal servings. Participants served from three fake food buffet meal stations (breakfast, hot meal, snacks) with NHCs present or absent. Study 2 (n = 55) was a within-subjects experiment to examine the impact of NHCs on food selection and nutritional composition at a subsequent meal. Participants served from a fake food buffet breakfast with or without NHCs followed by a lunch without NHCs. In study 1, while results varied for different meals, the presence of claims was found to significantly reduce the amount of energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium, and increase the amount of protein in meals that were served. Results for fibre were mixed. In addition, NHCs increased the quantity of food served in the snacks condition. There was no evidence of claims at breakfast impacting the nutritional composition of subsequent lunch servings in study 2. Despite claims potentially increasing serving quantities, the nutritional composition of chosen servings was more encouraging and claims may help individuals to meet recommended nutritional daily guidelines. These findings have wider implications in terms of government policy, food reformulation, and the continuing debate around the use of nutrient profiling regulations for products carrying claims.

Effective approaches for early identification and proactive mitigation of aflatoxins in peanuts: An EU-China perspective.

Nearly 700,000 tonnes of peanuts are consumed annually in Europe. In the last 5 years, peanuts imported from China exceeded legal European Union (EU) aflatoxin limits more than 180 times. To prevent and mitigate aflatoxin contamination, the stages of the peanut chain most vulnerable to contamination must be assessed to determine how to interrupt the movement of contaminated produce. This paper discusses effective approaches for early identification and proactive mitigation of aflatoxins in peanuts to reduce a contaminant that is an impediment to trade. We consider (i) the results of the EU Commission's Directorate-General (DG) for Health and Food Safety review, (ii) the Code of Practice for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxins in peanuts issued by Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, (iii) the results from previous EU-China efforts, and (iv) the latest state-of-the-art technology in pre- and postharvest methods as essential elements of a sustainable program for integrated disease and aflatoxin management. These include preharvest use of biocontrol, biofertilizers, improved tillage, forecasting, and risk monitoring based on analysis of big data obtained by remote sensing. At the postharvest level, we consider rapid testing methods along the supply chain, Decision Support Systems for effective silo management, and effective risk monitoring during drying, storage, and transport. Available guidance and current recommendations are provided for successful practical implementation. Food safety standards also influence stakeholder and consumer trust and confidence, so we also consider the results of multiactor stakeholder group discussions.

Development of the Cook-EdTM Matrix to Guide Food and Cooking Skill Selection in Culinary Education Programs That Target Diet Quality and Health.

Culinary education programs are generally designed to improve participants' food and cooking skills, with or without consideration to influencing diet quality or health. No published methods exist to guide food and cooking skills' content priorities within culinary education programs that target improved diet quality and health. To address this gap, an international team of cooking and nutrition education experts developed the Cooking Education (Cook-EdTM) matrix. International food-based dietary guidelines were reviewed to determine common food groups. A six-section matrix was drafted including skill focus points for: (1) Kitchen safety, (2) Food safety, (3) General food skills, (4) Food group specific food skills, (5) General cooking skills, (6) Food group specific cooking skills. A modified e-Delphi method with three consultation rounds was used to reach consensus on the Cook-EdTM matrix structure, skill focus points included, and their order. The final Cook-EdTM matrix includes 117 skill focus points. The matrix guides program providers in selecting the most suitable skills to consider for their programs to improve dietary and health outcomes, while considering available resources, participant needs, and sustainable nutrition principles. Users can adapt the Cook-EdTM matrix to regional food-based dietary guidelines and food cultures.

Consumer purchase intention towards a quick response (QR) code for antibiotic information: an exploratory study.

Increasing awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has raised concerns surrounding antimicrobial use (AMU) in food-producing animals and has focused attention towards livestock production free from antibiotic use. As antibiotic-free livestock production proliferates in the UK, there is an increasing need to implement a system, such as the use of a QR code, to provide consumers with reliable antibiotic information while ensuring that animal welfare standards are upheld. Subsequently, this study aims to explore UK consumers' perceptions and purchase intention towards QR code labelled pork, and to identify determinants of its purchase, incorporating various theoretical constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Based on results, consumers' perceptions, perceived control, and attitudes towards QR code labelled pork are the main determinants of purchase intention. QR code labelled pork may offer a suitable alternative to antibiotic-free labelling as it provides consumers with antibiotic information without inadvertently communicating that conventionally produced pork is unsafe.

Current Consumer Perceptions of Animal Welfare across Different Farming Sectors on the Island of Ireland.

There has been increased public interest and concerns in issues such as farm animal welfare (FAW) on the island of Ireland, stoked in part by political and governance changes, such as Brexit and COVID-19. Front-of-pack food labelling represents a primary information channel for many people. In advance of considering formalised food labelling schemes, specifically relating to FAW, it is important to ensure an up-to-date understanding of current consumer perceptions of FAW. With this aim, the current study utilised a mixed methodology. Nine focus group discussions (n = 41) and an online survey (n = 972) with food consumers in Ireland and Northern Ireland explored perceptions of FAW. Results suggest that overall perceptions of FAW are high, and consumers perceive FAW to have improved in the last decade. Quantitative (ANOVA) and qualitative results show variations in perception of FAW between sectors. Results from the focus group discussions identified factors underlying consumers' perception of FAW: the living conditions of the animal, size and intensity of the farm, national standards and schemes, and visibility. Information insufficiencies and knowledge gaps were identified. The findings are discussed in relation to policy implications for the role of public engagement, front-of-pack welfare labelling, and quality assurance schemes.

Consumers' perceptions and willingness to purchase pork labelled 'raised without antibiotics'.

As a recent addition to the UK market, it is unknown how 'raised without antibiotics' labelled products are perceived or how they influence consumer food choice. Understanding consumers' perceptions towards the 'raised without antibiotics' label can determine knowledge of the label and what drives them to purchase products raised without antibiotics. Subsequently, using an online questionnaire with 1000 participants aged 18-92 years old, this study explored UK consumers' perceptions and willingness to buy 'raised without antibiotics' labelled pork, and examined their knowledge of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR1). Cross-sectional data were collected investigating consumer perceptions and willingness to purchase 'raised without antibiotics' labelled pork and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Respondents had high levels of knowledge towards EU regulations however, their awareness of AMR was limited. Behavioural beliefs concerning animal welfare and product quality were the main predictors of consumers' willingness to buy 'raised without antibiotics' labelled pork, followed by pork purchasing habits based on animal welfare qualities. Additionally, consumers who were more concerned that AMR would personally affect them, as well as those who favoured antimicrobial use for the preservation of animal welfare were willing to buy this product. Perceptions towards animal antimicrobial use acceptance, beliefs that 'raised without antibiotics' labelled pork is expensive, and a lack of consideration for extrinsic qualities when purchasing pork i.e., appearance, had a negative influence on willingness to buy. Moderate perceptions towards 'raised without antibiotics' labelled pork, lack of knowledge of agricultural antimicrobial use, and the subsequent confusion surrounding this label suggests that it is necessary to explore other labelling options to provide consumers with the information they desire while also safeguarding animal welfare.