Current Perceptions of Sustainable Diets in Ireland and the Outlook of Circular Eating Practices.

Encouraging sustainable dietary practices is a positive step towards alleviating the negative impact of increasing food waste. This study explores consumers' perceptions of sustainable diets and factors influencing their adoption of sustainable practices, such as circular eating. Fifteen consumers in Ireland aged 18-65+ years were recruited for a qualitative study exploring their views on sustainable diets and their opinions on the use of peels, trimmings, and other by-products from fruit and vegetables as potential new ingredients or new circular food products. Age, gender, dietary preferences and educational background were important considerations during recruitment. Online interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis managed by NVivo 12. The results highlighted two overarching themes impacting circular eating, namely, food choice motives and awareness of food waste. These were linked to the participants' knowledge of and potential adoption of sustainable diets. Daily trade-offs were evident, linked to the product and the person who was also strongly influenced by their micro-environment. Consumer education from credible sources would be required to create awareness of circular eating. Most respondents were positively disposed to the concept of circular eating, as long as food safety concerns and affordability considerations were addressed through industry transparency.

The effects of cooking salmon sous-vide on its antithrombotic properties, lipid profile and sensory characteristics.

Fish contains bioactive polar lipids (PL) and is mainly consumed cooked. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory characteristics of sous-vide cooked salmon and the in vitro cardio-protective properties of its PL. PL were extracted from brined and un-brined sous-vide preparations in 52 °C, 65 °C, and 80 °C, while their antithrombotic cardio-protective properties were assessed in human platelets and their fatty acid (FA) content was evaluated by LC-MS. Sensory tests were performed using napping followed by check-all-that apply (CATA). Mild temperatures (52 °C, 65 °C) did not affect the inhibitory effect of PL from brined and un-brined salmon, against human platelet aggregation induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF), thrombin, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or collagen. In higher temperatures used for pasteurization (80 °C), a reduction of antithrombotic properties was observed in PL from both un-brined and brined salmon samples. This reduction was accompanied by a decrease of their n3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and overall polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) content, but only in the PL of the un-brined salmon preparations. Thus, changes in the fatty acid content of PL of all sous vide salmon preparations, and especially of specific PUFA, seem to be associated with the observed changes in their antithrombotic potency. Changes in the content of the n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), a precursor of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), seem to be associated with differences observed in the antithrombotic potency of PL from different sous vide salmon preparations. Taste attributes were not affected by the conditions of sous-vide preparations, whereas slight textural differences were observed in samples treated at 65 °C and 80 °C. These outcomes, if combined with the observed low values of the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in PL of all sous-vide preparations, further suggest a beneficial role for such a mild cooking procedure for preserving the antithrombotic and cardio-protective properties of salmon without affecting its sensory characteristics.

A Cross-Cultural Evaluation of Liking and Perception of Salted Butter Produced from Different Feed Systems.

Perception and liking among Irish, German and USA consumers of salted butter produced from different feed systems-outdoor grass (FS-GRSS), grass/clover (FS-CLVR), and indoor concentrate (FS-TMR)-was investigated. A consumer study was conducted in all three countries. Irish and German assessors participated in ranking descriptive analysis (RDA), whereas descriptive analysis (DA) was carried out by a trained panel in the USA. Volatile analysis was conducted to identify differences in aroma compounds related to cow diet. Overall, there was no significant difference in overall liking of the butters, among USA, German and Irish consumers, although cross-cultural preferences were evident. Sensory attribute differences based on cow diet were evident across the three countries, as identified by German and Irish assessors and trained USA panelists, which are likely influenced by familiarity. The abundance of specific volatile aromatic compounds, especially some aldehydes and ketones, were significantly impacted by the feed system and may also contribute to some of the perceived sensory attribute differences in these butters.

Asthma therapy in pediatric patients: a systematic review of treatment with montelukast versus inhaled corticosteroids.

INTRODUCTION: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are a first-line treatment for mild persistent asthma, but montelukast (MON) monotherapy also has been beneficial. The aim of this review is to evaluate current evidence comparing MON versus ICS monotherapy in pediatric patients. METHOD: A systematic review was conducted of randomized controlled trials evaluating treatment of mild to moderate persistent asthma in which MON was compared with ICS monotherapy in children aged 2 to 18 years. PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Institute of Scientific Information's Web of Knowledge were searched using key words asthma, MON, and ICS. Studies that met inclusion criteria were appraised for quality. RESULTS: Of 214 identified studies, eight met inclusion criteria and seven were deemed high quality. Study sample sizes ranged from 62 to 994, 88% were multi-site, and the average length of follow-up was 8.2 months. Asthma symptoms improved with both therapies. Four studies reported superiority of ICS compared with MON; the remaining studies showed no differences between therapies. DISCUSSION: These results are consistent with the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (2007) recommendation that ICS therapy should be first-line treatment in children with mild to moderate persistent asthma.

Educating for safety in the pharmacy curriculum.

This overview of the Educating for Safety supplement issue explores the context and urgency of the problem of unsafe care, what we have learned about improving both safety and quality in health care, and the implications of this for educators. This supplement issue is a response to the charge of the AACP Council of Deans (COD) and the Council of Faculties (COF) Medication Safety Task Force to address the role of colleges and schools of pharmacy in responding to the national patient safety agenda. The articles included are intended to serve as a nexus for pharmacy education in developing curricula and promoting best practices as they relate to the importance of medication safety.