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KFC Australia has announced its intention to switch from using imported palm oil to cook its food to Australian grown and locally sourced canola oil. KFC said the shift to high-oleic canola oil “will help support Australian farmers, and won’t change the taste of its food.” KFC has been trialling the new oil in Tasmanian [...]

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) has announced new deals with global brewers Grupo Modelo, Carlsberg and Molson Coors to distribute for Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Publicly-listed Coca-Cola Amatil bottles and distributes The Coca-Cola Company soft drinks and other beverages in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. In a shareholder [...]

A coalition of Victorian-based health groups, the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC), has criticised fast food giant McDonalds for promoting its brand through a junior football program in Victoria. The OPC is partly funded by the Victorian Government through its agency VicHealth. The ‘Mac Pack’ is a sporting program created by McDonald’s. The program uses prominent [...]

Taxes on unhealthy ‘food and drinks’ would need to be at least 20 per cent to have a significant effect on diet-related conditions such as obesity and heart disease, according to a new report by UK academic experts. Dr Oliver Mytton and colleagues at the University of Oxford, in England, examined existing evidence on the [...]

A new study by scientists at the University California Los Angeles (UCLA) has found that a diet high in fructose can hamper memory and learning in lab rats. However, according to the same study, omega-3 fatty acids can counteract this disruption in the animals. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology published the findings in its 15 [...]

The findings of a new Swedish study, published this week, suggest that a diet high in saturated fatty acids could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids than previously thought. Results of the two-year dietary study, led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nyström, professor of Internal Medicine at Linköping [...]

While food ministers in the UK continue to debate the pros and cons of Traffic Light labelling and Daily Intake Guides, some of the arguments regarding food product labelling may soon be superfluous in light of new technology developed in Australia. A new iPhone app, due to be launched in September 2012, enables consumers to [...]

UK health ministers have launched a nationwide consultation on front-of-pack food product labelling in a new push to see all food UK food manufacturers and retailers using the same system to provide nutritional information. Currently in the UK it is not a legal requirement to declare Nutritional information on the product packaging. However, companies are [...]

The National Food Allergy Awareness Week, to raise awareness about food allergies in Australia, was launched in Sydney yesterday (14 May 2012) by NSW Minister for Primary Industries and Small Business, Katrina Hodgkinson. Food Allergy Awareness Week is an initiative of Anaphylaxis Australia. The week helps to promote and develop through education, research and ongoing [...]

Tasmanian dairy processor Tamar Valley Dairy has reportedly secured a five-year deal to supply 3,000 tonnes of yoghurt each year to Australian supermarket chain Coles. Tamar Valley Dairy is a family operated company specialising in the production of probiotic yoghurts and cultured milk drinks. According to media reports, the five-year deal will see Tamar Valley [...]

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Bamidele Adekunle, Glen Filson, Sridharan Sethuratnam

This paper examines the implications of the demand for ethno-cultural vegetables (ECV) by South-Asians, the largest cultural group in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), on their potential for Ontario agricultural economic development and significant consumer health benefits. A conceptual framework is presented to explain the relationship among factors such as change in demographics, demand for locally produced ECV and both the potential agricultural and health benefits. Analysis of cross-sectional data collected in 2009 also indicates that the respondents have certain characteristics that are pertinent to understanding why they shop in particular stores and their perceptions about what constitutes quality. In sum, household size and percentage spent on vegetables predict their expenditure on ECV, an indication that South-Asians resident in the GTA will continue to demand their ECV. It is thus a niche market that farmers can explore if its potential economic value to them is clarified and the government can provide sufficient support by increasing awareness and creating appropriate economic incentives for farmers willing to grow these vegetables.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Lisa M. Soederberg Miller, Diana L. Cassady

Nutrition facts panels (NFPs) contain a rich assortment of nutrition information and are available on most food packages. The importance of this information is potentially even greater among older adults due to their increased risk for diet-related diseases, as well as those with goals for dietary modifications that may impact food choice. Despite past work suggesting that knowledge and motivation impact attitudes surrounding and self-reported use of NFPs, we know little about how (i.e., strategies used) and how well (i.e., level of accuracy) younger and older individuals process NFP information when evaluating healthful qualities of foods. We manipulated the content of NFPs and, using eye tracking methodology, examined strategies associated with deciding which of two NFPs, presented side-by-side, was healthier. We examined associations among strategy use and accuracy as well as age, dietary modification status, knowledge, and motivation. Results showed that, across age groups, those with dietary modification goals made relatively more comparisons between NFPs with increasing knowledge and motivation; but that strategy effectiveness (relationship to accuracy) depended on age and motivation. Results also showed that knowledge and motivation may protect against declines in accuracy in later life and that, across age and dietary modification status, knowledge mediates the relationship between motivation and decision accuracy.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Maria A. Sesé, David Jiménez-Pavón, Chantal C. Gilbert, Marcela González-Gross, Frédéric Gottrand, Stefaan de Henauw, Christina Breidenassel, Julia Wärnberg, Kurt Widhalm, Dénes Molnar, Yannis Manios, Magdalena Cuenca-García, Anthony Kafatos, Luis A. Moreno

The present study examined the associations of food behaviours and preferences with markers of insulin resistance and clustered metabolic risk factors score after controlling for potential confounders, including body fat in European adolescents. A cross-sectional study “Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study” of 3546 European adolescents aged 12.5–17.5years was conducted, using a complete dataset on at least glucose, insulin and “Food Choice Questionnaire”. Results indicated skipping breakfast, as well as the preference of some foods such as nuts, chocolate, burgers and pizzas, soft drinks or juices, explain part of homeostasis model assessment index variance. In addition, snacking regularly during school day is associated with higher metabolic risk score in females. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that intervention studies aimed to prevent insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors in youth should focus not only in influencing food and drink preferences, but also to ensure healthy food behaviour in adolescents. The harmful consequences in the choice of certain foods or drinks and food habits can be countered with proper planning and intervention programs to prevent insulin resistance and metabolic risk factors.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

P.C. Goeminne, E.H. De Wit, C. Burtin, Y. Valcke

Aim: A new system of meal distribution called Meals on Wheels, allowing food ordering at mealtime and providing guidance by trained nutritional assistants, might show benefit in offering nutritional support. This study investigates whether Meals on Wheels improves total food intake per day and yielded improved appreciation of food quality and increased access to food and mealtimes. Methods: In a prospective cohort trial where control and intervention groups were taken from all patients hospitalized at the respiratory disease department, age, sex, BMI, admission weight, height, reason for admission and discharge weight were noted, as was food intake, supplements, waste per meal and daily total. For food appreciation the questionnaire developed by Naithani et al. was used. The study included 83 patients in the control group and 106 patients in the Meals on Wheels group. Results: Mean total daily food intake was 236g higher in patients in the Meals on Wheels than in controls. There was higher intake of oral nutritional supplements in the Meals on Wheels group compared to controls, resulting in significantly less oral nutritional supplements wasted. There was also significantly less waste in the Meals on Wheels group. For food access and appreciation, patients appreciated Meals on Wheels more than the old system in terms of choice, hunger, food quality and organization. Conclusions: Meals on Wheels resulted in higher food intake during each meal, less waste and better use of oral nutritional supplements. Patients appreciated Meals on Wheels more than the old system in terms of choice, hunger, food quality and organization.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Britta Renner, Gudrun Sproesser, Stefanie Strohbach, Harald T. Schupp

Understanding why people select certain food items in everyday life is crucial for the creation of interventions to promote normal eating and to prevent the development of obesity and eating disorders. The Eating Motivation Survey (TEMS) was developed within a frame of three different studies. In Study 1, a total of 331 motives for eating behavior were generated on the basis of different data sources (previous research, nutritionist interviews, and expert discussions). In Study 2, 1250 respondents were provided with a set of motives from Study 1 and the Eating Motivation Survey was finalized. In Study 3, a sample of 1040 participants filled in the Eating Motivation Survey. Confirmatory factor analysis with fifteen factors for food choice yielded a satisfactory model fit for a full (78 items) and brief survey version (45 items) with RMSEA .048 and .037, 90% CI .047–.049 and .035–.039, respectively. Factor structure was generally invariant across random selected groups, gender, and BMI, which indicates a high stability for the Eating Motivation Survey. On the mean level, however, significant differences in motivation for food choice associated with gender, age, and BMI emerged. Implications of the fifteen distinct motivations to choose foods in everyday life are discussed.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Keith Spiller

In the social sciences there has been much exciting and informative work on farmers’ markets and this paper contributes to this literature by considering how the place of farmers’ markets affects the way consumers understand the taste of food. I draw on the difficulty faced by many consumers in articulating the taste of food, especially when food is perceived to taste good. I explore how consumers demonstrate their evaluations of taste, whether through descriptions of taste that are metaphor-laden or through beliefs and values emboldened by food knowledges and opinions. I argue these are how farmers’ market consumers understand and perform taste in relation to market food. The findings that inform the paper are taken from interviews with farmers’ market consumers in the UK.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Ramona Guerrieri, Chantal Nederkoorn, Anita Jansen

Impulsivity seems to be a strong candidate when it comes to psychological factors leading to overeating and eventually to obesity (Guerrieri, Nederkoorn, & Jansen, 2008). The question is whether reversing the logic and strengthening an individual’s inhibitory skills will be equally potent against overeating. In the current study the stop signal task was adjusted so that one group of female students (n =21) gradually got more trials in which they could practise inhibition (inhibition), whereas another group (n =20) gradually got more trials in which they had to react quickly, without having time to think or inhibit (impulsivity). A third group (n =20) did a neutral reading task (control). The participants in the impulsivity group had a significantly higher caloric intake during a subsequent taste test, whereas the inhibition group did not differ from the control group. Hence, the data support that impulsivity is a direct cause of overeating. However, the concept of inhibition training needs to be investigated further. Issues like the specificity of inhibition training (general vs. food specific) need to be addressed and used to optimise the training so that its effectiveness can be tested within clinical settings.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Amira Mekhmoukh, Didier Chapelot, France Bellisle

Objective To investigate the influence of environmental conditions on energy intake at lunch time in normal-weight versus overweight male adolescents. Design Healthy 15–17year-old adolescents (19 normal-weight, 19 overweight) participated in lunch tests under laboratory settings. Four conditions were compared: eating in groups, eating alone, eating alone while viewing television, eating alone while listening to music. The same menus (two solid foods, three drinks) were offered ad libitum. Results Significant group differences between meal conditions were observed for energy intake from solid foods, but not from drinks: normal-weight participants ate more solids while listening to music (5731±426kJ) than when eating alone (5012±364kJ, P =0.026) or in groups (4974±272kJ, P =0.049), whereas overweight participants ate more solid foods while viewing television (5806±330kJ) than when eating in groups (5208±201kJ, P =0.014) or while listening to music (5288±255kJ, P =0.035). On average, total energy intake at lunch (solids plus liquids) was found to be increased only in the overweight when viewing television (8527±535kJ) compared to eating in group (7348±445kJ, P =0.037) or while listening to music (7532±435kJ, P =0.049). Conclusion Environmental conditions modulate total energy intake at lunch in adolescents and susceptibility to external factors can be affected by weight status. Whether such effects can in turn affect energy balance and weight status remains to be investigated.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Lukas Zagata

Research has revealed that organic consumers share beliefs about positive health effects, environmentally friendly production and better taste of organic food. Yet, very little is known about the decisions of organic consumers in post-socialist countries with emerging organic food markets. In order to examine this area a representative data set (N =1054) from the Czech Republic was used. Target group of the study has become the Czech consumers that purchase organic food on regular basis. The consumers’ behaviour was conceptualised with the use of the theory of planned behaviour (ToPB). Firstly, the ToPB model was tested, and secondly, belief-based factors that influence the decisions and behaviour of consumers were explored. The theory proved able to predict and explain the behaviour of Czech organic consumers. The best predictors of the intention to purchase organic food are attitudes towards the behaviour and subjective norms. Decisive positions in consumers’ beliefs have product- and process-based qualities.

Publication year: 2012
Source:Appetite, Volume 59, Issue 1

Valerie De Coen, Stijn Vansteelandt, Lea Maes, Inge Huybrechts, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Carine Vereecken

The hypothesis of this study is twofold and states that parental socioeconomic status has an effect on the soft drink consumption of the child, and that this effect is mediated by the soft drink related parenting practices. One thousand six hundred and thirty-nine parents of 2.5–7 year old children from 34 Flemish pre-primary and primary schools, completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, soft drink consumption and soft drink related parenting practices. Causal mediation analyses showed an effect of socioeconomic status on soft drink consumption of the child: children from high socioeconomic status consume 0.42 times the amount of soft drinks of children from lower socioeconomic status. Interestingly, this effect is almost entirely mediated by three soft drink parenting practices: soft drinks served at meals, the child can take soft drink whenever he or she wants and having soft drinks at home.