Search

The country house has long been seen as a space of luxury consumption. Large houses are characterised as enclaves of the London, spending all their money in capital, rather than buying goods locally. They sapped wealth from the local area rather than stimulating economic activity This paper analyses data from highly detailed account books which record the kitchen expenditure at Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall in the years 1658-1660 to understand how the kitchens of the Earls of Devonshire were supplied. In discussing the ways in which the household sourced foodstuffs and how much they spent doing so, this paper challenges the prevailing idea that houses are economic leeches on the local area. The Devonshires spent a vast sum of money on food locally; helping to create communities of commerce in the local area and to fuel a vibrant and various grocery trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: School meals represent the largest sector in Government food procurement in the United Kingdom. This paper aims to quantify, simultaneously, the nutritional quality and carbon footprint of meals provided by primary schools in England.Subjects/methods: The School Food Trust conducted the 'Primary School Food Survey 2009' in a nationally representative sample of 139 primary schools in England. The survey included 6690 students who consumed school lunches and 3488 students who brought packed lunches. We estimated the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) per Kg of the food items contributing to those lunches based on the results of a systematic review of life-cycle analyses.Results: In both school lunches and packed lunches, the 'meat, fish and alternatives' group contributed the largest share of GHGEs. The mean GHGE value per school lunch was estimated to be 0.72 (95% uncertainty interval 0.52-1.34) KgCO2e and per packed lunch was 0.70 (0.58-0.94) KgCO2e. The total GHGE due to primary school meals in England per year is 578.1 million KgCO2e (455-892 million).Conclusions: If all children achieved a healthy meal defined by having a low level of salt, free sugars and saturated fat, the total GHGEs from primary school meals would be 441.2 million KgCO2e (384-1192), saving 136.9 million KgCO2e compared with the current total emissions from primary school meals. This paper demonstrates that changes in the primary school food sector can have an impact on UK GHGEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PRIMEtime CE is a multistate life table model that can directly compare the cost effectiveness of public health interventions affecting diet and physical activity levels, helping to inform decisions about how to spend finite resources. This paper estimates the costs and health outcomes in England of two scenarios: reformulating salt and expanding subsidised access to leisure centres. The results are used to help validate PRIMEtime CE, following the steps outlined in the Assessment of the Validation Status of Health-Economic decision models (AdViSHE) tool., Methods: The PRIMEtime CE model estimates the difference in quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and difference in NHS and social care costs of modelled interventions compared with doing nothing. The salt reformulation scenario models how salt consumption would change if food producers met the 2017 UK Food Standards Agency salt reformulation targets. The leisure centre scenario models change in physical activity levels if the Birmingham Be Active scheme (where swimming pools and gym access is free to residents during defined periods) was rolled out across England. The AdViSHE tool was developed by health economic modellers and divides model validation into five parts: validation of the conceptual model, input data validation, validation of computerised model, operational validation, and other validation techniques. PRIMEtime CE is discussed in relation to each part., Results: Salt reformulation was dominant compared with doing nothing, and had a 10-year return on investment of £1.44 (£0.50 to £2.94) for every £1 spent. By contrast, over 10 years the Be Active expansion would cost £727,000 (£514,000 to £1,064,000) per QALY. PRIMEtime CE has good face validity of its conceptual model and has robust input data. Cross-validation produces mixed results and shows the impact of model scope, input parameters, and model structure on cost-per-QALY estimates., Conclusions: This paper illustrates how PRIMEtime CE can be used to compare the cost-effectiveness of two different public health measures affecting diet and physical activity levels. The AdViSHE tool helps to validate PRIMEtime CE, identifies some of the key drivers of model estimates, and highlights the challenges of externally validating public health economic models against independent data.

Food insecurity in the UK is a pressing concern that is associated with poor health outcomes. Research to date has focused on the challenges for adults in providing food for families. However, there is little evidence showing how children and young people experience food insecurity, particularly outside of the home and school. This paper, drawing on 14 months of ethnography in a youth club in the North of England, explores how young people manage food insecurity. In this youth club, the circulation of takeaway food is part of an informal network where boys purchase, share and receive food. This practice allows the boys to participate meaningfully within their peer groups whilst also providing stable access to food. This peer practice, however, was not available to everyone. This was a gendered practice that for the girls held little benefit due to their concerns about eating and pressure to provide for others. Instead, some girls depend on romantic relationships for food provision that is equated with affection and care. The findings will be discussed through a 'materialities of care' perspective to explore the complex ways in which food as a practice of care is part of everyday routines embedded within local places., (© 2019 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)

This article reviews the 2009 Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, which was held in St. Catherine's College, Oxford. This year's theme was Food and Language and over forty papers were delivered to an audience of over two hundred leading food writers, historians, scientists, authropologists, linguists, culinary students, and general food enthusiasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory paper examines the role of food tourism in developing and sustaining regional identities within the context of rural regeneration, agricultural diversification and the creation of closer relationships between production and consumption in the countryside. It focuses on Cornwall, South West England, an area with rural development issues, increasing tourism impacts and contested issues of regional identity. A literature and policy analysis, and in-depth interviews with 12 restaurateurs, were undertaken in four popular tourist locations. Correlation was found between increased levels of food tourism interest and the retention and development of regional identity, the enhancement of environmental awareness and sustainability, an increase in social and cultural benefits celebrating the production of local food and the conservation of traditional heritage, skills and ways of life. The paper draws attention to three issues: the role of food tourism in increasing tourist spending, the potential role of food tourism in extending the tourist season, and the re-examination of food tourist typologies within a sustainability framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the growth trajectories of two specialist food producers and the business networks in which they are embedded. The context is provided by a brief overview of today's complex and dynamic food industry supply chain, seen from the perspective of a small, craft-based firm. The sector chosen for this study, English regional cheese making, is characterized as displaying a long-standing tension between industrial and artisanal modes of production. The conceptual framework combines insights from the network and resource-capability literatures. This blend of ideas prompts several questions relating to the transfer and appropriation of artisanal knowledge in a network setting. The empirical section provides some illustrations of the processes in action. It charts the development of two regional farm-based cheese makers from their inception in the early 1950s up to the year 2000. The analysis identifies distinct 'episodes' characterized by significant structural and processual changes at both firm and inter-firm levels. A series of network maps is used to highlight the distinct pattern of linkages formed by each firm. The maps are supported by a commentary that draws on the managers' own perceptions of the changes, including the reasons why they occurred, and the consequences for their businesses. The discussion section points to underlying structures and mechanisms that appear significant in explaining the surface-level events. The paper concludes by outlining the practical implications for firms in similar situations and assessing the extent to which the findings may be generalized to other business networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to design and implement interventions to increase free school meal (FSM) uptake in pilot schools. This paper describes the interventions, reports on acceptability (as perceived by school working parties) and explores the process of implementing change. Design/methodology/approach -- The research consisted of two phases, an exploratory phase followed by an intervention phase. Findings from the latter are presented. Ten pilot schools (five primary and five secondary) in Leeds, England were recruited. Each established a working party, examined current claiming processes and implemented individualised action plans. This paper draws on the final action plans and interviews/focus groups with working parties. Findings -- Interventions to improve FSM claiming process, minimise discrimination and maximise awareness were designed. The majority were implemented successfully, the exception being amending anti-bullying policies. Creative ways of delivering interventions were demonstrated. The process of change was effective, critical factors being having individualised action plans that allowed flexibility in implementation, reflecting on current claiming processes, and setting up working parties. Practical implications -- Ways of working with schools to increase FSM uptake and more generally improve nutritional policies are suggested. Amending claiming systems in schools is recommended as is greater pupil and parent involvement in nutrition policies. Originality/value -- An estimated 300,000 UK children do not take FSMs they are entitled to -- with many schools unaware of the issue. This study worked with schools to discover how to address this issue and evaluated the perceived acceptability and feasibility of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socially desirable outcomes such as community cohesion, diversity and social mixing are key features of the sustainable communities discourse. However, this aspect of the sustainable communities policy agenda remains under-researched. This paper uses the case of a community food initiative (Stroudco, located in Stroud, UK) to review some of the challenges faced in incorporating these social goals into wider (community led) sustainability initiatives. In particular, we explore the tensions that arise between the three core facets of sustainability – the social, the environmental and the economic – when they are brought together at a community level. Although Stroudco was established with the aim of bridging diverse communities and broadening the cross-section of people consuming local food, to date this remains a significant challenge. The case of Stroudco provides an insight into some of the difficulties encountered by local initiatives that attempt to operate across a range of social groupings while also overcoming cultural differences about the value of local food. It also raises important questions about the social geographies of resilience which community sustainability initiatives are able to support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using findings from semi-structured interviews with international postgraduate students in England, this paper explores the meanings attached to the food they eat in a new culture. Our study, using interviews, aimed to uncover student responses to both the food they eat whilst abroad and to the food they have left behind. Many students criticised local English food as bland, fattening, and unhealthy; nevertheless, most showed an openness to new foods, trying not only local food but also dishes prepared by their international friends, but this sat alongside a strong attachment to their home country dishes. Eating together was a popular leisure activity, and food of the origin country or region was the most popular cuisine. Eating home country food offered emotional and physical sustenance; students felt comforted by familiar taste, and that their physical health was stabilised by the consumption of healthier food than was available locally. Despite acknowledgement of the importance of food to cultural identity and overall quality of life in the anthropology and nutrition literatures, there is a dearth of research into this aspect of the international student experience; this study, therefore, marks an important beginning., (2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives To explore similarities and differences in policy content and the political context of the three main English government reports on health inequalities: the Black Report (1980), the Acheson Enquiry (1998), and the Marmot Review (2010). Methods Thematic policy and context analysis of the Black Report (1980), the Acheson Enquiry (1998), and the Marmot Review (2010) in terms of: (i) underpinningtheoretical principles; (ii) policy recommendations; (iii) the political contexts in which each was released; and (iv) their actual or potential influence on research and policy. Results There were great similarities and very few differences in terms of both the theoretical principles guiding the recommendations of these reports and the focus of the recommendations themselves. However, there were clear differences in terms of the political contexts of each report, as well as their subsequent impacts on research and policy. Conclusion The paper calls into question the progress of health inequalities research, the use of evidence and of the links between research, politics and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bentley Bulk local food initiative was piloted in Manchester in 2003 with the aim of creating a “Healthy Local Food System”. It combined education in food, training in horticulture and work on a local market garden with a food buying co-operative and placed these within the context of a local currency. It is argued that, by operating at the nexus of sustainability and justice, the project can be seen as an example of Just Sustainability in the UK. Just Sustainability provides a framework for a discussion of the issues in taking the project from theory into practice. In particular, the paper looks at the challenge of reaching out to the “non-usual suspects”, making organic food more socially inclusive, linking community projects with larger-scale environmental issues, and the ethics of volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One in three children in Britain lives in poverty (households whose income was less than 50% average earnings). Low income is associated with poor nutrition at all stages of life, from lower rates of breast-feeding to higher intakes of saturated fatty acids and lower intakes of antioxidant nutrients. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that poor nutrition in childhood is associated with both short-term and long-term adverse consequences such as poorer immune status, higher caries rates and poorer cognitive function and learning ability. These problems arise primarily because parents do not have enough money to spend on food, not because money is being spent unwisely. Policy options to improve the dietary health of poor children include: giving more money to the parents by increasing Income Support (social security) payments, providing food stamps or vouchers, and using food budget standards to inform the levels of income needed to purchase an adequate diet; feeding children directly at school (not only at lunchtime but also at breakfast or homework clubs), by providing free fruit at school, and by increasing entitlement to free food amongst children living in households with low incomes; improving access to a healthy and affordable diet by first identifying 'food deserts' and then considering with retailers and local planners how best to provide food in an economical and sustainable way. The value of using food budget standards is illustrated with data relating expenditure on food to growth in children from 'at-risk' families (on low income, overcrowded, headed by a lone parent or with four or more children under 16 years of age) living in a poor area in London. Lower levels of expenditure are strongly associated with poorer growth and health, independent of factors such as birth weight, mother's height, or risk score. The present paper provides evidence that supports the need to review Government legislation in light of nutrition-related inequalities in the health of children.

This paper reports on two case study examples of schools identified from Gloucestershire primary schools as showing particularly good practice in developing the concept of a Health Promoting School. The schools were selected from research projects linked to the Growing Schools programme for promoting children's understanding of food production and consumption, and the Gloucestershire Food Strategy for promoting healthy eating patterns in school children. Examples of curriculum development and associated pedagogy, school organization for democratic involvement of all its participants, and practical changes in the provision of eating choices are presented. These illustrate how integration of critical thinking and changes to the schools' provision of choices for healthy eating patterns can influence children's understanding and behaviour towards diet and health. The key factors that influenced such changes in the schools are identified as: clear leadership with vision from the head teacher, community involvement, ownership of processes of change by all participants, critical thinking as a focus for processes of learning; integrated practice to link experience and understanding, and the school acting as a model for good practice in health and environmental matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple-day food records or 24-hour recalls are currently used as “reference” instruments to calibrate food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and to adjust findings from nutritional epidemiologic studies for measurement error. The common adjustment is based on the critical requirements that errors in the reference instrument be independent of those in the FFQ and of true intake. When data on urinary nitrogen level, a valid reference biomarker for nitrogen intake, are used, evidence suggests that a dietary report reference instrument does not meet these requirements. In this paper, the authors introduce a new model that includes, for both the FFQ and the dietary report reference instrument, group-specific biases related to true intake and correlated person-specific biases. Data were obtained from a dietary assessment validation study carried out among 160 women at the Dunn Clinical Nutrition Center, Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 1988–1990. Using the biomarker measurements and dietary report measurements from this study, the authors compare the new model with alternative measurement error models proposed in the literature and demonstrate that it provides the best fit to the data. The new model suggests that, for these data, measurement error in the FFQ could lead to a 51% greater attenuation of true nutrient effect and the need for a 2.3 times larger study than would be estimated by the standard approach. The implications of the results for the ability of FFQ-based epidemiologic studies to detect important diet-disease associations are discussed. Am J Epidemiol 2001;153:394–403. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stark, widening health and income inequalities in the United Kingdom underpin the need for increased support for low‐income families to access affordable and nutritious foods. Using anonymised supermarket loyalty card transaction records, this study aimed to assess how an additional Healthy Start voucher (HSV) top‐up of £2, redeemable only against fruit and vegetables (FVs), was associated with FV purchases among at‐risk households. Transaction and redemption records from 150 loyalty card‐holding households, living in northern England, who had engaged with the top‐up scheme, were analysed to assess the potential overall population impact. Using a pre‐post study design, 133 of these households' records from 2021 were compared with equivalent time periods in 2019 and 2020. Records were linked to product, customer and store data, permitting comparisons using Wilcoxon matched‐pairs sign‐ranked tests and relationships assessed with Spearman's Rho. These analyses demonstrated that 0.9 more portions of FV per day per household were purchased during the scheme compared to the 2019 baseline (p = 0.0017). The percentage of FV weight within total baskets also increased by 1.6 percentage points (p = 0.0242), although the proportional spend on FV did not change. During the scheme period, FV purchased was higher by 0.4 percentage points (p = 0.0012) and 1.6 percentage points (p = 0.0062) according to spend and weight, respectively, in top‐up redeeming baskets compared to non‐top‐up redeeming baskets with at least one FV item and was associated with 5.5 more HSV 'Suggested' FV portions (p < 0.0001). The median weight of FV purchased increased from 41.83 kg in 2019 to 54.14 kg in 2021 (p = 0.0017). However, top‐up vouchers were only redeemed on 9.1% of occasions where FV were purchased. In summary, this study provides novel data showing that safeguarding funds exclusively for FV can help to increase access to FV in low‐income households. These results yield important insights to inform public policy aimed at levelling up health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results from a qualitative study on social representations of health and illness among the Chinese community in England. It is assumed that representations of health and illness are grounded in cultural frameworks and are constructed through communication, social interaction and the practices of daily life. Our findings show that in spite of differences related to age and degrees of acculturation, Chinese people in England share a common representational system with respect to health and illness. This system is based on the traditional notions of “balance” and “harmony” between the interdependent forces of Yin and Yang. Health results from balance, whereas illness is brought about by disequilibrium. It is through these traditional Chinese concepts that Western biomedical knowledge is incorporated, producing a mixed representational field where Chinese and Western knowledge co-exist. This representational field is transmitted through the most fundamental dimensions of culture: food, language and kinship relations. We conclude by showing that social representations of health and illness are inseparable from the struggles over identity experienced by the Chinese people in England. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to our knowledge of food habits in late medieval and early sixteenth-century England and Wales through an analysis of under-examined records of retirement agreements known as corrodies; these were struck between religious houses and individuals or married couples. Corrody texts, copied in records from the Court of Augmentations, are a rich source for patterns of consumption, particularly of beverages and foodstuffs, in the first four decades of the sixteenth century. People from a range of social backgrounds acted as careful consumers in their attempts to guarantee their preferred foods in their retirement years. These late retirement arrangements indicate an evolution of food entitlements in corrodies towards greater specificity in terms of what the corrodians were to receive. They also reflect larger food trends of this period, such as a move away from pottage and a desire to secure access to meat and other animal-derived foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Norovirus remains the most significant virological risk that is transmitted via food and the environment to cause acute gastroenteritis. This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that the contamination of the commercial food production environment with norovirus will be higher in premises that have recently reported a foodborne norovirus outbreak than those that have not. Methods: Sampling of commercial food production environments was carried out across a 16‐month period between January 2015 and April 2016 in the South East and the North West of England by local authority environmental health departments as part of routine surveillance visits to premises. A total of 2982 samples, 2038 virological and 944 bacteriological, were collected from 256 premises. Sixteen of these premises, six from South East and ten from North West England, were sampled as part of a public health outbreak investigation. Results & Conclusions: Overall, 2038 swabs were submitted for norovirus testing, with an average of eight swabs per premises (range 4 to 23) and a median of seven. Of the premises sampled, 11.7% (30/256) yielded at least one norovirus‐positive sample (environmental, and/or food handler hand swab), and 2.5% of the swabs were positive for norovirus. A peak in the positivity rate was seen in the South East in April 2016. No associations were found between norovirus positivity and bacteriology indicators, or between bacteriology indicators and hygiene ratings. Significance and impact of study: This study demonstrates that food premises and food handlers remain a potential source of norovirus transmission and outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated a graded relationship between the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences reported (an ACE score) and child outcomes. However, ACE scores lack specificity and ignore the patterning of adversities, which are informative for interventions. The aim of the present study was to explore the clustering of ACEs and whether this clustering differs by gender or is predicted by poverty. Data on 8,572 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used. ALSPAC is a regionally representative prenatal cohort of children born between 1991 and 1992 in the Avon region of South-West England. ACEs included parental divorce, death of a close family member, interparental violence, parental mental health problems, parental alcohol misuse, parental drug use, parental convictions, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, between birth and 19 years. Latent class analysis was used to derive ACE clusters and associations between poverty, gender, and the derived classes tested using multinomial logistic regression. Five latent classes were identified: "Low ACEs" (55%), "Parental separation and mother's mental health problems" (18%), "Parental mental health problems, convictions and separation" (15%), "Abuse and mental health problems" (6%), and "Poly adversity" (6%). Death of a close family member and sexual abuse did not cluster with other adversities. The clustering did not differ by gender. Poverty was strongly related to both individual ACEs and clusters. These findings demonstrate that ACEs cluster in specific patterns and that poverty is strongly related to this. Therefore, reducing child poverty might be one strategy for reducing ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information about a colloquium for young scientists in food and nutrition to be held on December 3, 2003 in London, England. Calls for submissions from young scientists; Publication of papers from the colloquium in the 'Nutrition Bulletin.'

This study unpacks how class processes shape understandings and practices of "good feeding" in families with young children. It brings a Bourdieusian class consumption focus together with food parenting studies and approaches feeding as encompassing a wide range of processes including cooking, shopping, and planning. To capture the lived experience of feeding work, the study draws on a longitudinal and ethnographic study conducted in the south‐east of England over the course of two years. The analysis suggests that, regardless of their resources, parents tend to internalize the dominant discourse on "healthy" and "varied" feeding. However, closer inspection of day‐to‐day practices reveals a nuanced class‐cultural patterning in how these terms are defined and achieved. Moreover, it reveals how different interpretations of key notions such as homemade, nutritious, and balanced generate practices that contribute to the cultivation of distinctively classed culinary agencies in children. This study also questions what potential role these understandings can play in reproducing taste hierarchies and maintaining symbolic boundaries from very early ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a very common belief that the Englishman thinks more of eating and drinking than one of any other nation. It is proposed in this paper to examine what his statutes have to say concerning them. Magna Carta is silent and apparently the first statutory provision was made in 1266 by the Act, 51 Hen. Ill, St. 1, Assisa Panis et Cervisiae, the Assize of Bread and Beer. This provides for the weight, at different prices of wheat, of Wastel Bread, Bread Cocket, Simnel (not Lambert Simnel, he came much later to worry Henry VII)—the "Baker in every Quarter of Wheat .may gain iv d. and-the Bran, and two Loaves for Advantage (ad furnagium, payment for the use of the furnace, v. Du Cange, sub voc.) for three servants, a half penny for his bolting cloth: not as is given in Blount: Law Dictionary,'1670: "The refuse of the Meal after if is dressed by the Baker," although this erroneous definition is followed in Phillips, Bailey and some more modern Law Lexicons. At certain prices for grain, "the Brewers in Cities . . . may well afford to sell two Gallons of Ale or Beer for a Peny and out of Cities iii or iv Gallons for a Peny. And when in a Town (in Burgo) iii Gallons is sold for a Peny, out of Town (extra) they ought and may sell four."

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) affects the health and wellbeing of millions worldwide. In high latitude countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), severe complications disproportionally affect ethnic minority groups.Objective: To develop a decision-analytic model to estimate the cost effectiveness of population strategies to prevent VDD.Methods: An individual-level simulation model was used to compare: (I) wheat flour fortification; (II) supplementation of at-risk groups; and (III) combined flour fortification and supplementation; with (IV) a 'no additional intervention' scenario, reflecting the current Vitamin D policy in the UK. We simulated the whole population over 90 years. Data from national nutrition surveys were used to estimate the risk of deficiency under the alternative scenarios. Costs incurred by the health care sector, the government, local authorities, and the general public were considered. Results were expressed as total cost and effect of each strategy, and as the cost per 'prevented case of VDD' and the 'cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY)'.Results: Wheat flour fortification was cost saving as its costs were more than offset by the cost savings from preventing VDD. The combination of supplementation and fortification was cost effective (£9.5 per QALY gained). The model estimated that wheat flour fortification alone would result in 25% fewer cases of VDD, while the combined strategy would reduce the number of cases by a further 8%.Conclusion: There is a strong economic case for fortifying wheat flour with Vitamin D, alone or in combination with targeted vitamin D3 supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher education sector provides catering services for a significant number of internal and external meetings, conferences, and other events. Recent studies suggest that event catering is a significant generator of food waste. This research has two main aims: (a) to understand how leftover food in catered meetings or events is generated; and (b) describe how environmental factors and the person ordering catering service influence it. Combining physical waste measures with a survey to event organizers this work quantifies food waste generated events at a University in the Northeast of England. We find there are significant differences in the average waste across venues and key food categories. Regarding the impact of the person ordering food, the results suggest that experienced event organizers significantly waste, on average, around eleven percent less food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Takeaway Masterclass, a three-hour training session delivered to staff of independent takeaway food outlets that promoted healthy cooking practices and menu options.Design: A mixed-methods study design. All participating food outlets provided progress feedback at 6 weeks post-intervention. Baseline and 6-week post-intervention observational and self-reported data were collected in half of participating takeaway food outlets.Setting: North East England.Participants: Independent takeaway food outlet owners and managers.Results: Staff from eighteen (10 % of invited) takeaway food outlets attended the training; attendance did not appear to be associated with the level of deprivation of food outlet location. Changes made by staff that required minimal effort or cost to the business were the most likely to be implemented and sustained. Less popular changes included using products that are difficult (or expensive) to source from suppliers, or changes perceived to be unpopular with customers.Conclusion: The Takeaway Masterclass appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention for improving cooking practices and menu options in takeaway food outlets for those who attended the training. Further work is required to increase participation and retention and explore effectiveness, paying particular attention to minimising adverse inequality effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine if voluntary policies on supermarket checkout foods are associated with a difference in the healthfulness of foods displayed at, or near, supermarket checkout areas. Design: Cross-sectional survey of foods at, or near, supermarket checkouts categorised as less healthy or not according to the Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model. Setting: One city in Eastern England (population about 125 000). Subjects: All stores in nine supermarket groups open for business in June–July 2017 in the study city. Supermarket checkout food policies were categorised as clear and consistent, vague or inconsistent, or none. Results: In thirty-three stores, 11 434 checkout food exposures were recorded, of which 8010 (70·1 %) were less healthy; and 2558 foods in areas near checkouts, of which 1769 (69·2 %) were less healthy. After adjusting for a marker of store size, the odds of a checkout food exposure being 'less healthy' was lower in stores with vague or inconsistent checkout policies (OR=0·63; 95 % CI 0·49, 0·80) and in stores with clear and consistent checkout policies (OR=0·33; 95 % CI 0·24, 0·45), compared with no policy. There was no difference in the odds of foods near, but not at, checkouts being less healthy according to checkout food policy. Conclusions: Supermarket checkout food policies were associated with lower odds of checkout foods but not foods near, but not at, checkouts being less healthy. Further research is required to explore impacts on purchasing and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The very old (aged ≥ 85 years), fastest growing age group in most western societies, are at especially high risk of muscle mass and strength loss. The amount, sources and timing of protein intake may play important roles in the aetiology and management of sarcopenia. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of low protein intake in 722 very old adults participating in the Newcastle 85+ Study.Methods: Protein intake was estimated with 2 × 24-h multiple pass recalls (24 h-MPR) and contribution (%) of food groups to protein intake was calculated. Low protein intake was defined as intake < 0.8 g of protein per adjusted body weight per day. A backward stepwise multivariate linear regression model was used to explore socioeconomic, health and lifestyle predictors of protein intake.Results: Twenty-eight percent (n = 199) of the community-living very old in the Newcastle 85+ Study had low protein intake. Low protein intake was less likely when participants had a higher percent contribution of meat and meat products to total protein intake (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95, 1.00) but more likely with a higher percent contribution of cereal and cereal products and non-alcoholic beverages. Morning eating occasions contributed more to total protein intake in the low than in the adequate protein intake group (p < 0.001). Being a woman (p < 0.001), having higher energy intake (p < 0.001) and higher tooth count (p = 0.047) was associated with higher protein intake in adjusted models.Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence on the prevalence of low protein intake, diurnal protein intake patterns and food group contributors to protein intake in the very old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisational settings such as schools, workplaces and hospitals are well recognised as key environments for health promotion. Whilst there is extensive literature on specific types of settings, little empirical research has investigated the transfer of frameworks between sectors. This study analyses Food for Life, an England-wide healthy and sustainable food programme that evolved in schools and is being adapted for children's centres, universities, care homes, and hospital settings. Following a case study design, we interviewed 85 stakeholders in nine settings. Food for Life's systemic framework of 'food education, skills and experience' 'food and catering quality', 'community and partnerships' and 'leadership' carried salience in all types of settings. These were perceived to act both as principles and operational priorities for driving systemic change. However, each setting type differed in terms of the mix of facilitating factors and appropriate indicators for change. Barriers in common included the level of culture-shift required, cost perceptions and organisational complexity. For settings based health promotion practice, this study points to the importance of 'frame-working' (the systematic activity of scoping and categorising the field of change) alongside the development and application of benchmarks to stimulate change. These processes are critical in the transfer of learning from between sectors in a form that balances commonality with sufficient flexibility to adapt to specific settings. Synergy between types of settings is an under-recognised, but critical, part of action to address complex issues such as those emerging from the intersection between food, health and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In 1991, the Medical Research Council (MRC) Vitamin Study demonstrated that folic acid taken before pregnancy and in early pregnancy reduced the risk of a neural tube defect (NTD). We aimed to estimate the number of NTD pregnancies that would have been prevented if flour had been fortified with folic acid in the UK from 1998 as it had been in the USA.Design: Estimates of NTD prevalence, the preventive effect of folic acid and the proportion of women taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy were used to predict the number of NTD pregnancies that would have been prevented if folic acid fortification had been implemented.Setting: Eight congenital anomaly registers in England and Wales.Main Outcome Measures: The prevalence of pregnancies with an NTD in the UK and the number of these pregnancies that would have been prevented if folic acid fortification had been implemented.Results: From 1991 to 2012, the prevalence of NTD pregnancies was 1.28 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.31) per 1000 total births (19% live births, 81% terminations and 0.5% stillbirths and fetal deaths ≥20 weeks' gestation). If the USA levels of folic acid fortification from 1998 onwards had been adopted in the UK, an estimated 2014 fewer NTD pregnancies would have occurred.Conclusions: Failure to implement folic acid fortification in the UK has caused, and continues to cause, avoidable terminations of pregnancy, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and permanent serious disability in surviving children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Modifying the consistency of food and drink is a strategy commonly used in the management of dysphagia for people with intellectual disabilities ( ID). People with ID often depend on others for the preparation of food and drink and therefore depend on those caregivers achieving the correct consistency to keep them safe and avoid discomfort during mealtimes. Clinical experience and prior research have demonstrated that although training can improve modification, carers often find modification difficult and potentially stressful and recommend additional support for carers. Fluid consistency is often modified through the addition of powdered thickener. This study investigates the efficacy of typical training and use of consistency guides, the Thickness Indicator Model ( TIM) tubes, in helping carers to modify fluids accurately. Method A 3 × 3 pre-post experimental design with a control group was employed to compare the observed accuracy of modification across three groups and at three time points (pre-intervention baseline, immediately post-training intervention and 3-10 months post-training). Sixty-two paid carers who supported people with ID were recruited to participate in the study and each was randomly allocated to one of the three groups: a control group given written guidance only, a group who received typical training and written guidance and a group who received training, written guidance and the TIM tubes. Results & Conclusions Typical training resulted in significantly greater carer accuracy in modifying fluid consistencies when compared with written guidance alone. Use of the TIM tubes also significantly improved accuracy in the modification of drinks compared with the group who modified with the aid of written guidance alone. At 3-10-month follow-up only the group who received typical training alongside the TIM tubes were significantly more accurate than the Written Guidance group. Further research is warranted to ascertain the effectiveness of the training and the utility of the TIM tubes in improving accuracy over a longer time scale and in individuals' usual living environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the dietary patterns of toddlers. This period of life is important for forming good dietary habits later in life. Using dietary data collected via food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at 2 years of age, we examined the dietary patterns of children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Principal component analysis was performed for 9599 children and three patterns were extracted: 'family foods' associated with traditional British family foods such as meat, fish, puddings, potatoes and vegetables; 'sweet and easy' associated with foods high in sugar (sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, flavoured milks) and foods requiring little preparation (crisps, potatoes, baked beans, peas, soup); 'health conscious' associated with fruit, vegetables, eggs, nuts and juices. We found clear associations between dietary pattern scores and socio-demographic variables, with maternal education being the most important. Higher levels of education were associated with higher scores on both the 'family foods' and the 'health conscious' patterns, and decreased scores on the 'sweet and easy' pattern. Relationships were evident between dietary pattern scores and various feeding difficulties and behaviours. Notably, children who were introduced late to lumpy (chewy) solids (after 9 months) scored lower on both the 'family foods' and the 'health conscious' patterns. Further analyses are required to determine the temporal relationship between perceived feeding difficulties and behaviours, and it will be important to assess the contribution of the age of introduction to lumpy solids to these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel ways to increase liking and intake of food are needed to encourage acceptance of healthier food. How enjoyable we remember food to have been is likely to be a significant predictor of food choice. Two studies examined whether remembered enjoyment of eating a food can be increased and whether this makes individuals more likely to eat that food in the future. In Study One, a simple manipulation of instructing participants to rehearse what they found enjoyable about a food immediately after eating it was used to increase remembered enjoyment (relative to controls). In a separate study; Study Two, the effect of increasing remembered enjoyment on food choice was tested by examining whether the manipulation to increase remembered enjoyment resulted in participants choosing to eat more of a food as part of a later buffet lunch. The experimental manipulation increased remembered enjoyment for the food (Study One). A change in remembered enjoyment was shown to have a significant effect on the amount of a food participants chose to eat the following day for lunch (Study Two). The present studies suggest that remembered enjoyment can be increased via a simple act of rehearsal, resulting in a later increase in the amount of food chosen and eaten. Interventions based on altering remembered enjoyment of healthy food choices warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Accessible summary We did twelve interviews all about the times people with learning disabilities had been to hospital since March 2007. Some of them were with people with learning disabilities and some of them were with the carers of people with learning disabilities., This article talks about what people told us in the interviews and makes some recommendations to hospital staff which we think would help improve hospital experiences for people with learning disabilities in the future., This research should be important to people with learning disabilities because people with learning disabilities often have more need to attend hospital than other people, and so it is important that the care they receive is of a good enough standard when they are there., Summary People with a learning disability face a number of challenges when seeking access to hospital care which are often distinct from those faced by the general population. Numerous statistics indicative of these challenges are represented in the academic literature. Previous research has suggested several reasons for the continued existence of these challenges, including a lack of expertise in the provision of health care to people with learning disabilities and negative attitudes towards this population held by healthcare professionals. As a means of elucidating the hospital experiences of people with learning disabilities on Merseyside, the researcher conducted 13 semi-structured interviews - an analysis of 12 of which are included in this article. Of these 12 interviews, two were conducted with an unaccompanied person with a learning disability, three were conducted with a person with a learning disability alongside their carer, and seven were conducted with the carer or carers of a person with a learning disability. The topics discussed in these semi-structured interviews were determined by the findings of a literature search and pilot interview. Emergent themes within the interview transcripts are discussed and recommendations made for healthcare professionals engaged in the hospital care of people with learning disabilities. It is concluded that people with learning disabilities on Merseyside continue to contest with the same difficulties during hospital experiences as have been identified previously by numerous national and international investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay reviews the impact of London's demands for food, drink and fuel on the farming systems and specialisation in the regions from which it drew supplies. Focusing on the well-recorded period around 1,300, when London was a major but second-ranking European city, it makes comparisons with other European cities in the same period and with London in later centuries, as the city developed a world role. Despite its small size by modern standards, medieval London's impact on its hinterland was distinct, dynamic, highly commercialised and extensive. It shaped rural landscapes and agrarian practices in ways which in key respects conform to modern theories of spatial specialisation. London's environmental influence operated within an international context, where the opening up of distant resources could affect choices concerning specialisation in and close to the city. Demographic change and shifts in consumption arising from changing standards of living were also influential. This left a marked 'urban footprint' in production, marketing and the generation of waste. Moreover, its distinctive political context influenced London's attitude towards managing its supply chains, differentiating it from many of its European counterparts. Medieval observers recognised those landscapes and their connection with the city, but did not theorise them in present-day terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo review national policy governing nutrition in child-care settings and explore policy translation at a regional and local level in the South East of England.DesignSemi-structured interviews with regional experts.SettingChild-care settings in Southampton, England, registered by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education Children's Services and Skills).SubjectsThirteen subjects including child-care professionals in Southampton and policy advisors from the Government Office of the South East.ResultsPolicy regarding early years food provision varies across the country. Although there appears to be consensus between local stakeholders on the importance of improving early years nutrition in Southampton, intentions have yet to be translated into cohesive action, with differences in food and nutrition practice in child-care settings across the city. There are also areas of incoherence, inequalities in access to training and development, and duplication in local and regional support mechanisms.ConclusionsThe importance of proper early nutrition to provide the building blocks for life-long health and well-being is grounded in a substantial evidence base. Outside the home, early years child-care settings are an ideal place for providing a strong foundation in nutritional health and dietary habits for young children. The long-term benefits of achieving optimum nutrition in the early years should be secured through the coherent efforts of national, regional and local policy makers, child-care practitioners and parents. Existing commitment and capacity to achieve this objective at a local and regional level must be supported and matched at a national level with the acceleration of policy development, including quality control and support mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Overweight and obesity in children are considered a world health problem. In Europe the incidence of obesity is high, although it has been reported that levels of obesity are lower in France than in the UK. This study aims to make a comparison of the incidence, and cultural/lifestyle-related factors that affect obesity in school-aged children living in England and France. The study was set in Monetier-les-Bains, France and South West London, UK. Ninety-eight French children and 105 English children were recruited for this cross-sectional quantitative study. Anthropometric measurements and a questionnaire were used to obtain data and information that included details on hobbies and physical activities, distance to school and travel arrangements. Chi squared and t-tests were used to statistically compare the data. The results showed a significant difference (P , 0.01) between the weights, body mass indexes and waist circumferences of French and English children. Furthermore, 32% of the English children were classified as overweight or obese, whereas none of the French children were. There were significant differences (P , 0.01) in the levels of out-of-school physical activity undertaken by the French children and that of the English children. The level of sedentary activity, television viewing and computer use was also significantly different (P , 0.01). Factors such as the role of food in French culture, the lack of fast food outlets in the studied area of France, distances walked to and from school and choice of physical activities and hobbies undertaken in and out of school are seen as the main positive influences on energy balance in the French children. These findings have highlighted areas worthy of intervention in the battle against obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although there is growing awareness of the impact of diet on health, little attention has been given to the food available in our sports stadia. We used a football club (Citygrene FC) - Citygrene is a fictional name - in the English Premier League as a case study to examine the attitudes of male and female football supporters to the food and drink available at their home stadium (Citygrene Stadium). Design: The research design used five focus groups of male and female fans. The discourse was audiotaped, transcribed, coded and analysed for themes. Setting: A football stadium in the English Premier League, England. Subjects: The participants were season ticket holders drawn from two stands at Citygrene Stadium. Results: The research showed a high level of dissatisfaction with the food and drink supplied. There were key differences in the views of the male and female participants in the focus groups, with the women more concerned about wider issues such as the lack of healthy food. Both men and women were aware of their role as consumers and felt that there was an opportunity for Citygrene to improve their catering profits, if they provided a better selection of food and drink and an improved service. Conclusions: The study shows that there is a demand for healthier food options (and a wider choice of food and drink in general), which may provide an economic opportunity for stadium and catering managers. In addition, a stadium may be considered a potential 'healthy setting', which can serve as a supportive environment for healthier food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Food deserts are thought to be a barrier to making healthier food choices. This concept has been challenged. The interaction between the physical environment and children’s food choice has received little attention. The present study used food intake data to generate hypotheses concerning the role of the physical environment in food choice. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of the dietary habits of Year 5 (9–10-year-old) children from 90 of Liverpool’s 118 primary schools. Individuals with the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ food choices were mapped and two areas associated with these extreme choices located. Results One thousand five hundred and thirty-five children completed the dietary questionnaire and supplied a full and valid postcode. Two adjacent areas with relatively large numbers of children in the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ food choice groups were chosen. Both areas had very similar socio-economic profiles. The contrast in the physical environments was striking, even on visual inspection. Conclusions Food deserts as a cause of poor food choice did not stand scrutiny; the area located by the worst food choices had a plethora of shops selling food (better termed a food prairie), whereas the area located by the best food choices had no shops in evidence but did have more ‘space’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate the intake of plant sterols and identify major dietary sources of plant sterols in the British diet.Subjects:A total of 24 798 men and women recruited during 1993–1997, participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC-Norfolk).Interventions:A database of the plant sterol (campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campestanol and β-sitostanol) content in foods, based on gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analyses, was linked to nutritional intake data from food frequency questionnaires in the EPIC-Norfolk population.Results:The mean (s.d.) intake of total plant sterols was 300 (108) mg/d for men and 293 (100) mg/d for women. Bread and other cereals, vegetables and added fats were the three major food sources of plant sterols representing 18.6 (8.9), 18.4 (8.5) and 17.3 (10.4)% of the total plant sterol intake respectively. Women had a higher plant sterol density than men (36.4 vs 32.8 mg/1000 kJ, P<0.001) and in relation to energy intake higher intakes of plant sterols from vegetables, bread and other cereals, added fats, fruits and mixed dishes (all P<0.001), whilst men had higher intakes of plant sterols from cakes, scones and chocolate, potatoes (all P<0.001) and other foods (P<0.01).Conclusions:The intake of plant sterols in UK, mainly from bread, cereals, fats and vegetables, is much higher than previously reported but comparable to recent European studies.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 695–703; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602765; published online 18 April 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes that eating and drinking out are important performances in the consumption of place. Eating and drinking place myths draw consumers to place, and places are sensed during copresent participation in these activities. Focusing on empirical investigation undertaken in the tourist town of Harrogate, England, the article explores how the intersections of mobilities of food and drink, material culture, and people create service cultures that are imagined and performed in two eating and drinking venues, Betty's Café Tea Rooms and Revolution Vodka Bar. These eating and drinking spaces represent perceived disjunctures in the contemporary place identity of Harrogate. Although complex cultural flows intersect in venues to constitute the eating and drinking experience, this article suggests that copresent engagement with service cultures creates distinctive senses of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ricketts Hein J., Ilbery B. and Kneafsey M. (2006) Distribution of local food activity in England and Wales: an Index of Food Relocalization, Regional Studies 40, 289–301. Despite much interest in the relocalization of the food supply chain in England and Wales, it is unclear whether local food systems are more developed in some areas than others. The aim is to identify current areas of local food activity in England and Wales through the application of an Index of Food Relocalization. The Index is developed by using indicators related to the production and marketing of local food products and results suggest a complex geography associated with such activities. Ricketts Hein J., Ilbery B. et Kneafsey M. (2006) La distribution de la production alimentaire locale en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles: une indice de la relocalisation alimentaire, Regional Studies 40, 289–301. Malgré un vif intérêt pour la relocalisation de la chaîne alimentaire en Angeterre et au Pays de Galles, il n'est pas tout à fait évident si, oui ou non, des systèmes alimentaires locaux sont plus développés dans certaines zones qu'ailleurs. Cet article cherche à identifier des zones de production alimentaires existantes en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles à travers une indice de relocalisation alimentaire (Index of Food Relocalisation). L'indice est développée à partir des indicateurs qui se rapportent à la production et au marketing des produits alimenatires locaux, et les résultats laissent supposer que de telles activités entraînent une géographie complexe Produits alimentaires locaux, Production, Marketing, Indice de relocalisation alimentaire, Angleterre et Pays de Galles Ricketts Hein J., Ilbery B. und Kneafsey M. (2006) Die Verteilung örtlicher Lebensmittelunternehmen in England und Wales: eine Liste des Standortwechsels von Lebensmittelquellen, Regional Studies 40, 289–301. Trotz beträchtlichen Interesses am Standortwechsel der Lebensmittelerszeugungsketten in England und Wales ist es nicht klar, ob örtliche Lebensmittelsysteme in manchen Gebieten besser entwickelt sind als in anderen. Es ist das Ziel dieses Aufsatzes, gegenwärtige Gebiete örtlicher Lebensmittelunternehmen in England und Wales mittels eines Indexes von Standortwechseln von Nahrungsmittelquellen zu analysieren. Der Index wird mit Hilfe von Indikatoren entwickelt, die sich auf Erzeugung und Vermarktung örtlicher Nahrungsmittel beziehen, wobei die Ergebnisse nahelegen, daß diese Aktivitäten von einem komplexen geographischen Verteilungssystem begleitet werden. Einheimische Lebensmittel, Erzeugung, Vermarktung, Index des Standortwechsels der Lebensmittelquellen, England und Wales Ricketts Hein J., Ilbery B. y Kneafsey M. (2006) Distribución de la actividad local de alimentos en Inglaterra y Gales: Índice de Relocalización de Alimentos, Regional Studies 40, 289–301. Pese al sumo interés mostrado en la relocalización de la cadena del abastecimiento de alimentos en Inglaterra y Gales, no está claro si los sistemas locales de abastecimiento de alimentos están más desarrollados en unas áreas que en otras. El objetivo de este artículo es identificar cuáles son las áreas de abastecimiento local de alimentos en Inglaterra y Gales en función de un Índice de Relocalización de Alimentos. Este índice se basa en el uso de indicadores relacionados con la producción y el comercio de productos alimenticios locales y los resultados muestran que existe una geografía compleja asociada a tales actividades. Alimentos locales, Producción, Comercio, Índice de Relocalización de Alimentos, Inglaterra y Gales [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents comments of a speaker on the American Neoconservatives from the London School of Economics in London, England, regarding British food and French drinks in post-World War II era.