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This study examines the reasons why between 1979 and 2020 the number of abattoirs licenced to slaughter red blood livestock species in Great Britain fell from 1146 to 200, average throughput per abattoir increased, larger abattoirs specialised in the species slaughtered, and family owned abattoirs have been replaced by international companies owning multiple slaughterhouses and food processing factories. The study combines abattoir sector survey data with findings from a national survey of small abattoirs. Larger abattoirs have exploited economies of size and location to achieve the throughput necessary to supply multiple retailers and/or wholesale markets. Smaller abattoirs have exploited economies of scope to develop the bespoke butchering services needed to supply private kill customers. The high rate of closure of smaller abattoirs suggests the future of small-scale, locally based supply chains in which private kill services supply is threatened. The recently introduced Small Abattoir Fund offers grants towards the purchase of new equipment which will offer some relief. But smaller abattoirs must support their private kill customers by organising collection points for onward transport of livestock to the abattoir and local redistribution centres for meat and carcases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, foodborne illness is a significant public health challenge. Food safety inspection plays a crucial role in the regulation of food businesses to prevent foodborne illnesses. To be an effective health protection measure, however, food safety inspections must facilitate the thorough evaluation of food safety risks. Our research examined how food safety inspectors from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S. assessed food contamination control during food premise inspections. Data were collected via an online survey of environmental health practitioners who routinely conduct food safety inspections. The findings indicated that inspectors are generally aware of food safety hazards that can be present at food businesses and have deployed a variety of relevant data-gathering methods to inform their examination of the extent of contamination control. The findings also indicated a prevailing methodological incongruence stemming from the absence of a robust inspection methodology. We propose that these shortcomings be addressed by solutions that are formulated based on established hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) principles and qualitative field research. The development of a clear and appropriate methodology will support food safety inspections to provide a robust and reliable means for evaluating food safety risk and ultimately reduce the incidence and burden of foodborne illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This thought document initiates a series of commissioned articles, which will appear in this Journal during 2024 and marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Food Science and Technology in the UK. Climate changes have been seen to have major effects on the disruption of food supply systems. Such changes have had implications on food sustainability, food security and the nutritional composition of foods. In response to these disruptions, food researchers and the food industry have evaluated potential research activities to alleviate risks associated with food insecurity, and focussed on waste utilisation and the use of recovered products for the well‐being of consumers. This viewpoint article focusses on a selection of recently published articles from the International Journal of Food Science and Technology and aligned journals to show the relevance of such research to today's food industry. It is by examining the recent focus of researchers in specific areas of food science and technology, that it is possible to apply these published findings to the modern food industry and help reduce the impact of what may be considered a resource hungry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to flour dust remains one of the leading causes of occupational asthma in Great Britain (GB). The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 bakers and flour confectioners in GB was 47.8 for the 3 yr period 2017 to 2019 compared with 0.53 for all occupations. There are many processes in commercial bakeries that can cause exposure to flour dust. Exposures are typically controlled by using local exhaust ventilation or respiratory protective equipment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential to reduce exposure to inhalable flour dust in commercial bakeries by modification of the process by use of a conical sieve in place of a round sieve; and substitution of traditional wheat flour (TWF) with 'low dust' flours LD1 and LD2 for dusting surfaces. Two simulated commercial bakery tasks were performed in a laboratory whilst dust exposures were measured in the breathing zone of the operator using an Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler, button sampler and a real-time direct reading monitor. Analysis of variance tests were used to assess whether differences in mean exposures were statistically significant with the different control approaches. A qualitative visual exposure assessment was also undertaken using Tyndall illumination. Substituting TWF with LD1 and LD2 reduced exposure to inhalable flour dust by 86% and 53% respectively when sieving and by 78% and 67% respectively when filling a hopper. There was no statistically significant difference between dust emissions for all 3 flours when using the conical sieve instead of the round sieve for flour dusting tasks. This laboratory study has shown that substituting TWF with low-dust flour may reduce inhalable dust exposures when dusting surfaces in bakeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon emissions from refrigeration in UK food industry was 12.9 MtCO 2 e. • Carbon emissions from refrigeration in food industry was 3.2% UK total emissions. • 50% of UK food refrigeration emissions are from electrical power. • 37% of UK food refrigeration electrical emissions were from domestic refrigerators. • 56% of food refrigerant leakage emissions in UK were from the retail sector. The food and beverage industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. Food cold chains are energy intensive and use high global warming refrigerants. The aim of this work was to benchmark the existing UK cold chain and provide robust evidence-based data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019. Only emissions from refrigeration within UK borders was considered. Both Scope 1 emissions from refrigerant leakage (fugitive) and diesel for the transport refrigeration units (TRUs) as well as Scope 2 emissions from electrical power usage were estimated. These were estimated to be 12.9 MtCO 2 e per annum which represents 3.5% of the total UK annual territorial GHG emissions. Eighty-three percent of the Scope 1 emissions were fugitive, and 56% of these were from retail refrigeration. Agriculture and fisheries were the sectors with the lowest fugitive emissions accounting for only 3.7% of the total. Scope 2 emissions accounted for 54% of the emissions and tended to increase towards the consumer end of the cold chain, with 1.5% in agriculture and fisheries and 38% in domestic refrigeration. The FAOSTAT value of GWP used for f-gas emissions is not representative of UK emissions. UK government statistics may be underestimating domestic refrigerator emissions as they are not using real life energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Food processing facilities represent critical infrastructure that have stayed open during much of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the burden of COVID-19 in this sector is thus important to help reduce the potential for workplace infection in future outbreaks. Methods We undertook a workplace survey in the UK food and drink processing sector and collected information on workplace size, characteristics (e.g. temperature, ventilation), and experience with COVID-19 (e.g. numbers of positive cases). For each site, we calculated COVID-19 case rates per month per 1000 workers. We performed an ecological analysis using negative binomial regression to assess the association between COVID-19 rates and workplace and local risk factors. Results Respondents from 33 companies including 66 individual sites completed the survey. COVID-19 cases were reported from the start of the pandemic up to June 2021. Respondents represented a range of industry subgroups, including grain milling/storage (n = 16), manufacture of malt (n = 14), manufacture of prepared meals (n = 12), manufacture of beverages (n = 8), distilling (n = 5), manufacture of baked goods (n = 5), and other (n = 6), with a total of 15 563 workers across all sites. Average monthly case rates per 1000 workers ranged from 0.9 in distilling to 6.1 in grain milling/storage. Incidence rate ratios were partially attenuated after adjusting for several local and workplace factors, though risks for one subgroup (grain milling/storage) remained elevated. Certain local and workplace characteristics were related to higher infection rates, such as higher deprivation (5 km only), a lower proportion of remote workers, lower proportion of workers in close proximity, and higher numbers of workers overall. Conclusions Our analysis suggests some heterogeneity in the rates of COVID-19 across sectors of the UK food and drink processing industry. Infection rates were associated with deprivation, the proportions of remote workers and workers in close proximity, and the number of workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the historical development of protein-enhanced foods in Great Britain and how they were marketed by food manufacturers to convince consumers that protein was essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It focuses particularly on Plasmon and Emprote – the two biggest brands of the early twentieth century – and uses multimodal critical discourse analysis to identify how semiotic resources are used to embed products in scientific rationality, promote health discourses and develop concepts of masculinity in accordance with the two strands of the physical culture movement. It argues that, just as today, food manufacturers capitalized upon the growing middle-class interest in functional foods and presented protein as an "elixir" that consumers should take to safeguard their health, the health of their families and the state of the nation. Overall, this study demonstrates that, even with today's strict legislation on food packaging and advertising, protein food manufacturers still use similar techniques to sell their products. In gaining a better understanding of the historical use of semiotic resources in food advertising, we can assess the legitimacy of current food regulations and ensure that people make informed choices when shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight and obesity is a global concern as a significant risk factor for non‐communicable diseases. Increased energy intake due to greater consumption of energy‐dense food or non‐alcoholic beverages high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt ('HFSS food') is the main explanation for population weight gain. The principal drivers underlying this consumption are the commercial determinants of health in the food chain, particularly the marketing of HFSS food. In the UK, some rules do regulate certain forms of HFSS food marketing (such as television and online advertising to children) and the government is considering strengthening these. However, although sports sponsorship by 'HFSS food businesses' (defined as a business preparing, cooking, storing, handling, distributing, supplying or selling food and whose products are primarily HFSS) is increasingly recognised as linked to HFSS food consumption, it has received little attention. This is all the more concerning in light of the recent proliferation of 'HFSS food businesses' and HFSS products partnering with sports organisations. Against this background, we hosted a workshop to focus on the relationship between health, nutrition and the sponsorship of sport and related marketing by 'HFSS food businesses' and to consider the implications for obesity prevention strategies in the UK and beyond. This innovative workshop capitalised on, and contributed to, ongoing efforts to conceptually unite existing research by bringing together an interdisciplinary team of experts providing unique and complementary perspectives on how to address sports sponsorship as one of the channels through which 'HFSS food businesses' contribute to poor nutrition and diet‐related diseases. This report summarises the structure, participants and discussions from the workshop; the existing evidence base; and the future research and policy opportunities we plan to pursue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The perception that foods are consumed primarily to meet physiological and nutritional needs is nowadays understood as an outdated concept. Substantial empirical literatures have proven that diverse factors influence consumers' decisions in choosing healthy foods and diets, but the process of food choice remains complex. In this systematic review, the consumers' perceptions on food choices are explored and the key factors that influence food choices among the UK consumers are identified. The findings of this review were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA). The identified food choice factors were categorised into product, person and environmental (social, economic and informational)‐related factors. Interventions that would improve awareness of healthier food choices and negative impacts of factors influencing food choices are recommended. Studies on consumer behaviours around perceptions and choices of foods are scanty in the United Kingdom, and the limitations identified in this review are to be addressed in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining food safety certification is essential for food manufacturers. Potential barriers to obtaining certification are complex, interrelated and broadly relate to, 'knowledge and skills', 'time, cost and resources', and 'communication and access to information'. This study aimed to explore requirements for support to enable food manufacturers in Wales to overcome identified barriers. Food manufacturers (n = 37) participated in group discussions (n = 2) and completed online-questionnaires (n = 29). Support mechanisms, perceived necessary to obtain food safety certification included; funding for training and audit-fees, support for implementing food safety scheme documentation, on-site support through mentoring/coaching and pre-audits. Findings identify the need for a food safety scheme certification support package pathway incorporating online, off-site, on-site and financial support to assist food and drink manufacturers obtain third-party food safety certification. Such assistance would support three critical areas. Findings may inform development of support mechanisms to increase uptake of food safety certification and accelerate food-sector growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food establishments are on the rise in the United Kingdom, producing a wide variety of cuisine to cater for a variety of tastes in a global market. However, a significant proportion of the population will experience a foodborne illness at some point in their lives, and in 2018 alone there were estimated to be 2.4 million food borne illness related cases in the UK [1]with a resulting 180 deaths per year. Whilst Local Authorities monitor and inspect these establishments periodically, the importance of those who work within food business cannot be underestimated. As such the aim of this research study was to explore food handlers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour towards food safety and food handling practices in restaurants within Liverpool. Using both convenience and snowball sampling, the research employed a quantitative online questionnaire to gather data from the target population of food handlers. The responses from 52 participants were then analysed using a combination of Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 28. The results of the study reveal that food handlers in Liverpool food businesses have a generally satisfactory level of food safety knowledge; their attitudes expressed demonstrated a strong positive approach and they engage in safe behaviour. However, the results show some areas of concern: knowledge surrounding harmful pathogens was lacking; behaviour in relation to the use of mobile phones in the kitchen and attitudes towards attending work whilst unwell. Therefore whilst the overall knowledge, attitude and behaviours of food handlers appears acceptable that does not mean they do not pose risk to customers. Whilst all participants had received training, this did not always translate into improved food handling knowledge, attitudes or behaviours. Training, therefore, must be tailored to reflect the needs to the individual with the understanding that knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are linked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK has an ever-increasing ageing population; hence, promoting balanced nutrition can have fundamental health and cost benefits. In addition, the majority of older adults' dietary fibre intake is below recommendations and this is despite its well-cited benefits; therefore, more emphasis should be placed on identifying viable age-suitable strategies to overcome the associated dietary fibre-related knowledge gap. Accordingly, one hundred and seventy older adults (65-87 years) were recruited to partake in two survey related studies: (1) initial insights (e.g., dietary fibre-related knowledge, awareness, attitudes and behaviour as well as information preferences) were captured to inform the design of educational materials; and (2) the impact of two targeted educational materials on modulating older adults' future dietary fibre intake was tested. Older adults were willing to learn more about dietary fibre and requested additional information relating to its benefits, recommendations and food-based examples in a clear and accessible format. Therefore, two educational materials (factsheet and practical tips) were developed encompassing key themes. Overall, older adults engaged with the educational materials (regardless of topic and format); thus, demonstrating the potential benefits of this approach going forwards. There was strong agreement with all variables: learning something new, change future dietary fibre intake, format liking, content engaging and share with others as well as the overall experience being cited as useful/helpful. Going forwards, importance should be placed on measuring dietary fibre consumption post engaging with educational materials. In addition, utilising a holistic approach incorporating support from different sources (e.g., health professionals, government, food companies, supermarkets and community) could be fundamental in helping older adults to consume more dietary fibre and subsequently contributing to positive health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New plans to restrict in‐store price and location‐based promotions of less healthy foods and drinks in the UK aimed to encourage healthier choices. With responsibility for implementation likely falling to food retailers, it is important to understand the feasibility of implementation and to ensure policy success. To ensure compliance, retailers will need to assess which products are restricted under the legislation. The large number of products in retailers' portfolios poses a problem of scale. A recent research case study found the data available to retailers to be insufficient to accurately apply the rules‐based approach set out by the policy proposal. Misclassification would result in some less healthy products being incorrectly promoted and vice versa. Problems with implementation feasibility have the potential to undermine the public health goals of the legislation. Interviews were carried out with nutrition representatives from the UK food retail and manufacturing sector, to understand the real‐world implications of the proposed legislation. Industry nutritionists recommended a review of the use of the UK's Nutrient Profiling Model as the legislative basis, proposed data‐related solutions to implementation problems and suggested a need for shared retailer‐manufacturer responsibility, given the context of data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food retailers in the UK have a responsibility to look after the health of their customers. In recognition of this, they have established a number of internal and external commitments to provide access to a wider range of healthier and more sustainable foods to support the health of their customers. However, they are also presented with specific voluntary targets from Public Health England and other organisations. Meeting these targets can present technical challenges and may be costly. Alongside more traditional approaches (such as reformulation), changing customer behaviour is being explored as an additional tool to help food retailers meet their commitments by altering customers choices towards more healthy foods. Choice architecture and 'nudging' are approaches that can be adopted by retailers to encourage behaviour change in customers. In this article, we explore the theoretical uses of nudge theory in a food retail environment and discuss its potential as a tool for retailers to mitigate some of the challenges presented by other approaches, but also to identify potential pitfalls in the use of nudges. There is some evidence to suggest that nudging can be a useful method to encourage behaviour change amongst consumers and that these approaches can be relatively cost‐effective and quick to implement, although they may be context‐specific. These approaches are best utilised in parallel with more established methods, such as reformulation and information campaigns, due to their relatively small effect sizes. Additionally, any nudges that are implemented should be carefully considered for both their potential efficacy and the ethical implications of their enforcement and should have adequate monitoring in place to track their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly essential for food manufacturers to have food safety certification. Little is known about certification in the Welsh food industry. This study aimed to explore perceptions of Welsh manufacturers regarding the drivers, benefits and barriers to obtaining certification. Focus groups with manufacturers and stakeholders (n = 68) were conducted. 'Customer requirement' and 'product safety' were drivers for obtaining certification. Benefits related to 'food safety culture', 'supply chain security', 'brand protection', 'due diligence', 'business growth' and 'job security'. Barriers were complex, often interrelated and were broadly defined as, 'knowledge and skills', 'time, cost and resources', and 'communication and access to information'. The research identifies the need to explore requirements for support to enable food manufacturers in Wales to overcome identified barriers. Such data may inform the design and development of support mechanisms to increase uptake of food safety certification and accelerate food sector growth in-line with Welsh Government aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First flexible energy use model for food manufacturing and distribution (M&D). • Scenario analysis was undertaken for 12 operational scenarios of milk and cream M&D. • The greenest scenario uses hydrogen in production and electric trucks in distribution. • Transportation, heat treatment and CIP processes were identified as energy hotspots. • Net zero practices can lead to up to 90.2% emission reductions by 2050 vs 2020 levels. Energy-derived carbon emissions from dairy manufacturing and distribution are significant. Meeting a net zero carbon target is a global priority, and to that end the dairy industry is engaging an emission-reduction strategy. Modelling tools that can predict energy consumption and related carbon-emissions can aid decision-making towards energy transitioning. This study presents an energy consumption model for dairy skimmed milk and cream manufacturing and distribution, which has been developed following a mechanistic modelling approach. This approach integrates chemical engineering process design, heat exchange principles, and empirical modelling to simulate energy consumption for each individual supply chain component, sequence-by-sequence. The model offers simulation flexibility, allowing the projection of the product's embodied energy and carbon-emissions under diverse manufacturing and distribution scenarios. To investigate the model capabilities, scenario analysis was performed for 12 different scenarios. These scenarios resulted by testing the use of three fuel types for the heating requirements in manufacturing (oil, natural gas and hydrogen), two categories of refrigerated vehicles (diesel and electric), and two different distribution infrastructures (centralised and decentralised). The evaluated skimmed milk product-embodied energy ranged between 309 and 869 kJ/L. The scenarios were also simulated towards 2050 using the UK projections for electricity's carbon conversion factor to predict the anticipated carbon-emission reductions. These 2050 projections allowed for roadmap planning towards decarbonising energy for skimmed milk and cream manufacturing and distribution, with outcomes demonstrating up to 90.2% carbon-emission reductions by 2050. The developed model can support safe decision-making and assist the dairy industry in meeting the net zero carbon target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The processing of seafood (fish and shellfish) for human consumption can lead to health consequences, including occupational asthma (OA). Several non-UK studies have reported both respiratory outcomes and airborne levels of major allergens in seafood processing. However, there is a paucity of such evidence in the UK land-based seafood processing sector, which employs some 20 000 workers. Methods University of Manchester's Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) reporting system has been interrogated over the period 1992–2017 to define the incidence rate of OA cases that can be ascribed to the UK land-based processing sector, and the seafood species implicated. Airborne allergen monitoring data undertaken at Health and Safety Executive's laboratory from 2003 to 2019 have also been collated. Results The estimated annual OA incidence rate in seafood processors was 70 [95% confidence intervals (CIs) 48.9, 91.1] per 100 000 workers compared with 2.9 (95% CIs 2.8, 3.1) in 'all other industries'. The annual calculated percentage trend in OA (1992–2017) was −8.1% (95% CIs −15.9, 0.4) in seafood processing showing a similar trend to 'all other industries' (mean −7.0%; 95% CIs −7.8, −6.1). Prawns and salmon/trout were notably implicated by SWORD as causative species related to OA. There is a general paucity of available UK airborne allergen monitoring data, particularly concerning processing salmon or trout. Available airborne monitoring for salmon parvalbumin in seven processors ranged between the limit of detection and 816 ng m−3 (n = 64). Available air monitoring levels of the major shellfish allergen (tropomyosin) during processing of crabs and prawns ranged between 1 and 101 600 ng m−3 (n = 280), highlighting that high levels of exposure can occur. Conclusions These data show an excess incidence of OA in the UK seafood processing industry during 1992–2017, with limited airborne monitoring data for the processing of prawn, crab, and salmon suggesting that significant exposure to major seafood allergens can occur in this industry. Further investigation of current levels of respiratory ill-health and the sources of allergen exposure are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial food scientists modify oil formulations in order to meet their customers' needs such as cost and nutritional content, but the fat formulae must also function during production of the food and in the finished food product. Unlike mono‐ and polyunsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids (SFA) are resistant to oxidation and become solid at room temperatures. Reducing the level of SFA therefore creates technical difficulties. Techniques such as plant breeding to reduce polyunsaturated fat and so increase oxidative stability, and fractionation and interesterification to provide greater firmness, are discussed. Opportunities for SFA reduction are identified in baked goods, such as biscuits, cakes and pastries, using formulations which are already available on the market. Other products, such as meat, dairy and confectionery, would prove harder to reformulate. An example of a successful change in fatty acid profiles of foods is the removal of industrially produced trans fatty acids, which was largely complete in the UK by 2006. Similar methods could be used to bring about a reduction in intake of saturated fat, but the food industry would need compelling scientific, regulatory or public relations arguments to motivate these changes due to the costs involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK national food composition dataset, maintained at the Quadram Institute Bioscience, is a valuable national resource for a variety of users. The UK has a long history of compiling and utilising food composition data, which started for the specific purpose of understanding war‐time nutrition, and is now fundamental to multiple areas of research, policy, food manufacturing and consumer behaviour. The rise of mHealth technologies has brought food and nutrition data direct to the consumer and presents new challenges for food data compilers relating to coverage of foods and nutrients, and accessibility and transparency of data. In addition, emerging efforts in sustainable food production, changing diets and the ever‐increasing burden of non‐communicable diseases requires an integrated approach that will span the agri‐food, nutrition and health space. In order to achieve this, there needs to be continued efforts in food data standardisation, international collaboration and stronger emphasis in making food and nutrition data FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable). The UK national food composition data and the emerging initiatives in food and nutrition it supports are playing an important role in the future development of healthy and sustainable UK diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Nutrition Foundation held a 1‐day roundtable event to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders on the relevance and importance of the concept of nutrient density in supporting and motivating people to make healthier dietary choices. The opportunities and barriers associated with the use of this concept were also explored. The roundtable involved experts from research, public health nutrition, dietetics, retail and nutrition science communication, and this report describes the main themes emerging from the discussions. High obesity prevalence rates indicate that, on average, we are consuming too many calories relative to energy requirements; yet, the quality of our diets, with respect to certain vitamins and minerals and fibre, seems to be falling somewhat short of recommendations. Addressing this issue may require a more holistic approach than the current focus on restricting single nutrients prevalent in public health messaging internationally. Most members of the roundtable felt that communicating the concept of nutrient density may help in encouraging healthier food choices and dietary patterns that are higher in nutritional quality. However, while nutrient profiling has been used to guide front‐of‐pack labelling and in restricting the advertising of less healthy foods to children, there is a lack of consensus on the precise definition of a 'nutrient dense' food or which nutrients should be used as markers of the 'healthiness' of foods/drinks, and the term seems to be poorly understood by consumers and health professionals alike. Therefore, further work is required if tools around this concept are to be developed to try and successfully promote behaviour change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spores of psychrotrophic Bacillus cereus may survive the mild heat treatments given to minimally processed chilled foods. Subsequent germination and cell multiplication during refrigerated storage may lead to bacterial concentrations that are hazardous to health. This review is concerned with the characterisation of factors that prevent psychrotrophic B. cereus reaching hazardous concentrations in minimally processed chilled foods and associated foodborne illness. A risk assessment framework is used to quantify the risk associated with B. cereus and minimally processed chilled foods. Bacillus cereus is responsible for two types of food poisoning, diarrhoeal (an infection) and emetic (an intoxication); however, no reported outbreaks of food poisoning have been associated with B. cereus and correctly stored commercially-produced minimally processed chilled foods. In the UK alone, more than 1010 packs of these foods have been sold in recent years without reported illness, thus the risk presented is very low. Further quantification of the risk is merited, and this requires additional data. The lack of association between diarrhoeal food poisoning and correctly stored commercially-produced minimally processed chilled foods indicates that an infectious dose has not been reached. This may reflect low pathogenicity of psychrotrophic strains. The lack of reported association of psychrotrophic B. cereus with emetic illness and correctly stored commercially-produced minimally processed chilled foods indicates that a toxic dose of the emetic toxin has not been formed. Laboratory studies show that strains form very small quantities of emetic toxin at chilled temperatures. • Psychrotrophic B. cereus is a hazard to safety of minimally processed chilled foods. • Spores may survive food processing, with bacterial growth during chilled storage. • Illness not reported for B. cereus and correctly stored processed chilled foods. • Lack of foodborne illness probably due to low pathogenicity at chilled temperature. • High quality materials/manufacturing standards, and chill chain contribute to safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing children's exposure to food marketing is an important obesity prevention strategy. This narrative review describes current statutory regulations that restrict food marketing; reviews available evidence on the effects of these regulations; and compares policy design elements in Chile and the United Kingdom. Currently, 16 countries have statutory regulations on unhealthy food marketing to children. Restrictions on television advertising, primarily during children's programming, are most common. Schools are also a common setting for restrictions. Regulations on media such as cinema, mobile phone applications, print, packaging, and the internet are uncommon. Eleven evaluations of policies in 4 jurisdictions found small or no policy-related reductions in unhealthy food advertising, in part because marketing shifted to other programs or venues; however, not all policies have been evaluated. Compared with the United Kingdom, Chile restricts marketing on more products, across a wider range of media, using more marketing techniques. Future research should examine which elements of food marketing policy design are most effective at reducing children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on improving productivity and produce more food domestically in Great Britain. It mentions that initiative from the government, geared to develop and deliver an innovative food strategy, provides an once in a lifetime opportunity to look at food, nutrition and the environment. It also informs on upskilling of medical and healthcare professions in evidence-based nutrition and its application in health promotion.

Refrigeration in supermarkets accounts between 30% and 60% of total electricity demand in UK stores. The aim of this study is to conduct a pre-feasibility analysis of whether the use of a water-cooled configuration rejecting heat to the soil can improve the overall cooling performance of commercial refrigeration systems against air-cooled designs. In this work, a model simulating the operation of an existing refrigeration system is presented and validated against field data measurements taken from a supermarket. The examined system is used as a baseline and then modified to evaluate the impact of installing a water-cooled gas cooler. Results indicate that the use of water-cooled gas coolers has the potential to reduce electrical consumption of refrigeration systems by up to a factor of 5 when external temperatures are high. Overall, annual operation indicates the water-cooled alternative uses 3% less electricity than the air-cooled approach. A hybrid system is also considered consisting of coupled air-cooled and water-cooled units operating in parallel, for which an energy reduction of 6% is obtained compared against the baseline system. An economic evaluation of these systems shows promising results with a payback period of about 5 years for systems installed in new stores, although retrofits are costlier. • A modelling framework to compare different refrigeration systems is presented. • Water-cooled systems outperformed the air-cooled systems by 3% in the UK. • Water-cooled solutions can reduce energy use but have higher initial costs. • External temperature conditions impact the operation of a water-cooled condensers. • A hybrid approach maximises energy savings by 6% against air-cooled systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Global trade has grown at twice the rate of the economy since the 1990s. Today's food system is a complex network of trade dependencies and supply chains which underpin global food security. International trade is a crucial element in providing UK consumers with meat-based produce in their diet. The international meat trade was estimated at $112.5 billion (£74.25 billion or €104.10 billion) in 2015 and UK imports are worth over 5% making the UK the 5th largest market. Understanding how Brexit might alter the landscape for UK meat imports is an important socio-economic issue. Scope and approach Data was analysed from the Chatham House resourcetrade.earth database, which is open access and collated from a range of global sources, allows analysis of data for imports into the UK of beef, pork, lamb and poultry and of exports of these meat types from the UK have been completed using R-studio statistical package. Key findings and conclusions : The UK's global market significance in each meat type ranges from 3% in beef to 9.9% in sheep, and most imports originate from the EU especially Pork (99.8% from EU) and Poultry (95.5%). Analysis of the Food Safety QUAD countries (USA, New Zealand, Canada and Australia) highlights that the USA has capacity to cover any loss of imports to the UK from Europe post Brexit, with New Zealand and Australia being able to replace the 11.1% of lamb, which comes from the EU. The Rotterdam Effect is also explored highlighting how countries like Thailand and Brazil may offer future imports of poultry and beef if trade with EU becomes disrupted. Highlights • Global food trade for meat: important for domestic food security. • UK is the fifth largest meat importer in the world. • The EU provides most of the meat imports to the UK. • QUAD food safety countries have the capacity to provide meat to the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interconnected sets of vulnerabilities have emerged in the European food system since 2007–2008, raising concerns about food security in a region with arguably some of the most advanced and prosperous economies and environmental governance frameworks. Historically, this is suggesting the current "double jeopardy" problem in food system vulnerability—with systemic declines both in sustainability (the ability of the food system to ecologically renew itself) and food security (the ability of a population to access sufficient nutritional foods and feed itself). By focusing on both drivers and impacts of food system vulnerabilities in the European Union and United Kingdom, this paper explores a grounded and relational approach to financialization—recognized as a key expression of recent growing vulnerabilities. Through the prism of the current socio‐economic pressures facing food producers, and the emergence of potentially "stranded assets" in the agri‐food system more generally, the analysis seeks to show how the combined relationships between neo‐liberalized governance and the market volatilities encouraged by new rounds of financialization are creating "nested" vulnerabilities. As we conclude, a critical, grounded, and systemic understanding of food system vulnerabilities thus becomes a key feature and precursor for potentially developing more resilient agri‐food systems—both regionally and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 1520, at the court of Henry VIII of England, a new meal type emerged. Called the 'banquet', this took place after the main meal, in a distinct space, and consisted of sweet foods, spiced wine, and sculptural sugarwork. Originally developing at court, the sweet banquet was quickly embraced by the nobility and gentry. This article investigates the adoption of this dining practice in the wealthy country houses of early modern England and the reasons for its popularity in this specific context. It draws on state papers, published works, and household accounts to establish the ways in which the banquet was utilized and understood by early modern elites. This evidence makes it clear that a high-status person would have expected to be entertained with a sweet banquet at any important social occasion involving their peers. An examination of the visual and material cultures associated with the banquet establishes that it was a highly effective means by which to express class status at a time of anxiety regarding social mobility. As an appropriation of the ancient symposium, it provided opportunities to engage with the intellectual and visual cultures of the classical world and the Renaissance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food desert metaphor has been widely used over the past few decades as a way to identify regions as being at risk for having little or no access to healthy food. While the simplicity of the metaphor is attractive, this article argues that its usefulness to researchers interested in understanding the relationship between the geography of healthy food opportunities and dietary behaviours is limited. More nuanced approaches to incorporating geography into food access studies, like including transportation, economic factors, and time use, in addition to considering other dimensions of accessibility, are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Public Health Responsibility Deal (RD) in England is a public-private partnership between government, industry and other stakeholders aiming to improve public health in four key areas: food, alcohol, health at work and physical activity. Wider literature shows that industry engages in framing of public health policy problems, solutions and its role in solutions that is favourable to its interests. As part of an evaluation of the RD, we conducted a media analysis to explore how industry spokespersons (from commercial enterprises, trade associations and social aspects/public relations organisations) represented the RD in newspaper and online reports. We systematically searched databases indexing articles of British national newspapers and the online news services of national broadcasters for articles published between 2010 and 2015. After application of inclusion criteria, we identified 247 relevant articles. We extracted direct quotations by industry spokespersons and analysed them thematically. Media reporting about the RD provided industry spokespersons with a high-profile platform to present frames relating to food, beverages and alcohol that were favourable to advancing or protecting industry positions and agendas. Framing of issues addressed responsibility for public health problems, policy options and the role of industry, also legitimising industry spokespersons to advocate a position on how public health policy should evolve. Media analysis can elucidate industry discourses around public health and examine their engagement in framing to extend their influence in public health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 had shown the vulnerability of the food supply chain and fraudsters may take advantage of the pandemic whilst the population needed a continuous supply of safe and quality food. The lack of monitoring and policing in the food supply chain may encourage fraudsters to upscale their operations. Previous studies had warned of a surge in fraudulent products due to COVID-19. This raised the question on whether food fraud had increased during the pandemic? This study aims to investigate food fraud during COVID-19 and how the food supply chain develops mitigating strategies against fraudulent activities. A mixed-method approach including survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted among UK food businesses. Two hundred and two agri-food businesses responded to the survey and 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The majority of the food businesses did not experience an increase of food fraud activities during COVID-19. Two thematic domains and ten sub-themes were identified from the data set. There was a heightened sense of anticipation and preparation for increased fraudulent activities during the pandemic. The main risk mitigating strategies included horizon scanning; developing and maintaining supplier relationship and assurance; understanding product characteristics, testing capabilities, conducting vulnerability assessments and training. Practical and cost-effective strategies for small and medium food businesses were recommended. This is the first empirical study on food fraud and mitigating strategies of the UK food supply chain during the pandemic. Our findings provide evidence for informing the policies and practices of the food regulatory authorities as well as best practices to protect the UK food supply chain against food fraud during exogenous shocks like COVID-19. • Participating food businesses did not experience food fraud during COVID-19. • Previous incidents helped to prepare the food supply chain. • Geopolitical tensions were more concerning than COVID-19. • Food integrity is invaluable. • Diverse risk mitigating strategies were adopted to prevent food fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Process simulation is combined with life cycle assessment and life cycle costing. • Instant coffee has >2 times higher impacts and costs than ground coffee. • Light roasts have lower impacts and costs due to lower losses and energy use. • The coffee industry emits 863–894 kt CO 2 eq./y, or 1.3% of total from UK food sector. • This could be reduced by 4.9% through process and packaging improvements. With around two billion cups consumed daily worldwide, the coffee industry faces pressures to improve its sustainability. Focusing on the UK as the fifth largest coffee consumer in Europe, this paper presents for the first time a life cycle environmental and economic sustainability assessment of coffee production at the product and sectoral levels. Both gate-to-gate and cradle-to-gate system boundaries are considered to identify opportunities for improvements in the manufacturing process and along the supply chain. Process design and simulation are combined with life cycle assessment and life cycle costing to evaluate the sustainability of the production of ground and instant coffee roasted to different levels. Based on the functional unit of 1 tonne of coffee produced, instant coffee has higher impacts and costs than ground coffee for both system boundaries because it requires double the amount of green coffee beans and 7–11 times more energy. For gate-to-gate, roasting and packaging are the main contributors to the impacts and costs; for cradle-to-gate, cultivation of coffee beans and packaging are the hotspots. Light roasts generally have lower impacts and costs due to lower material losses and energy requirements. At the sectoral level, the coffee industry emits 863–894 kt CO 2 eq. annually, contributing 1.3% to the GHG emissions from the UK food and drinks sector. Key opportunities for improvements include switching to lighter roast and pouch packaging, as well as using air recirculation roasters and silverskin as fuel. These results will be of interest to the coffee industry, policy makers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and epidemic of classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (cBSE) represents one of the most important and unique episodes in disease control of a zoonotic disease due to its novelty and its impact. Since its detection in 1986 in the United Kingdom, it has also been detected in 25 countries. The novel nature of its infectious agent and the discovery of its zoonotic potential (causing the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans) caught the food industry, policy makers, scientific community and consumers off guard, with concerns over massive human exposure and health impact. Thirty-five years later, and following the feed bans of mammalian protein to livestock in 1996, the epidemic is now in its final stages, with expectations of occasional cases emerging until the year 2026. In the last six years, two cBSE cases from animals Born After the Reinforced feed Ban (BARB) have been identified in Scotland and England, delaying their application for BSE Negligible status. This paper provides a current and historical analysis of the cBSE epidemic situation in Great Britain and review the policies implemented, its impact and the possible factors explaining the occurrence of new cases. The analysis and review reinforce the hypothesis that cBSE BARB cases occurrence may not be spontaneous, yet there remains much uncertainty of their aetiology. To date, 181,122 cBSE cases have been detected in Great Britain, of which 178 are BARB cases; and 178 human cases of the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob have been diagnosed. The disease triggered major policy responses in the country, and worldwide, that have transformed the industry and our approach to animal health. Almost all its impact originated from societal reactions to the disease, from disposal of animals and products, to reduction of the national herd and its production efficiency, losses through trade restrictions and reduction in market prices and consumers' confidence, hardening of cleaning and control procedures in farms and hospitals, generation of heavy government investment plans through numerous support, surveillance and research schemes, and political and societal changes. BSE is an example of major system shock to a food industry, but which experience has resulted in better traceability systems of animals, increased capacity to develop robust diagnostic methods, numerous lessons learnt on policy coordination, implementation and communication, increased society awareness on food systems and overall improved the country's preparedness to future epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Ageing well' has been highlighted as an important research area by the World Health Organization. In the UK, healthy ageing has been identified as a priority research area by multiple Research Councils and is a key NHS priority. Sarcopaenia, the decline of muscle mass/strength and a key component of healthy ageing, can have a major impact on quality of life and is associated with premature mortality. Increasing protein intake at all stages of the life course may help to reduce the rate of muscle decline and the onset of associated health conditions. However, there is a lack of understanding of the social, demographic and psychological drivers of food choices surrounding protein intake. This report describes the multidisciplinary approach that has been adopted by the Protein for Life project to create a framework for the development of palatable, costeffective higher-protein foods suitable for an ageing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference was held by the British Nutrition Foundation in October 2017 to explore future trends in agriculture, manufacturing and retailing, and the relationship between these trends and food choice. Topics explored by the speakers included sustainability, climate change, Brexit, the ageing population, technological advances in food production, product reformulation, consumer behaviour and public health agendas. This report summarises the conference proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2017, a landmark report Review of Nutrition and Health Research (80 pages) was published following a strategic review commissioned by The Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR). The review sets out a future vision for nutrition research and offers recommendations designed to capitalise on UK strengths, tackle weaknesses and thus strengthen and revitalise the UK research base. Traditionally, the UK has benefited considerably from research funding from the European Union, and the report stresses the window of opportunity that exists to galvanise the research community at a time when the future of UK research funding is at a crossroads. Unusual for reviews of this type, the report emphasises the vital need for partnership with industry, not least because the sector is key to ensuring translation of research advances into healthier products and improved nutrition support for those who are ill. The strategic review calls for an agreed code of practice to facilitate open, transparent and effective partnerships. In response to the review, the Medical Research Council has identified three pillars of activity for nutrition research: building the UK research base; developing plans for global nutrition research; and working with the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Americans consume Na in excess of daily recommendations. Most dietary Na comes from packaged foods, and bread is a major contributor. In the UK, national Na reduction strategies contributed to lower Na levels in packaged foods and lower population Na intake. Similar initiatives are emerging in the USA and require surveillance to assess effectiveness. We aimed to examine Na levels in bread products in the USA and compare levels with similar UK products.Design: Na data for bread products were obtained from the US Label Insight Open Data Initiative (n 4466) and the FoodSwitch UK database (n 1651). Mean, median and range of Na content, and proportion of products meeting Na targets established by the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) and the UK Department of Health (DH) were calculated overall, by bread type and by country.Results: Mean (sd) Na content in bread was 455 (170) mg/100 g in the USA and 406 (179) mg/100 g in the UK. In both countries, savoury bread had the highest mean Na (USA=584 mg/100 g, UK=543 mg/100 g) and fruit bread the lowest mean Na (USA=345 mg/100 g, UK=277 mg/100 g). Na content of US bread products was 12 % higher than in the UK, with 21 % of US bread products and 31 % of UK bread products meeting the NSRI and DH targets, respectively.Conclusions: US bread products have, on average, 12 % more Na than similar products in the UK. Variation in Na content within product categories, and between countries, suggests the feasibility of manufacturing products with lower Na to lower dietary Na intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.K. food and grocery market is highly significant financially and dominated by 10 retailers within a regulated and extremely economically competitive environment. We summarize the approach of U.K. retailers to allergen risk assessment (RA) and risk management (RM) within the U.K. legal framework and explore public visibility of retailers' allergen policies. RA and RM of allergens appear effective in curtailing retailtriggered severe food allergy reactions. However, allergen recalls remain high, precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) remains an area of confusion, and there is no consistent Web-based provision of information for consumers who have allergies. Resolution of PAL awaits an agreed-on threshold framework, but a key challenge is to engage with patients and gain their trust rather than thrust education at them. It would be helpful for retailers to publish their allergen RA and RM policies. A target should be agreed on between government and retailers for a reduction in the proliferation of PAL wording variants by a given date within the next 3 years. A further hurdle is potentially flawed allergen analysis--development of reference methods and reference materials are acknowledged needs. Laboratories should report allergen results in an informative manner, communicating uncertainty and caveats. Ideally a laboratory representative would be included on any incident control team. Efforts must continue to standardize preparedness for protecting and defending food and drink from deliberate attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors explore how attention and care are related in practice, as encountered in their ethnographic fieldwork on food safety inspection in the UK. Noting that there is a tendency to conceptually conflate the two activities within recent literatures, the authors tease apart the attention and care of inspection to propose that attention offers the conditions of possibility for care, and that its quality can shape that care in significant ways. Attention in this account does not involve simply a visual culture of surveillance, but includes the diverse range of sensory, bodily engagements through which the situations of animal and food production are made to matter. The study explores how three aspects of this version of attention – ecological, economical and educational – interact at a moment of significant regulatory change to leave key methods of supporting and improving the situations of food businesses vulnerable and difficult to sustain. The article concludes by reflecting on the general and specific implications of this way of thinking about attention for how care in policy practice is understood, valued and protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a best practice model that can be utilized by food system actors to assist with (re) building trust in the food system, before, during and after a food incident defined as 'any situation within the food supply chain where there is a risk or potential risk of illness or confirmed illness or injury associated with the consumption of a food or foods' (Commonwealth of Australia. National Food Incident Response Protocol. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012). Interviews were undertaken with 105 actors working within the media, food industry and food regulatory settings across Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom(UK). Interview data produced strategy statements, which indicated participant views on how to (re)build consumer trust in the food system. These included: (i) be transparent, (ii) have protocols and procedures in place, (iii) be credible, (iv) be proactive, (v) put consumers first, (vi) collaborate with stakeholders, (vii) be consistent, (viii) educate stakeholders and consumers, (ix) build your reputation and (x) keep your promises. A survey was designed to enable participants to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the ideas, rate their importance and provide further comment. The five strategies considered key to (re)building consumer trust were used to develop a model demonstrating best practice strategies for (re)building consumer trust in the food system before, during and after a food incident. In a world where the food system is increasingly complex, strategies for (re)building and fostering consumer trust are important. This study offers a model to do so which is derived from the views and experiences of actors working across the food industry, food regulation and the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eating, shopping and cooking habits have radically changed over the last 50 years. This paper examines a number of food categories that have developed significantly over this time period and highlights where food science and specifically reformulation have played a role in developing foods, to better fit into modern, healthy diets. Underpinned by the growing knowledge and application of food science and technology, changes in food and drink composition in response to increased understanding of the links between diet and health have been significant. This trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past few years have witnessed the emergence of new actors and ideas in agri-food politics discussed under the heading ‘post-exceptionalism’. Yet our knowledge about which political actors promote a shift from exceptionalism toward post-exceptionalism is limited. How supportive are political parties of post-exceptionalism? Which political parties support a strong form for post-exceptionalism and which a weak one? To examine these research questions, the study concentrates on Germany and the United Kingdom. It shows that the green parties in Germany and the United Kingdom are the strongest advocates of opening up policy-making in the agri-food sector to new actors and of proposing policies that span across the boundaries of this policy sector. Parties that are more closely aligned with farmers’ interests tend to support weaker forms of post-exceptionalism. What also matters for explaining the parties’ positions on post-exceptionalism is how strongly they support state intervention in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by food outlets are often more energy dense and nutrient poor compared with meals prepared at home, making them a reasonable target for public health intervention. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to systematically identify and describe interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away, or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets in England.Methods: A systematic search and sift of the literature, followed by evidence mapping of relevant interventions, was conducted. Food outlets were included if they were located in England, were openly accessible to the public and, as their main business, sold ready-to-eat meals. Academic databases and grey literature were searched. Also, local authorities in England, topic experts, and key health professionals and workers were contacted. Two tiers of evidence synthesis took place: type, content and delivery of each intervention were summarised (Tier 1) and for those interventions that had been evaluated, a narrative synthesis was conducted (Tier 2).Results: A total of 75 interventions were identified, the most popular being awards. Businesses were more likely to engage with cost neutral interventions which offered imperceptible changes to price, palatability and portion size. Few interventions involved working upstream with suppliers of food, the generation of customer demand, the exploration of competition effects, and/or reducing portion sizes. Evaluations of interventions were generally limited in scope and of low methodological quality, and many were simple assessments of acceptability.Conclusions: Many interventions promoting healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away, or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets in England are taking place; award-type interventions are the most common. Proprietors of food outlets in England that, as their main business, sell ready-to-eat meals, can be engaged in implementing interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat-food. These proprietors are generally positive about such interventions, particularly when they are cost neutral and use a health by stealth approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In 2006, food industry self-regulatory efforts aimed to balance the mix of food advertisements to limit children's exposure to unhealthy food products. An update to these efforts proposed to eliminate all unhealthy advertisements during peak child viewing times and implement uniform nutrition criteria by December, 2013. Marketing techniques are not currently addressed in self-regulatory efforts. The food industry's pledge prompted researchers to conduct a content analysis to assess nutritional quality and presence of persuasive marketing techniques in child-directed food and beverage advertisements. Study design: Content analysis. Methods: 32 h of children's television programming were recorded in February, 2013. Three independent coders assessed the nutritional content of food and beverage advertisements using the UK Nutrition Profiling System and assessed presence of persuasive techniques (PTs) using a rating form developed for this study. Results: Overall, 13.75% of advertisements promoted a food or beverage product. Most food advertisements, 54.6%, represented unhealthy products and 95.48% of food advertisements contained at least one PT. The number of PTs was not significantly different for healthy (M = 4.98, SD = 2.07) and unhealthy food advertisements (M = 4.66, SD = 1.82) however food advertisements aimed at children used significantly more PTs (M = 5.5, SD = 1.43) than those targeting adults (M = 1.52, SD = 1.54), t (153) = 11.738, P < 0.0001. Saturday morning children's programming showed significantly fewer food advertisements compared to weekday morning children's programming. Conclusions: While a majority of food-related advertisements represented unhealthy items, advertisements airing during Saturday morning programming featured fewer food advertisements overall and were more frequently for healthier items compared to weekdays. Industry self-regulation may not be effective for reducing overall unhealthy ad exposure but may play a role in reduced exposure on weekends. Despite policy efforts, additional changes are needed to improve ad exposure experienced by children with a focus on addressing the persistent use of persuasive marketing techniques in food advertising intended for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of the significant role played by the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science (BSSRS) in facilitating the anti-genetically modified (GM) food campaign. It mentions that some BSSRS former members were involved through the Food Commission. It discusses the contribution of genetic reductionism critique which offered a crucial conceptual basis for the anti-GM food campaign to make arguments regarding the unreliability of food safety impact assessment.

Background: Average population dietary intakes do not reflect the wide diversity of dietary patterns across the population. It is recognised that most people in the UK do not meet dietary recommendations and have diets with a high environmental impact, but changing dietary habits has proved very difficult. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity in dietary changes needed to achieve a healthy diet and a healthy diet with lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) (referred to as a sustainable diet) by taking into account each individual's current diet and then minimising the changes they need to make. Methods: Linear programming was used to construct two new diets for each adult in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (n = 1491) by minimising the changes to their current intake. Stepwise changes were applied until (i) dietary recommendations were achieved and (ii) dietary recommendations and a GHGE target were met. First, gradual changes (≤50 %) were made to the amount of any foods currently eaten. Second, new foods were added to the diet. Third, greater reductions (≤75 %) were made to the amount of any food currently eaten and finally, foods were removed from the diet. Results: One person out of 1491 in the sample met all the dietary requirements based on their reported dietary intake. Only 7.5 and 4.6 % of people achieved a healthy diet and a sustainable diet, respectively, by changing the amount of any food they currently ate by up to 50 %. The majority required changes to the amount of each food eaten plus the addition of new foods. Fewer than 5 % had to remove foods they ate to meet recommendations. Sodium proved the most difficult nutrient recommendation to meet. The healthy diets and sustainable diets produced a 15 and 27 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions respectively. Conclusions: Since healthy diets alone do not produce substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, dietary guidelines need to include recommendations for environmental sustainability. Minimising the shift from current dietary intakes is likely to make dietary change more realistic and achievable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical review of recent research on the consumption of 'convenience' food, highlighting the contested nature of the term and exploring its implications for public health and environmental sustainability. It distinguishes between convenience food in general and particular types of convenience food, such as ready-meals, tracing the structure and growth of the market for such foods with a particular emphasis on the UK which currently has the highest rate of ready-meal consumption in Europe. Having established the definitional complexities of the term, the paper presents the evidence from a systematic review of the literature, highlighting the significance of convenience food in time-saving and time-shifting, the importance of recent changes in domestic labour and family life, and the way the consumption of convenience food is frequently moralized. The paper shows how current debates about convenience food are part of a longer discursive history about food, health and nutrition. It discusses current levels of public understanding about the links between convenience food, environmental sustainability and food waste. The paper concludes by making a case for understanding the consumption of convenience food in terms of everyday social practices, emphasising its habitual and routine character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In settings such as workplaces there is a growing acceptance that the food provided has a significant impact on health and wellbeing. This is a captive environment where the overall contribution of the meal served could be an important element of the overall diet and represents an under researched area. Despite growing demand, little information is available; time pressure when making food choice alongside the challenge of understanding information provided can act as barriers for healthy selection and can also decrease confidence in the food system. We would also argue that the fundamental human right of informing consumers what they are eating is not currently being addressed and is underscored. This study used focus groups to explore criteria that motivate peoples' food choice in a workplace foodservice setting. Thematic analysis was applied to categorise data according to frequently occurring responses. Data were collected from four focus groups in Germany and the UK with a total of 23 participants. Although there is little expectation in the quality of food served in the workplace, respondents valued any transparency of information and the opportunity to socialise with other work colleagues. Criteria of importance were identified as: Value for money, Variety, Naturalness, Nutrition, Portion Size, Taste, Visual Appearance, Origin, Animal welfare, Environmental impact, Fair Trade and Organic. Gaining insight into these criteria can enable operators to meet the needs and expectations of their customers in order to increase confidence in the food provided and in addition signpost a healthier selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the relationship between social science and the food industry, and it suggests that collaboration can be intellectually productive and morally rewarding. It explores the middle ground that exists between paid consultancy models of collaboration on the one hand and a principled stance of nonengagement on the other. Drawing on recent experiences of researching with a major food retailer in the UK, I discuss the ways in which collaborating with retailers can open up opportunities for accessing data that might not otherwise be available to social scientists. Additionally, I put forward the argument that researchers with an interest in the sustainability--ecological or otherwise--of food systems, especially those of a critical persuasion, ought to be empirically engaging with food businesses. I suggest that this is important in terms of generating better understandings of the objectionable arrangements that they seek to critique, and in terms of opening up conduits through which to affect positive changes. Cutting across these points is the claim that while resistance to commercial engagement might be misguided, it is nevertheless important to acknowledge the power-geometries of collaboration and to find ways of leveling and/or leveraging them. To conclude, I suggest that universities have an important institutional role to play in defining the terms of engagement as well as maintaining the boundaries between scholarship and consultancy--a line that can otherwise become quite fuzzy when the worlds of commerce and academic research collide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being called ‘Indian restaurants’, the family-run curry houses that are characteristic of high streets in Britain are primarily run by Bangladeshi and Pakistani migrants. This article links the evolution of these restaurants in Britain to colonial history, migration after Independence and contemporary political changes. It analyses the popularity of curry houses alongside the continuing racism meted out to the wait staff and patrons by white Britons in the context of colonial history, migration patterns and the changing industrial fortunes of India and Britain in the post-World War II era. The emergence of wealthy and highly-credentialed Indians and British-born Asians has led to the rise of upmarket eateries and to a sharp bifurcation in diasporic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Current UK intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) is above recommendations. Reducing the sugar content of processed high sugar foods through reformulation is one option for reducing consumption of NMES at a population level. However, reformulation can alter the sensory attributes of food products and influence consumer liking. This study evaluated consumer acceptance of a selection of products that are commercially-available in the UK; these included regular and sugar-reduced baked beans, strawberry jam, milk chocolate, cola and cranberry & raspberry juice. Sweeteners were present in the reformulated chocolate (maltitol), cola (aspartame and acesulfame-K) and juice (sucralose) samples. Healthy, non-smoking consumers ( n = 116; 55 men, 61 women, age: 33 ± 9 years; BMI: 25.7 ± 4.6 kg/m 2 ) rated the products for overall liking and on liking of appearance, flavor and texture using a nine-point hedonic scale. There were significant differences between standard and reduced sugar products in consumers' overall liking and on liking of each modality (appearance, flavor and texture; all P < 0.0001). For overall liking, only the regular beans and cola were significantly more liked than their reformulated counterparts ( P < 0.0001). Cluster analysis identified three consumer clusters that were representative of different patterns of consumer liking. For the largest cluster (cluster 3: 45%), there was a significant difference in mean liking scores across all products, except jam. Differences in liking were predominantly driven by sweet taste in 2 out of 3 clusters. The current research has demonstrated that a high proportion of consumers prefer conventional products over sugar-reduced products across a wide range of product types (45%) or across selected products (27%), when tasted unbranded, and so there is room for further optimization of commercial reduced sugar products that were evaluated in the current study. Future work should evaluate strategies to facilitate compliance to dietary recommendations on NMES and free sugars, such as the impact of sugar-reduced food exposure on their acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]