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Food environments exert a significant effect on population dietary choices and health outcomes. Policies that influence the food environment, can have a significant impact on individual and population dietary choices. This rapid review assessed the nature and interaction within the Ghanaian food environment, and the impact that existing school, workplace, and national food policies have on dietary intake and nutritional outcomes. Online databases and university repositories were searched for relevant articles and documents. A total of forty articles and documents were included in the review. Majority of the reviewed papers (85%) used a cross-sectional design. The findings show that traditional outlets (open markets) constitute the main food source among the Ghanaian populace, while convenience stores serve as an important source of processed foods. Prepared local foods are often consumed outside the home and are mainly sourced from street food vendors. Street foods are perceived as less expensive, convenient, and delicious. The food environment was found to influence dietary acquisition, intake, and nutritional outcomes. Although most nutrients provided by the School Feeding Programme (SFP) are below recommended intake standards, the SFP contributes positively to improved diets and nutrition status of school-age children. Children attending SFP-implementing schools experience higher intakes of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, folate, and have higher haemoglobin, and lower prevalence of stunting, underweight, and thinness than children in non-SFP implementing schools. Availability of a private room for breastfeeding mothers improved breastfeeding frequency. Ghana's fatty meat restriction policy has reduced the availability and sale of fatty meat on the Ghanaian market. Reported drivers and barriers to healthy foods consumption include socio-economic factors, media information, food storage facilities, cultural perception, fruit seasonality, knowledge on the nutrient value of fruits and vegetables, safety profile of fruits and vegetables, and contribution of household production to dietary intake. In conclusion, the food environment review reveals the drivers of availability, barriers to healthy food access, and impact of interventions and policies on the Ghanaian food environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, policymakers are setting ambitious goals for sustainability in public procurement, integrated across different pillars. Such ambitions are apparent in public catering services, where procurement models have been shifting towards greater localisation of supply chains and purchasing of more organically grown food. To date however, few studies have examined empirically what the impacts of different procurement models are across these multiple pillars of sustainability. This research aimed to fill the gap, by measuring and comparing the environmental, economic and nutritional outcomes of different models of school meals procurement. Case studies were undertaken of ten primary school meals services in five European countries, capturing different procurement model types. Results showed carbon emissions ranged from 0.95 kgs CO 2 e per meal in the lowest case to 2.41 kgs CO 2 e in the highest case, with adoption of low carbon food waste disposal methods and reduction of the amount of ruminant meat in the menus being the most important actions for lowering emissions. In terms of economic impact, local economic multiplier ratios ranged from 1.59 to 2.46, and although the level of local food sourcing contributed to these ratios, the effect was eclipsed, in some cases, by investment in local catering staff. Meanwhile, implementation of a robust standards regime and improving canteen environment and supervision were the most important actions for nutritional quality and intake. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for integrated, sustainable models of food procurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofortified orange maize open-pollinated varieties and hybrids with higher provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) have been released in sub-Saharan Africa and will be introduced throughout the local food systems. This study assessed the impact of steeping, a traditional processing method, on retention of carotenoids and starch pasting properties of porridges made from select biofortified maize genotypes. Steeping had a modest effect (<9% loss) on total carotenoid stability during relatively shorter steeping periods (<72 h). However, more extended steeping periods (up to 120 h) had a detrimental effect on total carotenoid recovery (61% loss). Xanthophylls showed greater stability (82% retention) compared to carotenes (30% retention) during subsequent wet cooking of fermented flours. Interestingly, steeping of maize did modify pasting properties, with peak viscosities increasing from 24–72 h of steeping potentially impacting cooking stability. These results suggest that steeping can impact carotenoid retention and potentially optimal steeping times would be 24–72 h for acceptable carotenoid retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]