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In an emerging economy like China where the domestic income inequality has dramatically increased between middle‐class urban consumers and poor rural farmers, food grown by poor farmers with poverty alleviation labels may receive price premiums from consumers with multiple incentives. To reveal consumers' willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for anti‐poverty labelled food, we implement a non‐hypothetical Becker–DeGroot–Marschak auction online experiment for apples with real shoppers. Results show that consumers are willing to pay 3.66 RMB extra for each kilogram of apples with anti‐poverty labels, indicating the opportunities for using voluntary public food consumption to supplement the government's anti‐poverty responsibilities. Consumers who are more empathic, who believe that anti‐poverty products have higher quality, who have donated money within the past year, and who are not involve with anti‐poverty related production or selling processes are willing to pay more. Additionally, three different information treatments (a beneficiary description, an appreciation certificate and a government promotion document) were found to increase consumers' WTP for anti‐poverty products. Treatment effects are different among consumers with different demographic characters and perspectives about the anti‐poverty label. Lastly, anti‐poverty labels can attract consumers for trial purchase but are not sufficient to lead consumers to make repeat purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with nosocomial infection and food poisoning cases. Contamination of P. mirabilis in retail meat products may be important transmission routes for human infection with P. mirabilis. In this study a total of 89 P. mirabilis strains were isolated from 347 samples in 14 food markets in China and subjected to whole genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all 89 strains were divided into 81 different clones (SNPs >5), indicating high genetic diversity of P. mirabilis in food markets. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that 81 (91.01%) strains displayed multidrug resistance profiles. Seventy-three different resistance genes (or variants) were found, including various clinically important antimicrobial resistance genes aac(6′)-Ib-cr (77.53%), blaCTX-M (39.33%), fosA3 (30.34%), as well as multiresistance gene cfr (4.50%), tigecycline resistance gene cluster tmexCD3-toprJ1 (4.50%) and carbapenemase gene blaNDM-1 (1.12%). Diverse genetic elements including Tn7 transposon, plasmid, SXT/ R391 integrative conjugative element were associated with the horizontal transfer of cfr. tmexCD3-toprJ1 and blaNDM-1 were located on ICEPmiChnJZ26 and Salmonella genomic island 1, respectively. Our study emphasized high contamination of P. mirabilis harbouring various clinically important antimicrobial resistance genes in retail meat and aquatic products, which might be an important issue in terms of food safety and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to food and non-alcoholic beverage advertisements (F&B ads) on television, which can affect children's nutrition knowledge, food consumption, diet quality, and purchasing preferences, is one aspect of the obesogenic environment. This aspect has been well-studied and assessed in many countries. In China, however, only few studies have been done in earlier years and all of them were focus on regular days. This study aimed to assess the extent and nature of F&B ads on television (TV) during the public holiday directed towards children aged 4-14 years in Beijing.Method: Top 3 channels viewed by children aged 4-14 years in Beijing were selected by TV viewership data, survey, and expert consultation. Each channel was recorded for 7 days (24 h) during the public holiday of the Chinese New Year in 2019. F&B ads were coded and analyzed following the adapted food promotion module of INFORMAS protocol. Three nutrient profile models were used to classify F&B ads as healthy or unhealthy F&B ads.Results: Of the 10,082 ads in 504-hour recorded programs, 42.9% were F&B ads. The hourly average ads and F&B ads per channel were 19.8 (SD 15.32) and 8.6 (SD 9.84), while that was higher on the national children's channel (17.15, SD 12.25) than other channels (p < 0.05). Of F&B ads classified with the three nutrient profile models, more than 55% were unhealthy for children. The categories most frequently advertised were savory snacks, milk drinks, nonpermitted milk drinks, cakes/sweet biscuits, and beverages. Unhealthy F&B ads were more likely to use promotional characters, brand benefit claims, and health claims than permitted F&B ads (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Children in Beijing were exposed to a high proportion of unhealthy F&B ads during the Chinese New Year holiday. Our findings support the need to assess and regulate TV F&B ads marketing for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a survey of 1,225 consumers in 10 cities of five representative provinces, this study was designed to understand the low use rate of food nutrition information in China after a mandatory label policy was instituted in 2013. We found that consumers always neglect nutrition information at point-of-purchase. But they refer to simplified front-of-pack labels more frequently than detailed back-of-pack labels. Fat information is most concerned especially by females; whereas sodium information attracts the least concern. Ignorance, a belief that the information is un-useful are the main cause of the low use rate of nutritional information. Thus, simplified and striking tag formats should be used to capture consumers' attention and convince them of the importance of nutrition information. The findings can also be used as a guide in the design of food marketing programs directing at different consumer groups for food processors targeting the Chinese market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of consumer utility, this study conducted a survey‐based experimental analysis involving two types of traceable pork hindquarters on grocery shoppers from the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Results showed that decoy effect existed in the purchase of traceable pork hindquarters. Furthermore, the decoy effect associated with traceability information reflecting pork quality and safety was higher than that associated with appearance and a comparable price. This study has implications on marketing of food, including pork, and contributes to establishing a multilevel traceable pork system through a combination of different product attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines residents' walking and biking patterns for food shopping in China and the influence of neighborhood form and market characteristics on effective walk/bike catchment areas of food markets. Based on 1417 resident surveys at 15 food markets in three neighborhoods in the city of Beijing, we found that residents rarely shop at the nearest food stores and prefer larger farmer's markets and supermarkets instead. And they travel in much shorter distance compared with residents in the western cities. An ordinary least squares regression analysis reveals that, after controlling for the effect of personal socioeconomic and trip characteristics, traditional neighborhoods with dense street networks, mixed land uses and ample tree shades present the largest walk/bike catchment area, followed by enclave neighborhoods and superblock neighborhoods. In addition, markets with larger size, ground-level and adjacency to a park are significantly associated with longer walking and biking distances. • Residents rarely shop at the nearest food stores and prefer farmer's markets and supermarkets. • Traditional neighborhoods present the largest walk/bike catchment area, followed by enclave and superblock neighborhoods. • Markets with larger size, ground-level and adjacency to a park increase the walking and biking distance for food shopping. • Some personal characteristics and trip factors also affect the walking and biking distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food and beverage marketing contributes to poor dietary choices among adults and children. As consumers spend more time on the Internet, food and beverage companies have increased their online marketing efforts. Studies have shown food companies' online promotions use a variety of marketing techniques to promote mostly energy-dense, nutrient-poor products, but no studies have compared the online marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products promoted on food companies' international websites. For this descriptive study, we developed a qualitative codebook to catalogue the marketing themes used on 18 international corporate websites associated with the world's three largest fast food and beverage companies (i.e. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken). Nutritional quality of foods featured on those websites was evaluated based on quantitative Nutrient Profile Index scores and food category (e.g. fried, fresh). Beverages were sorted into categories based on added sugar content. We report descriptive statistics to compare the marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products featured on the company websites for the food and beverage company websites in two high-income countries (HICs), Germany and the United States, two upper-middle-income countries (UMICs), China and Mexico, and two lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), India and the Philippines. Of the 406 screenshots captured from company websites, 67·8% depicted a food or beverage product. HICs' websites promoted diet food or beverage products/healthier alternatives (e.g. baked chicken sandwich) significantly more often on their pages (25%), compared to LMICs (14·5%). Coca-Cola featured diet products significantly more frequently on HIC websites compared to LMIC websites. Charities were featured more often on webpages in LMICs (15·4%) compared to UMICs (2·6%) and HICs (2·3%). This study demonstrates that companies showcase healthier products in wealthier countries and advertise their philanthropic activities in lower income countries, which is concerning given the negative effect of nutrition transition (double burden of overnutrition and undernutrition) on burden of non-communicable diseases and obesity in lower income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshness is a multidimensional attribute commonly encountered in everyday life and particularly in association with food. It awakens certain expectations from consumers, as it is a critical variable that affects the food quality and acceptability. The aim of this research was to identify sensory and non-sensory factors contributing to young immigrant Chinese consumers’ freshness perceptions of orange juices. Two focus groups were undertaken, where participants ( n = 19) evaluated freshness of 20 orange juices and their corresponding packages. The qualitative data from these focus groups was combined with the results from a wide-ranging review of existing literature on orange juice characteristics as well as related consumers’ perceptions. From this, a set of 60 statements was derived with the purpose of representing the whole spectrum of possible viewpoints that young immigrant Chinese consumers might have about freshness. To obtain a holistic understanding of freshness, these statements were then used for subsequent sorting exercises using Napping and Q methodology ( n = 20). Results showed that perceived freshness was related to an overall notion of healthy and natural. The young immigrant Chinese consumers defined freshness as a level of closeness to the orange, perceiving orange-like sensory qualities as fresh. Results also showed that freshness perceptions were greatly influenced by non-sensory attributes. Three distinct consumer perspectives were identified, with consumers in each of these perspectives holding homogeneous viewpoints about freshness. The new insights obtained from this research are important for food companies in determining long-term new product developments and in developing the marketing mix for products that are marketed on the freshness attribute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the enormous opportunity that the Chinese market provides for exporting companies in the food and beverage industry, little research has considered Chinese consumer decision making processes surrounding these products. This study provides an empirical investigation into how Chinese consumers prioritize extrinsic product attributes (brand, nutrition content claim, ingredient label, shelf-life, price, and manufacturing country) when making their fruit juice purchase decisions. The study illustrates that consumer decision making processes are culturally embedded by presenting a comparison of the study’s findings with the more prevalent Western-based literature on consumer decision making processes. A choice-based conjoint survey was administered to 645 Chinese participants in Hangzhou, China using the internet-based software 1000Minds. Three consumer segments were identified through cluster analysis: Health Conscious, Premium Product, and Long Product Shelf-life. The Health Conscious segment wants natural and nutritious fruit juices that have a well-known brand. The Premium Product segment is willing to pay higher prices for imported fruit juices. Compared to the other two segments, the Long Product Shelf-life segment prefers lower priced and extended shelf-life fruit juices that are more convenient to store and consume. While the three clusters were similar in their preferences for the fruit juice attributes and levels, they differed in the rank order of the attributes. These findings highlight the importance of how extrinsic product attributes are traded off by Chinese consumers when making their fruit juice purchase decisions. The identification of these Chinese consumer segments provides juice manufacturers better knowledge on the market opportunities in China and strategic guidance for effective positioning, packaging, labeling, and pricing of fruit juices. This attribute prioritization-based segmentation for the Chinese consumer market is novel and thus provides strong implications for the fruit juice industry. In addition, this paper also makes a novel academic contribution to the Chinese consumer decision making literature on food and beverage products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural occurrence of mycotoxins like Alternaria mycotoxins in food commodities is concerning in terms of health risks for humans. Currently, detailed investigations of Alternaria mycotoxins, such as alternariol (AOH), alternariol methyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), and altenuene (ALT) in food commodities marketed through e-commerce stores in China remains scarce. In addition, not many studies have focused on the associated dietary risk of these mycotoxins. This study conducted a survey (486 samples) for five Alternaria mycotoxins using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) methods. Among five Alternaria mycotoxins, TeA had the highest occurrence rate (51.0%) and concentration (average concentration of 40.6 μg/kg) in food commodities, followed by TEN, AOH, AME, and ALT. Millet and tomato products were contaminated with higher levels of TeA than other types of food commodities. The combination of TeA + TEN and AME + TeA + TEN were the predominant two contamination patterns detected in cereal and fruit products. Chronic dietary exposures to Alternaria mycotoxins were performed by the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach. The mean and 95th percentile chronic dietary exposures to AOH and AME indicated different risk levels for consumers in China, with the highest exposure observed in the 2–7 years group, indicating potential dietary health concern. The mean chronic dietary exposures to TeA and ALT did not indicate a risk for the consumers, but the exposure to TeA through cereal product consumption exceeded the TTC value in the 2–12 years group at 95th percentile evaluation. Therefore, strategies should be continuously adopted to decrease or eliminate the occurrence of Alternaria mycotoxins in food commodities in order to reduce the dietary risks for humans. • Alternaria toxins screened in food samples marketed through e-ecommerce stores. • About 60.3% (293/486) of samples were contaminated with Alternaria toxins. • Co-occurrence Alternaria toxins was detected in 36.8% (179/486) of food samples. • Dietary exposures to Alternaria toxins indicated different risk levels for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the extent and level of Salmonella contamination of aquatic food products in China, and to determine serotype, virulotype, and the antimicrobial resistance profiles of recovered Salmonella isolates. Out of 554 samples collected from July 2011 to May 2014, 86 (15.5%) tested positive for Salmonella . The highest contamination rate occurred in oysters (23.1%, 6/26), followed by freshwater fish (18.6%, 43/231), shrimp (13.0%, 13/100), and saltwater fish (12.2%, 24/197). The contamination levels generally corresponded to a most probable number (MPN)/g of 0.3–10, although one sample exceeded 110 MPN/g. Among the 103 isolates, S . Typhimurium, S . Wandsworth, S . Thompson, and S . Derby were the most prevalent serovars. Sixty-eight isolates (66.0%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and 35 (34.0%) were resistant to more than three. High rates of resistance were observed for tetracycline (35.9%), ampicillin (28.2%), nalidixic acid (26.2%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25.2%), chloramphenicol (20.4%) and streptomycin (18.4%). Of note, S . Thompson isolates exhibited resistance to multiple extended-spectrum cephalosporins, ciprofloxacin, and other antimicrobials. PCR analysis of 15 virulence genes showed that ssaQ , mgtC , siiD , sopB , and bcfC were present in all 103 isolates, whereas the remaining loci were variably distributed. S . Typhimurium, S . Enteritidis, and S . Weltevreden isolates exhibited a wider range of pathogenicity determinants compared with the other strains. Our study provides a comprehensive surveillance on prevalence of Salmonella in aquatic food products from China and indicates its potential risk to public health. These data are valuable for epidemiological studies, risk management, and public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study are to systematically assess the bioactive substances and overall antioxidant capacities of commercially fermented soy products and to find the relationships between the presence of beneficial components in different types of soybean fermented products. The results show that phenolic profiles increased significantly after fermentation as compared with raw yellow soybeans. Among all the samples, the douchi and fermented black bean sauce had the highest detected antioxidant profiles. Even though the total isoflavone content was reduced in fermented soybean products (794.84 μg/g on average) as compared with raw yellow soybeans (3477.6 μg/g), there was an obvious trend of conversion of the glucoside form in raw soybeans into the aglycone-form isoflavones in the fermented soybean products. The highest daidzein and genistein values were found in the “Yangfan” black bean douchi, i.e. 860.3 μg/g and 1025.9 μg/g, respectively. The amounts of essential amino acids also were improved in most fermented soybean products. The douchi and black bean fermented products are recommended for consumption due to their abundant bioactive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese food market is very large and represents a significant opportunity for overseas companies. If this opportunity is to be exploited, however, there is still a need to understand the Chinese consumer’s response to production by different countries of origin. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to provide insight into the country of origin effect on the purchase of food products in China. The paper reports the findings of an empirical study conducted in Beijing that was based on a large-scale street survey of consumers. Despite limitations related to representativeness and self-reporting, the study generated a number of useful insights. Specifically, the findings suggest that food originating from overseas is perceived to be of higher quality than food originating from China and that Chinese consumers do not see food originating overseas as all the same but relate quality to the country from which it originates. Food originating from overseas had a perceived advantage in the minds of Chinese consumers, although there is still an inclination to buy Chinese food which may serve as a barrier to entry in this market for overseas companies who do not produce in China itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the pesticide residues in market vegetables in Shaanxi Province of China. The concentrations of 33 pesticides were determined by gas chromatography (GC) in 285 samples. Ten organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) were found in concentrations ranging from 0.004 to 0.257mg/kg. The mean levels of omethoate, phorate, chlorpyrifos, methidathion, ethoprophos in vegetables exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) allowed by the Ministry of Health, of China. Other detectable OP pesticide residues levels were below their MRLs. Dicofol were detectable in green pepper and chives samples. Five pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) were detectable in vegetable samples respectively. The results provide useful information on the current contamination status of a key agricultural area in China, and point to the need for urgent action to control the excessive use of some chemicals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim To develop affordable, appropriate, and nutritious recipes based on local food resources and dietary practices that have the potential to improve infant feeding practices. Methods We carried out a mixed methods study following the World Health Organization's evaluation guidelines on the promotion of child feeding. We recruited caregivers with children aged 6-23 months in Wuyi County, Hebei Province, China. The study included a 24-hour dietary recall survey, local food market survey, and development of a key local food list, food combinations, and recipes. Mothers tested selected recipes at their homes for two weeks. We interviewed mothers to obtain their perceptions on the recipes. Results The 24-hour dietary recall survey included 110 mothers. Dietary diversity was poor; approximately 10% of children consumed meat and only 2% consumed vitamin A-rich vegetables. The main reason for not giving meat was the mothers' belief that their children could not chew and digest meat. With the help of mothers, we developed six improved nutritious recipes with locally available and affordable foods. Overall, mothers liked the recipes and were willing to continue using them. Conclusions This is the first study using a systematic evidence- based method to develop infant complementary recipes that can address complementary feeding problems in China. We developed recipes based on local foods and preparation practices and identified the barriers that mothers faced toward feeding their children with nutritious food. To improve nutrition practices, it is important to both give mothers correct feeding knowledge and assist them in cooking nutritious foods for their children based on locally available products. Further research is needed to assess long-term effects of those recipes on the nutritional status of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on criminal law amended by the Fifth Meeting of the Eighth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on March 14, 1997. It states that persons who produce or sell counterfeit medicines which pose danger to human health are subjected to criminal detention of not more than three years. It also says that persons who produce or sell food composed of toxic and harmful raw materials will be under criminal detention of not more than five years or imprisonment.

Objective: To investigate the occurrence of important foodborne pathogens in shellstock Pacific oysters in the food markets in South China. Methods: From July 2007 to June 2008, retail oysters were collected in different seasons from South China and analyzed for the prevalence and levels of Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Results: None of L. monocytogenes could be detected in any of the 202 oyster samples tested, while V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus could be detected in 67 (54.9%) and 109 (89.3%) of the 122 oyster samples analyzed, respectively, with an MPN (most probable number) value greater than or equal to 3. V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus with a more than 102 MPN/g were found in 36 (29.5%) and 59 (48.4%) of the 122 oyster samples, respectively. The tdh and trh genes were detected in 4 (0.3%) and 8 (0.6%) of the 1 349 V. parahaemolyticus isolates, respectively. Of the 122 samples, 4 (3.3%) was positive for either tdh or trh. The levels of V. vulnificus and total V. parahaemolyticus in oysters in South China varied in different seasons. Conclusion: V. vulnificus and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus are frequently found in oysters in south China, which may pose a potential threat to public health. Data presented here will be useful for the microbiological risk assessment in oysters in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Food inspection intensity positively affects vendors' traceability adoption. • Information disclosure positively affects vendors' traceability adoption. • The effect of inspections relies on the presence of information disclosure. • Regulatory policy mixes may generate extra effectiveness than a single policy. • Instrument variables are employed to solve potential endogeneity problem. The increasingly heavier burden of government spending on food safety supervision is a common problem faced by regulatory agencies in various countries. Traceability is an effective quality and safety management measure and plays an important role in food safety risk control in many developed countries. However, the agricultural product traceability system in wholesale markets has low coverage in China. This article investigates the effects of regulatory policy mixes, i.e., food safety sampling intensity and information disclosure, on vendors' traceability adoption, theoretically and empirically based on a dataset containing the information of all aquatic product wholesale markets in three provinces of China. The results show that both sampling intensity and information disclosure positively influence the traceability adoption of vendors. However, the effect of food safety sampling intensity on traceability adoption relies on information disclosure. Specifically, an increase of 10 sampling tests enhances the probability that vendors adopt traceability by 4 percentage points in markets with information disclosure. These effects are heterogeneous across vendors with different business scales and with different supply chain distances from farms. The effects are larger for vendors with larger business scales and/or are closer to farms. The above results are robust after the inclusion of the instrumental variable into the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Probability of TBHQ adding to sold foods made in 2020 is lower than that made in 2018. • Addition amounts of TBHQ in foods are far less than the maximum legal additive amount. • Generation rate of TBBQ in edible oils is lower than that in other food categories. • Process method and food composition are main factors for the generation rate of TBBQ. • Exposure to TBBQ from edible oil is higher than that from cooked nuts and baked foods. This study aimed to obtain a reliable evaluation about addition of tert -butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and distribution of TBHQ and 2 -tert -butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TBBQ) contents in typical edible oils and oleaginous foods marketed in Hangzhou City. Briefly, the probability of labeled with addition of TBHQ in foods decreased from 36.45 ± 2.6% to 28.78 ± 3.7% in the period from 2018 to 2020. In the 135 analyzed samples, TBHQ contents were far less than the maximum legal additive amount, and TBBQ contents ranged from below its limit of quantification (LOQ) to 13.54 ± 1.15 mg/kg. The conversion rate from TBHQ to TBBQ in edible oils was 2.94 ± 1.17%, much lower than that in other food categories. Further research determined that the process method and food composition were the main factors for different conversion rates from TBHQ to TBBQ in various food categories. In addition, oil consumption was found to be the primary source of dietary intake of TBHQ and TBBQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this article is the persistent continued strength of "wet markets" in Hong Kong and the weakness of supermarkets in the fresh food area. This phenomenon is surprising because, based on the experiences in North America and Western Europe and given the well-developed economy of Hong Kong, one would have expected supermarkets to dominate fresh food retailing and wet markets to be in retreat. In this article, the authors explain the reasons for the continued dominance of wet markets. They argue that consumers' shopping and consumption culture, the effectiveness of wet markets in handling consumers 'needs, and the appropriateness of the simple technology used by wet markets are at the basis of this dominance. An analysis of developments in the wet market system, in the supermarkets, and in consumers' behavior leads to a conclusion that there are no indications of possible changes in wet markets' superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater snails have been used extensively as a human food source in different countries for centuries. Due to increasing cases of fraudulent substitution or mislabeling affecting the safety and quality of food products, food authenticity has aroused crucial concern. This study aimed to identify processed freshwater snail products that were sold under the commercial term Tian luo in Chinese, which means local field snails and refers to Cipangopaludina spp. A total of 100 samples of snail skewers, snail snacks, and snail sauces from the online food market were tested. Species were diagnosed based on a combined analysis of the morphological characteristics and mitochondrial COI fragments. Our results demonstrated 100% improper labeling of Tian luo processed food in food market of China. All snails in the skewers and snacks were nonnative apple snails from the genus Pomacea. The snails in the snail sauces were from Bellamya , which is a genus closely related to Cipangopaludina. The most commonly used apple snail species was P. maculata , followed by P. canaliculata. One specimen was identified as P. occulta , which is a newly described species that has thus far only been reported in China. A comparison of the distribution patterns of the Pomacea spp. from the food market and the natural habits in China indicated that the majority of the snail material was probably imported especially from other Asian countries, whereas a small proportion was likely farmed or collected in China. Apple snails pose food safety concerns because they host various zoonotic parasites. Moreover, we detected the presence of toxic female albumen glands on the apple snail skewers. Our results emphasize the importance of effective supervision and standardization of food treatment measures in freshwater snail foods. • Widespread mislabeling of freshwater snail products that refers to Cipangopaludina spp. in China. • Three non-native Pomacea spp. were identified in the skewers and snacks , while snails in the sauces were Bellamya spp. • Most of the apple snail material was probably imported from other Asian countries where Pomacea has been introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food products are inevitably contaminated by flame retardants throughout their lifecycle (i.e., during production, use, and disposal). In order to evaluate the dietary intake of legacy and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in typical market food in China, we investigate the distribution and profile of 27 legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 16 emerging HFRs (EHFRs) in 9 food categories (meat, poultry, aquatic food, eggs, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, nuts and fruits, and sugar). A total of 105 food samples collected from three markets in Nanjing, eastern China were included for evaluation. The highest concentrations of PBDEs and EHFRs were found in aquatic foods (means of 0.834 ng/g wet weight (ww) and 0.348 ng/g ww, respectively), and the lowest concentrations were found in sugar (means of 0.020 ng/g ww for PBDEs and 0.014 ng/g ww for EHFRs). 2,2′,4-tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE-17), a legacy HFR, and hexabromobenzene (HBBz), an EHFR, were the predominant pollutants in the investigated food samples. Concentrations of HBBz and 2,3-dibromopropyl tribromophenyl ether (DPTE) were comparable to those of some PBDEs in certain food samples. The concentrations of the total EHFRs and total PBDEs found in animal-based food samples were significantly greater than those in plant-based food samples. Comparison of the estimated total dietary intake of HFRs and their corresponding non-cancer reference dose (United States Environmental Protection Agency) suggests a low overall health risk. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to simultaneously determine 27 PBDEs and 16 EHFRs in representative foods from Chinese markets. BDE-17, HBBz, and DPTE were the predominant congeners among the 43 investigated HFRs and meat and aquatic foods were the primary sources of PBDEs and EHFRs to the total local dietary intake. Image 1 • Concentrations of 43 HFRs were determined in n = 105 food samples. • Aquatic foods contained the greatest concentrations of HFRs. • BDE-17, HBBz, and DPTE were the predominant HFRs. • HFR concentrations in animal-based foods were significantly greater than plant-based ones. • EDI of HFRs was lower than the RfD proposed by USEPA. Two emerging flame retardants, namely HBBz and DPTE, were frequently found in food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety related incidents have increased consumers' concern about food safety and quality and led to a distrust in the Chinese food market. This paper investigates how sociodemographic variables affect willingness to pay (WTP) both for safer and higher quality food by identify a specific user profile. Data were collected through a consumer survey conducted in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, administrating 1000 questionnaires, 757 of which resulted valid. Data showed that level of education, income, being married and the place of purchase significantly influences the WTP while the ages does not affect it. WTP is elicited by using a payment card method, and its estimation is performed with interval data regression model. Results also indicates that "food quality" and "food safety" have the same impact level on the WTP, indicating certain confusion about their significance. Other study results and implication on informative and educative policies are discussed. • Paper analyse the perception that a sample of people has of food safety and quality. • Over 700 questionnaires distributed in China (Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province). • We asked WTPs more than standard price for safer and higher quality rice. • In order to test how variables explored affect WTPs, interval data regression was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicated that television (TV) advertising is associated with higher rates of obesity. The rate of obesity and overweight continues to rise in mainland China, bringing into question whether TV advertising to young audiences might be partly to blame. This study investigated messaging delivered through TV advertisements regarding healthy and unhealthy foodstuffs. A total of 42 major food brands and 480 advertisements were analysed for content in this study. The results showed that the majority of TV spots advertised products with poor nutritional content and had a potential to mislead audiences concerning products' actual nutritional value. The tactics of repetition and appeals of premium offerings on food brands have a potential to influence the purchase intentions. Additional qualitative observation involving the social bond, social context and cultural factors pertaining to mood alterations were highlighted. The discussion addressed product attributes reflected by culture and the implicit messages of marketing claims may increase the risk of obesity. Thus, public health policymakers and researchers were encouraged to act urgently to evaluate the obesity risks of unhealthy food advertised in the media and to support healthy foods., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The essential adaptive food selection behavior of young children has become increasingly medicalized as a kind of disease-the "picky-eating" syndrome in Hong Kong. The researcher used the multiple case studies approach with data collected from in-depth interviews and advertisements to examine the process of the medicalization of picky-eating disorder, which demonstrates how an essential adaptive human behavior can be redefined by the market and medical system as a deviant, abnormal behavior that needs to be eliminated and how the resulting health risks can be resolved by modern medicine produced by this pharmaceutical nexus.