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PurposeThe current pilot study explored food insecurity, food waste, food related behaviours and cooking confidence of UK consumers following the COVID-19 lockdown.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 473 UK-based consumers (63% female) in March 2020. A cross-sectional online survey measured variables including food insecurity prevalence, self-reported food waste, food management behaviours, confidence and frequency of use of a range of cooking methods, type of food eaten (ultra-processed, semi-finished, unprocessed) and packaging type foods are purchased in.Findings39% of participants have experienced some food insecurity in the last 12 months. Being younger, having a greater BMI and living in a smaller household were associated with food insecurity. Green leaves, carrots, potatoes and sliced bread are the most wasted of purchased foods. Polenta, green leaves and white rice are the most wasted cooked foods. Food secure participants reported wasting a smaller percentage of purchased and cooked foods compared to food insecure participants. Overall, participants were most confident about boiling, microwaving and stir-frying and least confident with using a pressure cooker or sous vide. Food secure participants were more confident with boiling, stir-frying, grilling and roasting than insecure food participants.Practical implicationsThis has implications for post lockdown policy, including food policies and guidance for public-facing communications.Originality/valueWe identified novel differences in self-report food waste behaviours and cooking confidence between the food secure and insecure consumers and observed demographics associated with food insecurity.

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A study was carried out to elaborate and monitor the shelf life of a pineapple jam with ingredients using, as “gelatinizing agent”, the pectin extracted from passion fruit residues from a rural community of Amazonas State, Brazil. The product was always maintained at a temperature of 25 °C and studied for 4 months, with the results showing physical-chemical and microbiological stability. We concluded that passion fruit residue can be used in pineapple jam production while still meeting legal standards for commercialization, reducing environmental waste, and being an alternative source of income in rural communities.

The industry of tree nuts has an important impact on the economy of several countries and the raw materials are obtained by cultivating or extracting the nuts from forests. Tree nuts are excellent sources of nutrients and preventing diseases. In contrast, they are affected by environmental factors, the nut species, varieties or cultivar and processing temperatures. They can favor some mycotoxin fungi producers, such as, Aspergillus and Penicillium species, common in some nuts and their by-products. Mycotoxins can cause economic losses and there is objective evidence of mycotoxin toxicity to man and animals. In this context, the objective of this review is to present some of the tree nuts and peanuts most commonly associated fungi and mycotoxins.

The objective of this work is to evaluate the stability of Brazil nut oil emulsions with gum Arabic using ultrasound-assisted homogenization. The emulsions were prepared in a completely randomized design varying the time (2 and 4 min) and the ultrasound power (30 and 40%). The physicochemical properties of the emulsions (pH, conductivity, turbidity, zeta potential, surface tension, rheology and optical microscopy) were evaluated after the homogenization process and 4 hours later. The results showed that more energetic homogenization processes (longer duration and higher ultrasound power) favored the physicochemical properties, keeping the emulsions more stable. Thus, Brazil nut oil emulsions prepared with ultrasound-assisted showed good physic-chemical characteristics that can guarantee good emulsion stability during spray drying, guaranteeing efficiency and protection of the physical and chemical properties of the Brazil nut oil.

Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Food systems are significant sources of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). Since emission intensity varies greatly between different foods, changing food choices towards those with lower GHGE could make an important contribution to mitigating climate change. Public engagement events offer an opportunity to communicate these multifaceted issues and raise awareness about the climate change impact of food choices. An interdisciplinary team of researchers was preparing food and climate change educational activities for summer 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown disrupted these plans. In this paper, we report on shifting these events online over the month of June 2020. We discuss what we did and the reception to our online programme. We then reflect on and highlight issues that arose. These relate to: (1) the power dynamics of children, diet and climate change; (2) mental health, diet and COVID-19; (3) engaging the wider science, agriculture and food communities; (4) the benefits of being unfunded and the homemade nature of this programme; (5) the food system, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and diversity; and (6) how our work fits into our ongoing journey of food and climate change education. STFC Food Network+; N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme; Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund. Grant Number: 204796/Z/16/Z; STFC. Grant Number: ST/S003320/1; Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Grant Number: NE/R007160/1.

Copyright © 2021 van Erp, Reynolds, Maynard, Starke, Ibáñez Martín, Andres, Leite, Alvarez de Toledo, Schmidt Rivera, Trattner, Brewer, Adriano Martins, Kluczkovski, Frankowska, Bridle, Levy, Rauber, Tereza da Silva and Bosma. In this paper, we discuss the use of natural language processing and artificial intelligence to analyze nutritional and sustainability aspects of recipes and food. We present the state-of-the-art and some use cases, followed by a discussion of challenges. Our perspective on addressing these is that while they typically have a technical nature, they nevertheless require an interdisciplinary approach combining natural language processing and artificial intelligence with expert domain knowledge to create practical tools and comprehensive analysis for the food domain. Research Councils UK, the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, the STFC Food Network+ and the HEFCE Catalyst-funded N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme with matched funding from the N8 group of Universities; AHRC funded AHRC US-UK Food Digital Scholarship Network (Grant Reference: AH/S012591/1), STFC GCRF funded project “Trends in greenhouse gas emissions from Brazilian foods using GGDOT” (ST/S003320/1), the STFC funded project “Piloting Zooniverse for food, health and sustainability citizen science” (ST/T001410/1), and the STFC Food Network+ Awarded Scoping Project “Piloting Zooniverse to help us understand citizen food perceptions”; ESRC via the University of Sheffield Social Sciences Partnerships, Impact and Knowledge Exchange fund for “Recipe environmental impact calculator”; and through Research England via the University of Sheffield QR Strategic Priorities Fund projects “Cooking as part of a Sustainable Food System – creating an wider evidence base for policy makers”, and “Food based citizen science in the UK as a policy tool”; N8 AgriFood-funded project “Greenhouse Gas and Dietary choices Open-source Toolkit (GGDOT) hacknights.’; Brunel University internal Research England GCRF QR Fund; The University of Manchester GCRF QR Visiting Researcher Fellowship; National Institute of Informatics, Japan.

Background: We aim to assess the trends in the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed animal products, and the environmental impacts associated with them.\ud \ud Methods: We have used data from five Brazilian Household Budget Surveys (1987, 1996, 2003, 2009, 2017). Animal products (beef, pork, poultry, eggs, fish, milk, and cheese) were classified into NOVA food groups: unprocessed or minimally processed (G1), processed (G3), and ultra-processed (G4). We estimated the share (%) of each food group to daily kcal per capita, as well as carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF) and ecological footprint (EF) per 1000 kcal-day. Trends over the years were tested using linear regression considering the population size as a weighting factor.\ud \ud Results: From 1987 to 2017, the dietary share of G1 animal products decreased 2% (15.5-15.2%, p-trend < 0.001), while the share of G3 and G4 products increased by 88% (1.6-3.0%, p-trend < 0.001) and 340% (4.3-1.1%, p-trend < 0.001), respectively. CF in g CO2 eq per 1000 kcal remained the same for G1 products (921.4-946.2, p-trend = 0.278) and increased by 124% (30.9-69.3, p-trend < 0.001) and 319% (50.7-212.5, p-trend < 0.001) for G3 and G4 products, respectively. WF in litres per 1000 kcal decreased by 11% for G1 products (846.7-752.5, p-trend < 0.001), and increased by 130% for G3 (24.3-55.9, p-trend < 0.001) and 323% for G4 products (42.5-179.8, p-trend < 0.001). Similarly, EF in m2 per 1000 kcal decreased by 5% for G1 products (6.06-5.73, p-trend < 0.001), and increased by 67% for G3 (0.24-0.40, p-trend < 0.001) and by 305% for G4 products (0.21-0.85, p-trend < 0.001).\ud \ud Conclusion: The consumption of processed and ultra-processed animal products has been increasing along with their environmental impact, suggesting that the reduction of their consumption would be beneficial for both human and planet health.

Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Background The consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased worldwide and has been related to the occurrence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases. However, little is known about the environmental effects of ultra-processed foods. We aimed to assess the temporal trends in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), water footprint, and ecological footprint of food purchases in Brazilian metropolitan areas, and how these are affected by the amount of food processing. Methods In this time-series study, we used data from five Brazilian Household Budget Surveys (1987–88, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2017–18) to calculate GHGE, water footprint, and ecological footprint per 1000 kcal of food and beverages purchased. Food items were classified into NOVA food groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (G1); processed culinary ingredients (G2); processed foods (G3); and ultra-processed foods (G4). We calculated the proportion each NOVA food group contributes to daily kcal per person. Linear regression was performed to evaluate trends of the environmental impacts across the years. Findings Between 1987–88 and 2017–18, diet-related GHGE increased by 21% (from 1538·6 g CO2 equivalent [CO2e] per 1000 kcal [95% CI 1473·3–1604·0] to 1866·0 g CO2e per 1000 kcal [1788·0–1944·0]; ptrend

Cooking practices play a pivotal role in a healthy diet and lifestyle. Cooking is intertwined with dietary choices. To achieve a sustainable food system, we need to change how we cook and prepare food, along with the time we use to prepare and cook food. Cooking practices involve a variety of parameters such as cooking times, method of cooking (e.g. boiling, baking, steaming) and type of appliances (e.g. electric hobs, gas ovens, microwaves), which all influence the nutrition content and energy density of food and result in varying amounts of emitted greenhouse gases. Behavioural cooking choices are driven by factors such as convenience, taste, health and lifestyle and shape certain eating habits, but are also influenced by tradition and transfer of knowledge. This article presents the findings of three pilot surveys deployed in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia in 2019 (n = 385+ for each survey). These surveys asked about cooking and preparation time, methods and equipment for 30 common foods. Though based around similar food cultures, we find differences in cooking practices among the different countries’ populations. We then examine how food choices and cooking practices need to change differently in each country to be in line with current guidance on healthy, sustainable eating such as the guidelines provided by the EAT-Lancet report.

Background Ultra-processed foods (UPF) have been associated with major diet-related public health issues that share underlying drivers with climate change. Both challenges require major changes to the food system and so the potential benefits to health and the environment present a double motivation for transformation. Our aim is to assess the impacts of UPF on total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), water and ecological footprints in Brazil food purchases. Methods We have used data from 4 Brazilian Household Budget Surveys (1987, 1996, 2003, 2009). Each food item was classified into NOVA food groups (unprocessed/minimally processed, culinary ingredients, processed and ultra-processed). The information was linked to nutrition and footprint data. Purchases were converted into grams per capita per day to estimate total energy (kcal), percentage of energy from UPF, as well as total GHGE, water and ecological footprints. We performed linear regression to calculate year-adjusted means of footprints per 1000 Kcal by year-specific quintiles of UPF participation in the total energy. The data were analysed in R v.3.6.1 and STATA SE 14.1. Results The mean UPF participation in total energy varied from 13% (SD 2.4) in the 1st UPF quintile to 29% (SD 5.1) in the 5th quintile. The footprints increased linearly across quintiles: the mean g CO2eq varied from 1312 in the 1st to 1721 in the 5th UPF quintile (p-trend Conclusions The environmental impacts were higher for Brazilian diets with a larger fraction of energy from UPF. Specifically, low UPF diets seem to have lower GHGE, water and ecological footprints. Our findings offer new motivators for dietary change to simultaneously healthier and more sustainable eating patterns and will be of relevance to consumers and policymakers. Key messages Diets high in UPF cause more climate impact than diets with lower levels of UPF. Healthy and sustainable dietary patterns should be low in ultra-processed foods.

The cooking of food is a nexus point for multiple issues. Cooking is intertwined with dietary choices, affects the nutrient content and environmental impacts of food, and is linked to time use and gender roles in the home. Due to its intersectionality, changing cooking practices can potentially impact upon multiple Sustainable Development Goals. However, cookery is seldom considered in the wider perspective of a sustainable food system - with only ethnographic studies examining how cooking is performed being the norm. Overall there is a limited evidence base at the population level of how different nations/populations currently cook, and how changing this would result in changes to the environment, consumer health, and economy. The current research aims to create a wider evidence base to demonstrate and quantify why cooking and food practices are important, and how they differ by geography. In this research we piloted a ~40 minute survey using the Qualtrics online survey panel in 6 countries (Nigeria, Ghana, India, Kenya, Brazil, and the UK). Participants were asked a series of questions about their: dietary preferences (e.g. vegetarian, omnivore, etc.), cooking habits (e.g frequency of cooking at home), food preparation (e.g. time taken), cooking methods used (e.g. boil, fry, roast), and perceptions of food waste, food safety, calorie and carbon footprints, as well as food security and demographic questions. 10-15 culturally appropriate/popular foods were accessed through a food frequency questionnaire, containing images of food portion size estimates, from food manuals developed by a research group from the Federal University of Paraná (http://gupea.ufpr.br/?page_id=19; Additional images of bread were sourced from the Food4Me project (DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3105). Figure 1 presents this list of foods. Recruitment used Qualtrics global recruitment services as well the Prolific panel (for the UK). Participants were potentially given financial compensation for taking part by Qualtrics, but this was outside the control of the research team. The surveys were deployed from the 25th of March, 2020. There were slight recruitment issues for some countries due to parts of the survey being carried out in Ramadan and during the COVID-19 lockdown, and so the recruitment window had to be extended until the 1st of June 2020. Participant rates, gender splits (Figure 2) and dietary patterns (figure 3) varied by country. Figure 4 to 10 compare Chicken food habits and perceptions across the 6 countries.

Brazil nut oil is mostly composed of unsaturated fatty acids, some of which are associated with decreased incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Vegetable proteins have been increasingly used as wall material for partial replacement of carbohydrates and whey proteins. In order to create an oil preservation method, Brazil nut oil was encapsulated with three different types of vegetable protein concentrates and gum arabic (GA): rice (RPC + GA); pea (PPC + GA); and soy (SPC + GA) .For this purpose, vegetable protein concentrates were characterized, and after the drying process the physicochemical characteristics of the microparticles were evaluated. The most stable emulsion, after seven days of evaluation, was composed of RPC + GA. RPC + GA. This treatment was also more stable based on the shelf life assessments. We concluded that RCP microparticles were the best option for encapsulating Brazil nut oil in comparison with the other particles evaluated. In addition, the product obtained is potentially capable of being included in various processed foods.

© 2020 by authors. Food systems contribute to up to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions are increasing. Since the emissions vary greatly between different foods, citizens' choices can make a big difference to climate change. Public engagement events are opportunities to communicate these complex issues: to raise awareness about the impact of citizens' own food choices on climate change and to generate support for changes in all food system activities, the food environment and food policy. This article summarises findings from our 'Take a Bite Out of Climate Change' stand at two UK outreach activities during July 2019. We collected engagement information in three main ways: (1) individuals were invited to complete a qualitative evaluation questionnaire comprising of four questions that gauged the person's interests, perceptions of food choices and attitudes towards climate change; (2) an online multiple-choice questionnaire asking about eating habits and awareness/concerns; and (3) a token drop voting activity where visitors answered the question: 'Do you consider greenhouse gases when choosing food?' Our results indicate whether or not people learnt about the environmental impacts of food (effectiveness), how likely they are to move towards a more climate-friendly diet (behavioural change), and how to gather information more effectively at this type of event. This research and public engagement activity was funded through multiple research grants. N8 Agrifood funded projects “Greenhouse Gas and Dietary choices Open-source Toolkit (GGDOT) hacknights” and, with the University of Manchester, funded the development of the climate food flashcards. Additional funding was provided by the HEFCE Catalyst-funded N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme and matched funding from the N8 group of Universities, and the STFC Food Network+. Development of the “Take a Bite out of Climate Change” stand and the “Climate Food Challenge” video game, as well as attendance at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition and the Bluedot Festival in July of 2019, was supported by funding from STFC Food Network+ and the HEFCE Catalyst-funded N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme, matched funding from the N8 group of Universities and additional funding from the University of Manchester. This project arose from the N8 AgriFood-funded project “Greenhouse Gas and Dietary choices Open-source Toolkit (GGDOT) hacknights.’ Part of this work was supported by theWellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund award [204796/Z/16/Z].We are grateful for the funding from the Wellcome Trust Manchester Institutional Strategic Support Fund, the STFC Food Network+, N8 Agrifood and the University of Manchester. During the organisation of this research, the running of the events and the writing of this paper, Sarah Bridle and Christian Reynolds were supported in-part though the STFC GCRF funded project “Trends in greenhouse gas emissions from Brazilian foods using GGDOT” (ST/S003320/1). Christian Reynolds received additional funding from NERC to support an Innovation Placement at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) (Grant Ref: NE/R007160/1). Alana Kluczkovski was supported through a University of Manchester GCRF Fellowship funded through the University of Manchester internal Research England GCRF QR Fund. Ximena Schmidt Rivera was supported through Brunel University internal Research England GCRF QR Fund.

Food is widely acknowledged as a significant contributor to climate change. Yet, estimates of food-related greenhouse gas emissions frequently consider supply chain stages only up to farm gate or regional distribution centres. Here, we estimate greenhouse gas emissions associated with different cooking methods and appliances in the UK. Data on current cooking practices were collected through a survey with more than 700 respondents. Results reveal that home cooking accounts for as much as 61% of total emissions associated with specific foods, and that this can be substantially reduced through alternative, readily available cooking practices.

This work investigated the physico-chemical properties of tucuma pulp (Astrocaryum aculeatum) encapsulated with different biopolymers. Gum arabic, Maltodextrin, Dextrin (Capsul®) and Modified Starch (SnowFlake®) were used as wall material. The pulp/wall material solution was prepared in an 85:15 ratio. The microparticles were obtained from freeze-drying of the tucuma solutions. The pulp composition, physicochemical properties (moisture content, water activity, size and morphology) of the microparticles, sorption isotherms, water adsorption kinetics, thermogravimetrics (TGA) and content of different bioactive compounds (antioxidant, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamin A) were all analyzed. The powders presented typical morphology of products dehydrated by freeze drying, with vacuoles and surface defects of the microparticles. The DX treatment showed lower hygroscopic behavior, favoring the stability of the tucuma powder. Better bioactive compound retention values were observed for microparticles with modified starches. GA and MD showed better thermal resistance compared to modified starches. In general, the biopolymers showed good maintenance of the bioactive compounds of the encapsulated tucuma.

Some conservation methods can add value to the product involved, especially those that involve meat derivatives. To take advantage of the raw materials available in the Amazon region, a semi-preserve using the meat of black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) was elaborated and evaluated for 90 days. The product was prepared using a curing brine of 4% acetic acid and 5% sodium chloride (NaCl), tail meat and back strap (sirloin), and was maintained at a controlled temperature of 5 °C for 30 d., with subsequent addition of flavoring brine (olive oil or Brazil nut oil), seasoning and soy lecithin for emulsification. The product was pasteurized at 70 °C/20 min and stored at 25 °C/90 d. The proximate composition, pH, acidity index, total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), were determined. In the microbiological analysis for Salmonella sp., total coliforms and E. coli were within the standards required by current Brazilian legislation. The results of the physical-chemical analyses showed that the product had remained stable during the 90 d. of storage at room temperature (25 °C), and the pH values confirm that the immersion in acetic acid and sodium chloride in the proposed concentrations were enough to promote the reduction of pH and thus maintain the stability of the product.

A study was carried out to elaborate and monitor the shelf life of a pineapple jam with ingredients using, as “gelatinizing agent”, the pectin extracted from passion fruit residues from a rural community of Amazonas State, Brazil. The product was always maintained at a temperature of 25 °C and studied for 4 months, with the results showing physical-chemical and microbiological stability. We concluded that passion fruit residue can be used in pineapple jam production while still meeting legal standards for commercialization, reducing environmental waste, and being an alternative source of income in rural communities.

The Amazon region is recognized as source of fish for the food industry. The interest in new products made from exotic animal meat has increased. The present study was carried out to evaluate carcass and meat characteristics of Amazon caiman. Samples (n=184) of Melanosuchus niger were collected from a protected area in the Amazonas State (Brazil). The meat was analyzed for proximate composition: Moisture content 78.17%, protein 19.23%, lipids 1.09%, and ash 0.73%. The yield of the carcasses and cuts were evaluated, and the average yield of carcass was 57.02%. The tail cuts had the highest yield. The results obtained can be useful for new Amazon basin products as well as for product labeling. Key words: Amazon, acu, crocodilian, protein, harvesting.

Brazil nut is a seed with high nutritional value and of great economic importance to the Northern region of Brazil. In addition to enabling direct consumption, its nutritional potential enables the development of various products. Among its nutrients, emphasis is given to the amino acid-rich proteins, lipid content and selenium, which exhibits antioxidant properties. This review addresses the nutritional value and approaches different technologies applied in the Brazil nut products process. Key words: Bertholletia excelsa , selenium, oleic acid