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This study aimed to analyse the frequency of orange-fleshed sweet potato and pumpkin consumption, the social representations of sous-vide cooked vegetarian ready-to-eat meals (vegetable millefeuille, vegetable mixture and sweet potato provencal), and the correlation between the three meals mentioned, food neophobia and willingness to buy and try. The study involved 1 034 individuals aged 18 and above from Argentina. A correspondence analysis was performed to visualize the attributes of three stimuli evaluated through word association. The results reflect a high frequency of words related to hedonic terms. A negative correlation between the participants' levels of food neophobia and their willingness to buy and try each product was found. Participants with lower levels of neophobia showed a greater intention to consume and purchase the vegetable millefeuille and the vegetable mix. Participants with higher neophobia scores demonstrated less willingness to buy sweet potatoes provencal. Using pumpkin and sweet potato as ingredients of prepared dishes presents an opportunity to increase the demand and added value of widely available vegetables that are part of the world gastronomy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Providing educational content for children and parents can promote healthy nutritional habits. During the TITAN project, a pilot digital contest where participants have to developed ready-to-eat meatballs in sauce, using only plant-based ingredients, will be tested. The objective of this study was to develop the lexicon needed to objectively assess the sensory profile of this product. Methods Eight judges were recruited and trained. Thirteen 1-hour sessions took place over three months. The steps followed were the selection of commercial reference, generation of descriptors, training of the panel, validation of the trained panel and product characterisation. The judges chose one commercial reference (using simple hedonic evaluation) to serve as a reference. The accepted intensity scale for the generated descriptors was from 0 (low intensity) to 9 (very intense). To test the first versions of the game, food product developers involved in the project, acted as participants, and used a mix of lentils, quinoa, and oats to enhance the commercial version. R-project software was used to analyse the performance of the panel and the sensory profiles. Results A glossary with 14 descriptors was generated. The discriminatory capacity of the panel was confirmed by examining the significance of the product effect (p < 0.05). The product–judge interaction was not significant (p > 0.05) for most of the evaluated attributes, indicating a good degree of panel agreement. Overall, the panel was considered reproducible after 9 sessions. Although the appearance, firmness, fragility and chewiness were considered similar to the reference, juiciness and taste (understood as meaty flavour) of the new product were deemed improved. Conclusions According to the panel, two of the most appreciated attributes associated with meat analogues, juiciness and taste, were improved compared to the commercial reference. Therefore, the first approach for further development of the contest/game was validated.

Background: Preparation of ready-to-eat food by deep frying at a high temperature causes adverse chemical changes including oil oxidation, polymerization, and hydrolysis, in addition to absorbance of large amounts of oil. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of oil absorbed in ready-to-eat foods by measuring oxidation indices. Methods: In this descriptive study, 60 food samples including 26, 17, and 17 samples of fried potato, chicken, and mushrooms, respectively, were randomly collected from restaurants in different regions of Isfahan, Iran. Peroxide value was measured using spectrometer and acid and acidity values were determined by the method defined in national standard of Iran. Statistical analysis was performed using t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software. Findings: Average values of peroxide, acid, and acidity of extracted oils were 6.79 ± 1.70 meq/kg, 4.05 ± 0.88 mg KOH/g, and 2.04 ± 0.33%, respectively. Overall, 66.66% and 100% of samples had peroxide and acidity values higher than the standard limit. Fried chickens had the highest amount of acid value (P < 0.050). The amount of peroxide in fried potatoes was higher than other samples. Conclusion: The measured oxidative values in fried potatoes, chicken, and mushrooms compared to other studies were less; however; they were more than the range defined in the national standard of Iran. It seems that continuous monitoring and implementation of health guidelines for the quality of the studied products is necessary by health authorities.

Abstract Background Increasingly the population is eating meals and snacks prepared outside the home, especially younger adults. Takeaway foods can be energy-dense, high in saturated fat and sodium, and deleterious to health. Extending studies examining the barriers to healthy eating, this paper explores strategies employed by young adults who report reducing consumption of unhealthy takeaway foods. Methods Young adults aged 18 to 35 years in paid employment were recruited to participate in eight semi-structured focus groups. In response to initial findings, recruitment for the final four groups refocused on participants who either wanted, were in the process of, or had changed their takeaway food habits. Focus group recordings were transcribed verbatim and coded by two researchers for recurrent themes using an inductive method. Results Forty-eight participants with a mean BMI of 23.4 kg/m2 and mean age of 25 years took part, of which 34 were female, and 27 were born outside Australia. Four broad strategies emerged: altering cognitions about consumption/reduction of takeaway food; practical changes to behaviours; finding external support; and, reconfiguring social events. In detail, participants cognitively recast takeaway food consumption as negative (expensive and unhealthy) and reducing consumption of such foods or consuming healthy alternatives as a (positive) self-care action. Setting goals and making personal rules around consumption, and consciously making practical changes, such as planning for food shopping, were other strategies. Externally derived support including supportive food environments and friends and family passively reduced exposure to unhealthy takeaway food. Finally, some participants actively created social environments supportive of healthy choices. Conclusions Our participants reported strategies they believed led to them successfully reduce their takeaway food consumption by matching the attractions (e.g., convenience) and countering apparent disincentives for reducing consumption (e.g., losing a reward) of takeaway food. They reported eschewing more short-term rewards and costs, to prioritise their health, believing that avoiding these foods would benefit them personally and financially. The identified strategies are consistent with documented techniques for successful behaviour change and corresponded to all levels in the social-ecological model from intrapersonal factors to public policy. The findings could underpin health promotion strategies to support this at-risk group.

Foodborne pathogens, like Listeria monocytogenes , continue to inflict substantial financial losses on the food industry. Various methods for detecting Listeria in food have been developed and numerous studies have been conducted to compare the different methods. But, in recent years, new Listeria species have been identified, and currently the genus comprises 26 species. Therefore, it would be a more accurate approach to re-evaluate existing detection methods by considering new species. The present investigation involved the analysis of 42 ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, encompassing a variety of food categories, such as mezes, salads, dairy products, and meat products, with the aim of ascertaining the presence of Listeria . Among the traditional culture-dependent reference methods, the ISO 11290 method was preferred. The process of strain identification was conducted with the API Identification System. Furthermore, to ascertain the existence of L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp., the samples underwent additional analysis employing the VIDAS Immunoassay System, ELISA, and RT-PCR methodologies. Thus, four alternative approaches were employed in this study to compare not only the different methods used to determine Listeria while taking into account the newly identified Listeria species, but also to assess the compliance of retail RTE food items with microbiological criteria pertaining to the genus Listeria . Based on the conducted analyses, L. monocytogenes was conclusively determined to be present in one sample. The presence of Listeria spp. was detected in 30.9% of the samples, specifically in Turkish cig kofte, sliced salami, and salads.

Background: Providing educational content for children and parents can promote healthy nutritional habits. During the TITAN project, a pilot digital contest where participants have to developed ready-to-eat meatballs in sauce, using only plant-based ingredients, will be tested. The objective of this study was to develop the lexicon needed to objectively assess the sensory profile of this product., Methods: Eight judges were recruited and trained. Thirteen 1-hour sessions took place over three months. The steps followed were the selection of commercial reference, generation of descriptors, training of the panel, validation of the trained panel and product characterisation. The judges chose one commercial reference (using simple hedonic evaluation) to serve as a reference. The accepted intensity scale for the generated descriptors was from 0 (low intensity) to 9 (very intense). To test the first versions of the game, food product developers involved in the project, acted as participants, and used a mix of lentils, quinoa, and oats to enhance the commercial version. R-project software was used to analyse the performance of the panel and the sensory profiles., Results: A glossary with 14 descriptors was generated. The discriminatory capacity of the panel was confirmed by examining the significance of the product effect (p < 0.05). The product-judge interaction was not significant (p > 0.05) for most of the evaluated attributes, indicating a good degree of panel agreement. Overall, the panel was considered reproducible after 9 sessions. Although the appearance, firmness, fragility and chewiness were considered similar to the reference, juiciness and taste (understood as meaty flavour) of the new product were deemed improved., Conclusions: According to the panel, two of the most appreciated attributes associated with meat analogues, juiciness and taste, were improved compared to the commercial reference. Therefore, the first approach for further development of the contest/game was validated., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Talens C et al.)

Introduction Ready-to-eat meals sold by food outlets that are accessible to the general public are an important target for public health intervention. We conducted a systematic review to assess the impact of such interventions. Methods Studies of any design and duration that included any consumer-level or food-outlet-level before-and-after data were included. Results Thirty studies describing 34 interventions were categorized by type and coded against the Nuffield intervention ladder: restrict choice = trans fat law ( n = 1), changing pre-packed children's meal content ( n = 1) and food outlet award schemes ( n = 2); guide choice = price increases for unhealthier choices ( n = 1), incentive (contingent reward) ( n = 1) and price decreases for healthier choices ( n = 2); enable choice = signposting (highlighting healthier/unhealthier options) ( n = 10) and telemarketing (offering support for the provision of healthier options to businesses via telephone) ( n = 2); and provide information = calorie labelling law ( n = 12), voluntary nutrient labelling ( n = 1) and personalized receipts ( n = 1). Most interventions were aimed at adults in US fast food chains and assessed customer-level outcomes. More 'intrusive' interventions that restricted or guided choice generally showed a positive impact on food-outlet-level and customer-level outcomes. However, interventions that simply provided information or enabled choice had a negligible impact. Conclusion Interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals sold by food outlets should restrict choice or guide choice through incentives/disincentives. Public health policies and practice that simply involve providing information are unlikely to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioluminescent ATP determination has been applied at a ready-to-eat meals producer plant as a screening tool to evaluate the cleaning procedures and identify possible sources of microbial contamination. Luminescent ATP test revealed the risk situations in few minutes, any time it was supposed useful, and on site. All data were confirmed by the plate count method and immediate interventions were undertaken in risk situations, concerning not perfectly cleaned surfaces and cross-contamination between the areas for different types of foods. Various departments have been checked: cold stores, raw food manipulation areas, kitchens, coolers, and packaging areas. Critical situations were revealed in the fresh foods cold storage areas, which were consequently treated by more intensive cleaning procedures, and the raw food manipulation areas, which were physically separated by walls, were more intensively cleaned with exchanges between the various areas strictly regulated. Intervention effectiveness was confirmed by repeated controls using portable ATP assay, since the evaluation of the relationship between CFU and RLU gave good results, with an r2 value of 0.83.

Australians consume substantially more sodium than recommended. Three quarters of dietary sodium derives from processed food and the growing ready meal category is a significant contributor. This study examined changes in sodium levels of Australian ready meal products between 2008 and 2011. Sodium data were systematically collected from all product labels in the same 5 stores each year. Mean sodium levels were calculated overall and compared between ready meal types, and by major brands. The levels of sodium in new, discontinued and established products were also compared. There were 107 ready meal products in 2008, 313 in 2009, 219 in 2010 and 265 in 2011. Overall mean sodium content was unchanged between 2008 and 2011 (279 vs 277 mg/100g). There were clear differences between sodium levels of different brands (222 vs 310 mg/100g in McCain Healthy Choice and McCain products respectively) and marked variation in similar products (240 mg/100g in one brand of frozen cottage pie product vs 425mg/100g in another). The mean sodium content of recently introduced products was lower than discontinued products (289 vs 309 mg/100g), with the sodium level of established products remaining stable. The absence of any overall reduction in sodium levels of Australian ready meal products is discouraging. The failure of voluntary industry efforts to reduce the saltiness of these foods suggests a regulated approach will be required to drive product reformulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates the usefulness of integrating moral attitude into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model when predicting intention to consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Norway (N =112), The Netherlands (N =99), and Finland (N =134) in spring 2009. A stepwise hierarchical regression was conducted, and the analyses showed that moral attitude is an important predictor of RTE-meal consumption. The feeling of moral obligation, operationalised as a negative feeling of guilt, had a negative effect on peoples’ intention to consume ready meals in all the three countries tested, and the explained variance (R 2) for TPB increased when moral was added as an explanatory factor. However, although the test showed significant results for the effect of attitude towards behavior and moral in all countries, non-significant results were observed for the effect of subjective norm in both The Netherlands and Norway when moral attitude was included to the TPB-model, indicating cultural differences in the social pressure towards ready meal consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony residues, a result of the use of a polycondensation catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) oven-proof trays, were analysed in ready-to-eat meals. The toxicity of antimony has raised concerns about consumer safety; therefore, the migration of small fractions of these residues into ready meals and foods as a result of cooking directly in the PET trays was studied. A straightforward approach of measuring real samples was selected to obtain accurate exposure data. Background antimony concentration was determined separately from a series of lunch meals, which ranged from not detectable to 3.4 µg kg-1. Microwave and conventional oven-cooking caused a distinct increase in the concentration of antimony in food and ready meals of 0-17 and 8-38 µg kg-1, respectively, depending, to a certain extent, on the industrial preparations. The migrated quantities of antimony corresponded to 3-13 µg. For comparison, PET roasting bags and ready-made dough products in PET baking dishes were also evaluated. About half of the products prepared at a temperature of 180°C exceeded the specific migration limit set for food contact material by the European Commission. However, the migrated amounts of antimony relative to the accepted tolerable daily intake (TDI) show that exposure from this type of food is currently not of toxicological concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]