Beverage Items Research Articles

Dietary patterns and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality in Japanese men and women: The Japan public health center-based prospective study.

ObjectiveA meta-analysis showed an inverse association of a prudent/healthy dietary pattern with all-cause mortality and no association of a western/unhealthy dietary pattern. However, the association of distinctive dietary patterns of Japanese population with mortality remains unclear. We prospectively investigated the association between dietary patterns and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality among Japanese adults.MethodsParticipants were 36,737 men and 44,983 women aged 45–74 years who participated in the second survey of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (1995–1998) and who had no history of serious disease. Dietary patterns were derived from principal component analysis of the consumption of 134 food and beverage items ascertained by a food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios of death from the second survey to December 2012 were estimated using cox proportional hazard regression analysis.ResultsA prudent dietary pattern, which was characterized by high intake of vegetables, fruit, soy products, potatoes, seaweed, mushrooms, and fish, was significantly associated with decreased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality for the highest versus lowest quartile of the prudent dietary pattern score were 0.82 (0.77 to 0.86) and 0.72 (0.64 to 0.79), respectively (P for trend <0.001 in both). A Westernized dietary pattern, characterized by high intake of meat, processed meat, bread, and dairy products, was also inversely associated with risk of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality. A traditional Japanese dietary pattern was not associated with these risks.ConclusionsThe prudent and Westernized dietary patterns were associated with a decreased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in Japanese adults.

Examining the nutritional quality of food and beverage consumed at Melbourne aquatic and recreation centres

Objective:Examine the nutritional quality of food and beverages consumed across a sample of community aquatic and recreation centres in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Methods:Interviewer‐administered surveys of randomly selected patrons attending four aquatic and recreation centres were conducted to ascertain food and beverage items consumed over two data collection periods (May–June 2014, January–February 2015). We selected centres in and around metropolitan Melbourne with a sit‐down cafeteria and children's swimming classes. We classified items by government nutrient profiling guidelines; ‘green’ (best choice), ‘amber’ (choose carefully) or ‘red’ (limit). Results:A total of 2,326 surveys were conducted (response rate 63%). Thirty‐five per cent of surveyed patrons consumed food or beverages while at the centre; 54% of patrons purchased from the café and 61% brought items to the centre. More than half the food consumed from the café was ‘red’, increasing to 92% for children. One in five children visiting the centre consumed a ‘red’ item bought from the centre café. Conclusions:The nutritional quality of food and beverages consumed at recreation centres was generally poor, with the on‐site cafés providing the majority of discretionary items consumed. Implications for public health:Community aquatic and recreation centres provide an opportunity to promote healthy eating by increasing the provision of healthy options and limiting discretionary food and drink items.

Common food antimicrobials: effects on cellular inflammation and oxidative damage and their estimated occurrence in Singapore.

The prevalence and potential health effects of common food antimicrobials in processed foods and beverages are relatively unknown in Singapore. The occurrence of chemical antimicrobials in processed foods and beverages and their effects on inflammation and oxidative stress in vitro were examined. The occurrence of antimicrobials in 1605 processed food and 359 beverage items were examined by surveying the ingredients on the product labels. Human neutrophils were exposed to physiologically relevant concentrations of common antimicrobials. Established markers of inflammation, l Leukotriene B4 and oxidative stress, F2-isoprostanes were measured using stable-isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antimicrobials were added to 23.2% of the processed foods and beverages. Sorbic, benzoic, lactic, propionic and acetic acids accounted for 84.8% of the added antimicrobials in the processed foods and beverages. 92.5% of the bread contained propionic acid. Lactic acid was the most common antimicrobial (44.4%) in cheeses. Sorbic acid was added to 63.2% of the margarines selected. Sauces (31.5%), energy drinks (50.0%), soft drinks (70.7%) and fruit cordials (66.6%) contained added benzoic acid. Benzoic and propionic acids at physiologically relevant concentrations augmented leukotriene B4formation (benzoicacid, EC50 = ~100 μg L-1and propionic acid, >200 μg L-1). Lactic and sorbic acids dose-dependently inhibited the F2-isoprostanes production (IC50 values ~100 μg L-1) and myeloperoxidase activity (IC50values ~100 μg L-1). Our results demonstrate that Singapore consumers are significantly exposed to food antimicrobials, and these molecules, in physiologically relevant concentrations, exert significant and differential effects in vitro.

Chocolate consumption and risk of stroke among men and women: A large population-based, prospective cohort study

Background and aimsChocolate consumption may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health, but evidence from prospective cohort studies is still limited. We aimed to examine the prospective associations between chocolate consumption and risk of stroke among men and women in a large population-based cohort. MethodsA total of 38,182 men and 46,415 women aged 44–76 years, and free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer at baseline in 1995 and 1998, were followed up until the end of 2009 and 2010, respectively. We obtained data on chocolate consumption for each participant using a self-administrated food frequency questionnaire that included 138 food and beverage items. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of stroke in relation to chocolate consumption. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12.9 years, we identified 3558 incident strokes cases (2146 cerebral infarctions and 1396 hemorrhagic strokes). After adjustment for age, body mass index, life styles, dietary intakes, and other risk factors, chocolate consumption was associated with a significant lower risk of stroke in women (HR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71–0.99). However, the association in men was not significant (HR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.80–1.10). In addition, the association did not vary by stroke subtypes in either men or women. ConclusionsFindings from this large Japanese cohort supported a significant inverse association between chocolate consumption and risk of developing stroke in women. However, residual confounding could not be excluded as an alternative explanation for our findings.

A novel processed food classification system applied to Australian food composition databases.

The extent of food processing can affect the nutritional quality of foodstuffs. Categorising foods by the level of processing emphasises the differences in nutritional quality between foods within the same food group and is likely useful for determining dietary processed food consumption. The present study aimed to categorise foods within Australian food composition databases according to the level of food processing using a processed food classification system, as well as assess the variation in the levels of processing within food groups. A processed foods classification system was applied to food and beverage items contained within Australian Food and Nutrient (AUSNUT) 2007 (n = 3874) and AUSNUT 2011-13 (n = 5740). The proportion of Minimally Processed (MP), Processed Culinary Ingredients (PCI) Processed (P) and Ultra Processed (ULP) by AUSNUT food group and the overall proportion of the four processed food categories across AUSNUT 2007 and AUSNUT 2011-13 were calculated. Across the food composition databases, the overall proportions of foods classified as MP, PCI, P and ULP were 27%, 3%, 26% and 44% for AUSNUT 2007 and 38%, 2%, 24% and 36% for AUSNUT 2011-13. Although there was wide variation in the classifications of food processing within the food groups, approximately one-third of foodstuffs were classified as ULP food items across both the 2007 and 2011-13 AUSNUT databases. This Australian processed food classification system will allow researchers to easily quantify the contribution of processed foods within the Australian food supply to assist in assessing the nutritional quality of the dietary intake of population groups.

The influence of calorie and physical activity labelling on snack and beverage choices

BackgroundMuch research suggests nutrition labelling does not influence lower energy food choice. This study aimed to assess the impact of physical activity based and kilocalorie (Kcal) based labels on the energy content of snack food and beverage choices made. MethodsAn independent-groups design, utilizing an online questionnaire platform tested 458 UK adults (87 men), aged 18–64 years (mean: 30 years) whose BMI ranged from 16 to 41 kg/m2 (mean: 24 kg/m2). Participants were randomized to one of four label information conditions (no label, Kcal label, physical activity label [duration of walking required to burn the Kcal in the product], Kcal and physical activity label) and were asked to choose from higher and lower energy options for a series of items. ResultsLabel condition significantly affected low vs. high-energy product selection of snack foods (p < 0.001) and beverages (p < 0.001). The physical activity label condition resulted in significantly lower energy snack and beverage choices than the Kcal label condition (p < 0.001). This effect was found across the full sample and persisted even when participants’ dietary restraint, BMI, gender, socioeconomic status, habitual physical activity, calorie and numerical literacy were controlled. ConclusionThe provision of physical activity information appeared most effective in influencing the selection of lower Kcal snack food and beverage items, when compared with no information or Kcal information. These findings could inform the debate around potential legislative policies to facilitate healthier nutritional choices at a population level.

Đánh giá kinh tế về khả năng áp thuế tiêu thụ đặc biệt lên mặt hàng nước giải khát không cồn tại Việt Nam

The objective of this research is to determine the ability to apply excise taxes on the non-alcoholic beverage products in Vietnam. The study used the quantitative methods with the analytical framework of tax economics that was proposed by Stiglitz (1986). The research findings showed that beverage items are strong elasticity of demand on price, and is not a luxury item. There are two characteristics of three characteristics of an effective tax policy that will not be achieve if the excise taxes will be applied on non-alcoholic beverage products by the Government. They are (i) the economy characteristic and (ii) the justice characteristic. Morover, the simplicity characteristic of the effective tax policy will be difficult to achieve when the the tariff rates will be used for each type of different beverage by the Government. In conclusion, this study proposes that the excise tax should not be applied on non-alcoholic beverage product at the present time by the Government.

Diet in Saudi Arabia: findings from a nationally representative survey.

No recent original studies on the pattern of diet are available for Saudi Arabia at the national level. The present study was performed to describe the consumption of foods and beverages by Saudi adults. The Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) was conducted in 2013. Data were collected through interviews and anthropometric measurements were done. A diet history questionnaire was used to determine the amount of consumption for eighteen food or beverage items in a typical week. The study was a household survey in all thirteen administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Participants were 10 735 individuals aged 15 years or older. Mean daily consumption was 70·9 (se 1·3) g for fruits, 111·1 (se 2·0) g for vegetables, 11·6 (se 0·3) g for dark fish, 13·8 (se 0·3) g for other fish, 44·2 (se 0·7) g for red meat, 4·8 (se 0·2) g for processed meat, 10·9 (se 0·3) g for nuts, 219·4 (se 5·1) ml for milk and 115·5 (se 2·6) ml for sugar-sweetened beverages. Dietary guideline recommendations were met by only 5·2 % of individuals for fruits, 7·5 % for vegetables, 31·4 % for nuts and 44·7 % for fish. The consumption of processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages was high in young adults. Only a small percentage of the Saudi population met the dietary recommendations. Programmes to improve dietary behaviours are urgently needed to reduce the current and future burden of disease. The promotion of healthy diets should target both the general population and specific high-risk groups. Regular assessments of dietary status are needed to monitor trends and inform interventions.

“Smooth operator”: Music modulates the perceived creaminess, sweetness, and bitterness of chocolate

There has been a recent growth of interest in determining whether sound (specifically music and soundscapes) can enhance not only the basic taste attributes associated with food and beverage items (such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, etc.), but also other important components of the tasting experience, such as, for instance, crunchiness, creaminess, and/or carbonation. In the present study, participants evaluated the perceived creaminess of chocolate. Two contrasting soundtracks were produced with such texture-correspondences in mind, and validated by means of a pre-test. The participants tasted the same chocolate twice (without knowing that the chocolates were identical), each time listening to one of the soundtracks. The ‘creamy’ soundtrack enhanced the perceived creaminess and sweetness of the chocolates, as compared to the ratings given while listening to the ‘rough’ soundtrack. Moreover, while the participants preferred the creamy soundtrack, this difference did not appear to affect their overall enjoyment of the chocolates. Interestingly, and in contrast with previous similar studies, these results demonstrate that in certain cases, sounds can have a perceptual effect on gustatory food attributes without necessarily altering the hedonic experience.

Accessing hospital packaged foods and beverages: the importance of a seated posture when eating.

Hospitalised and community dwelling older people (aged 65 years and over) have difficulties opening certain food and beverage items (e.g. cheese portions and tetra packs) served in public hospitals. Previously, the role of hand strength on successful pack opening has been explored in a seated position. However, because many people in hospital eat in bed, the present laboratory study examined the differences between participants opening a selection of products in a hospital bed and a chair. The present study used a qualitative method (satisfaction) and quantitative methods (grip and pinch strength, dexterity, time and attempts) in two conditions (bed; chair) in a sample of well older community dwelling adults (n = 34). Packs tested included foil sealed thickened pudding, foil sealed thickened water, tetra pack, dessert, custard, jam, cereal, honey sachet and cheese portions. Honey sachets, cheese portions, foil sealed thickened pudding and tetra packs were the most difficult packs to open, with 15% of cheese portions unable to be opened in either the bed or chair posture. Although grip strength was consistent for each posture, pinch grips and dexterity were adversely affected by the bed posture. Lying in a hospital bed required greater pinch strength and dexterity to open packs. Eating in a seated position when in hospital has been shown to improve intake. The present study demonstrates that eating in a seated posture is also advantageous for opening the food and beverage packs used in the NSW hospital food service and supports the notion that patients should sit to eat in hospital.

"You Don't Have to Be a Drinker to Get Gout, But It Helps": A Content Analysis of the Depiction of Gout in Popular Newspapers.

To analyze the depiction of gout and its management in popular newspapers. We conducted a content analysis of popular newspaper articles for reporting about the causes, management, and depictions of gout. The Factiva database was used to identify articles from the 21 highest circulation newspapers in the UK and US from August 2010 to August 2015. Articles with a primary focus on gout were analyzed (n = 114). Overindulgence of certain foods and beverages was most commonly reported as the cause of gout (72 of 114 articles). The range of dietary advice for gout management was extensive, with advice to decrease intake of 44 different food and beverage items and increase intake of 17 different food and beverage items. Strong advice was given for 23 of 40 dietary strategies (58%), 13 of 29 antiinflammatory strategies (45%), and 4 of 42 urate-lowering therapy strategies (10%) (P < 0.0001). Serum urate monitoring or treatment targets were rarely reported. Social embarrassment due to gout was reported in 27 of 114 articles (23.7%). Jokes or humorous references to gout were reported in 30 of 114 articles (26.3%), often highlighting causal beliefs related to lifestyle and drinking alcohol. Popular newspaper articles depict gout as a self-inflicted condition that is socially embarrassing and the focus of humor. Dietary solutions are overemphasized compared to effective urate-lowering strategies. Initiatives that challenge popular perceptions of gout may play an important role in changing public understanding about the disease, ultimately increasing the uptake of effective urate-lowering therapy and reducing reliance on unproven strategies.

What Are the New Nutrition Standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program?

What Are the New Nutrition Standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program?

Assessing the Accuracy of a Wrist Motion Tracking Method for Counting Bites Across Demographic and Food Variables

This paper describes a study to test the accuracy of a method that tracks wrist motion during eating to detect and count bites. The purpose was to assess its accuracy across demographic (age, gender, and ethnicity) and bite (utensil, container, hand used, and food type) variables. Data were collected in a cafeteria under normal eating conditions. A total of 271 participants ate a single meal while wearing a watch-like device to track their wrist motion. A video was simultaneously recorded of each participant and subsequently reviewed to determine the ground truth times of bites. Bite times were operationally defined as the moment when food or beverage was placed into the mouth. Food and beverage choices were not scripted or restricted. Participants were seated in groups of 2-4 and were encouraged to eat naturally. A total of 24 088 bites of 374 different food and beverage items were consumed. Overall the method for automatically detecting bites had a sensitivity of 75% with a positive predictive value of 89%. A range of 62-86% sensitivity was found across demographic variables with slower eating rates trending toward higher sensitivity. Variations in sensitivity due to food type showed a modest correlation with the total wrist motion during the bite, possibly due to an increase in head-toward-plate motion and decrease in hand-toward-mouth motion for some food types. Overall, the findings provide the largest evidence to date that the method produces a reliable automated measure of intake during unrestricted eating.

Variation in orosensation and liking of sampled foods with thermal tasting phenotype

Flavour is a key driver of liking, purchase behaviour and consumption of food and beverages. Determining how individuals differ in their perception of flavour is important to fully understanding dietary choices and habitual diet-related health outcomes. Thermal tasting—the capacity to experience a phantom taste when small areas of the tongue are rapidly heated or cooled—associates with greater orosensory acuity for tastants in aqueous solutions. This study sought to extend this finding and establish whether thermal-taster status also associates with the perceived intensities of oral sensations elicited by sampled food. Twenty-five thermal tasters (TTs) and 19 thermal non-tasters (TnTs) scored liking (generalized degree of liking scale) and the intensity (generalized visual analogue scale) of the dominant orosensations elicited by 20 food and beverage items in duplicate using a randomized complete block design. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that overall, TTs rated the intensity of orosensory food groups higher than did TnTs, although this was significant only for foods that were predominantly bitter-eliciting (ANOVA). Overall liking scores approached significance (MANOVA) but differed between TTs and TnTs only for the grainy orosensory food grouping (ANOVA). These findings are discussed in the context of diet-related health outcomes and directions for further research concerned with taste phenotypes, flavour perception and consumption behaviours.

Dietary Patterns and Incident Dementia in Elderly Japanese: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study.

Although it has been speculated that the Japanese dietary pattern has a preventive effect against incident dementia, no reported study has yet investigated this issue. The present prospective cohort study investigated the association between dietary patterns and incident dementia in elderly Japanese subjects. We analyzed follow-up data covering a 5.7-year period for 14,402 older adults (≥65 years) participating in a community-based, prospective cohort study. Three dietary patterns (Japanese pattern, animal food pattern, and high-dairy pattern) were derived using principal component analysis of the consumption of 39 food and beverage items assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Data on incident dementia were retrieved from the public Long-term Care Insurance database. With 71,043 person-years of follow-up, incidence of dementia was 9.0%. The score for the Japanese dietary pattern was associated with a lower risk of incident dementia (hazard ratio of the highest quartile vs the lowest, 0.80; 95% confidence interval: 0.66-0.97; p-trend = .016). The animal food pattern and the high-dairy pattern showed no significant association with incident dementia. In this population of elderly Japanese individuals, the Japanese dietary pattern was associated with a decreased risk of incident dementia.

Does Liking and Orosensation Intensity Elicited by Sampled Foods Vary with Thermal Tasting?

Food choice and habitual diet-related health outcomes are strongly influenced by the oral sensations elicited by food. Of the biological-based mediators of orosensation, thermal tasting—the capacity to experience phantom taste sensations on lingual thermal stimulation—has not been investigated with respect to orosensation and liking of sampled foods. Twenty-three female thermal tasters (TTs) and 21 female thermal non-tasters (TnTs) scored liking of (9-point hedonic scale) and the intensity of orosensations elicited by (gVAS) 22 food and beverage items in duplicate using a randomized complete block design in a customized sensory evaluation laboratory. Foods selected included high fat, high sugar, and high salt items. Sampled items were grouped according to the dominant orosensation(s) elicited (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, astringent, creamy, crunchy, crispy, firm, menthol cool, and grainy), and intensity and liking assessed for each group. No significant differences were found for thermal tasting status (TTS) in intensity ratings of orosensory groupings (p(t) > 0.05). TnTs gave higher liking ratings for creamy foods than TTs (t = 5.99, p = 0.015), and their liking of the “aversive” food grouping was higher than for TTs and approached significance (t = 2.97, p = 0.086). The previously reported variation in orosensation due to TTS observed with simple aqueous solutions, and some beverages may not extend to sampled foods. However, differences in liking are suggested for some food groupings and are worthy of further investigation.

Nutrient Intakes from Restaurants among U.S. Children Age 1–2 Years

Nationally representative one‐day dietary data of U.S. children age 1–2 years, excluding breast‐fed, (n=469) participating in What We Eat in America, NHANES 2011–2012 were analyzed to assess nutrient intakes from foods and beverages obtained from restaurants. The 5‐step USDA Automated Multiple‐Pass Method was used to collect the dietary data through a 24‐hour recall from a proxy knowledgeable about the child's intake. The source of each item (where obtained) was provided by the proxy. Restaurants include full service and quick service establishments as well as: cafeteria, not at school; sport/entertainment facility; vending truck. Restaurant consumers were defined as individuals who reported, on the intake day, at least one food or beverage item from a restaurant. On any given day, 28% of 1 year‐olds and 40% of 2 year‐olds were restaurant consumers. Among consumers, the contribution of restaurant items to total daily energy intake was 27±1.6%. Contribution of restaurant items to total daily intake of macronutrients was 28±1.6% for protein, 23±2.0% for carbohydrate, and 32±1.6% for total fat. Compared to energy and macronutrient intakes, the contribution was greater for sodium; on the day consumed, restaurant items contributed 34±1.6% to total daily sodium intake. For calcium, potassium, and lycopene restaurant items contributed 17±1.8, 21±1.6, and 44±6.2%, respectively to total daily nutrient intakes. Restaurant foods and beverages contributed over a fourth of calories and a third of sodium to the diets of 1–2 year‐olds, highlighting the importance of their consideration when making dietary recommendations or intervention strategies.Support or Funding InformationThis study was funded by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Dietary patterns and nutritional assessment in middle-aged and elderly men.

Objectives Dietary patterns are studied to determine the relationship between diet and health. However, little is known about whether various dietary patterns fulfill adequate nutrient intake. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between major dietary patterns and nutritional intakes in middle-aged and elderly men. Furthermore, we examined the associations between dietary patterns and micronutrients status by using the reference values from the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese 2010 (DRIs-J 2010).Methods A total of 229 middle-aged and elderly men (age range, 40-79 years) participated in this study. The dietary patterns were determined using principal component analysis of 52 food and beverage items via a validated brief diet history questionnaire. Overall, micronutrient intake status was quantified using a dietary reference intakes score (DRIs-score) for 21 micronutrients (based on the DRIs-J 2010). The association of the nutrient intake and the DRIs-score with each factor score was evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient.Results Three dietary patterns were identified: "side dish", "evening drink", and "snack". The "side dish" pattern was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, mushrooms, and potatoes, and low intake of rice. Spearman's correlation showed that the "side dish" pattern correlated with each of the 21 micronutrients, and positively correlated with the DRIs-score (ρ=0.782, P<0.001).Conclusions The "side dish" pattern was positively related with the DRIs-score, calculated from the DRIs-J 2010. The result suggested the "side dish" pattern may provide a favorable nutrient balance in middle-aged and elderly men.

Easy to open? Exploring the ‘openability’ of hospital food and beverage packaging by older adults

Food is increasingly a packaged commodity, both in the community and in institutionalised settings such as hospitals, where many older people are malnourished. Previous research with patients aged over 65 years in NSW public hospitals identified difficulties opening milk, water, juices, cereal and tetra packs. The aim of this paper was to assess the ability of well older people living in the community to open food and beverage items routinely used in NSW hospitals in order to gain further insights into the older person/pack interaction and the role of hand and finger strength in pack opening. A sample of 40 older people in good health aged over 65 years from 3 community settings participated in the study. The attempts at pack opening were observed, the time taken to open the pack was measured and the correlation between grip and pinch strengths with opening times was determined. Tetra packs, water bottles, cereal, fruit cups, desserts, biscuits and cheese portions appeared to be the most difficult food products to open. Ten percent of the sample could not open the water bottles and 39% could not open cheese portions. The results were consistent with the previous research involving hospitalised older adults, adding emphasis to the conclusion that food and beverage packaging can be a potential barrier to adequate nutrition when particular types of packaged products are used in hospitals or the community. The ageing population is rapidly becoming a larger and more important group to consider in the provision of goods and services. Designers, manufacturers and providers of food and beverage products need to consider the needs and abilities of these older consumers to ensure good ‘openability’ and promote adequate nutritional intakes.

Diet Quality of Items Advertised in Supermarket Sales Circulars Compared to Diets of the US Population, as Assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2010

BackgroundSupermarkets use sales circulars to highlight specific foods, usually at reduced prices. Resulting purchases help form the set of available foods within households from which individuals and families make choices about what to eat. ObjectiveThe purposes of this study were to determine how closely foods featured in weekly supermarket sales circulars conform to dietary guidance and how diet quality compares with that of the US population's intakes. DesignFood and beverage items (n=9,149) in 52 weekly sales circulars from a small Midwestern grocery chain in 2009 were coded to obtain food group and nutrient and energy content. Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) total and component scores were calculated using algorithms developed by the National Cancer Institute. HEI-2010 scores for the US population aged 2+ years were estimated using data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. HEI-2010 scores of circulars and population intakes were compared using Student’s t tests. ResultsMean total (42.8 of 100) HEI-2010 scores of circulars were lower than that of the US population (55.4; P<0.001). Among individual components, Total Protein Foods was the only one for which 100% of the maximum score was met by both circulars and the population. The scores were also similar between the circulars and population for Whole Grains (22%; P=0.81) and Seafood and Plant Proteins (70% to 74%; P=0.33). Circular scores were lower than those of the population for Total and Whole Fruits, Total Vegetables and Greens and Beans, Dairy, Sodium, and Empty Calories (P<0.001); they were higher only for Fatty Acids (P=0.006) and Refined Grains (P<0.001). ConclusionsHEI-2010 total scores for these sales circulars were even lower than US population scores, which have been shown repeatedly to reflect low diet quality. Supermarkets could support improvements in consumer diets by weekly featuring foods that are more in concordance with food and nutrient recommendations.