Breakfast Cereals Research Articles

Assessment of the acrylamide bioaccessibility in cereal and potato-based foods after in vitro digestion

Acrylamide bioaccessibility during and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of cereal and potato-based foods was monitored. Isolated vs combined meals were evaluated with the aim of investigating acrylamide-food matrix interactions. The meals considered were breakfast cereals, biscuits, patatas a lo pobre (patatas-pobre) and French fries for isolated foods; breakfast cereals with yoghurt, biscuits with milk, patatas-pobre with scrambled eggs and French fries with meat steak for combined foods. The non-bioaccessible fraction of acrylamide tended to decrease during the digestion process in all the systems. However, the final bioaccessible acrylamide was affected by the food matrix composition (fibre, protein, sugars and lipids). The digestion of breakfast cereals, biscuits with milk, patatas-pobre and patatas-pobre with scrambled eggs led to acrylamide bioaccessibility below the initial content of the contaminant in the meals. In absolute values, the combined consumption of biscuits and milk significantly reduced the bioaccessible acrylamide compared with isolated biscuits (from 212 to 122 ng; p < 0.05). The presence of protein sources (egg or meat steak) in the potato-based products significantly decreased the acrylamide bioaccessibility, which was more prominent in the French fries-meat steak system (from 2100 to 1698 ng; p < 0.05). These findings establish the importance of considering complete meals and not only isolated foods as well as the study of the non-bioaccessible fractions for a better understanding of acrylamide bioaccessibility, its recovery and interactions during gastrointestinal digestion.

The effect of malting on phenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity in grains and breakfast cereals.

Breakfast cereals are popular grain foods and sources of polyphenols. Malting alters polyphenol content and activity; however, effects are varied. The total polyphenol content (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), and polyphenol profile were analyzed in unmalted and malted grains (wheat, barley, and sorghum) and breakfast cereals (wheat, barley) by Folin Ciocalteu Reagent (FCR), % inhibition of the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl, and high performance liquid chromatography. Higher TPC was observed in all malted grains and breakfast cereals compared with unmalted samples (p<0.05). Higher RSA was also observed in all malted samples compared to unmalted samples (p<0.05) except for wheat grain to malted wheat grain. In this study, malting induced additional polyphenols and antioxidant activity in grains and cereal products. Malted grain breakfast cereals may be practical sources of polyphenol antioxidants. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study utilized malting in a unique way to investigate potential health benefits of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in grains (wheat, barley, and sorghum) and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (wheat and barley). This study found that grains and breakfast cereals are important sources of antioxidant polyphenols, and these were significantly increased in malted varieties. Understanding this is important as grains and breakfast cereals are widely consumed staple foods. Consuming healthier grain products may be a practical strategy in reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases such as colorectal cancer and type-2 diabetes, where wholegrain consumption may be important in prevention.

Optimization of temperate extrusion-assisted flaking process conditions for the production of ricebean (Vigna umbellata) flakes

The temperate extrusion-assisted flaking process for the production of ricebean flakes has been optimized by using the response surface methodology. The developed flaking techniques could overcome the non-uniform product quality, loss of thermal sensitive nutrients, and prepare multigrain flakes. The process parameters studied were moisture content (MC: 20–30%), barrel temperature (BT: 40–60 °C), and twin-screw speed (TSS: 340–360 rpm). The quality of ricebean flakes was evaluated in terms of bulk density reduction percentage (BDRP), expansion percentage (EP), flakiness factor, water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), degree of gelatinization (DG), and overall acceptability (OAA). The best quality flakes were obtained with optimized conditions of 25% MC of flour, 55 °C BT, and 345 rpm TSS. The quality characteristics of the optimized flakes were as follows- BDRP: 27.11 ± 0.72%, EP: 24.85 ± 0.45%, FF: 1.13 ± 0.04, WAI: 3.59 ± 0.15 g/g, WSI: 27.61 ± 0.22%, DG: 83 ± 0.35%, OAA: 8.5 ± 0.1. Industrial relevanceConventional flaking technology is a simple process that can be easily scaled up by any skilled individual, but it frequently has limitations such as non-uniform quality; loss of thermo-sensitive nutrients, process efficiency, and so on. The process reported in this present investigation is a temperate extrusion-assisted flaking process that provides better process control, product uniformity, incorporation of multiple flours, and a reduction in the loss of thermo-labile nutrients. The ricebean flakes thus prepared had superior quality. The data generated for flaking process optimization would be quite useful while upscaling the process to industrial-scale production. Industries can use this data for their process optimization and validation in the technology scale-up stage. The temperate extrusion-assisted flaking process can also be used to develop ready-to-eat breakfast cereals by blending bean flour with other cereals/ingredients and multigrain combinations.

Development and Sensory Assessment of Ready-to-Eat Breakfast Cereal

There is a gradual change in the eating trend of Ghanaians. People now prefer convenient semiprocessed foods as breakfast meals to raw ones. These breakfast meals make use of cereals and grains, which often suffer postharvest losses. Thus, this study was aimed at adding value to these food crops by producing a nutritious convenient breakfast meal in the form of flakes using yellow maize and coconut as main food components. Five different formulations of percentages, maize against coconut (80/20, 77.5/22.5, 75/25, 72.5/27.5, and 70/30), were developed using the Design-Expert's D-optimal design to produce the breakfast meals through drum drying and the products assessed for acceptability by consumer panel. Panellists rated the produced cereal high in overall acceptability during the sensory evaluation. The overall acceptability decreased with decreasing coconut percentage in the cereal product. The 70/30 formulation was most preferred by panellist. The protein, fat, ash, fibre, carbohydrate, and energy contents in all five formulations increased significantly after processing. Coliform count and Bacillus cereus counts were <10 cfu/g.

Properties of different varieties of Maranta arundinacea’s starch.

The objective of this study was to analyze and compare arrowroot starch varieties of the "seta" (AS) and "redonda" (AR) varieties by assessing their chemical, morphological, rheological, structural and thermal characteristics, and verifying their applicability in the food industry. This research involved: proximal composition (moisture, ether extract, crude protein, crude fiber, ashes and glicidic fraction), infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, determination of paste clarity and properties, X-ray diffraction, and thermal properties. The extracted starches have high purity, having low levels of the components analyzed in the proximal composition. The main chemical groups found in polysaccharides were determined in infrared spectroscopy. Both arrowroot starches exhibited fragility to high temperatures, lower resistance to dissociation of hydrogen bonds, and high final viscosity. The characteristic size of the starch granules is in the range of 8 μm to 45 μm, with a predominance of granules of approximately 30 μm, for both AR and AS, which can be considered large granules. The granules predominant geometric shapes are oval and ellipsoid Starches exhibited type-C crystallinity and initial, peak and final temperature values for gelatinization were well below the temperatures found in literature. The two starches exhibited potential for use in the industry of instant foods, breakfast cereals, infant food, meat products, and bakery products.

Sodium Content in Cereal-Based Products Sold in Italy: How Far Are We from the Global Benchmarks?

Reformulation of food products is one of the measures needed for reducing salt consumption. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed global sodium benchmarks for different food categories to be used for setting national policies. Therefore, the sodium content of cereal-based products currently sold in Italy was compared with the WHO benchmarks, highlighting those categories primarily needing a reformulation. To this aim, the sodium content and several declarations (i.e., nutrition and health claims, organic or gluten free declaration) were retrieved from 2917 cereal-based products sold on the Italian market. All “minimally processed breakfast cereals” had a sodium content below the benchmark, while “flatbreads” and “leavened bread” had the highest percentage of items above the respective sodium benchmarks. Flatbreads and “crackers/savory biscuits” showed the highest median delta values from the respective benchmarks of 360 and 278 mg/100 g, respectively. Large variability in terms of percentage of products with sodium content above the benchmark was observed within the same categories, as well as among products with different declarations. A large number of food products currently sold on the Italian market have a sodium content above the benchmark. This result suggests the need to reformulate many food products currently on the market to achieve the WHO/United Nations (UN) objective of 30% global reduction in sodium intake by 2025.

Dietitians' Attitudes and Understanding of the Promotion of Grains, Whole Grains, and Ultra-Processed Foods.

NOVA is a food-classification system based on four levels of processing, from minimally processed to ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Whole-grain-containing commercial breads and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are considered ultra-processed within NOVA, despite being considered core foods in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. These food categories contribute the greatest quantities of whole grain in the Australian diet, although consumption is less than half of the 48 g/day daily target intake. Dietitians are key to disseminating messages about nutrition and health; therefore, an accurate understanding of whole grains and the effects of processing is critical to avoid the unnecessary exclusion of nutritionally beneficial foods. The aim was to utilise an online structured questionnaire to investigate dietitians’ attitudes to the promotion of grains and whole grains and understand their level of knowledge about and attitudes towards NOVA and the classification of specific whole-grain foods. Whole-grain foods were perceived positively and are regularly promoted in dietetic practice (n = 150). The dietitians tended not to consider whole-grain breads and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals as excessively processed, although most generally agreed with the classification system based on the extent of processing. If dietitians intend to incorporate NOVA and concepts of UPFs in their counselling advice, the anomalies regarding the categorisation of whole-grain choices and optimum intakes should be addressed.

Relative validity of a glycemic index extended food-frequency questionnaire

Background and aimsThe dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are increasingly recognized as important for the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus. To extend the portfolio of assessment methods for large-scale epidemiological studies, we propose a GI-specific addition to an already established FFQ. Methods and resultsThe German version of the EPIC-FFQ was extended by GI-specific questions for major carbohydrate sources varying notably in GI (breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice, potato etc.). We performed relative validation analyses comparing the GI-extended FFQ to three to four 3-day weighted dietary records (3-d WDR) in 100 middle-aged individuals with diabetes mellitus participating in the German Diabetes Study (GDS). Level of agreement between the two methods was assessed by correlation and cross-classification analyses as well as Bland-Altman-Plots, conducted separately for women and men.Spearman correlation analysis for female participants suggested good agreement between the GI-extended FFQ and 3-d WDRs for energy adjusted dietary GL (r = 0.52, p = 0.0004). For both women and men, agreement with the estimations of dietary GI, GL (for men) and carbohydrates from low and higher-GI food sources from the GI-extended FFQ was acceptable (r: 0.28–0.45). Classification of the dietary GI and GL in the opposite quartile was <10% comparing the GI-extended FFQ and 3-d WDR. Bland-Altman plots suggested a tendency for an overestimation of the dietary GI from the GI-extended FFQ in the lower GI-ranges, particularly for men. ConclusionCompared to the 3-d WDR, the GI-extended FFQ showed a moderate to good relative validity for parameters of carbohydrate quality.

Effect of extrusion processing on techno-functional, textural and bioactive properties of whole-grain corn flour-based breakfast cereals sweetened with honey.

The present study investigated the effect of honey and extrusion processing parameters on techno-functional and bioactive properties of whole-grain corn flour breakfast cereals. The central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to plan the experiments using feed moisture (FM), extrusion temperature (ET), and honey level as process variables and sectional expansion ratio (SER), bulk density (BD), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), and textural hardness as response variables. The feed containing honey and whole-grain corn flour was extruded through a twin-screw extruder according to CCRD. The data were fit to the appropriate regression models based on model significance and insignificant lack of fit. The selected experiments from CCRD were considered for studying the bioactive properties, and the effect of ET and honey level on bioactive properties was determined. The results of the study indicated that FM and honey adversely affected the SER, BD, and textural hardness, while ET augmented these properties of breakfast cereals. The WAI decreased with an increase in honey level and ET during extrusion. The incremental addition of honey in the mix as well extrusion at elevated temperature led to higher WSI. The whole-grain corn flour added with 10.22% honey and extruded at 16.06% FM, and 138.07°C ET produced optimum quality breakfast cereals with 0.70 desirability. The total phenolic content of breakfast cereals decreased, and antioxidant activity and hydroxymethylfurfural content increased upon extrusion at the higher temperatures. Honey addition lowers the loss of phenolic content during extrusion and improves the antioxidant activity of breakfast cereals.

Optimizing the extrusion conditions for the production of expanded intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) products

In this study, the effects of extrusion conditions such as feed moisture content (20%, 24%, and 28%), screw speed (200, 300, and 400 rpm), and extrusion temperature (130, 150, and 170°C) on the physical and functional properties (moisture content, expansion ratio, bulk density, hardness, water absorption index [WAI], water solubility index [WSI]) of intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) were investigated for the first time. Response surface methodology was used to model and optimize the extrusion conditions to produce expanded IWG. The model coefficient of determination (R 2) was high for all the responses (0.87–0.98). All the models were found to be significant (p < 0.05) and were validated with independent experiments. Generally, all the extrusion conditions were found to have significant effects on the IWG properties measured. Increasing the screw speed and decreasing the extrusion temperature resulted in IWG extrudates with a high expansion ratio. This also resulted in IWG extrudates with generally low hardness and bulk density. Screw speed was found to have the most significant effect on the WAI and WSI, with increasing screw speed resulting in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in WAI and a significant (p < 0.05) increase in WSI. The optimum conditions for obtaining an IWG extrudate with a high expansion ratio and WAI were found to be 20% feed moisture, 200 –356 rpm screw speed, and 130–154°C extrusion temperature.Practical ApplicationExtrusion cooking was employed in the production of expanded IWG. This research could provide a foundation to produce expanded IWG, which can potentially be used as breakfast cereals and snacks. This is critical in the efforts to commercialize IWG for mainstream food applications.

Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Cigarette Beetle Control in the Tobacco Industry – A Mini Review

Summary The cigarette beetle (CB), Lasioderma serricorne (Cole-optera: Ptinidae), is a major insect pest to the tobacco industry worldwide. This insect is also a major pest of raw grains such as rough rice, and postharvest foods like certain high-value grain products like pet food, animal feed, breakfast cereals and various dried herbs and spices. Pest control methods and systematic integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are required for the CB in the tobacco industry to prevent economic damage to cured tobacco leaves in storages as well as finished products in retail and distribution chains. This paper presents an overview of the problem of CB infestation in the tobacco industry and describes and discusses strategies and IPM practices for managing the pest.

Acceptability, Usability and Weight Loss Outcomes in a Randomized Cross-Over Study of Commercially Available Portion Size Tools in an Overweight South Asian Community.

South Asian women living in the UK are particularly at high risk of obesity-related complications, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exposure to large portion sizes is a risk factor for obesity. Specifically designed tableware helps individuals to manage weight by controlling food portion sizes. Thirty-one (n = 31) overweight or obese South Asian adult women participated in a randomised cross-over trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptance, and weight change of two guided/calibrated commercially available portion control tools (Utensil set and Crockery Set) used in free-living conditions. Data on acceptance, perceived changes in portion size, frequency, and meal type was collected using paper questionnaires and 3-day diet diaries. Scores describing acceptance, ease of use, and perceived effectiveness were derived from five-point Likert scales from which binary indicators (high/low) were analysed for significance using multivariate variance analysis for repeated measurements. A reduction in BMI was observed at each point of measurement (p = 0.007). For overall tool use, the crockery set scored higher in all areas of acceptance, ease of use, and perceived efficacy for all comparisons. Self-selected portion sizes increased for salads and decreased for cooking oil and breakfast cereals with both tools. Further research to scale up and evaluate similar weight management interventions for this group is warranted.

Extrusion Simulation for the Design of Cereal and Legume Foods.

A 1D global twin-screw extrusion model, implemented in numerical software, Ludovic®, was applied to predict extrusion variables and, therefore, to design various starchy products with targeted structure and properties. An experimental database was built with seven starchy food formulations for manufacturing dense and expanded foods made from starches, starch blends, breakfast cereals, pulse crop ingredients such as pea flour, fava bean flour, and fava bean starch concentrated, and wheat flour enriched with wheat bran. This database includes the thermal and physical properties of the formulations at solid and molten states, melt viscosity model, extruder configurations and operating parameters, and extruded foods properties. Using extrusion and viscosity models, melt temperature (T) and specific mechanical energy (SME) were satisfactorily predicted. A sensitivity analysis of variables at die exit was performed on formulation, extruder configuration, and operating parameters, generating the extruder operating charts. Results allowed the establishment of relationships between predicted variables (T, SME, melt viscosity) and product features such as starch and protein structural change, density and cellular structure, and functional properties. The extrusion operating conditions leading to targeted food properties can be assessed from these relationships and also the relationship between extrusion operating parameters and variables provided by simulation.

Occurrence of Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi in Cereals and Application of Yeast Volatiles for Their Biological Control.

Fungal infections in cereals lead to huge economic losses in the food and agriculture industries. This study was designed to investigate the occurrence of toxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins in marketed cereals and explore the effect of the antagonistic yeast Cyberlindnera jadinii volatiles against key toxigenic fungal strains. Aspergillus spp. were the most frequent contaminating fungi in the cereals, with an isolation frequency (Fr) of 100% in maize, followed by wheat (88.23%), rice (78.57%) and oats (14.28%). Morphological and molecular identification confirmed the presence of key toxigenic fungal strains in cereal samples, including A. carbonarius, A. flavus, A. niger, A. ochraceus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins (AFs) were detected in all types of tested cereal samples, with a significantly higher level in maize compared to wheat, rice, oats and breakfast cereals. Ochratoxin A (OTA) was only detected in wheat, rice and maize samples. Levels of mycotoxins in cereals were within EU permissible limits. The volatiles of Cyberlindnera jadinii significantly inhibited the growth of A. parasiticus, A. niger and P. verrucosum. The findings of this study confirm the presence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in cereals within the EU permissible limits and the significant biocontrol ability of Cyberlindnera jadinii against these toxigenic fungi.

Intake of whole grain foods and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women

BackgroundEpidemiological studies have demonstrated a favorable association of whole grain intake with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, although whether such an inverse association holds true for individual whole grain foods that have various nutritional profiles has not been examined.MethodsWe followed 74,244 women from Nurses’ Health Study since 1986, 91,430 women from Nurses’ Health Study II since 1991, and 39,455 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study since 1984, who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline. Intake of seven individual whole grain foods was repeatedly assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire every 2–4 years since baseline. CHD diagnoses were ascertained through review of medical records or death certificates.ResultsWe documented 9461 CHD cases during an average of 25.8 years’ follow-up. In the multivariable-adjusted model, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) of CHD risk corresponding to each one serving/day consumption of total whole grains was 0.93 (0.90–0.95; p trend <0.0001). Higher consumption of most individual whole grain foods was associated with significantly lower risk of CHD. Comparing participants consuming ≥1 serving/day with those consuming < 1 serving/month, the multivariable-adjusted pooled HRs (95% CIs) of CHD were 0.83 (0.78–0.89) for whole grain cold breakfast cereal, 0.92 (0.86–0.99) for dark bread, and 1.08 (0.96–1.22) for popcorn. For other whole grain foods with lower overall intake levels, comparing intake level of ≥2 servings/week with < 1 serving/month, the pooled hazard ratios (95% CIs) were 0.79 (0.74–0.84) for oatmeal, 0.79 (0.71–0.87) for brown rice, 0.84 (0.78–0.90) for added bran, and 0.87 (0.77–0.99) for wheat germ. Cubic spline regression suggested non-linear associations for certain whole grain foods: the risk reduction plateaued approximately over 2 servings/day for total whole grains, 0.5 serving/day for both cold breakfast cereal and dark bread, 0.5 serving/week for oatmeal, 1 serving/week for brown rice, and 2 serving/week for added bran (p for non-linearity <0.01 for all associations).ConclusionsThese data suggest that higher consumption of total whole grains, as well as individual whole grain foods except popcorn, were significantly associated with lower CHD risk. The inverse associations may plateau at various intake levels for total whole grain and individual whole grain foods. This study provides further evidence in support of increasing whole grain intake for the prevention of CHD in US populations.

Formulation and Quality Evaluation of Breakfast Flakes Produced from Blends of Maize (Zea mays) and Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) Flour

The study aimed at the production and evaluation of breakfast cereals (flakes) formulated from composite blends of corn (Zea mays) flour and quinoa seed flour (Chenopodium quinoa); a pseudo cereal that has recently gained the interest of researchers due to its unique functional properties. Breakfast flakes were developed from formulations of WCF (100% whole corn flour); CQF (90:10 corn/quinoa flour); and QCF (50:50 corn/quinoa flour). The flakes were evaluated for their organoleptic acceptability, nutritional composition and functional properties. The result of the sensory evaluation showed that WCF was most acceptable in colour (4.90 \(\pm\)0.32) and was not significantly different (p&gt;0.05) from CQF (4.10 \(\pm\)0.88). In terms of taste, texture, and aroma no significant differences (p&gt;0.05) were recorded among all flakes blend. Overall, WCF was rated highest in acceptability at a mean score of 4.80 \(\pm\)0.42. However, QCF and CQF competed favorably with WCF in organoleptic quality. The result of the proximate analysis showed that compared with the control (WCF) which had a protein content of 7.36 \(\pm\)0.31%, the inclusion of quinoa enhanced the protein content in QCF and CQF at 9.40 \(\pm\)0.35% and 9.64 \(\pm\)0.03% respectively. Crude fibre, an essential component of functional foods was significantly enhanced with the inclusion of quinoa. In comparism with the control (9.02 \(\pm\)0.13%), the crude fibre content of CQF and QCF were 11.99 \(\pm\)0.12% and 15.99 \(\pm\)0.56% respectively. An increased inclusion of quinoa resulted in a corresponding decrease in carbohydrate (CHO) content as expected. The lowest CHO content was observed in QCF (49.66 \(\pm\)0.57%); while the highest CHO content was observed in WCF (62.50 \(\pm\)0.45%). There was significant difference in all the functional properties observed except for the bulk density. Quinoa fortification of corn flakes resulted in increased water absorption capacity (WAC) and oil absorption capacity (OAC). Hence QCF had the highest WAC and OAC at 35.33 \(\pm\)0.29% and 14.97 \(\pm\)0.15% respectively. In addition, QCF had the lowest emulsification capacity and swelling capacity at 41.43 \(\pm\)0.38% and 338.17 \(\pm\)0.19% respectively. The inclusion of quinoa in flakes could be beneficial as a breakfast cereal useful in human health and nutrition.

From the FDA: Cannabis edibles copycatting cereals, candy

Children can easily mistake edible cannabis products as breakfast cereal, candy, cookies, and other commonly consumed foods, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned. Accidentally ingesting these can cause serious adverse events in anyone, but especially in children, the agency said in a May 13 announcement.

How Do Consumers’ Beliefs About Product Price, Taste, and Health Affect Attention to Health-Differentiated Product-Sets?

ObjectivesConsumers face myriad food products in supermarkets, obviating consideration of all options. Consumers are likely to direct scarce attention to products they believe will provide them the best outcome. However, consumers may hold inaccurate beliefs—particularly about health attributes which can lead them to omit items from consideration that they would have optimally considered We examine how consumers’ beliefs about the relative price, taste, and healthiness of food product sets affect the healthiness of the set of products they consider. MethodsData are generated from an experiment on 2,309 participants’ choices of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in U.S. To document the sets of cereal considered, we grouped 33 cereals into three subsets using the Guiding Stars nutritional rating system: less healthy, medium healthy and healthier subsets. Participants selected the product set (the three above, plus the full set of 33 cereals) they wished to view to choose a box of cereal from. Participants later were asked how healthy, tasty, and costly they believed the cereals from each subset were on average We estimate a multinomial logistic regression model using R software. The dependent variable is the consideration set selected by each participant, which could be less healthy, medium healthy, healthier, or a set that included all 33 cereals. The independent variables are the relative expected price, expected taste, and expected health for medium healthy and healthier sets relative to the less healthy set. ResultsBeliefs play an important role in people’s choices. Individuals who perceive greater health differences between the healthier and less healthy sets of cereals are more likely to choose to view the healthy set than individuals who do not believe the sets of cereals differ much in terms of healthiness. We find similar effects in terms of beliefs about tastes and prices. ConclusionsBelieves about relative differences in nutritional quality of foods importantly influence consideration of products, potentially perpetuating misconceptions about relative healthiness of products. Finding ways to prompt individuals to challenge prior beliefs about health may promote healthier food choices. Funding SourcesNebraska Center for the Prevention of Obesity Disease.

Associations between food portion sizes, insulin resistance, VO2 max and metabolic syndrome in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Background and aimsThis study aims to examine the associations of food portion size (PS) with markers of insulin resistance (IR) and clustered of metabolic risk score in European adolescents. MethodsA total of 495 adolescents (53.5% females) from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study were included. The association between PS from food groups and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, VO2 max, and metabolic risk score was assessed by multilinear regression analysis adjusting for several confounders. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine the mean differences of food PS from food groups by HOMA-IR cutoff categories by using maternal education as a covariable. ResultsLarger PS from vegetables in both gender and milk, yoghurt, and milk beverages in males were associated with higher VO2 max, while larger PS from margarines and vegetable oils were associated with lower VO2 max (p < 0.05). Males who consumed larger PS from fish and fish products; meat substitutes, nuts, and pulses; cakes, pies, and biscuits; and sugar, honey, jams, and chocolate have a higher metabolic risk score (p < 0.05). Males with lower HOMA-IR cutoff values consumed larger PS from vegetables, milk, yoghurt, and milk beverages (p < 0.05). Females with lower HOMA-IR cutoff values consumed larger PS from breakfast cereals, while those with higher HOMA-IR cutoff values consumed larger PS from butter and animal fats (p = 0.018). ConclusionThe results show that larger PS from dairy products, cereals, and high energy dense foods are a significant determinant of IR and VO2 max, and larger PS from food with higher content of sugar were associated with higher metabolic risk score.

Which Type of Breakfast Cereals is Healthier: Evaluating Labels in the Portuguese Market

Which Type of Breakfast Cereals is Healthier: Evaluating Labels in the Portuguese Market