Diet Cost Research Articles

The nutrient profile and cost of specialty dietary patterns: a hypothetical case study.

Ketogenic and vegan diets have become increasingly popular. The rising popularity of these dietary trends has been met in kind by the food industry producing a variety of specialty ultra-processed foods (UPF). Despite increasing popularity, the cost and nutrient profile of vegan and ketogenic diets (KD) that rely on UPF specialty products is poorly understood. We aimed to assess the cost and nutrient profile of vegan and KD that relied primarily on UPF and compare this to those that relied primarily on whole foods. We designed and calculated the cost of four 1-d meal plans for a hypothetical weight-stable adult female. Two meal plans were created for the vegan-style and ketogenic-style diets, respectively, with one of each being predominantly whole food based and the other constituting primarily of UPF. Carbohydrates were limited to ≤50 g, protein was set at 15-20 % and fat ≥75 % for the ketogenic meal plans. Carbohydrates were set between 45 and 65 %, protein 15 and 25 % and fat 20 and 35 % for the vegan meal plans. FoodWorks dietary analysis software was used to assess data against the national Australian/New Zealand nutrient reference value for adult females and cost was calculated using Countdown online shopping (a local New Zealand supermarket). New Zealand. None. The whole food-based meal plans met a greater proportion of the macro and micronutrient thresholds and were less costly when compared with the specialty-based meal plans. This study demonstrates that well-planned, predominantly whole food diets (regardless of dietary trend) are nutritionally superior and more cost-effective than those that rely on UPF.

PSVIII-14 Improved Palatability and Digestibility in Dry Dog Food Using a Porcine Intestinal Mucosa Hydrolysate

Abstract A proper diet for a dog is one that provides all the required nutrients and is highly digestible. In order for the ingredients to be delivered to the organism, this diet should be highly palatable. Currently, research is being conducted on the possibility of introducing new sources of animal protein, thus replacing traditional meat meals. A new source of protein, together with increasing the digestibility and palatability of dry pet food while maintaining the price of the recipe, is an expected success. Porcine intestinal mucosa hydrolysate (PIMH) products are high-quality, sustainable, and inexpensive protein sources obtained from porcine intestinal mucosa as byproduct of the heparin manufacturing process. PIMH are being used as alternative protein sources in several animal species. The present study aimed to determine the effects of incorporating 3% PIMH (Palbio HP, Bioiberica SAU, Palafolls, Spain) as replacement for poultry meal on digestibility and palatability of dog dry food. The palatability test was conducted on a professional, independent panel of dogs. The test lasted 4 days with 20 adult dogs. Apparent digestibility and feces quality were also assessed in a digestibility test under the supervision of veterinarians in a 10-day experiment. The tested diets which serve as reference of a commercial dry dog food (Control diet) and a diet in which 3% PIMH was incorporated as replacement for poultry meal (PIMH diet). Palatability evaluation was performed in a two-pan setting in which first choice and consumption ratio were quantified and compared over four days. A Chi square test was used for the statistical analysis and a P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. An improvement in palatability was observed with the PIMH diet. More specifically, first choice results were greater during the four days of the study with PIMH (82%, 88%, 89% and 100%, respectively) compared with Control. Likewise, consumption ratio was also greater with PIMH over the four study days (84%, 87%, 86% and 93%, respectively). On the other hand, the PIMH diet showed a greater digestibility (77.98%) compared with the Control diet (73.95%), as well as a better feces score (0% unacceptable feces vs 4.2% in the Control group).In conclusion, using 3% Palbio HP PIMH in dry dog food as replacement for poultry meal leads to enhanced palatability and digestibility, while it has no negative impact on feces quality or diet costs.

PSXII-12 Partial Indicators Monitoring in Dairy Farm: Effect of Feed Efficiency Improvement on Gross Margin

Abstract The use of partial indicators helps to improve technical and economic efficiency of dairy farms. Nevertheless, complete monitoring of farm cash flow and economic balances is needed to better support the decision making. The aim of this work was to propose a practical approach to monitor farm costs and incomes and related indicators of profitability. A methodological framework to calculate farm gross margin was developed and applied to a dairy cattle farm with 227 milking cows from Arborea (Or, Italy). Farm data were gathered at daily scale and elaborated twice per month. Replacement and dry cattle, other costs were monitored separately. Considered variables included: diet formulas, dry matter (DM) and costs of the produced and purchased feeds, milk delivered and price, meat and cattle sold (culled cows, live animals). Through the management software Ecostallawere collected the other costs concerning health and reproduction cost, energy and other costs that included: fuel, electricity and other materials. The farmer was asked daily to input in an excel spreadsheet for lactation groups feed and milk delivered, milking cows, feed orts and for all the groups: consistency, feed delivered and weekly the unifeed DM. Partial indicators were calculated for feed efficiency as milk/feed (FE), cost in €/kg of DM, IOFC, gross margin (revenues –considered costs). All the calculations were referred to the year 2022 the average milk price and cost per kg of DM was 0.465 €/l 0.39 €/kg respectively. The average milk production and DMI per cow was 33 l and 25.5 kg respectively, with a FE of 1.29 . Pooling daily data over the whole year a variation of ± 0.1 in FE corresponded to ±1.01 €/head daily change in IOFC. At the end of the year the feeding costs were equal to 817,798 € for lactating cows, 229,354 € for heifers, dry cows and calves, health and reproduction cost were 60,852 € and energy and other cost were 212,132 € . The final gross margin was 18,461 €, ranging from a max of 14,282 € in March and a min of – 15,501 € in September. Improving FE from 1.29 to 1.43 with 26.5 kg/DM and 38 l/d with other costs that remain equal except improving cost per kg of DM of . 0.02 € it will be a gross margin about 128,707 € more than 110,246 € respect the actual situation. This approach can be useful to stimulate farmer nutirionist and vet to improve a discussion to research goal to economic sustainability of farm.

PSX-23 Effects of Partial Or Total Nitrogen Replacement of Soybean Meal with Urea on Intake, Digestibility and Nitrogen Balance in Growing Nellore × Red Angus Bulls

Abstract In feedlot systems, feeding non-protein nitrogen sources, such as urea, instead of true protein sources, such as soybean meal (SBM), could be an alternative way to reduce dietary costs. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of partial or total replacement of SBM by urea on feed intake and apparent total-tract digestibility of organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP), and on nitrogen (N) balance in bulls. Four Nellore × Red Angus crossbred bulls (292 ± 14.6 kg BW) were randomly assigned to treatment in a 4×4 Latin square design. The experimental treatments consisted of different replacement levels of SBM by urea (DM basis): 0% replacement (R-0%); 54% replacement (R-54%); 78% replacement (R-78%); 100% replacement (R-100%). Diets were formulated according to the BR-CORTE system to provide approximately 130 g CP/kg DM. The diets consisted of 20% corn silage and 80% ground corn-based concentrate containing SBM and/or urea+ammonium sulfate, mineral mix, and virginiamycin. Each experimental period was 21 d, with 14 d adaptation, and 4 d of total feces and urine collection. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS and statistical significance was declared at P < 0.05. Dietary treatment did not influence (P > 0.05) OM and CP intake. Apparent total-tract OM and CP digestibility were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary treatment. Daily total urinary and fecal N were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary treatment. Dietary treatment did not influence (P > 0.05) N retention. Therefore, these data suggest that SBM may be partially or totally replaced by urea as the dietary N source without affecting feed intake, apparent total-tract digestibility, and N balance in Nellore × Red Angus crossbreed young bulls fed a high concentrate diet.

PSVI-2 Economic Evaluation of Forage-Fed vs Concentrate-Fed Beef Finishing Systems

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the price points at which it is more economical to finish beef animals on forage-based or concentrate-based diets. To accomplish this, Hereford steers (n = 21; BW = 444 ± 10 kg) were fed out on one of three diets: a long-stemmed grass hay (HAY, 10.8% CP, 2.11 Mcal ME/kg DM), an alfalfa hay diet (ALF, 20.5% CP, 2.85 Mcal ME/kg DM) or a mixed ration consisting of 30.0% corn silage, 28.0% DDGS, 30.0% rolled corn, 10.5% soybean meal, and 1.5% mineral supplement (CON, 22.0% CP, 2.90 Mcal ME/kg DM). The data were analyzed in SAS v9.4. Animals were evaluated on intake, growth, and performance measures during a 35-day feeding trial. Average daily gain (ADG) and hot carcass weight differed significantly (P < 0.05) between treatments with CON steers gaining 1.47 kg/d with a hot carcass weight of 394.8 kg, ALF steers gaining 0.77 kg/d with a hot carcass weight of 334.7 kg, and HAY steers gaining 0.1 kg/d with a hot carcass weight of 237.4 kg. Dressing percentage was significantly different between all treatments (P < 0.05). The dressing percentage was 58.2%, 54.3%, and 50.6% for CON, ALF, and HAY, respectively. The HAY diet rendered significantly lower marbling scores than ALF or CON (P < 0.05). It was concluded based on carcass quality data that there was no difference in the high-quality forage (ALF) and the concentrate diet (CON) other than diet cost and growth rate. Price per kilogram of gain was $1.42, $1.23, and $14.80 for CON, ALF, and HAY, respectively. Results of this trial are expected to indicate at what price point it becomes more economically effective to finish animals on a high-quality forage or a concentrate-based diet.

PSVI-6 Effects of Partial or Total Replacement of Soybean Meal with Urea on Feed Efficiency in Nellore × Red Angus Growing Bulls

Abstract Soybean meal (SBM) is the primary protein source used worldwide for livestock. but is a high-cost protein source than other alternative protein sources such as urea. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of partial or total replacement of SBM with urea on dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency of finishing Nellore × Red Angus crossbreed bulls. Nellore × Red Angus crossbred bulls (n = 30; average initial BW = 383.5 ± 8 kg; age = 9 ± 1 mo) were utilized in a completely randomized design for 93 days (9 d adaptation period + 84 d finishing period). Bulls were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 dietary treatments containing different replacement levels of soybean meal with urea (diet DM basis): 0% replacement (R-0%); 50% replacement (R-50%); 100% replacement (R-100%). Diets were formulated according to the BR-CORTE system to achieve an ADG of 1.3 kg and to contain 130 g CP/kg DM. The diets consisted of 20% corn silage and 80% concentrate that was formulated with ground corn, soybean meal and/or urea, ammonium sulfate, mineral mix, and virginiamycin. All animals were fed for ad libitum intake using an electronic feeder (INTERGADO, Intergado Ltd., Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil) and individual daily feed intake was recorded. The bulls were weighed at the beginning and end and every 28 d throughout the finishing period. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) assuming the significance level of 0.05. There was no influence on final BW (P = 0.39), DMI (P = 0.22), ADG (P = 0.47), or feed efficiency (P = 0.98; Table 1). These results suggest that SBM can be replaced with urea and may be used as a strategy to reduce diet costs for Nellore × Red Angus crossbred bulls without affecting DMI, ADG, and feed efficiency.

PSIV-19 Understanding Intestinal Health in Nursery Pigs Through Potential Non-Invasive Biomarkers

Abstract Mannans in feed ingredients can cause a feed-induced immune response (FIIR), resulting in intestinal inflammation. The addition of beta-mannanase can limit this anti-nutritional action, reducing the cost of activating the immune response. In the same way, non-invasive biomarkers are important tools that can provide early diagnosis of low-grade inflammation by mannans. The objective of this study was to assess potential non-invasive biomarkers in nursery pigs reared in different scenarios of low-grade inflammation. Female piglets (n = 396; 6.86 ± 0.9 kg; Large white × Landrace) weaned at 21 days of age were used for this trial. Treatments were organized in a factorial design with two diet types (simple or complex feed formulas containing 25 and 12% of soybean-meal, respectively) and two enzyme supplementation plans (control without supplementation or supplemented with beta-mannanase at 0.4 kg per feed of 1,000 kg Hemicell HT, Elanco Animal Health, São Paulo, Brazil). Fecal samples were collected from 10 pigs per treatment at the 21st experimental day. The fecal concentration of calprotectin, neopterin, free fatty acid, lactoferrin, and calcium binding proteins were determined using commercially available ELISA kits. Blood was sampled 6h after oral gavage of FITC-dextran at the 22nd experimental day to access intestinal permeability. The variables were subjected to the normality test (Shapiro-Wilk), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey's test. Differences among treatments were considered at 5 and 10% significance levels. Piglets receiving beta-mannanase had reduced fecal levels of calprotectin (-41%; P = 0.048), neopterin (-43%; P = 0.019), and free fatty acid (-34%; P = 0.050) in relation to the control group. A tendency was observed for the reduction of novel lactoferrin (-1%; P = 0.072) and calcium binding proteins (-35%; P = 0.095) when comparing control with supplemented animals. In addition, beta-mannanase supplementation decreased intestinal permeability (-10%; P = 0.053) compared with control treatment. However, there was no effects of diet type or diet by enzyme interactions (P > 0.10). The addition of beta-mannanase in the nursery phase reduced fecal biomarkers associated with gut health inflammation. However, there was no difference between diets indicating a simple diet may be used to reduce diet cost without compromising the intestinal health of the animals.

Optimizing Diabetes Management Using a Low-Calorie Diet in Saudi Arabia: A Cost-Benefit Analysis.

Low-calorie diets, high in protein and low in carbohydrates, are commonly recommended for patients with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to carry out a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of a low-calorie versus a standard diet from the perspective of the Saudi Arabian health system. The CBA compares costs and benefits of the two diet strategies over a 1-year time horizon. Costs included diet and diabetes treatment-related resources while benefits were measured in terms of the costs of diabetes complications avoided. Data on costs and benefits were collected from published literature and subject matter experts. Incremental costs were estimated as the cost difference between low-calorie and standard diet. Incremental benefits were estimated as cost difference from medical complications when following a low-calorie or standard diet. The incremental absolute cost-benefit ratio was calculated to show the difference between the costs and benefits of the low-calorie diet. Incremental relative cost-benefit ratio was calculated to show the cost per dollar of benefit obtained. Monte Carlo simulation modeled variability in outcomes due to variation in costs and uncertainty of diabetes complications. The 1year cost of standard diet was US$2515 ± 156 compared to US$2469 ± 107 per patient for a low-calorie diet. Incremental benefit is estimated at US$21,438 ± 7367 per patient. The estimated incremental absolute cost-benefit ratio was US$ -21,360 establishing that benefits are greater than costs, while the estimated incremental relative cost-benefit ratio is 0.0037, establishing that benefits are 270 times greater than costs. The low-calorie diet was the dominant strategy compared to the standard diet in modeled scenarios. These findings highlight the importance of a low-calorie diet as part of diabetes management programs for outpatients with type 2 diabetes.

Food security dynamics in the United States, 2001–2017

AbstractWe study household food security dynamics in the United States from 2001 to 2017 using a new measure, the probability of food security (PFS), the estimated probability that a household's food expenditures equal or exceed the minimum cost of a healthful diet. We use PFS to analyze household‐level and subpopulation‐scale dynamics by investigating the conditional distribution of estimated food insecurity spells and the chronic and transient components of estimated food insecurity. We find that two‐thirds of households experienced no estimated food insecurity during the 2001 to 2017 period and more than half of newly food insecure households regain food security within 2 years. Households headed by female, non‐White, or less educated individuals disproportionately suffer persistent, chronic, and/or severe food insecurity.

Significant inequalities in the cost of food for households with children in Israel in 2018

Abstract Background Dietary guidelines for families with children are designed to reach the Dietary Recommended Intake. However, the cost of a healthy diet and the extent to which families can afford it in Israel is unclear. Methods The distribution of ages and the number of children per household in Israel in 2018 was obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Food prices were purchased from the commercial company Stornext. The cost of the recommended food items in the healthy diet for adults and children was calculated using standard food portions and meal frequency as well as a percentage of the household's net income. The proportion of households for which food expenditures exceed 15% of the net income was calculated by income quintiles, followed by changes in food prices during 2018. Results The average daily cost of a healthy diet was 35.51±7.7 new Israeli shekels (NIS). The older the individual, the more food costs increase. The ratio between the average cost of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two intermediate meals was 1.5:3.4:1.2:1, respectively. The median monthly dietary cost for households with children as a percentage of net income was 20%. There was an inverse association with socioeconomic status (SES) as the median monthly food expenses for the first (lowest) quintile was 55% of the household's income and only 9.3% of the 5th (highest) income quintile. The food group that composed the highest component of the food budget was the vegetable group, with an average cost of 29% monthly, followed by the meat and meat substitutes group (19%). Discussions Policymakers should consider steps to decrease health inequality in food affordability targeting the three middle-lower income quintiles. The cost of a healthy diet compared with food expenditure in high-income countries was 1.8 higher in Israel. Our findings indicate that expanding the program to provide school lunches five days a week to more students would reduce household food expenditures by 15%. Key messages • Households with children in Israel would need to spend 20% of their net income to meet dietary guidelines. • Significant gaps by income quintile, number of children, and food group were identified.

Eating out intensity, ultra-processed foods and BMI among Albanian youth.

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) and eating out of home (OH) are changing nutrition, particularly among youth in constrained settings. We aimed to assess the role of eating OH intensity on the associations of UPF and unprocessed or minimally processed foods (UMPF) with BMI among Albanian youth. Cross-sectional. Albania, a south-eastern European country. 281 youth, predominantly females. UPF and UMPF were defined based on NOVA, while eating OH intensity based on energy percentage from OH foods. Multivariable models tested associations of UPF and UMPF with BMI stratified by eating OH intensity, controlled for relevant covariates including diet quality, portion size and costs. The respondents age ranged between 18 and 23 years with a female predominance (87·5 %). Mean energy from UPF and UMPF was 846 (sd: 573·0) and 802·9 (422·5) kcals, respectively. Among substantial at home eaters UPF intake was not associated (β = −0·07, 95 % CI (−0·13, 0·267)) with BMI; however, UMPF negatively associated with BMI (β = −0·24, 95 % CI (−0·43, −0·06)). Among those defined as substantial OH eaters, UPF (β = 0·24, 95 % CI (0·08, 0·40)) and UMPF (β = 0·18, 95 % CI (0·04, 0·33)) were positively associated with BMI. Our findings provide evidence for the hypothesis that eating OH plays an important role in the association of UPF and UMPF with BMI in youth. While causality cannot be established due to cross-sectional design, to the best of our knowledge, we provide the first assessment of UPF and UMPF intake in a south-eastern European setting, while highlighting the need for establishing and integrating youth nutrition into national nutritional surveillance systems for key dietary risk factors in Albania.

The trends and effects of food price inflation on the cost and affordability of nutritionally adequate diets in Malawi

Background Global challenges of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition persist, with nearly one in three people lacking sufficient food access. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues, particularly in Africa, where 59.6% of the population grapples with food insecurity. Malawi faces high stunting and anaemia rates in children, driven by poverty, inadequate health services, and improper diet. Despite progress, the prevalence remains above regional averages. Research reveals imbalanced diets in Malawi, primarily reliant on maize, risking micronutrient deficiencies. This study examines diet affordability in the context of rising costs and low incomes, aiming to influence policy in addressing undernutrition in Malawi and highlighting the overlooked role of affordability in nutrition access. Objectives This assessment aimed to estimate the minimum cost of a nutritious diet using locally available and culturally acceptable food items in Malawi. The objective was to explore how economic constraints affect Malawian households, particularly the poor and ultra-poor, in accessing such diets. Additionally, it sought answers to questions about cost changes over 12 months and affordability among different wealth groups in the country. Methods This study involved secondary data analysis by employing the Cost of the Diet (CotD) research method and software. The World Food Programme’s Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) provided monthly food prices for 28 items from April 2021 to March 2022. Comparing the cost of a nutritious diet with per capita income from the Malawi Poverty Report, we estimated the affordability gap. Food price data was from 77 markets in 25 districts, ensuring national representation. Results The annual cost of a culturally acceptable nutritious diet for a five-person household from April 2021 to March 2022 was MWK 84,658/month (≈$103). The diet’s cost increased by 25% during the period, from MWK 2,519 to MWK 3,140 per day. Only average urban households had sufficient income to afford the diet, with a 9.7% surplus. Ultra-poor, poor, rural, and average Malawian households faced affordability gaps of 139.5%, 61.4%, 48.5%, and 32%, respectively. Closing the affordability gap would require additional monthly income of 29,134 kwacha (≈$35.5) for an average Malawian household, 37,481 kwacha for a typical rural household, 42,452 kwacha for a poor household, and 58,885 kwacha for an ultra-poor household. Conclusion The CotD assessment revealed a significant increase in the cost of a nutritious diet over the past 12 months. Most of the population cannot afford the cheapest nutritious diet. The recent currency devaluation may worsen the situation. Cash, voucher or food distribution could help close the affordability gap for poor and ultra-poor households. Regular monitoring and ongoing updates of the CotD results are necessary for informed decision-making.

Optimal allocation of agriculture’s public budget can improve transformation and healthy diets access in Ethiopia

Agriculture is under transformation in sub-Saharan Africa where millions still do not have access to a healthy diet. Policy makers in this region should find ways to accelerate agricultural transformation while increasing access to healthy diets. Optimizing agriculture’s public budget stands out as a handy option. By combining a dynamic computable general equilibrium model and a multi-criteria decision-making technique, and applying them in the context of Ethiopia, this paper points to an important trade-off that policy makers should keep in mind. An optimal allocation of agriculture’s public budget aimed at increasing agri-food output, creating off-farm jobs and reducing rural poverty, which are agricultural transformation objectives, will help to reduce the cost of a healthy diet, allowing around 2 million more Ethiopians to afford it. This number could even be higher should policy makers allocate the budget optimally aiming at only lowering the cost of a healthy diet, but at the cost of reducing household income and slowing down transformation.

Habitual Diets Are More Expensive than Recommended Healthy Diets.

Understanding food prices and affordability is crucial for promoting healthy dietary habits and informing policy actions. We assessed changes in the cost and affordability of habitual and recommended healthy diets in Northwest Tasmania from 2021 to 2023. The recommended diet was 16-22% less expensive than the habitual diet during the period. Notably, 60% of the total cost of the habitual diet was spent on discretionary items. The cost of the habitual diet increased by 9% in this period, whereas the cost of the recommended diet increased by only 2%. The habitual diet was unaffordable for households with median gross, minimum wage disposable or welfare-dependent incomes. The recommended diet, however, was affordable for some groups but posed a risk of food stress for those with median gross and minimum wage disposable income and remained unaffordable for those who were welfare dependent. Our findings reveal that adhering to a healthy Australian Dietary Guidelines-recommended diet can be more cost-effective than following a habitual unhealthy diet. However, adopting a healthy diet can be challenging for low-income families. Interventions such as financial support, nutrition education, community gardens and food hubs, as well as price regulation and subsidies for farmers, can help address food insecurity in Northwest Tasmania.

Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight

This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial investigates the effects of a vegan diet on total food costs per day.

The effects of dietary changes towards sustainability on dietary profiles, environmental footprint, and dietary cost

The effects of dietary changes towards sustainability on dietary profiles, environmental footprint, and dietary cost

Cactus pear mucilage processing enhances corn silage's quality, ruminal degradability, goat kids' performance, carcass traits, and dietary economic profitability

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different moisture additives to ground corn grain silage on silage quality, performance, and carcass characteristics of goat kids, and the economic efficiency of the diets. The experimental silos were opened 90 days after silage making and analyzed for chemical composition and aerobic stability. Two experiments were carried out simultaneously, one with 32 non-castrated crossbred male Boer goat kids, weighing on average 16.4 ± 2.5 kg at 6 months of age distributed in a randomized block design with four treatments and eight replications to evaluate performance, carcass characteristics and economic efficiency of the diet; the other with four male sheep weighing 30.4 ± 6.0 kg, fistulated and cannulated in the rumen, and distributed in a Latin square design (4 × 4) to evaluate the rumen degradability profile of the diets. The experimental treatments were a control diet with ground corn grain (GC) and three corn grain silages rehydrated with moisture additives: water (RCSwater), cactus pear cladode mucilage (RCSmucilage) and whey (RCSwhey). The evaluation of the chemical composition of the silages showed that the highest DM, NDF and ash contents were in RCSmucilage, while the lowest was in RCSwater (P < 0.0001), and that there was no difference in NDF content between RCSwhey and RCSwater (P > 0.05). Silage pH was higher for RCSwater and did not differ between RCSmucilage and RCSwhey, while N-NH3 content was lower in RCSmucilage and higher in RCSwater and RCSwhey (P < 0.05). CP, lignin, effluent losses, gas losses, dry matter recovery, lactic acid and propionic acid contents did not differ among silages (P > 0.05). However, acetic acid presented a higher concentration (P < 0.05) in RCSmucilage and lower in RCSwhey. DM and NDF intake, ADG, slaughter weight, total income from carcass sales and income over dietary costs were higher for RCSmucilage when compared to the other silages, and like the control treatment. There was no effect of diets on metabolizable energy and CP intake, feed efficiency, hot and cold carcass weight and yield, cooling losses, loin eye area, and subcutaneous fat thickness of the goat kids carcasses (P > 0.05). The total replacement of ground corn grain in the concentrate by RCSmucilage is recommended in the diet of goat kids, since it promotes better silage conservation, increases DM intake and weight gain, and provides better financial income.

Greater adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is associated with lower diet-related greenhouse gas emissions but higher costs.

Few studies have evaluated the sustainability of popular diet patterns in the US, which limits policy action and impedes consumer efficacy to make sustainable dietary changes. This study filled this gap by evaluating the relationship between diet quality, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), and diet cost for plant-based, restricted carbohydrate, low grain, low fat, and time restricted diet patterns. Dietary data were retrieved from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2018, n = 8,146) and linked with data on GHGE and food prices from publicly available databases. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index-2015. The present study (1) compared the mean diet quality, GHGE, and diet cost between diet patterns, (2) evaluated the association of diet quality to GHGE and diet cost for each diet pattern, and (3) estimated the contribution of food sources to GHGE and diet cost for each diet pattern. Higher diet quality was associated with lower GHGE for the general population and for most diet patterns (p < 0.01) except for the plant-based and time restricted diet patterns (p > 0.05). Higher diet quality was associated with higher cost for the general population and for all dietary patterns (p < 0.01) except the time restricted diet pattern (p > 0.05). Protein foods, mostly beef, accounted for the largest share of GHGE (29-40%) and diet cost (28-47%) for all diet patterns except plant-based. Higher diet quality was associated with lower GHGE but was often accompanied by higher diet cost. These sustainability trade-offs can help inform major policy discussions in the US and shed light on further research needs in the area of food systems transformation.

Cost and affordability of a healthy diet for urban populations in Thailand and the Philippines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic severely affected global food security, but analyses of its impact on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet are limited. This study examines the immediate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet among urban households in Bangkok, Thailand and Manila, the Philippines.MethodsWe used official food price and household income and food expenditure data from the national statistics offices. The cost of recommended diet (CoRD) method was employed to assess the minimum cost of a healthy diet, following the healthy diet recommendations provided in the national food-based dietary guidelines of the specific countries. Regression discontinuity design was estimated to determine the COVID-19 effect on food prices and scenario analysis done to determine the effect of reduced food budgets with and without government relief programs.ResultsThe results show that the average cost of the recommended diet was US$ 1.55 per person/day in Bangkok and US$ 3.76 in Manila (2019 prices in purchasing power parities) immediately before the pandemic. This diet is generally affordable for all households in Bangkok, but only for 37% of households (4.98 million people) in Manila, indicating much higher poverty in the latter. The pandemic and associated government measures decreased the cost of the recommended diet with 6.5% in Bangkok (p = 0.001) but not in Manila (p = 0.167). Assuming contractions in people’s food budgets of 15–20%, the recommended diet became unaffordable for 0.08–0.12 million people in Bangkok and 6.32–7.73 million people in Manila during the pandemic. Government relief largely compensated for this loss in Bangkok, but relief payments in Manila were not enough to compensate the effect.ConclusionThese results show that the main effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the affordability of healthy diets was through the effect on reduced incomes of the poor rather than through prices. Government relief measures should target low-income households to give them the means to purchase healthy food items.

Developing feasible healthy diets for Ethiopian women of reproductive age: a linear goal programming approach.

To develop a healthy diet for Ethiopian women closely resembling their current diet and taking fasting periods into account while tracking the cost difference. Linear goal programming models were built for three scenarios (non-fasting, continuous fasting and intermittent fasting). Each model minimised a function of deviations from nutrient reference values for eleven nutrients (protein, Ca, Fe, Zn, folate, and the vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12). The energy intake in optimised diets could only deviate 5 % from the current diet. Five regions are included in the urban and rural areas of Ethiopia. Two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls (24HDR) were collected from 494 Ethiopian women of reproductive age from November to December 2019. Women's mean energy intake was well above 2000 kcal across all socio-demographic subgroups. Compared to the current diet, the estimated intake of several food groups was considerably higher in the optimised modelled diets, that is, milk and dairy foods (396 v. 30 g/d), nuts and seeds (20 v. 1 g/d) and fruits (200 v. 7 g/d). Except for Ca and vitamin B12 intake in the continuous fasting diet, the proposed diets provide an adequate intake of the targeted micronutrients. The proposed diets had a maximum cost of 120 Ethiopian birrs ($3·5) per d, twice the current diet's cost. The modelled diets may be feasible for women of reproductive age as they are close to their current diets and fulfil their energy and nutrient demands. However, the costs may be a barrier to implementation.