Fruit Drinks Research Articles

Empowerment of Kelompok Tani Kerja Pertanian Peternakan Perikanan (K2P3) Fafinesu Village Through Post-Harvest Handling Training of Passocery

Fafinesu Village is one of the villages in Kecamatan Insana tengah, Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) NTT which has been involved in horticulture cultivation, especially passion fruit, on a fairly large land area. Passion fruit plants are cultivated together with other horticulture such as papaya and vegetables (tomatoes and chilies). The large amount of passion fruit harvested by Kelompok Tani Kerja Pertanian Peternakan Perikanan (K2P3) which was formed in 2020 in Fafinesu Village has not been utilized optimally and its economic value is not yet visible. Knowledge of post-harvest handling of passion fruit is not widely known by the public. Passion fruit business opportunities are still quite wide open because of marketing opportunities. However, one of the factors that is an obstacle to developing passion fruit is post-harvest technology which is not yet known to farmers. This community service program aims to increase farmers' knowledge and skills in post-harvest handling of passion fruit in order to increase the economic value of passion fruit. One product that is long-lasting is using a high sugar concentrate, so training was carried out in making an instant passion fruit drink combined with the medicinal rhizome plant (turmeric) to become a traditional turmeric and passion fruit sour drink product. The method used in this activity is practice and assistance in processing passion fruit. Community service was successful thanks to the active participation of farmer groups by producing new passion fruit processing products in the form of traditional instant drinks. The knowledge and skills of farmer groups increase and will ultimately have an impact on increasing production and the economy

Molecular identification of bacteria (Klebsiella aerogenes, PP335235) isolated from street food (Fried Rice); study of its antibiotic sensitivity pattern and probiotic fortification of fruit juice (Fragaria ananassa, Passiflora ligularis and Phyllanthus e

Street food is an integral part of India's culinary culture, offering patrons a wide range of affordable options. However, concerns about the public's health risks associated with street food consumption persist due to inadequate infrastructure and the transient nature of street vendors. Contaminated street food can lead to foodborne illnesses such as gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, pneumonia, food poisoning, and hepatitis A. Probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, are potentially effective by targeting specific infections. Probiotic-enriched fruit drinks present an innovative approach to improving population nutrition and probiotic provision. Lactobacillus gasseri is a gram-positive bacterium that has been demonstrated to be a promising strain of probiotic due to its resistance to acidity and beneficial effects on gut health. Alginate encapsulation improves the stability and release of probiotic strain. Probiotic fruit juices can be made from fruits that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients, such as Passiflora ligularis, Fragaria ananassa, and Phyllanthus emblica. The aim of this study was to use molecular methods to discover Klebsiella aerogenes (PP335235) isolated from street foods. The study also sought to determine the isolate's pattern of antibiotic sensitivity and explore the potential of fortifying fruit juice with Lactobacillus gasseri as a probiotic nutraceutical therapeutic strategy.

Country-level sociocultural context and socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent dietary behaviours: A multilevel analysis in 21 European countries

Studies to date have predominantly focused on countries' socioeconomic conditions (e.g., income inequality) to explain cross-national differences in socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent health (behaviours). However, the potential explanatory role of sociocultural contexts at country-level remains underexamined. This study examined whether the country-level sociocultural context and changes thereof were associated with adolescent socioeconomic inequalities in dietary behaviours. International comparative data of 344,352 adolescents living in 21 countries participating in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey were combined with aggregated levels of openness-to-change from the European Social Survey (ESS). Four dietary behaviours (i.e., fruit, vegetable, sweets and soft drink consumption) and two measures of socioeconomic status (SES) on the individual level (i.e., family affluence scale [FAS] and occupational social class [OSC]) were studied. Multilevel logistic regression analyses returned contrasting results for the two SES measures used. In countries with higher levels of openness-to-change, smaller FAS inequalities in daily fruit, sweets and soft drink consumption were observed, but no such inequalities were found for vegetable consumption. Conversely, in these countries, larger OSC inequalities in soft drink consumption were found. Country-specific changes in openness-to-change over time were not associated with the magnitude of adolescent dietary inequalities. Findings underscore the importance of including country-level sociocultural contexts to improve the understanding of cross-national differences in socioeconomic inequalities in adolescents’ diets. Future studies, spanning a longer timeframe, are required to examine whether such associations exist within countries over time since our timeframe might have been too small to capture these long-term trends.

Sociodemographic differences in nutrition labels effect on Chilean and Mexican youth.

To examine sociodemographic differences in the awareness, understanding, use and effect of nutrition labels among Mexican and Chilean youth. Online surveys among youth (10-17 years) were obtained in 2019 (n=2631). Participants reported their awareness, understanding, and use of their country-specific nutrition facts tables (NFT) and front-of-pack labels (FOPL) (Chile: warning labels [WLs]; Mexico: guideline daily amounts [GDA]). Additionally, participants reported their perceived healthfulness of a sweetened fruit drink after viewing one of six versions of it with different FOPL (no-label control, Health Star Rating, WLs, GDAs, Traffic Light, or Nutri-Score) during an experimental task. Higher self-reported nutrition knowledge was associated with higher NFT and FOPL awareness, understanding, and use, except for WL use. WLs were the most effective FOPL in decreasing the perceived healthfulness of the sweetened fruit drink compared to a no-label condition and other FOP labels. In Chile, the effect of GDA differed by income adequacy, while in Mexico Nutri-Score differed by age. Results suggest that nutrition label awareness, use, understanding, and impact differ across demographics, favoring higher income and nutrition knowledge. Despite this, WLs are likely to have a positive impact on nutrition-related knowledge and behaviors among Mexican and Chilean youth, independently of their socio-demographic groups.

Promoting Healthier Purchases: Ultraprocessed Food Taxes and Minimally Processed Foods Subsidies for the Low Income

Fiscal policies can shift relative food prices to encourage the purchase and consumption of minimally processed foods while discouraging the purchase and consumption of unhealthy ultraprocessed foods, high in calories and nutrients of concern (sodium, sugar, and saturated fats), especially for low-income households. The 2017-2018 packaged food purchase data among U.S. households were used to derive household income- and composition-specific demand elasticities across 22 food and beverage categories. Policy simulations, conducted in 2022-2023, assessed the impact of national taxes on unhealthy ultraprocessed food and beverage purchases, both separately and alongside subsidies for minimally processed foods and beverages targeted to low-income households. Resultant nutritional implications are reported on the basis of changes in purchased calories and nutrients of concern. In addition, financial implications for both households and the federal government are projected. A sugar-based tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would lower both volume and calories purchased with the largest impact on low-income households without children. Meanwhile, targeted subsidies would increase fruit, vegetable, and healthier drink purchases without substantially increasing calories. Under tax simulations, low-income households would make larger reductions in their absolute volume and calorie purchases of taxed foods and beverages than their higher-income counterparts, suggesting that these policies, if implemented, could help narrow nutritional disparities. Levying national taxes on unhealthy ultraprocessed foods/beverages and offering targeted subsidies for minimally processed foods/beverages could promote healthier food choices among low-income households. Such policies have the potential to benefit low-income households financially and at a relatively low cost for the federal government annually.

Kandungan Gula dan Vitamin C pada Minuman Ready to Drink dengan Klaim Vitamin C

Declining COVID-19 positive case does not reduce food industry, especially ready to drink (RTD) beverages industry, to sell product with vitamin C claim. Furthermore, increasing air pollution and climate change has encouraged consumers to maintain their immune system. Meanwhile, RTD beverages are well known as calorie drink with its high sugar content, hence could increase risk of type 2 diabetes. This research aims to evaluate sugar type, sweetener type, sugar and vitamin C content, and vitamin C claim which stated on the label of vitamin C claimed RTD beverages (food category 14.1.4.1 and 14.1.4.2) that is sold in various minimarket and supermarket in Bogor area, and online shop during February to May 2023. Total sugar content subsequently compared to front of pack (FoP) labelling guidance from United Kingdom (UK), Singapore, and Indonesia. This research has collected 70 samples, that consists of fruit juice drink, fruit flavored drink, fruit drink, tea drink, jelly drink, carbonated flavored drink, and milk flavored drink. As much as 74.28% among the samples contained sugar, mainly from sucrose, above 6 g/100 mL. Besides sugar, 52.74% samples contained sweetener, with stevia as natural sweetener more used than artificial sweetener. Based on sugar FoP labelling guidance, the majority of samples was in medium (amber) category in UK, C (orange) category in Singapore, and orange category in Indonesia. Source of vitamin C was the most claim stated as nutritional content claim, while vitamin C function claim to help collagen formation and maintenance was more mentioned compared to immunity claim.

Abstract MP48: Consumption of Low-Calorie Sweeteners Among Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers in the United States, NHANES 2013-2018

Introduction: Research has highlighted the rising consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) and their possible negative health implications. While the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against beverages with LCSs for children under 5y, little is known about current consumption patterns among infants and young children in the United States. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence, frequency, and top sources of LCS intake among U.S. infants and young children and to investigate associations between LCS consumption and energy and macronutrient intake. Methods: We used one 24-h dietary recall from 3117 children aged 0-5y in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-18 to describe the prevalence and their frequency of consuming foods and beverages containing LCSs. We also compared total energy and macronutrient intake as a proportion of total energy intake (TEI) between LCS consumers and non-consumers. Complex survey procedures and sample weights were applied for all analyses. F-tests were used to compare consumption estimates across sociodemographic subgroups. Results: Thirty percent of all U.S. children aged 0-5y consumed foods and/or beverages with LCSs, including 17.5% of infants (0-1y), 34.3% of toddlers (2 and 3y), and 34.5% of preschoolers (4 and 5y). Prevalence of LCS consumption tended to be highest among non-Hispanic Blacks children and those from households with higher educational attainment or a higher family income. Among consumers, mean frequency of any LCS product, LCS beverages (LCSBs) only, and LCS foods (LCSFs) only was 1.4, 1.4, and 1.1 times/day, respectively, and did not differ by age. The most consumed of all LCSBs were fruit drinks (71.9%) and the most consumed of all LCSFs was yogurt (not-Greek) (59.5%). Compared to non-consumers, LCS consumers had higher intake of total energy, 1516 vs. 1316 kcal/day (p<.0001), carbohydrates, 54.0% vs 52.4% TEI (p=.0005), and added sugar, 3.3% vs. 2.1% TEI (p<.0001) but significantly lower intake of total fat and saturated fat, 33.1% vs 34.9% TEI (p<.0001) and 12.0% vs 13.1% TEI (p<.0001), respectively. Conclusions: LCS consumption is prevalent among infants and young children in the U.S. and fruit drinks and yogurt are the main sources. These results highlight the need for further research to understand long-term implications of this consumption. Funding sources: None.

Removed: Development of synbiotic juice by spray drying of Lactobacillus paracaesii sub sp. tolerans N2-45 along with galacto-oligosaccharides using different carrier materials

Synbiotics have been intensively studied for the numerous health benefits they provide to the host, as well as prospective alternative therapy techniques for a variety of disorders. In this investigation, wild strain and thermally adapted strain of Lactobacillus sp. (probiotics) were combined with GOS – Galacto-oligosaccharides (prebiotic). The combination of probiotics + prebiotics - along with carrier materials (Maltodextrin, Corn starch, Acacia Gum) were spray-dried and their characteristics were assessed. Spray-dried powders were tested for 8 weeks at three different storage temperatures (4 °C, 30 °C, and 37 °C) (56 days). At different temperatures (4 °C, 30 °C, 37 °C), N2-45+corn starch + GOS has a greater survival. As a result, corn starch appears to be the best carrier material for microencapsulation. The encapsulated powder was subjected to gastric juice studies and sub-lethal stress analysis. N2-45+corn starch + GOS exhibited the best survival % in both simulated gastric and intestinal juice of all the Lactobacilli spray-dried powders. The Synbiotic squash juice was prepared and sensory analysis was done using the statistical method - PCA model. Sensory qualities did not differ significantly between the control and synbiotic fruit drink. As a result, 75 mg of synbiotic per serving can be regarded healthful and cost-effective when making any flavoured synbiotic fruit drinks. Thus this improves the probiotic bacteria's survivability throughout passage through the upper digestive system.

An 8-Week Vitamin D3–Fortified Fruit Drink Supplementation Increases Serum Ferritin Concentration: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Malaysian Women With Low Iron Stores

BackgroundThere is limited randomized controlled trial evidence to support the association between vitamin D deficiency and anemia risk, highlighting the necessity for further investigations into the role of vitamin D in influencing iron status. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin D3–fortified fruit drink consumption (4,000 IU) on vitamin D and iron status biomarkers among iron-deficient women (serum ferritin of <20 μg/L [to convert μg/L ferritin to ng/mL, multiply by 1]). DesignAn 8-week double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Subjects/settingA total of 45 healthy, nonpregnant, nonlactating subjects aged 18 through 40 years (mean [SD] 25.3 [4.6] years) were included in the study, excluding those who donated blood 6 months prior, regularly consumed nutritional supplements, or had gastrointestinal or iron metabolic disorders. InterventionSubjects were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D3–fortified fruit drink or a placebo. Main outcome measuresMeasurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), serum ferritin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and full blood count concentrations were obtained at baseline, interim, and post intervention. Statistical analysesA mixed model, repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the intervention effect. ResultsAttrition rate for the study was 13%, with 6 dropouts, and 39 subjects completed the study. Daily consumption of vitamin D3–fortified fruit drink in the intervention group resulted in significant increases in 25(OH)D and serum ferritin concentrations compared with the placebo group. The intervention group showed significantly higher mean (SD) changes (Δ) in both 25(OH)D (Δ 76.4 [30.2] nmol/L [to convert nmol/L 25(OH)D to ng/mL, multiply by .4] vs Δ –1.3 [10.7] nmol/L; P = .001) and serum ferritin concentrations (Δ 2.2 [4.2] μg/L vs Δ –0.3 [3.4] μg/L; P = .048) between baseline and post intervention. The other iron status biomarkers were not affected by the intervention. ConclusionsOur study found that daily vitamin D3–fortified fruit drink supplementation for 8 weeks effectively improved 25(OH)D and iron stores, indicated by increased serum ferritin concentrations, in iron-deficient women. Further research is needed to evaluate its safety, efficacy, feasibility, and optimal food fortification in diverse populations.

Pelatihan Pola Makan Sehat Keluarga kepada Komunitas Theresia Lisieux, Apartemen Mediterania 1, Jakarta Barat, Kelurahan Tanjung Duren, Kecamatan Grogol Petamburan, Jakarta Barat

The COVID-19 pandemic poses the challenge ofining a healthy and varied diet and regular physical activity. This is because people prefer to buy processed foods, such as snacks, fast food, and ready-to-eat cereals, which tend to be high in fat, sugar, and salt. In addition, psychological and emotional responses to the outbreak of COVID-19 can increase the risk of developing dysfunctional eating behavior. The choice of foods and how often they are eaten can affect the health of the body, teeth, and gums. Excessive consumption of sugar-containing soda, fruit drinks with added sugar, or low-nutritional snacks can increase the risk of teeth hole. Therefore, a community service program (PkM) was designed with the aim of providing education and training to the community to gain knowledge about diet and improve health. The development and training of a healthy diet to the Lisiuex Apartment Meditarenia 1 West Jakarta community was conducted online, illustrating the improvement of the participants' knowledge and yielding good results. Sustainable education and training programmes are needed as a means of improving the development of health that starts with the family.

Development, validation and a GAPI greenness assessment for the determination of 103 pesticides in mango fruit drink using LC-MS/MS

A robust method was developed using LC-ESI-MS/MS-based identification and quantification of 103 fortified pesticides in a mango fruit drink. Variations in QuEChERS extraction (without buffer, citrate, and/or acetate buffered) coupled with dispersive clean-up combinations were evaluated. Results showed 5 mL dilution and citrate buffered QuEChERS extraction with anhydrous (anhy) MgSO4 clean-up gave acceptable recovery for 100 pesticides @ 1 μg mL−1 fortification. The method was validated as per SANTE guidelines (SANTE/11813/2021). 95, 91, and 77 pesticides were satisfactorily recovered at 0.1, 0.05, and 0.01 μg mL−1 fortification with HorRat values ranging from 0.2–0.8 for the majority. The method showed matrix enhancement for 77 pesticides with a global uncertainty of 4.72%–23.89%. The reliability of the method was confirmed by real sample analysis of different brands of mango drinks available in the market. The greenness assessment by GAPI (Green Analytical Procedure Index) indicated the method was much greener than other contemporary methods.

Schools provided healthy meals even during COVID

COVID-related school closures had a big impact on millions of children nationwide, many of whom rely on schools for healthy meals. An online survey of 3,297 fourth- and fifth-grade students in 67 California schools studied the dietary habits of schoolchildren during the pandemic. The results showed that students who ate one or two school meals a day had significantly higher intakes of vegetables, whole fruits, and 100% fruit juice, compared to students who did not eat school meals. Specifically, students who ate one school meal a day ate more beans and orange vegetables, while those who ate two school meals a day consumed a wider variety of vegetables, including beans and orange vegetables. However, children who ate one school meal a day drank more fruit drinks and flavored milks than those who did not eat school meals. Further, students who ate two school meals consumed more fruit drinks, flavored milks, and sports and energy drinks than those who did not eat school meals. Our findings suggest that, while school meals were an important source of fruits and vegetables during the pandemic, more needs to be done to reduce consumption of sugary drinks.

Effects of a front-of-package disclosure on accuracy in assessing children's drink ingredients: two randomised controlled experiments with US caregivers of young children.

Test effects of a standardised front-of-package (FOP) disclosure statement (indicating added sugar, non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) and juice content) on accuracy in assessing ingredients and perceived healthfulness of children's drinks. In two randomised controlled experiments, the same participants viewed drink packages and indicated if products contained added sugar or NNS and percent juice and rated drink healthfulness. Experiment 1 (E1) included novel (non-US) children's drinks with a) product claims only (control), b) claims and disclosure, or c) disclosure only. Experiment 2 (E2) included existing children's drinks (with claims) with a) no disclosure (control) or b) disclosure. Both experiments evaluated sweetened (fruit drink and flavoured water) and unsweetened (100 % juice and juice/water blend) drinks. Potential individual differences (education level and race/ethnicity) in effects were explored. Online survey. Six hundred and forty-eight US caregivers of young children (1-5 years). FOP disclosures significantly increased accuracy for most ingredients and drink types, including identifying presence or absence of NNS in sweetened drinks, no added sugar in juice/water blends, and actual percent juice in fruit drinks and juice/water blends in both experiments. Disclosures also increased recognition that the novel 100 % juice and juice/water blend did not contain NNS or added sugar (E1) and existing sweetened drinks contained added sugar (E2). Disclosures reduced perceived healthfulness of sweetened drinks but did not increase unsweetened drink healthfulness ratings. Some differences by participant socio-demographic characteristics require additional research. FOP disclosures on children's drink packages can increase caregivers' understanding of product ingredients and aid in selecting healthier children's drinks.

The indigenous microbial diversity involved in the spontaneous fermentation of red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) identified by means of molecular tools

Red dragon fruit (RDF) is well-known for its high nutritional content, especially the red pigment betacyanins that possess high antioxidant activity. Natural fermentation is an ancient yet outstanding technique that relies on the autochthonous microbiota from fruits and vegetables surfaces to preserve and improve the nutritional values and quality of the food product. The present study was to evaluate and identify the indigenous microbial community (bacteria and fungi) that are involved in the natural fermentation of RDF. Results revealed a total of twenty bacterial pure cultures and nine fungal pure cultures were successfully isolated from fermented red dragon fruit drink (FRDFD). For the first time, the PCR amplification of 16S rRNA and ITS regions and sequence analysis suggested nine genera of bacteria and three genera of fungi (Aureobasidium pullulans, Clavispora opuntiae, and Talaromyces aurantiacus) present in the FRDFD. Four dominant (≥10 % isolates) bacteria species identified from FRDFD were Klebsiella pneumonia, Brevibacillus parabrevis, Bacillus tequilensis and Bacillus subtilis. The carbohydrate fermentation test showed that all the indigenous microbes identified were able to serve as useful starter culture by fermenting sucrose and glucose, thereby producing acid to lower the pH of FRDFD to around pH 4 for better betacyanins stability. The present study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the indigenous microbial community that serves as the starter culture in the fermentation of RDF. Besides, this study provides a useful guide for future research to be conducted on studying the rare bacterial strains (such as B. tequilensis) identified from the FRDFD for their potential bioactivities and applications in medical treatment and functional foods industries.

Establishing the regularities of blending functional purpose juices based on watermelon juice

The objects of the research are fruit and berry juices from watermelon, rosehip, apples and pumpkin. The influence of the physico-chemical parameters of fruit and berry juices on the process of storage and blending is investigated. It has been found that quantitative regulation depending on the physico-chemical parameters of fruit and berry juices during the development of blended juice technology makes it possible to develop a drink with a long shelf life. The developed juices should satisfy the body's needs for vitamins and minerals in food necessary for the normal development of the body. Based on research, watermelon-pumpkin-rosehip juice is recommended. However, the consumer properties of natural juices depend on the variety and climatic conditions of growth. The climatic conditions of growth and the variety significantly affect the physico-chemical parameters of the juices obtained from them. All this allows us to assert that it is advisable to conduct a study devoted to establishing the influence of the physico-chemical parameters of fruit and berry juices based on watermelon juice on the process of storage and blending. Juices are the most technologically advanced product for creating new types of functional nutrition. In addition, they contain a complex of vitamins and minerals in their composition. In connection with the above, the development of technology and the organization of the production of functional purpose juices are the solution to problems related to nutrition. It is found that the resulting new product – watermelon-pumpkin-rosehip drink will allow you to get a new product with high quality indicators and expand the range of fruit and berry drinks based on watermelon juice

The Effect of Ciplukan Fruit Consumption on Hypertension in Pregnancy

Pregnancy hypertension is one of the largest contributors to maternal mortality and needs to be alerted and treated immediately, so that it becomes the center of great attention in improving public health. The next problem is that if this condition is not treated immediately, it can progress to more severe conditions, namely preeclampsia and eclampsia, thereby endangering the mother and unborn baby. The risk to the mother can result in permanent and severe brain damage, heart, kidney and liver damage. Meanwhile, babies are at risk of stillbirth, asphyxia, reduced blood flow to the placenta so that the baby can be born prematurely, nutrition to the fetus is disrupted, resulting in the baby being born with a low weight. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of consuming ciplukan fruit on hypertension in pregnancy. This method uses a "quasy experiment" research design with a "pretest-posttest with control group" design. The population in this study were all pregnant women in Lau Rakit Village, STM Hilir District, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra Province. Sampling was carried out by random sampling using the Cluster sampling technique. Time: The research was carried out in July – August 2023. The results of the study showed changes in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of hypertensive pregnant women after consuming ciplukan fruit. This is shown in the p value results of 0.000 and 0.000 (&lt;0.05). So it can be seen that there is a significant effect of consuming ciplukan fruit on reducing blood pressure in pregnant women who experience hypertension. On the other hand, in the control group, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of hypertensive pregnant women showed that the p value was 0.095 and 0.133 (&gt;0.05), so it can be concluded that there was no effect before and after measuring the blood pressure of hypertensive pregnant women who did not consume ciplukan fruit. Therefore, pregnancy hypertension can be immediately prevented and treated through traditional or non-pharmacological methods, namely by giving ciplukan (Physialis peruviana) fruit drinks to pregnant women with hypertension.

Effects of front-of-package caffeine and sweetener disclaimers in Mexico: cross-sectional results from the 2020 International Food Policy Study.

Front-of-package warning labels introduced in Mexico in 2020 included disclaimers that caution against allowing children to consume products with non-sugary sweeteners and caffeine. We examined the awareness and use of the disclaimers among Mexican adults and youth 1 month after the regulation was implemented. We also investigated their impact on the perceived healthfulness of industrialised beverages designed for children. Data on the awareness and use of the disclaimers were analysed. Two between-subjects experiments examined the effect of a sweetener disclaimer (Experiment 1, youth and adults) or a caffeine disclaimer (Experiment 2, only adults) on the perceived healthfulness of industrialised beverages. Interactions between experimental conditions and demographic characteristics were tested. Online survey in 2020. Mexican adults (≥18 years, n 2108) and youth (10-17 years, n 1790). Most participants (>80 %) had seen the disclaimers at least rarely, and over 60 % used them sometimes or frequently. The sweetener disclaimer led to a lower perceived healthfulness of a fruit drink (adults: 2·74 ± 1·44; youth: 2·04 ± 0·96) compared with the no-disclaimer condition (adults: 3·17 ± 1·54; youth: 2·32 ± 0·96) (t's: >4·0, P values: <0·001). This effect was larger among older adults and male youth. The caffeine disclaimer did not affect adult's perceived healthfulness of a caffeinated drink (t = 0·861, P value = 0·3894). There were high awareness and use of the sweeteners and caffeine disclaimers shortly after the warning labels were implemented. The sweetener disclaimer appears to be helping consumers modify their perceptions regarding industrialised beverages for children. Findings may help decision-makers improve the regulation and better target communication strategies.

Synergistic enhancing effect of xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose and citric acid on the stability of betacyanins in fermented red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) drink during storage

Nowadays, the demand for using healthy natural pigments (betacyanins) in the food industry is increasing. The present study aimed to overcome the circumstances that render the betacyanins instability in the red dragon fruit drink using mild approaches. These included optimised fermentation, incorporation of anionic polysaccharide mixture solution [xanthan gum (XG, 0.30–0.40 %, w/v) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, 0.50–0.90 %, w/v)] and also addition of citric acid (CA, 0.05–0.20 %, w/v). The results of this study showed that the hydrocolloid mixture solution of XG and CMC significantly increased the samples' viscosity, pH and °Brix but reduced the aw, while betacyanins concentration had no significant change. The incorporation of CA at increasing concentration only reduced the samples’ pH significantly without affecting the viscosity, aw and °Brix. Among all fermented samples, Formulation 3E (0.40 % XG + 0.50 % CMC + 0.20 % CA) had achieved the desired commercial reference viscosity while also successfully minimised betacyanins degradation from 60.18 % to 14.72 %, had the best pH stability and no significant change in viscosity, aw and °Brix values after 4-week storage at 25 °C. The fermented red dragon fruit drink with betacyanins stabilised by Formulation 3E can be produced and served as an independent functional drink product and as a stable, functional ingredient (natural colourant) for the food industry.

Intakes of Added Sugars, with a Focus on Beverages and the Associations with Nutrient Adequacy in US Adults (NHANES 2003-2018).

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults increase their intake of nutrients that are under-consumed while limiting their intake of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between added sugars intake from specific types of beverages with added sugars (soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, coffee and tea, and flavored milk) and nutrient adequacy among US adults (19+ y). Data from eight consecutive 2-y cycles of NHANES were combined (2003-2004 through 2017-2018), and regression analysis was conducted to test for trends in quantiles of added sugars intake from each beverage source and the rest of the diet (excluding those beverages) and nutrient adequacy. Results revealed significant associations that varied in direction according to the added sugars source, negative for some (i.e., soft drinks) in terms of greater percentages of adults not meeting a defined threshold of nutrient adequacy with higher added sugars intakes, and positive for others (i.e., fruit drinks, flavored milk, the rest of the diet) in terms of lower percentages of adults not meeting nutrient thresholds. In conclusion, the contribution of different added sugars sources to nutrient intakes is a critical consideration in developing population-based dietary recommendations.

Inequalities in Childhood Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Obesity in Italy.

Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and high body mass index (BMI) are preventable risk factors for non-communicable diseases throughout a person's lifespan. The higher prevalence of these risk factors in children from lower socio-economic groups has been generally observed. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of parents' socio-economic conditions on children's consumption of fruit, vegetables and sugar-sweetened drinks, and inactivity, sedentary behaviour, overweight and obesity. This study used data from the sixth cross-sectional survey of the surveillance "OKkio alla Salute" (Italian COSI), involving 2467 schools and 53,275 children in 2019. All the information was collected through four questionnaires addressed to parents, children, teachers and head teachers. The weights and heights of the children were measured with standard techniques and equipment to classify overweight/obesity according to the WOF-IOTF cut-offs. The results showed a high percentage of children who do not adhere to health recommendations and a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. In particular, "less healthy" behaviours and higher BMI were more frequent in children from families with a lower socio-economic status and those residing in Southern Italy. These findings highlight the need for effective interventions that address the differences in these health-related behaviours.