Fruit Drinks Research Articles

Studies on the storage stability of betacyanins from fermented red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) drink imparted by xanthan gum and carboxymethyl cellulose

Red dragon fruit is rich in health-benefited betacyanins that are susceptible to degradation. The present study was to improve the fermented red dragon fruit drink (FRDFD) betacyanins stability by incorporating hydrocolloids solution of xanthan gum (XG, 0.15–0.30%, w/v) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, 0.3–0.5%, w/v) to produce Improved-FRDFD-dH2O. Results revealed the viscosities of all samples were significantly increased as the hydrocolloids concentration increased. All the samples’ pH, aw, total soluble solids (TSS) and betacyanins content were not significantly affected by the hydrocolloids solution added. After four-week storage (25 °C), the formulation of 0.3% XG and 0.5% CMC had significantly reduced the betacyanins degradation from 60.55% to 30.66%. Meanwhile, all samples added with 0.3% XG and 0.3–0.5% CMC remained no significant change in viscosity, pH, aw and TSS after storage. These conclude the hydrocolloids solution of 0.3% XG and 0.5% CMC successfully stabilise the betacyanins in the FRDFD at 25 °C over four-week storage.

Association Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake and Liver Cancer Risk in the Women’s Health Initiative

ObjectivesIntake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB), a postulated risk factor for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, may drive insulin resistance and inflammation which are strongly implicated in liver carcinogenesis. However, evidence on the association between SSB intake and liver cancer is scarce. We hypothesized that higher SSB intake would be associated with a greater risk of liver cancer. MethodsWe included 90,504 women aged 50–79 years from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study and Clinical Trials excluding Dietary Modification Trial participants. SSB intake was defined as the sum of soft drinks and fruit drinks (1 serving = one 12 fl. oz can or 355 ml), which was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline between 1993 and 1998. Incident liver cancers were reported by self-administered questionnaires and further confirmed by medical record review. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjustment for age, race and ethnicity, education, alcohol intake, smoking status, body mass index, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, physical activity, total caloric intake, and history of diabetes. ResultsAfter a median of 18.7 years follow-up, 205 women had confirmed liver cancer. Approximately 7.3% of women consumed ≥ 1 serving/day of SSB. Higher SSB intake was associated with a 78% greater risk of liver cancer (HR ≥1/day vs never to < 3/month = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.09–2.95, P linear trend = 0.007) as compared to intake of < 3 servings/month. Non-statistically significant positive associations with liver cancer were observed for fruit drinks (HR ≥1/day vs never to < 3/month = 1.55, 95%CI = 0.88–2.75) and soft drinks (HR ≥1/day vs never to < 3/month = 1.73, 95%CI = 0.76–3.94). Results were similar after further adjustment for coffee/tea intake, or history of liver diseases, or when liver cancer cases diagnosed within the first 2 years of follow-up or those with history of diabetes were excluded. ConclusionsOur findings suggest SSB as a potential modifiable risk factor for liver cancer in postmenopausal women. Studies in men and diverse populations are needed to examine these associations more comprehensively. Funding SourcesThe WHI study is funded by the National Institute of Health.

Association of Frequency of School Meal Consumption and Student Dietary Intake During COVID-Related School Closures

ObjectivesHealthy school meals can improve student nutritional status leading to improved immune health and reduced risk of COVID infection. However school closures during COVID affected the content, packaging, and distribution of school meals at a time when the need for healthy meals was especially critical. In this study, we assess the relationship between frequency of school meals consumed and student dietary intake during COVID-19. MethodsA cross-sectional design was used to obtain frequencies of prior day dietary intake by online survey of fourth and fifth grade students (n = 2408) in 67 California schools and school-based afterschool sites in October 2020-May 2021. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to determine the association between school meal consumption and dietary intake. ResultsCompared to not eating any school meals, eating one and two school meals were each significantly associated with higher frequency of fruit intake (by 22% and 30%, respectively), vegetable intake (by 13% and 31%, respectively), and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake (by 13% and 23%, respectively). One school meal was associated with higher fruit drink and flavored milk intakes whereas two school meals was associated with intake of a wider array of SSBs. Likewise, two school meals was associated with intake of a wider variety of vegetables than one school meal. Higher intake of both fruit and 100% fruit juice were associated with intake of both one and two school meals. ConclusionsThese findings suggest school meals were an important source of fruits and vegetables in many schools closed due to COVID-19, but measures may be needed to reduce the consumption of flavored milk and other SSBs. Funding SourcesThe project was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education through a contract with the California Department of Public Health.

Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Fruit Juice and Fruit Fermented Beverages and Their Consumer Acceptance

Recent social, economic, and technological evolutions have impacted consumption habits. The new consumer is more rational, more connected and demanding with products, more concerned with the management of the family budget, with the health, origin, and sustainability of food. The food industry over the last few years has shown remarkable technological and scientific evolution, with an impact on the development and innovation of new products using non-thermal processing. Non-thermal processing technologies involve methods by which fruit juices receive microbiological inactivation and enzymatic denaturation with or without the direct application of low heat, thereby lessening the adverse effects on the nutritional, bioactive, and flavor compounds of the treated fruit juices, extending their shelf-life. The recognition of the nutritional and protective values of fruit juices and fermented fruit beverages is evident and is attributed to the presence of different bioactive compounds, protecting against chronic and metabolic diseases. Fermentation maintains the fruit's safety, nutrition, and shelf life and the development of new products. This review aims to summarize the chemical and sensory characteristics of fruit juices and fermented fruit drinks, the fermentation process, its benefits, and its effects.

Perceptions of tap water associated with low-income Michigan mothers' and young children's beverage intake.

To quantify perceptions of tap water among low-income mothers with young children residing in Michigan and examine associations between perceptions of tap water, mothers' and young children's beverage intake, and mothers' infant feeding practices. Cross-sectional study. Online survey. Medicaid-insured individuals who had given birth at a large Midwestern US hospital between fall 2016 and fall 2020 were invited by email to complete a survey in winter 2020 (N 3881); 15·6 % (N 606) completed eligibility screening, 550 (90·8 %) were eligible to participate, and 500 (90·9 %) provided valid survey data regarding perceptions of tap water, self and child beverage intake, and infant feeding practices. Two-thirds (66·2 %) of mothers reported that their home tap water was safe to drink without a filter, while 21·6 % were unsure about the safety of their home tap water. Mothers' perceptions of their home tap water were associated with their own tap and bottled water intake and their young children's tap water and bottled water intake. Mothers with more negative perceptions of tap water in general, independent of their perceptions about their home tap water, consumed more bottled water and sugar-sweetened beverages, and their young children drank bottled water and fruit drinks more frequently. Few associations were observed between mothers' perceptions of tap water and infant feeding practices. Uncertainty about tap water safety and negative perceptions of tap water are common among low-income Michigan mothers. These beliefs may contribute to less healthful and more costly beverage intake among mothers and their young children.

Dynamics of Physicochemical Properties, Functional Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity during Spontaneous Fermentation of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. (Qinghai–Tibet Plateau) Natural Vinegar

Functional fermented fruit drinks are known worldwide for their health-promoting potential. Black wolfberry (BW) has high nutritional value, and its relative product development can be enriched through fermentation technology, so that its market might be broadened. Total acid, sugars, proteins, enzymes, anthocyanins, flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids and DPPH free radical scavenging ability (DPPH) were tracked and determined by colorimetric method and HPLC during spontaneous fermentation of BW vinegar. The antioxidant capacity in vitro of BW vinegar was evaluated based on the dynamics of antioxidant contents and DPPH. The results showed that total acid continuously increased during fermentation, yet total sugar and reducing sugar shared a similar decreasing trend. The composition of samples differed in terms of total anthocyanins, total flavonoid, total polyphenol, total protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), amylase, organic acids and DPPH through spontaneous fermentation. Functional compounds including total polyphenol, total flavonoid and three organic acids (γ-aminobutyric acid, lactic acid and gallic acid) played the main roles in antioxidation. Unexpectedly, SOD and ascorbic acid as antioxidants did not correlate with DPPH, but they were rich in the final products at 754.35 U/mL and 3.39 mg/mL, respectively. Generally, the quality of BW vinegar has been improved based on analyzing dynamics on functional compounds, organic acids and antioxidant capacity, which proves that BW vinegar obtained by spontaneous fermentation should be a potential source of fermented food with antioxidant effects for consumers.

Impact of adding milk whey, probiotic and prebiotic in passion fruit drinks / Impacto da adição de soro, probiótico e prebiótico em bebidas de maracujá

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of adding milk whey, probiotic and prebiotic to passion fruit drinks in order to develop potentially symbiotic foods. Four formulations containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) were prepared and evaluated. An increase in acidity and reduction in pH were found during storage at 6.5 ºC. The soluble solids, lactose and protein contents of the drinks increased in proportion with the whey concentration used in the formulations. All formulations presented LGG viability above 107 CFU/mL throughout storage (28 days) and can therefore be classified as potentially probiotic products. The addition of LGG and FOS to the drinks did not compromise acceptance of the products, and informing the consumers of the presence of probiotic, prebiotic and milk whey had a positive impact on the evaluation when compared with the tropical passion fruit juice without such additions. These results highlight the potential use of milk whey as an ingredient in the production of a new product, meeting the consumer demand for functional products, as well as minimizing the problem of whey disposal, principally by small scale dairy plants.

Caregivers' provision of sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks to young children: importance of perceived product attributes and differences by socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics.

Drinks containing added sugar and/or non-nutritive sweeteners are not recommended for children under 6 years. Yet, most young children consume these products. The current study examined factors associated with caregivers' provision of sweetened drinks to their young child. Caregivers reported frequency of providing sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks (fruit drinks and flavoured water) and unsweetened juices (100 % juice and juice/water blends) to their 1- to 5-year-old child in the past month and perceived importance of product attributes (healthfulness, product claims and other characteristics), other drinks provided, reading the nutrition facts panel and socio-demographic characteristics. A partial proportional odds model measured the relationship between these factors and frequency of providing sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks. Online cross-sectional survey. U.S. caregivers (n 1763) with a young child (ages 1-5). The majority (74 %) of caregivers provided sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks to their child in the past month; 26 % provided them daily. Provision frequency was positively associated with some drink attributes, including perceived healthfulness, vitamin C claims and box/pouch packaging; child requests and serving other sweetened drinks and juice/water blends. Provision frequency was negatively associated with perceived importance of 'no/less sugar' and 'all natural' claims. Reading nutrition facts panels, serving water to their child and child's age were not significant. Misunderstanding of product healthfulness and other marketing attributes contribute to frequent provision of sweetened drinks to young children. Public health efforts to address common misperceptions, including counter marketing, may raise awareness among caregivers about the harms of providing sweetened drinks to young children.

Combined effects of fumaric, lactic, and ferulic acid against food-borne pathogenic biofilms

In the present study, we selected food additives with potent biofilm eradication activities against food-borne pathogens. The minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs) of 24 food additives against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were estimated by a combined method of biofilm formation on the 96-pin microtiter plate lid, followed by a colorimetric microbial viability assay based on the reduction of tetrazolium salt. Fumaric acid alone demonstrated potent biofilm eradication activities against both E. coli and S. aureus. Furthermore, the combined effects of fumaric acid with other food additives against food-borne pathogenic biofilms were evaluated. Fumaric acid in combination with lactic acid and ferulic acid could effectively reduce the MBECs of a wide variety of food-borne bacteria. The selected combination was applied to the storage tests of fruit drinks and lightly pickled vegetables contaminated with biofilms. The findings of the present study revealed that the combination of fumaric acid, lactic acid, and ferulic acid can serve as an effective and safe inhibitor for use against biofilms by a wide variety of food-borne bacteria.

Изучение технологии приготовления напитка на основе пектинов из фруктов и овощей, выращенных в Азербайджане

An optimal variant of food used to provide the human organism with biologically active substances that is considered acceptable to every consumer is fruit and vegetable-based juice, which biological value is determined by the maximum retention of nutrients in the product during processing. As the research was related to the preparation of a pectin-rich beverage, the Palavkadu 268 variety of pumpkin, which is a melon fruit, and orange juice were used as the main components of the product. To this end, first of all, the obtained pumpkin puree was treated with enzymes, and then orange juice was added to the mass. Besides, the recipe of the product included sugar, milk powder, sourdough, and 2% liquid pectin. The finished product was made on the basis of this mixture. The effect of the types and concentrations of pectic substances on the probiotic properties of the prepared fruit and vegetable drinks was also studied. The amount of pectin in fruit juice should be taken into account when producing it because a high concentration of pectin increases the viscosity of the juice, and it becomes turbid. By regulating the amount of pectin, it is possible to increase the juice yield. The enzymes of microbial origin are the most widely used substances in the production of juice because they contribute to the expansion of the range of products and the achievement of high juice yield. As a result of our research, it can be concluded that a product with a better bifidogenic effect can be obtained when using 2% liquid pectin in the preparation of beverages.

Разработка рейтинговой системы контроля качества сухих напитков функциональной направленности

Excessive information about a functional product and its qualitative characteristics increases the competitiveness of the product and requires constant monitoring. The present research objective was to develop a rating system of qualitative characteristics for functional instant drinks. The system relied on the method of multidimensional statistical analysis and involved the main descriptors of consumer criteria and sensory properties of the product.&#x0D; The study featured functional instant fruit and berry drinks, e.g. raspberry, cranberry, cranberry, black currant, blueberry, sea buckthorn, blackberry, apricot, peach, apple, etc. The methods included a focus group approach, a sensory analysis, a new ordinal scale, and a modified method of multivariate statistical evaluation (PCA).&#x0D; The authors introduced a unified score scale for sensory evaluation of functional instant drinks, which reflected both standard quality indicators and consumer selection criteria. A modified method of multivariate statistical evaluation (PCA) was used to identify the characteristics that consumers see as the most important. The resulting rating system of the main descriptors reflects the information about consumer preferences and reveals significant sensory characteristics and indicators of quality of functional instant drinks. Clustering revealed two groups of consumers, young people aged 18–29 and those aged 30–59, with their own defining quality indicators.&#x0D; The article contains some useful labeling recommendations for producers of functional instant beverages. The recommendations can increase the competitiveness of the product and meet consumer demand for information. The new scale can be used for various types of functional fruit and berry drinks.

Child-Directed Marketing, Health Claims, and Nutrients in Popular Beverages

Fruit drinks are a major source of added sugar in children's diets. This study describes the associations between front-of-package child-directed marketing (i.e., sports, fantasy, or child-directed imagery; child-directed text) and (1) health-related claims and (2) nutrient content of fruit drinks, 100% juices, and flavored waters. Beverage purchase data from a national sample of 1,048 households with children aged 0-5 years were linked with front-of-package label and nutrition data to conduct a content analysis on fruit drinks (n=510), 100% juices (n=337), and noncarbonated flavored waters (n=40) in 2019-2020. Unstratified and stratified regression models assessed the differences in the prevalence of claims (macronutrient, micronutrient, natural/healthy, and fruit and juice), non-nutritive sweeteners, and nutrient content (calories, total sugar, and percent daily value of vitamin C) between drinks with and those without child-directed marketing in 2021. Fruit drinks with child-directed marketing were more likely to show front-of-package micronutrient claims (OR=2.1, 95% CI=1.5, 3.1) and contained more vitamin C (18.5% daily value, 95% CI=1.6, 35.5) than fruit drinks without child-directed marketing. 100% juices with child-directed marketing contained less vitamin C (-35.6% daily value, 95% CI= -57.5, -13.8) and 3.0 (95% CI= -5.5, -0.4) fewer grams of sugar than 100% juices without child-directed marketing. Flavored waters with child-directed marketing contained less vitamin C (-37.9% daily value, 95% CI= -68.1, -7.6) than flavored waters without child-directed marketing. The combination of child-directed marketing with health-related claims may mislead parents into believing that fruit drinks are healthy and appealing to their children, highlighting the need for government regulation of sugary drink marketing.

Nutrition-related claims lead parents to choose less healthy drinks for young children: a randomized trial in a virtual convenience store

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit drinks (i.e., fruit-flavored drinks containing added sugar), contributes to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine whether nutrition-related claims on fruit drinks influence purchasing among parents and lead to misperceptions of healthfulness. We conducted an experiment in a virtual convenience store with 2219 parents of children ages 1-5 y. Parents were randomly assigned to view fruit drinks displaying 1 of 3 claims ("No artificial sweeteners," "100% Vitamin C," and "100% All Natural") or no claim (i.e., control group). Parents selected among each of 2 drinks for their young child: 1) a fruit drink or 100% juice (primary outcome), and 2) a fruit drink or water. When choosing between a fruit drink and 100% juice, 45% of parents who viewed the fruit drink with the "No artificial sweeteners" claim, 51% who viewed the "100% Vitamin C" claim, and 54% who viewed the "100% All Natural" claim selected the fruit drink, compared with 32% in the no-claim control group (all P<0.001). "No artificial sweeteners" (Cohen's d=0.13, P<0.05) and "100% All Natural" (d=0.15, P<0.05) claims increased the likelihood of parents choosing the fruit drink instead of water but "100% Vitamin C" did not (P=0.06). All claims made parents more likely to incorrectly believe that the fruit drinks contained no added sugar and were 100% juice than the control (d ranged from 0.26 to 0.84, all P<0.001), as assessed in a posttest survey. The impact of claims on selection of the fruit drink (compared with 100% juice) did not vary by any of the moderators examined (e.g., race/ethnicity, income; all moderation P>0.05). Nutrition-related claims led parents to choose less healthy beverages for their children and misled them about the healthfulness of fruit drinks. Labeling regulations could mitigate misleading marketing of fruit drinks.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04381481.

Secular trends and customer characteristics of sweetened beverage and water purchasing at US convenience and other small food stores, 2014\u20132017

BackgroundCardiovascular health is linked to sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages (SSBs and ASBs). Prior studies document declines in SSB purchases. However, it is unclear if similar trends exist at convenience and other small food outlets, which often serve lower-income communities and where objective point-of-sales data are difficult to obtain. We examined trends (2014–2017) in observed SSB, ASB, and water purchases at convenience and other small stores as well as differences in purchasing by customer characteristics.MethodsWe used observational purchase data collected annually (2014–2017) from 3010 adult customers at 147 randomly-sampled stores in Minneapolis/St. Paul, USA. SSB sub-types included any ready-to-drink sweetened soda, fruit, sport, energy, tea, or other drink, and ASBs included artificially-sweetened versions. Unsweetened water included ready-to-drink water. Mixed regression models examined trends over time and associations with customer characteristics, accounting for customers nested within stores and stores repeatedly measured over time.ResultsNearly 50% of purchases included an SSB. Approximately 10% included an ASB. There was no evidence of change over time in SSB or ASB purchasing. Customer purchasing of unsweetened water significantly increased over time (5.7 to 8.4%; P for trend = 0.05). SSB purchasing was highest among men, young adults, customers with lower education/ income, and customers that shopped frequently. ASB purchasing was highest among women, those 40–59 years, non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, and customers with higher education/ income.ConclusionsDespite research suggesting previous declines in SSB consumption and purchasing in the US, we identified a persistent, high trend of SSB purchasing overtime at convenience and other small food stores. Consumption of SSBs and water are growing targets for public policy and health campaigns. Results demonstrate additional work is needed curb sweetened beverage purchasing and promote water purchasing at convenience and other small food stores, which are often prevalent in low-income and marginalized communities.

Perbaikan Proses Produksi Minuman Markisa di Bantar Gebang

Passion fruit is a fruit that can grow in tropical climates like Brazil. Indonesia also has the same climate so that passion fruit in Indonesia can also grow. Passion fruit does not have a long storage time because of its high water content. Therefore, passion fruit juice is an alternative that can be consumed longer. With a fairly high water content, there is a need for special handling that needs to be taught to the public to increase the durability of passion fruit syrup products. Various methods such as adding additives have also been carried out, but the results can affect fruit juice. Therefore, in this community service, the passion fruit drink was preserved by heat treatment using a heater and a cooker. This activity was carried out with the Bantar Gebang community at the Tunas Mulya Natural School. The result of this activity was that previously the production and preservation process for passion fruit drinks could only last up to 3 days, but with a different process and cooking utensils, the drinks can last up to 7 days outside the refrigerator

Exposure to nitrate from food and drinking-water in New Zealand. Can these be considered separately?

Recent epidemiological studies have reported associations between colorectal cancer incidence and nitrates in drinking-water, but not from the diet. The toxicokinetics of nitrates were reviewed and exposure data from New Zealand were analysed. Dietary (including drinking-water) exposure of New Zealanders to nitrates was found to be very similar to most other countries and within internationally-established acceptable daily intakes. Less than 10% of nitrate exposure was from drinking-water, with little difference between adults and children. Approximately half of the total water-based exposure is through water alone, the remainder was consumed as tea and coffee (adults), or water-based fruit drinks (children). For children, drinking-water as a beverage is generally consumed close to a meal time, with 83% of servings consumed within an hour of eating. For adults, this is reduced to 51% of servings consumed within an hour of a meal. Only 2.6% of nitrate exposure for adults and 0.7% of nitrate exposure for children is from drinking-water consumed on its own and not in close temporal association to food consumption. It was concluded from the combination of the biology and the exposure assessment that there is little reason to differentiate between drinking-water and food nitrate exposure.

Effect of excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Catalonia, Spain, three and a half years after its introduction

BackgroundThe World Health Organisation urges countries to levy specific excise taxes on SSBs. Currently, more than 50 countries have introduced some type of tax on SSBs. In March 2017, the Autonomous Region of Catalonia approved the introduction of a tiered excise tax on SSBs for public health reasons. To evaluate the effect of the Catalonian excise tax on the price and purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and their possible substitutes, i.e., non-sugar-sweetened beverages (NSSBs) and bottled water, three and half years after its introduction, and 1 year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe analysed purchase data on soft drinks, fruit drinks and water, sourced from the Ministry of Agriculture food-consumption panel, in a random sample of 12,500 households across Spain. We applied the synthetic control method to infer the causal impact of the intervention, based on a Bayesian structural time-series model which predicts the counterfactual response that would have occurred in Catalonia, had no intervention taken place.ResultsAs compared to the predicted (counterfactual) response, per capita purchases of SSBs fell by 0.17 l three and a half years after implementing the SSB tax in Catalonia, a 16.7% decline (95% CI: − 23.18, − 8.74). The mean SSB price rose by 0.11 €/L, an 11% increase (95% CI: 9.0, 14.1). Although there were no changes in mean NSSB prices, NSSB consumption rose by 0.19 l per capita, a 21.7% increase (95% CI: 18.25, 25.54). There were no variations in the price or consumption of bottled water. The effects were progressively greater over time, with SSB purchases decreasing by 10.4% at 1 year, 12.3% at 2 years, 15.3% at 3 years, and 16.7% at three and a half years of the tax’s introduction.ConclusionsThe Catalonian SSB excise tax had a sustained and progressive impact over time, with a fall in consumption of as much as 16.7% three and half years after its introduction. The observed NSSB substitution effect should be borne in mind when considering the application of this type of tax to the rest of Spain.

Trends in material and non-material inequalities in adolescent health and health behaviours: A 12-year study in 23 European countries

Information on trends in adolescent health inequalities is scarce but the available evidence suggests that inequalities are increasing. Prior studies describe associations between material resources of socioeconomic status (SES) and health, while information on non-material SES resources and inequalities in health behaviours is lacking. To improve current understandings of evolutions in adolescent health inequalities, we examined how material and non-material SES resources were associated with changes in selected health outcomes (life satisfaction, physical and psychological symptoms) and health behaviours (physical activity, screen time, breakfast, fruit, vegetables, sweets and soft drinks consumption and alcohol and tobacco use) over a 12-year period. Repeated cross-sectional data came from the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey from 23 European countries (n = 480,386). Measures of family affluence and occupational social class were used as indicators of material and non-material SES resources respectively. Regression-based slope indices of inequality indicated that absolute material and non-material inequalities remained stable from 2002 to 2014 in all health outcomes, except for life satisfaction for which a decrease in material inequalities was found between the highest and lowest affluence group (0.81 to 0.68 difference; p < 0.001). In terms of health behaviours, material inequalities decreased in screen time between highest and lowest affluence groups (0.53 to 0.34 h/day difference; p < 0.001), fruit (odds ratio [OR] 1.89 to 1.72 lower odds; p = 0.0088) and soft drinks consumption (OR 1.36 to 1.13 lower odds; p < 0.001) and remained stable in all others. Non-material inequalities increased in all health behaviours (except for sweets consumption) between highest and lowest occupational social class groups: physical activity (0.16 to 0.24 h/day difference; p = 0.0071), screen time (−0.41 to −0.58 h/day difference; p < 0.001), breakfast (0.21 to 0.51 day/week difference; p < 0.001), fruit (OR 1.23 to 1.48 higher odds; p < 0.001), vegetables (OR 1.39 to 1.74 higher odds; p < 0.001) and soft drinks consumption (OR 0.59 to 0.43 lower odds; p < 0.001) and alcohol (OR 0.99 to 0.85 lower odds; p = 0.0420) and tobacco use (OR 0.71 to 0.59 lower odds; p = 0.0183). In summary, non-material inequalities in most health behaviours increased, whereas material inequalities in adolescent health and health behaviours remain stable or decreased. Policies and interventions may consider non-material SES components as these can help in reducing future health inequalities.

Sweet Beverages and Cancer: A Scoping Review of Quantitative Studies

Different sugars in SB may impact cancer differently. Compared with SB made with other types of sugar, drinks made with man-made fructose (carbonated drinks) had poorer cancer outcomes, especially in cancers impacted by obesity. Understanding how different SB affect cancer would help us target which SB to avoid.

Marketing of sugar-sweetened children's drinks and parents' misperceptions about benefits for young children.

Despite expert recommendations, US parents often serve sugar‐sweetened children's drinks, including sweetened fruit‐flavoured drinks and toddler milks, to young children. This qualitative research explored parents' understanding of common marketing tactics used to promote these drinks and whether they mislead parents to believe the drinks are healthy and/or necessary for children. We conducted nine focus groups in Washington, DC and Hartford, CT with parents of children (9–36 months) of diverse race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (N = 50). Semistructured discussions elicited parents' responses to four concepts designed to correct common misperceptions about toddler milks and sweetened fruit‐flavoured drinks (fruit drinks and flavoured waters) by providing information about drink ingredients and potentially misleading marketing tactics. Participants expressed widespread misperceptions about sweetened fruit‐flavoured drinks and toddler milks, including perceived healthfulness and benefits for children and confusion between sweetened and unsweetened drink categories (sweetened fruit‐flavoured drinks vs. juice, toddler milk vs. infant formula). They confirmed that common marketing strategies contributed to misperceptions, including front‐of‐package claims and marketing messages that imply benefits for children and/or hide problematic ingredients; cross‐branding and product extensions from trusted brands; side‐by‐side shelf placement at retailers; lower price than healthier products; and targeted marketing to children and parents. Some parents expressed anger about deceptive marketing and supported increased regulation and consumer education campaigns. Findings support the need for policies to address potentially misleading marketing of sweetened fruit‐flavoured drinks and toddler milks and revealed opportunities to reduce parents' provision of these drinks through countermarketing campaigns communicated via trusted sources.