Labeling Of Food Products Research Articles

Awareness, perception, and practices of Ayurveda doctors toward FSSAI (Ayurveda Ahara) Regulations Act 2022: A cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI; Ayurveda Ahara) Regulations Act 2022 was established by the FSSAI to regulate the safety, quality, and labeling of Ayurvedic food products. This Act is specifically designed to distinguish Ayurvedic food products from Ayurvedic medicines and proprietary drugs, ensuring that they meet strict standards of safety and authenticity. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Ayurvedic doctors regarding the FSSAI (Ayurveda Ahara) Regulations Act 2022. It seeks to understand their level of awareness and implementation of these regulations in clinical practice and to identify areas for further education or training. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from April 4, 2024, to June 20, 2024, using Google Forms. The semi-structured questionnaire included 31 questions divided into four sections covering knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the FSSAI Ayurveda Ahara regulations. The survey included 148 qualified Ayurvedic doctors from across India. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed, and the results were expressed as percentages. RESULTS: Out of 148 respondents, 85.1% were aware of the FSSAI Ayurveda Ahara regulations, but only 14.2% were thoroughly familiar with them. Most respondents had acquired knowledge through professional associations (83.7%) and medical journals (72.9%). While 81.8% of the doctors believed in the significant role of the regulations in public health, practical challenges such as the availability of compliant products and patient adherence were identified. Only 54.7% of doctors were likely to incorporate compliant Ayurvedic food products into their treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need for enhanced education and dissemination of detailed information about the FSSAI (Ayurveda Ahara) Regulations Act 2022. Despite positive attitudes toward the regulations, practical application is hindered by significant challenges. Addressing these gaps through targeted training programs, improved information dissemination, and supportive measures is essential for effective implementation.

High voltage pre-treatment on cheddar cheese for model cheese feed preparation

The growing consumer demand for clean label food products has led to the search for alternatives to calcium-chelating salts in cheese powder production. Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology presents a promising green processing approach with its ability to disrupt casein networks. This study investigated the impact of PEF treatment on Cheddar cheese properties and the resulting model cheese emulsion. Response surface methodology revealed that pulse repetition and electric field strength are the primary parameters influencing the solubilization of calcium and phosphorus from the cheese matrix. Texture profile analysis indicated a notable reduction in cheese hardness with the application of PEF. Despite the significant impact of PEF on cheese structure, our study found no substantial alterations in the emulsion stability of cheeses treated with the applied PEF parameters. These promising results highlight the need for further exploration of alternative PEF parameters, such as different waveforms (i.e. exponential) or shorter pulse durations (nanoseconds), to unlock the full potential of PEF for clean label cheese powder production.

Linguistic Analysis of Translating Food Product Labels from English to Arabic in Saudi Arabian Market

The current study examines the interpretations of eight English-Arabic labels for food products found in the Saudi market. The study of translations is examined with regard to the translation techniques utilized under Venuti's concepts of domestication and foreignization. Specifically, the study focuses on analyzing the common translation techniques employed for food product labels and aims to assess if these methods align with Venuti's favored approach of foreignization. Furthermore, it investigates whether these techniques have led to the original message being altered or not. This study conducts a quantitative analysis that compares various aspects. Calculations are conducted on the frequencies and percentages of techniques identified to obtain accurate statistical results. The findings reveal that foreignization is emphasized by the extensive use of literal translation, with transliteration, borrowing, and non-translation being comparatively less frequent in the translation of the studies' food product labels. Techniques under the domestication strategy include transposition as the most frequently used, followed by adaptation, and addition and omission are both used equally, with the least frequently used techniques falling under domestication. The study also determines that the effectiveness of techniques categorized as foreignization and domestication varies in the corpus analyzed.

A review of policy levers to reduce meat production and consumption

It is increasingly apparent that we require a substantial reduction in animal production and consumption for the sake of the environment and public health. In this paper, we conducted a systematic review to explore the policy levers available for governments to reduce animal farming and the consumption of meat. The policy levers generated by the review are categorised by four main types of interventions: Financial measures, Command- and-control, Informational, and Behavioural. First, we explore four financial measures: taxes on meat is the most-studied intervention, and the least publicly accepted in polling, sometimes being implemented indirectly via measures such as carbon taxes or rescinding VAT exemptions; subsidies for animal product alternatives are considered as a more publicly acceptable alternative approach, and would reduce long-term demand for meat by making alternatives more competitive; agricultural carbon trading schemes are discussed, and may represent a politically feasible way to hold livestock producers accountable for negative externalities; and buyouts of animal farms can be an impactful way to compensate producers to leave the industry, but must be done with care to avoid unintended social and market consequences. Second, we explore two command-and-control measures: regulating animal production with standards such as animal welfare requirements and health and safety rights for agricultural workers is amongst the most well-supported policies, and is an impactful way to ensure minimum standards of production are met; however, restrictions on animal consumption, such as meat–free days in public catering, are less publicly accepted. Third, we discuss three informational measures: food product labels, such as animal welfare or environmental impact labels, fulfil consumers’ expectations to have this information, and although there is limited evidence that they impact consumer behaviour directly, such labels may nonetheless incentivise producers to competitively improve; likewise, national dietary guidelines appear to have little direct impact on food choices, but can impact other institutions such as schools and medical institutions; policies on information campaigns can help or hurt meat reduction efforts, with some jurisdictions prohibiting meat advertisements, while others spend millions on campaigns to promote meat consumption. Fourth, we explore a range of behavioural measures which could be implemented in public catering settings and/or incentivised in food service, including presentation and positioning of meat- and plant-based dishes, and altering the food options on offer – we find that adding more high-quality plant-based options to menus and presenting these options as the default wherever the format allows are highly impactful and tractable behavioural policies that could reduce meat consumption. Informational and behavioural measures can complement traditional fiscal and command-and-control measures to reduce animal production and consumption. We discuss the implications for researchers and policymakers.

Food provenance assurance and willingness to pay for blockchain data security: A case of Australian consumers

Blockchain technology has properties that improve supply chain transparency, traceability, and accountability, but how important are these security features to the consumer? This study investigates, consumers' willingness to choose and pay a premium for blockchain-certified food products. The major findings of this study are that consumers show positive receptiveness towards blockchain and disfavour unethical food production methods revealing sustainability consciousness guiding their consumption. We find that females place a greater value on food transparency and product labelling verification and are more willing to pay a premium. In addition, the results have important marketing implications according to our choice modeling findings.

Consumer Awareness and Contemporary Policy Regulations on Artificial Food Colourant Safety in India

The purpose of this research is to focus on the most practised Artificial Food Colourants (AFCs) creating a demand in the consumer food market and neglecting food safety by the stakeholders, as these AFCs have been proven to be harmful to human health. The problem question that has been addressed here is whether the labeling policy and the consumer awareness of AFC are in tandem with; how the Indian judiciary fared in delivering their judgements towards the prevalence of non-permitted AFCs in the Indian food market to tell them as successful for the healthier consumer food industry. The main objective is to examine the consumers’s awareness on AFC on the International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS) and their mentioning on the label of food products along with the regulatory measures for approvals of AFCs in Europe, USA and India for comparison. It is revealed that consumers’ awareness of INS is not very significant; FSSAI permits only eight AFCs for consumption, nevertheless, other non-permitted AFCs were also found to be used and the Indian government has acted responsibly on various occasions by entering the manufacturing premises to inspect the food, collect samples for testing the adulteration by submitting to the food analyst, thereby curbing such activities and grabbing such offenders to the court. The concept of food safety dimensions in consensus with AFC practices, the health and legal issues associated with AFC consumption, the Indian Government’s policies and the response of the judiciary related to food colourant safety are discussed in this paper. A doctrinal research method is followed by analysing the legal literature such as the regulatory provisions, government policies and noteworthy cases from the Indian judiciary and drawing support from empirical research evidencing the poor knowledge of consumers on AFCs being added in the food. Therefore, a serious policy awareness among consumers with respect to AFCs, being responsible and taking ownership towards one’s own health and their family members by taking steps in questioning the consumer forum and avoiding purchase of such packed food which does not adhere to the labeling standards and being consumer friendly, stringent regulations in labeling standards of food in the USA and Europe due to import nature of their products are the need of the hour.

The Influence of pH on the Emulsification Properties of Heated Whey Protein-Pectin Complexes.

Interactions between proteins and polysaccharides could improve protein functional properties. Most studies focus on the formation of complex coacervates at pHs < pI. Much less attention has been given to the interactions at pHs > pI, especially when the mixtures are heated. The objective of this study was to investigate the emulsification properties of heated whey protein isolate (WPI) and pectin complexes formed at near neutral pHs. Heated soluble complexes (Cpxs) were formed by heating mixed WPI (3 wt% protein) and pectin (0 to 0.60 wt%) at pH 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0 at 85 °C for 30 min. Emulsions (5 wt% oil, 0.5 wt% protein, and pH 5.5) were characterized by measuring droplet size, zeta potential, rheological properties, and creaming stability. The results showed that, regardless of heating pH, Cpxs formed more stable emulsions with significantly smaller droplet sizes, higher negative charges, and less shear-thinning behavior in comparison to emulsions stabilized by heated WPI (p < 0.05). At fixed pectin concentrations, the emulsions stabilized by Cpx formed at pH 7.0 were the most stable. Increasing pectin concentrations led to a decrease in mean droplet sizes and an increase in negative charge. Maximum stability was achieved with the emulsion stabilized by Cpx formed with 0.60 wt% pectin at pH 7.0. The formation of Cpxs under proper conditions will allow for the utilization of WPI in a wider range of applications and fulfill the consumer need for clean label food products.

Legal Awareness of Micro and Small Enterprise Operators Regarding Halal Certification: A Maslaha Perspective

The halal certification of food products is essential for consumer protection and should be harmonized with the practices of small-scale micro-producers to ensure security and mutual benefits in accordance with Islamic teachings. However, micro-businesses have been observed to possess varied perceptions toward the certification program. Based on this understanding, the present study aims to categorize awareness of the benefits and legal aspects of digitalizing the process of obtaining the certification using a theoretical legal system approach. In order to achieve the stated objective, qualitative data was gathered from different sources such as micro-business owners, halal certifiers, and beneficiaries of halal-certified food products. The obtained results showed that micro-businesses in serang-Banten often register for halal certification due to regulatory requirements and potential sanctions, rather than a deep understanding of the benefits of halal-certified products. This finding emphasized the persistence of a lack of significant awareness among micro-businesses regarding the advantages of obtaining halal certification. Accordingly, during the course of the investigation, the dominant challenges experienced include administrative complexities in the self-declaration process and the availability of qualified halal certifiers for high-risk food ingredients. To address these issues, there is an essential necessity for the development of a streamlined certification system that supports micro-businesses, facilitates application processes, and monitors the potential misuse of fake halal logos. Lastly, following the observations made, it can be inferred that digitizing the process of halal certification for both the registration and labeling of food products would improve consumer confidence and ease supervision.

Signaling sustainability: Do Canadian consumers prefer broad or narrow food sustainability labels?

AbstractSustainability labeling has been increasingly integrated into many food product labels in response to consumer interest in purchasing sustainably produced food. While a product label may contain the phrase “sustainably produced”, little additional information is available to consumers regarding how sustainability has been enhanced, or the dimensions of sustainability encompassed by the label. Using data from a survey of 1416 Canadian consumers, we examine consumer perceptions of sustainability and preferences for broad versus narrow sustainability claims across several contexts, including the dimensions of sustainability and the scope of a sustainability standard with respect to compliance criteria, product coverage, and geographical coverage. We find low levels of consumer knowledge and understanding of sustainability labeling, heterogeneity with respect to which dimension of sustainability appeals to different types of consumers, and a general preference for broad over narrowly defined sustainability labels, particularly with respect to the scope of criteria encompassed by the label. Our findings suggest some confusion as to what constitutes sustainability in the context of agri‐food, but that broader, more encompassing labels are likely to gain more traction with consumers.

Did disruptive events affect the purchase of private label food products?

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the private label food products, specifically assessing the stability and changes in factors influencing purchasing decisions, and comparing pre-pandemic and post-pandemic datasets.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the Extra Tree Classifier method, a robust quantitative approach, to analyse data collected from questionnaires distributed among two distinct consumer samples. This methodological choice is explicitly adopted to provide a clear classification of factors influencing consumer preferences for private label products, surpassing conventional qualitative methods.FindingsDespite the profound disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this research underscores the persistent hierarchy of factors shaping consumer choices in the private label food market, showing an overall stability in consumer behaviour. At the same time, the analysis of individual variables highlights the positive increase in those related to product quality, health, taste, and communication.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of online surveys for data collection may introduce a self-selection bias, and the non-probabilistic sampling method could limit the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsPractical implications suggest that managers in the private label industry should prioritize enhancing quality control, ensuring effective communication, and dynamically adapting strategies to meet evolving consumer preferences, with a particular emphasis on quality and health attributes.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing body of literature by providing insights into the profound transformations induced by the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behaviour, specifically in relation to their preferences for private label food products.

Analisis Pengaruh Sikap terhadap Kesehatan dan Label Kepada Kepatuhan Membaca Label Produk Pangan pada Mahasiswa Gizi Provinsi Kepulauan Riau

Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) reported that 20.62% of identified food product labels did not meet the provisions. This results in low compliance with reading information labels and nutritional composition among the public. Low compliance with reading information and nutritional labels can occur due to disinterest in information resulting in poor understanding of food product labels. This study aims to analyze the relationship between attitudes towards health and food product labels with compliance with reading food product labels. This research involved 47 students of the undergraduate nutrition study program. Data on attitudes towards health and nutritional labels were obtained using a respondent agreement level form. Data on label reading compliance was obtained from questionnaire. The chi square test is used to analyze the relationship between variables. The research results showed that the majority of respondents (63.8%) had a positive attitude regarding the level of approval of health and food product labels. There is no significant relationship between attitudes towards health and food product labels and compliance with reading nutritional value information labels (p=0.330). Nutrition students are expected to increase their positive attitude towards reading nutritional value information labels through education or practice reading food labels.

IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPIRATION LABELIZATION OF HOUSEHOLD INDUSTRIAL FOOD PRODUCTS (P-IRT)

Food product labeling is one of the policies to ensure the quality of food products consumed by the public. The labeling policy is regulated in PP no.69 of 1999. One of the labeling policies is the obligation of food producers to include the product expiration date. Almost every year, a lot of findings of food products, especially the results of household industrial food products (P-IRT). This study seeks to formulate why the implementation of the PIRT expiration labeling policy is still not optimal. From the results of the study it was found that several factors influenced the implementation of this policy. The first was PIRT certification, especially at the extension stage and producer location review. The second is the understanding of PIRT producers regarding the expiration labeling. The third is limited human and financial resources. Fourth, consumers' concern that is still lacking is mainly related to attention to the expired labels of food products they consume.Keyword: Implementation, Labeling, Food, Expiration, Consumers

Food allergens on food product labels: unification of nomenclature

Food allergens on food product labels: unification of nomenclature

Correct labelling? A full analytical pathway for silica and titania particles in food products

Introducing particles as additives, specifically engineered nanoparticles, in the food industry has improved food properties. Since 2014, alongside the presence of these added particles, there has been a mandatory requirement to disclose if those additives are nanomaterials in the ingredient list of food products. However, detecting and characterizing nanomaterials is time-consuming due to their small sizes, low concentrations, and diverse food matrices.We present a streamlined analytical process to detect the presence of silica and titania particles in food, applicable for food regulation and control. Using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for screening enables quick categorization of inorganic particles labeling accuracy, distinguishing products with and without them. For the former, we develop matrix-independent digestion and introduce time-effective statistics to evaluate the median particle size using a reduced number of particles counted, ensuring accurate “nano” labeling.Through the implementation of this work, our objective is to simplify and facilitate verifying the proper labeling of food products.

Factor influencing consumer purchase intention for private label food products: a cross-sectional analysis

Factor influencing consumer purchase intention for private label food products: a cross-sectional analysis

The influence of halal labeled food products in purchasing decisions

The influence of halal labeled food products in purchasing decisions

Factor influencing consumer purchase intention for private label food products: a cross-sectional analysis

Factor influencing consumer purchase intention for private label food products: a cross-sectional analysis

Health-Promoting Food Labelling – Benefits and Drawbacks

Abstract This work systematizes the knowledge on several food labelling systems, namely the Nutri-Score, the NutrInform, and the Mediterranean Index (Med Index). The Nutri-Score system assesses nutritional value of a product per 100 g or 100 ml with no consideration of usually consumed serving as well as vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. The concept of NutrInform does not label food products as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Instead, it indicates energy content in a serving (50 or 100 g) and contents of individual nutrients in a serving along with the percentage of their reference values of recommended daily intake. Thus, the NutrInform label placed on a product by a manufacturer participating in the system presents information in the following order: energy content in calories, contents of fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, sugars, and salt (everything expressed in grams). The Med Index covers three pillars of sustainability, taking into account nutritional, environmental, and social aspects. This labelling system assesses 27 criteria (9 for each pillar), the presence or absence of which is immediately visible to the consumer by a different colour of a label on the front of the pack (where blue reflects to the best score). A single graphic symbol allows consumers to simultaneously analyse various properties of the product and/or its production process in a few seconds. It forms a useful tool for comparing food products belonging to the same category and a useful system for ending the information asymmetry that characterizes the market of many food products. In our opinion, the concept of the Med Index would be the most useful considering health-promoting labelling of food products in Poland.

PKM UMKM Culinary Based on Information Technology: E-Commerce Website Design in Legok Village, Tangerang, Banten

This Community Partnership Program Activity (PKM) partners with Putri’s Home Cooking, a culinary SME located in Desa Legok, Tangerang, Banten. One crucial aspect of the business is marketing, and the challenges faced by the partner include difficulty in acquiring new customers, the absence of online sales, and the lack of food product labels. The objective of this activity is to utilize technology and science (IPTEK) for culinary SME business strategies to introduce and enhance the ongoing business for the betterment of the community's welfare.The issue confronted by the partner is the limited marketing reach. The solution to this issue involves creating an e-commerce website. The execution method for this activity consists of two phases: firstly, analyzing the partner's situation and conditions, and secondly, preparing the transfer of Appropriate Technology (TTG). The outcomes achieved include product photos for marketing purposes and the design of an e-commerce website, which can be used to market their products, thus helping the partner's culinary SME products from Desa Legok gain wider recognition.

Behaviors Related to Limiting Fat Intake among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia.

Young adults tend to frequently consume foods that are high in fat. Efforts to limit the consumption of fat among the Saudi population have been initiated; however, data concerning current behaviors related to limiting fat intake are lacking. We aimed to explore behaviors related to limiting fat intake and to investigate the association with fat intake among young adults in Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 305 students aged ≥19 years were recruited from Taibah University, Madinah. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data concerning sociodemographic status, behaviors related to limiting fat intake, and fat intake. The median score of behaviors related to limiting fat intake was significantly higher among females and supplement users compared to other groups. Healthy weight, overweight, and obese students reported a significantly higher score of behaviors related to limiting fat intake, compared to underweight students. Males who reported making an effort to limit the consumption of fatty foods consumed less total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat, while those who reported reading the nutrition fact labels of food products consumed more polyunsaturated fat. Females who reported reading nutrition fact labels consumed less saturated fat. Efforts to limit fat intake have been noted especially among females; however, these efforts were not linked to fat intake among young adults in Saudi Arabia.