Local Food Production Research Articles

Sustainability of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

The sustainability of small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean is fragile because of island size and topography, limited resources, population growth, natural disasters, and climate change. Current and projected sustainability in 2050 were assessed within the framework of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus for 10 of 16 SIDS with the best databases. Values for each WEF sector below either Falkenmark indicators or regional averages were considered unsustainable (failing) for that sector. Overall, SIDS were considered unsustainable if they failed at least two of three sectors. Projected water sustainability for 2050 was based on population growth and climate change effects on precipitation and per capita water availability. All SIDS failed the food sector, and four failed the energy sector. Water was considered the ultimate control for long-term sustainability. Five SIDS currently fail the water sector, but all but the largest two SIDS are likely to fail this sector by 2050. The role of poor governance and associated lack of long-term planning for population growth, disasters, and climate change, adaptative management strategies, infrastructure investment with an emphasis on nature-based solutions, decentralized energy grids emphasizing renewable energy, and local food production are clearly impediments for reaching sustainability goals for Caribbean SIDS.

Title: The Impact of Food Self-Sufficiency on National Economy in West Africa: Case of the Republic of Guinea

This study examines in the impact of food selficiency on national economy in West Africa particular case Guinea, the major problems of populations needs is food selficiency in Africa. However ; to achieve the self-sufficiency the authorities encourage its production to provide income for Producer, for domestic consumption and for a net exporting country. Local food production remains highly competitive with imported food. In addition, food insecurity across the country is a major development issue that threatens health, productivity and often the survival of the population. This study helps overcome developmental problems due to food selficiency, therefore, the main objective of this study is to analyze the impact of food production in the country and to examine more closely the relationship between food production and national economy on the domestic market. The study used a linear logarithmic model with the exchange rate output as a dependent variable and the food import, inflation rate, umemployment rate, interest rate and population growth. The current results found that imported food is positive sign, supporting the argument that imports products as viable income-generating activity. The self-sufficiency rate is 94%, with strong imports from imports countries, any exports. However, in order to control an national economic income and till increase agriculture production, the government should be able to purchase the food crops production from populations employment to the farmers and then sell them to projects in place for reduce food importation between international, regional and national domestic production along the markets. The development of the national economy Sectors and reduction of poverty and hunger, in particulary growing selficiency of food Security in Guinea.

Is Buying Local Food a Sustainable Practice? A Scoping Review of Consumers’ Preference for Local Food

Access to healthy food and the introduction of sustainable nutrition practices are two important issues today. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to food security but it has also provided opportunities for local food production. The discussion on local food has been gaining attention in recent years, but there is still a lack of clear understanding of the term ‘local food’ in the literature. The relationship between local food and sustainability issues is still unclear and has various connotations. This discordance leads to further discussions on whether buying local food should be considered a sustainable behavior and whether consumer preference for local food can be perceived as a sustainable practice. A scoping literature review was conducted in order to fill this gap and to shed light on the main tendencies of the scientific literature regarding this topic. The outcomes of the research revealed three dimensions of ‘local food’ definitions in the literature: geographical, geopolitical, and organic; while the problem of a unified local food definition remains open. The studied literature did not show any sound evidence for sustainability attributes in the definition of local food and consumer perception of local food.

Local practices and production confer resilience to rural Pacific food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resilience of food systems is key to ensuring food security through crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented shock that reveals varying levels of resilience of increasingly interconnected food systems across the globe. We contribute to the ongoing debate about whether increased connectivity reduces or enhances resilience in the context of rural Pacific food systems, while examining how communities have adapted to the global shocks associated with the pandemic to ensure food security. We conducted 609 interviews across 199 coastal villages from May to October 2020 in Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu to understand community-level impacts and adaptations during the first 5–10 months of the COVID-19 crisis. We found that local food production practices and food sharing conferred resilience, and that imported foods could aid or inhibit resilience. Communities in countries more reliant on imports were almost twice as likely to report food insecurity compared to those least reliant. However, in places dealing with a concurrent cyclone, local food systems were impaired, and imported foods proved critical. Our findings suggest that policy in the Pacific should bolster sustainable local food production and practices. Pacific states should avoid becoming overly reliant on food imports, while having measures in place to support food security after disasters, supplementing locally produced and preserved foods with imported foods when necessary. Developing policies that promote resilient food systems can help prepare communities for future shocks, including those anticipated with climate change.

Examination of the Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Sustainable Food Production in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

Food insecurity has remained a major challenge to many developing countries. The Food and Agricultural Organization, estimates that 842 million people have suffered from lack of food access, resulting in undernourishment. Kenya’s rural and urban areas, have been suffering from food insecurity since independence. Previous case-studies have shown that, although various governments and donor agencies' have attempted to sponsor food-production programs, execution has remained a challenge. Elgeyo Marakwet has previously been experiencing famine intervention projects from World Vision Kenya, Community Agricultural Development for Semi-Arid Lands, National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Program and Njaa Marufuku Kenya. The aim of this research was to examine the, organizational structure, socio-economic and capacity-building factors that contribute to sustainable food production in semi-arid and arid areas. The study used a descriptive survey research design to guide in the collection of data from a sample of 136 households using structured questionnaire. Data was analysed through cross-tabulation using Chi-square, ANOVA and percentages. In conclusion the research has revealed that organizational, demographic and capacity building factors are important in the improvement of food production. It is recommended that sustainable food security depends on developing sustainable local food production policy.

Post-Covid-19 Energy Transition Strategies: Even Reaching 100% Renewable in Ecuador by 2055 is not Enough to Face Climate Change Issue

The pandemic scenario caused by Covid-19 generated negative impacts. Covid-19 has made it clear that our daily lives depend to a high degree on access to energy. Therefore, now more than ever, it is necessary to promote new activities such as local food production, but also local energy capture. This article is an attempt to expose and quantify the benefits of a renewable energy transition in Ecuador post Covid-19 and post-oil. The generation, consumption, and reserves of oil in Ecuador were characterized, and the concept of energy transition was applied to evaluate the possibilities of integration of renewables, the progressive exit of thermal power plants, and future energy strategies. The year 2015 was taken as a basis and it was determined that energy use was 154.0 TWh / year, which corresponds to an end-user of approximately 147 TWh / year. The objective was to reduce this end-use demand to 80.0 TWh/year by 2055 through the integration of renewables and energy efficiency, for which 5 transition phases were planned until a 100% renewable system was obtained. It is concluded that the energy transition in Ecuador is technically possible and economically viable, without giving up the energy well-being that we currently enjoy. However, results show that even 100% renewable is not enough to face climate change.

Mercury and hazard to health of the population of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

Abstract. The aim of this study was to assess the mercury hazard to the health of the population in the Arctic zone on the example of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO). The study included two stages. At the first stage, we assessed the potential risk associated with the mercury intake in the body with local food products and water based on the hazard quotient (HQ). At the second stage, we examined the selected groups of the adult population living over 20 years in the Arctic and analysed the mercury concentrations in biological substrates to identify the dependence of the somatic and neuropsychic disorders on the mercury concentrations. The mean values of mercury intake in the body with food products were 0.001 mg/kg for adults per week, and 0.0015 mg/kg for children. HQ was acceptable and correlated with the mercury concentrations in biological substrates. We identified the risk of low stress resistance (OR=2.4 [1.3-6.2]) in people who had elevated mercury concentrations in their hair. In the risk group, the proportion of the examined people with elevated mercury concentrations in their hair was 46.0%, while in the comparison group it was 38.8%, and the mean concentrations of this toxicant were also higher, 2.51 g/g and 1.69 g/g, respectively. The risks of low self-assessment of health (OR=5.7 [2.1-15.2]) and low stress resistance (OR=3.3 [1.3-8.3]) were typical of people with low neuropsychic adaptation. Therefore, despite the absence of somatic health hazard for the newly arrived population of YaNAO, the people with elevated mercury accumulation showed a decrease in the neuropsychic adaptation, which determines the need to introduce biomonitoring in the medical examination system for the population of the Arctic.

Food adulteration with genetically modified soybeans and maize, meat of animal species and ractopamine residues in different food products

Governments around the world have developed a variety of strategies to address the long-standing food crisis. Food contaminated by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and meat residues from hormonally treated animals, has recently received increased attention, posing serious health risks to consumers. The aims of this study are to detect recombinant DNA in genetically modified maize, soybeans, and fruits. Furthermore, meat adulteration by mixing meat from different animal species and ractopamine residues (RAC) in imported and local food products were detected using qualitative and quantitative methods. Sixty local and imported food samples were collected from different supermarkets, local markets, street vendors, and slum areas in Egypt. The results revealed that the recombinant DNA targeted sequences were detected in 25 samples, with the common regulatory genes ( CaMV35s ) found in 16 of them. The Bt-11 and RRS genes were both detected in maize and soybean samples. However, 35 were used for a screening of meat adulteration with meat from different animal species using qualitative real-time PCR and RAC residue detection using ELISA. The results revealed that 11 samples of pork were positively adulterated, and six samples of meat were positively adulterated (dog, donkey, pork, horse, sheep, chicken, and soybean). Finally, lard was detected in three positively adulterated porcine meats. It is concluded that, as per the international regulations, in order to protect consumers from the harm caused by food adulteration, countries must recognize and implement highly restricted labelling systems, as well as qualitative and/or quantitative methods in routine analyses in internationally accredited laboratories. How to cite: Mostafa AA, Abu-Hussein AE-HG, ElRouby MT, et al. Food adulteration with genetically modified soybeans and maize, meat of animal species and ractopamine residues in different food products. Electron J Biotechnol 2022;55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.11.005

Mushroom Production in the Southern Cone of South America: Bioeconomy, Sustainable Development and Its Current Bloom.

A Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based analysis is presented here for business development of the production of edible and medicinal mushrooms using agro-wastes in the Southern Cone of South America. This circular economy approach using edible and medicinal mushroom production on lignocellulosic residues is discussed by analysing both its advantages and drawbacks. Among its main benefits, it is notable that mushroom cultivation using lignocellulosic residues promotes innovation aimed at environmental sustainability, facilitating diversification of the labour supply and the transfer of science to the socio-cultural sphere, which also increases the availability of healthy foods. However, there are some bottlenecks in the process, such as the continuous supply chain of substrates for fungal growth, the lack of equipment and infrastructure for the implementation of cultivation systems in extreme habitats, as well as authorization requirements and other limitations related to a non-fungiphilic culture society. Therefore, this chapter tries to provide key tools for establishing sustainable guidelines for the procurement of local healthy food and other products derived from mushroom cultivation using agricultural residues in the region, which might bloom due to an SDGs-based circular economy approach.

Fatty Acid Composition in Local and International Food Products Available in the Maldives

Background: Consumption of food high in saturated and trans fatty acids is a risk factor associated with non-communicable diseases such as overweight, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Till to-date, no study has been carried out to analyze fatty acid contents in the food products available in the Maldives markets. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the fatty acid contents in the food products available in the Maldives supermarkets that are both locally produced and imported into the country. The objective of the study was to collect local and imported food products from the three island markets of the Maldives (Hdh Kulhudhufuish, Naviyani Fuvahmulah and Male’), and analyze the collected food samples for fatty acid composition. Methods: A purposive sampling was used to collect fatty food products from the markets of three major islands of the Maldives, Male’, Kulhudhufushi and Fuvahmulah. Total 180 samples were collected and analysed in an accredited laboratory situated in Sri-Lanka, SGS Lanka Laboratory Pvt Ltd. Results: The results revealed that 92% of the analyzed products did not detect trans fat and only 7% of the product contained trans fat in the range between <1 to 1.64%. The lowest and highest saturated fatty acids found were in Gulab jamun (0.18 ± 0.03%) and GRB Ghee (62.26 ± 0.68%), respectively. The total fat, mono unsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged between 0.45 ± 0.07% to 99.9 ± 0.00%, 0.075 ± 0.01% to 73.58 ± 1.08%, and 0.02 ± 0% to 57.04 ± 0.16%, respectively. Conclusion: The food products available in the Maldives supermarkets contained polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are healthy for the human body. However, the food products also contained saturated fatty acids and trans fats, which may contribute to non-communicable diseases in excess consumption. However, the finding of this study did not provide the total intake of trans fat and saturated fatty acids by individuals. Thus, it is recommended to conduct a dietary survey to assess the fatty acid intake level of the population and to develop and regulate the dietary guidelines based on the dietary survey findings. Based on the findings of this study, it is suggested to conduct awareness programs on the importance of reducing the consumption of trans fats and saturated fatty acids.

Consumer preferences in Syktyvkar to Local food products

Consumer preferences in Syktyvkar to Local food products

Методические подходы к исследованию рынков в локальной сельской экономике

The article presents the justification of methodological approaches to the study of local agricultural production markets (the level of administrative districts of the subjects of the Russian Federation) in the conditions of development of rural local economy. The developed methodological tools were used to assess the level of development of retail markets and fair trade in the districts of Omsk and Tambov regions. The final part of the article presents the main conclusions of the study. The main subjects of the markets of the local rural economy are local producers who are not included in the composition of large agricultural and processing enterprises located in this area, and local consumers, residents of villages, villages and cities within which local producers sell their products or services. The development of the markets of the local rural economy is determined by the sales potential of local food products, which is limited for small and medium-sized producers by available local sales channels, such as agricultural markets and fairs, unlike large producers whose sales are focused on network trade, large regional wholesalers or their own trading houses.

УПРАВЛІННЯ СІЛЬСЬКИМ ГОСПОДАРСТВОМ ПІВНІЧНОГО РЕГІОНУ В СИСТЕМІ ПРОДОВОЛЬЧОВОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

Agriculture and commercial economy of the Northern zone developed together with the development of the territory, is a way of life of the peoples rooted here. It was based on centuries-old agricultural traditions taking into account the extreme harsh natural conditions and agricultural features. The agro-industrial farm is designed to provide the population with biologically complete local food products, perform a social function. The purpose of the article is the sustainable development of agricultural production, providing an increase in the level of food self-sufficiency of the population of the northern territories on the example of the Komi Republic. The subject of the study is the process of managing the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. The research methods used were systematic, comparative analysis, analogies, statistical, generalization of accumulated experience. The hypothesis of the study. The development of local agricultural production will increase food self-sufficiency, which will lead to savings in investments in transport, reduce product losses and improve its quality. Presentation of the main material. The possibilities and limitations of the development of northern agriculture are revealed. The trends in the development of the agricultural sector in the 1960s-1980s and in the conditions of market transformations are considered. The reasons for the decline in agricultural production, the reduction of the coefficient of food self-sufficiency are established. Priorities for the development of agriculture have been determined. Practical significance. Conclusions and recommendations can be taken into account by the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Market of the Komi Republic and other government bodies when determining the directions for improving state policy on the development of the agricultural sector. Conclusions of the study. Sustainable development of agriculture and increasing food self-sufficiency will require strengthening innovative modernization, the formation of a multi-layered agrarian economy, improving the economic mechanism, priority development of rural infrastructure, improving the level and quality of life of peasants.

Evaluating the impact of water resources on the economic growth of countries

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to determine the impact of domestic renewable water resources in the country on the formation of GDP, i.e to identify the relationship between the country's water potential and its economic growth in the future, due to the growth of water-intensive technologies in the world and agricultural development.
 Methodology / approach. The traditional and special research methods were used in the study, including: historical and logical – to analyze the dynamics of water use in the world and ways of forming the flow of virtual water; theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis – to form an understanding of the “principle of globality of water problems” and derive consistent pattern of “principle of globality of water problems”; statistical analysis to assess the level of needs of countries (regions) in water resources and to assess the level of GDP of countries in comparison with their water potential; method of econometric analysis (correlation analysis and linear regression) – to prove the relationship between the water potential of the country and its economic growth in the future.
 Results. The main idea of the study is to identify the relationship between the country's water potential and its economic growth in the future. It was found that almost all areas with the highest economic growth have the largest total number of inland renewable water resources. the knowledge and dynamics of virtual water trade in the world was described and summarized. According to the principles of the concept of “virtual water”, regions with water scarcity and spatial mismatch between water resources and the availability of arable land can increase their food security by meeting part of their food needs through trade in agricultural products and reducing local food production. A new principle of development of the territory “the principle of globality of water problems” has been substantiated in the study. It is determined that the very availability of domestic renewable water resources in the country does not have a significant impact on GDP growth, but the total catchment per capita in the country already has a significant impact on GDP, i.e, indeed, after reaching a certain water scarcity threshold, the country begins to demand for grain imports, which increases as water resources decrease. The consistent pattern of the “principle of globality of water problems” was proved mathematically, using econometric analysis.
 Originality / scientific novelty. The formation of the principles of territorial development was further developed, namely the “principle of globality of water problems” was formulated – the change of humanity's attitude to the water resource has formed an understanding of its limitations and possible global scenarios of world development. The development of the laws of economic theory was improved, namely the consistent pattern of the “principle of globality of water problems” – “axes (corridors) of development of the territory, which together with the poles of growth determine the spatial framework of economic growth, in the light of the globalization of water problems, are determined by the presence of the total number of domestic renewable water resources”.
 Practical value / implications. The results of the study allow a comprehensive assessment of the risks of the agricultural sector associated with the large-scale use of water resources and make effective management decisions on the development and implementation of water-efficient technologies in Ukraine and in the world. The study actualizes the thesis of infrastructure regulation as water-intensive technologies will require significant infrastructure projects and the appropriate quality of water and water supply and sewerage infrastructure as the basis of water efficiency of the region and the country.

Exploring Social Media Data to Understand How Stakeholders Value Local Food: A Canadian Study Using Twitter

The consumption of local food, a major trend in industrialized countries around the world has experienced an unprecedented craze in the pandemic context that we are experiencing. Since the beginning of the crisis and in various media, communication about local food seems inconsistent. However, companies would have every interest in better communicating the multifaceted areas of the locality that customers value or adopting the same language if they wish to collaborate with each other. This research aims to identify and evaluate the “fit” or the “gap” of the different local food’ meanings of Canadian agri-food stakeholders through data mining of one of their communication media: Twitter. Using tweets by over 1300 Twitter accounts from Canadian agri-food companies and a popular hashtag, we analyze a sample of their tweets in 2019 and 2020 by creating and using a local food’ keyword dictionary based on the concept of proximity. Term frequency and multivariate analysis of variance of 16,585 tweets about local food show significant differences in dimensions of proximity used in communications. This study shows the interest of using the concept of proximity to better define and understand the valuation of local food products. In addition, it offers a methodology capable of distinguishing the nuances of meaning of the locality of products using natural data that is accessible via social media.

Understanding regional variation in the use of local food in public catering

PurposeThe main aim of this study is to identify the factors that can affect regional differences in the procurement of local food in public catering. Understanding how some regions procure more local food products than others could help promote the use of local food in public catering. Regions with a lower share of local food can learn from regions that have a higher local food share.Design/methodology/approachThe studied phenomenon is complex; therefore, we used several approaches to identify the share of local food procurement and the reasons behind the regional differences. The study gathered survey data and used fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), a computable general equilibrium model and several data sources.FindingsThe share of local food within the total food procurement varies markedly between regions. The highest local food shares can be linked to a combination of three factors: sufficient and suitable supply, adequate organisational conditions and a political atmosphere that encourages the use of local food. In addition to limited political incentives, poor supply or inadequate organisational conditions effectively characterise why some regions use very few local food products. Hence, a move towards using more local food in public catering requires political decision makers, food producers and procurement personnel to demonstrate a common will and take cohesive action.Originality/valueBy examining regional variation, the results of this study offer a new perspective on the use of local food in public catering.

Through the Eyes on the Ground: Re-positioning Rural Agrarian Actors as Leaders in the Local Food Movement during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite Costa Rica’s efforts to promote international tourism, the economy continues to struggle with unprecedented unemployment rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially concerning for tourism-dependent regions, such as the Monteverde Zone, where most residents have abandoned land-based livelihoods in favor of tourism. This study uses photovoice to illustrate the ways that small-scale food producers have adapted to the unique challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic in a region that was already experiencing a loss of agrarian identity. Overall, local food producers have been affected by the diminished tourism economy through the closing of restaurants and the decrease in tourists, causing them to experience crop loss. Food producers have adapted to the economic impacts of the pandemic by re-investing their efforts into a local economy. As part of this shifting strategy, some food producers have begun to expand, diversify, and embrace an approach to growing food that is in line with building more resilient models of food production and engaging with their clients in different ways. Using community-based participatory methods, this study illustrates how food producers have adapted to changes brought on by the pandemic, re-positioning some of these rural agrarian actors as prominent figures in the local food movement.

Pemberdayaan Ibu-Ibu Rumah Tangga Melalui Penyuluhan Inovasi Produk Dan Pemasaran Online Kerupuk Lontong Di Dusun Blandongan Desa Ngawi Kecamatan Ngawi Kabupaten Ngawi

Innovation can be defined as the process or result of developing and utilizing knowledge, skills (including technological skills) and experience to create and improve products and processes so that they provide added value. Lontong is a mainstay food that is widely traded by the people of Dusun Blandongan. So do not be surprised if the average woman from Dusun Blandongan Ngawi works as a rice cake seller. To empower their assets, namely lontong food, KPM-DDR students will conduct counseling on product innovation and online marketing of lontong crackers. This activity aims to innovate products and provide marketing information for lontong sellers and housewives to get additional income when at home and to increase competitiveness, promotion and marketing of local food products for the people of Dusun Blandongan Ngawi. Regarding the method used for the counseling, the researcher uses the Asset-based community development (ABCD) approach, which is more appropriate for KPM-DDR. The results of the counseling are, 1) Extension activities and training on making rice cake crackers with housewives went well; 2) In the online media counseling that is used to market the product, the Facebook and Whatsapp applications are chosen because many residents have often operated the two applications.

The Dilemmas of Water Quality and Food Security Interactions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Water is a factor input for many food system activities such as agriculture, food processing and consumption. However, food system activities also affect water resources. Moreover, the shift in focus of food security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) from producing enough staple foods toward healthy diets stimulates local production of fresh food such as fruit, vegetables and fish even in water scarce regions. To secure local production, polluted water is used for food production, processing and consumption, which might jeopardize human health. However, scientific evidence is still scattered and fragmented. The aim of this study is to systematically investigate the empirical tested impacts of water quality on the food system activities and vice versa. Using a comprehensive framework, we sketch the inter-relationships between water quality and food systems based on a literature study. Food system activities included food production (crop production, livestock and aquaculture), food processing, and food consumption. Multiple contaminants were incorporated such as nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides, pathogens, cyanotoxins, and heavy metals. Moreover, we considered different water sources such as groundwater, surface water, wastewater and coastal water. We found that food system activities contaminate water in several ways, and these differ between food system activity and type of food produced. The impact of water quality on the food system depends on the food produced, the type of contaminant and techniques of food preparation. In addition, food is contaminated in multiple ways along the food system. Irrigation with polluted water may sound familiar, but polluted water is sometimes also used in food processing (cleaning of equipment or food products), and in food preparation (at home or by street vendors). Hygiene in food consumption is crucial to prevent fecal-oral transmission. However, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) received little attention in relation to food consumption. If local production of fresh food is encouraged to improve food security, all aspects of water quality should be analyzed to avoid undesirable consequences.

Snack Names In China

Previous studies of snack names have focused on their psychological impact on consumers in different cultures but have tended to ignore their onomastic features. This study helps to address this gap based on a corpus of 121 snack names extracted from the book Chinese Famous Local Delicious Food and Special Products. This study explores the patterns of syllables, sounds, and name types of snack names compiled in this small-scale corpus. In this investigation, it was found that descriptive names were the dominant type in the corpus and the most frequently described type feature was the food ingredient. Interestingly, metaphorical names in the corpus were in general found to be related to shape similarities. Contrary to previous findings on dish names and drinking brand names in China, the snack names examined in this corpus showed a preference for three-syllable patterns and “light” or “flat” tones. After discussing these and other findings of this research, this paper discusses what insights this study may provide for other name investigations that utilize corpus linguistic approaches.