Nonalcoholic Research Articles

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages – an alternative to conserve wild grapevine in central Mexico

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages – an alternative to conserve wild grapevine in central Mexico

Assessing the Policy Implications of Different Definitions for Added Sugars: An Analysis Across the Australian Packaged Food and Beverage Supply

BackgroundIn recent years, various definitions of "added sugars" have emerged across jurisdictions. Although it is clear how these definitions differ, there is limited understanding of the policy implications associated with these variations. ObjectiveTo test the potential policy implications of different definitions of “added sugars” on the Australian packaged food supply, we developed a method to estimate the content of “added sugars” in packaged foods and applied this to 3 different definitions of “added sugars”: (i) United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) added sugar definition, (ii) the World Health Organization (WHO) free sugar definition, and (iii) a comprehensive definition that was developed from a review of the evidence on “added sugars.” MethodsUsing a representative sample of 25,323 Australian packaged foods, the “added sugar” content and proportion of products that contain “added sugar” under the 3 definitions were estimated. In addition, a comparative analysis exploring the impact of the US FDA definition (least comprehensive) vs. the comprehensive definition was conducted to understand potential implications of adopting different regulatory definitions in Australia. ResultsThe US FDA definition identified the lowest number and proportion of products with any “added sugars” at 14,380 products (representing 56.8% of all products), followed by the WHO free sugar definition at 15,168 products (59.9%) and the comprehensive definition at 16,260 products (64.2%). The mean estimates for “added sugars” were 8.5 g/100 g, 8.7 g/100 g, and 9.6 g/100 g for the US FDA, WHO, and comprehensive definitions, respectively. Compared with the US FDA definition, the comprehensive definition captured an additional 7.4% of products, largely driven by nonalcoholic beverages, special foods and fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. ConclusionsDespite small variations in different “added sugars” definitions, their application has some significant policy implications. Findings highlight the importance of applying a comprehensive regulatory definition that adequately captures all sugars that have been linked to poor health.

Natural Carbonated Drink (Kombucha Tea) and its Health Benefits: A Review

Kombucha is a traditional carbonated tea obtained by fermentation with Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast(SCOBY). The SCOBY consumes sugar in tea and produces enzymes and organic acids. The process typically takes one or two weeks and changes tea into a fizzy, slightly sour fermented (generally non-alcoholic) beverage. Kombucha contains chemical and biologically active compounds such as polyphenols, antioxidants, and a source of probiotics (Lactobacillus) that show health-promoting properties. Kombucha has potential health benefits, but not all have been proven in studies with humans. It is being commercialized in India and can be prepared at home easily with precautions. It can be prepared by fermenting sweetened green or black tea using a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). As the fermentation proceeds, the yeast in the SCOBY breaks down the sugar present in the tea and releases friendly probiotic bacteria. In this paper, we highlighted various factors affecting fermentation, where the pH shows a significant impact on the tea quality. Herein, we have also discussed the health benefits and toxicity of Kombucha tea along with the recent literature.

Prevalence and determinants of insufficient vitamin D status in young Canadian Inuit children from Nunavik.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has reached pandemic levels affecting over one billion people worldwide. However, limited data is available on the prevalence and determinants of vitamin D status of Canadian Indigenous children and no study has been reported in Inuit children from Nunavik. Aim: Therefore, using data collected between 2006 and 2010, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and main determinants of insufficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25(OH)D) concentrations in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik. Methods: This study included 245 Inuit children aged 11 to 54 months. s25(OH)D concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Dietary intakes were assessed using 24-hour recalls. Usual dietary intakes were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. We used a multiple imputation technique to replace missing values when performing regression analysis. Results: Our findings revealed that 64.5% of children had a s25(OH)D concentration < 75 nmol/L, while 78.1% did not meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin D. Vitamin D intake and fluid milk consumption were positively associated with s25(OH)D concentrations, while negative associations were observed with children' energy intake, non-alcoholic beverage consumption, body weight, breastfeeding duration and, biological/adoptive/foster parents' educational level. Conclusion: Vitamin D inadequacy was highly prevalent and closely aligned with levels observed over the years in non-Indigenous children. Breastfed children who do not receive vitamin D supplementation, overweight and obese children, and children with inadequate milk consumption were at high risk of vitamin D insufficiency. Eating vitamin D rich foods such as fluid milk and seafood along with vitamin D supplementation when needed are recommended.

EXPENDITURE ON FOOD AND FOOD CONSUMPTION IN HOUSEHOLDS IN POLAND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced many areas of human life, one of those areas is expenditure on food and food consumption in households. The paper aims to identify changes in household expenditure on food and food consumption in Poland in the span of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis covers the period from 2015 to 2021 (2022 when available). Based on data from Statistics Poland, percentage changes of nominal and real values as well as shares were presented. The results show that from 2015 to 2020 in real terms the value of household total expenditures increased and decreased after 2020. Households in Poland in 2020 spent more than earlier on food and non-alcoholic beverages and less on eating outside the house. The consumption of selected food products also changed in 2020 regarding the previous periods (2015-2019), but the majority of those changes were only temporary turmoil. Only the consumption of some dairy products in households in Poland increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and stayed at a heightened level.

Recent Advances in the Specialized Metabolites Mediating Resistance to Insect Pests and Pathogens in Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis).

Tea is the second most popular nonalcoholic beverage consumed in the world, made from the buds and young leaves of the tea plants (Camellia sinensis). Tea trees, perennial evergreen plants, contain abundant specialized metabolites and suffer from severe herbivore and pathogen attacks in nature. Thus, there has been considerable attention focusing on investigating the precise function of specialized metabolites in plant resistance against pests and diseases. In this review, firstly, the responses of specialized metabolites (including phytohormones, volatile compounds, flavonoids, caffeine, and L-theanine) to different attacks by pests and pathogens were compared. Secondly, research progress on the defensive functions and action modes of specialized metabolites, along with the intrinsic molecular mechanisms in tea plants, was summarized. Finally, the critical questions about specialized metabolites were proposed for better future research on phytohormone-dependent biosynthesis, the characteristics of defense responses to different stresses, and molecular mechanisms. This review provides an update on the biological functions of specialized metabolites of tea plants in defense against two pests and two pathogens.

Socio-demographic Profiles of Customers’ Food Preferences at Ecotourism Destinations in South Western, Nigeria

The travel and tourism industry in the twentieth century has changed its eating patterns and meal preferences. Food to an extent is a reflection of social status and individual identification, hence, an explicit way of understanding customer's food consumption behaviour is to study their food preference. The provision of meals is one of the key determinants of meeting customers' expectations and satisfaction at destinations, hence, this study assessed the Socio-demographic profiles of customers' food preferences at ecotourism destinations in South Western, Nigeria. An exploratory research approach was conducted through the use of structured questionnaires for data gathering. The data were collected from a purposely selected population comprising both customers and staff of Ikogosi Warm Spring and Olumo Rock Resorts. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The Chi-Square results on meal preferences concerning age shows a significant influence of age on soup and starchy morsel, Assorted rice dishes, Yam and potato dishes, Beans and Beans products and Non-Alcoholic beverages, a significant association and influence was shown among genders for beans and beans products, customers income and education has no influence on their preference for alcoholic beverages and a significant relationship between food choices of customers and marital status was noticeable. The research findings reveal that customers' food preferences are shaped by Socio-demographic influences. This study concluded that the dimensions of customers' food preferences are majorly tilted towards Socio-demographic variables of age, gender, marital status, income and educational qualifications. It is recommended that customers' Socio-demographic characteristics should be a key indicator in food and beverage planning, preparation and marketing at ecotourism destinations.

Food and non-alcoholic beverage marketing via Fortnite streamers on Twitch: A content analysis

Food and non-alcoholic beverage (hereafter: food) marketing is prevalent in digital media and predominantly for foods high in fats, salt and/or sugar (HFSS). However, little is known about food marketing in videogame livestreaming platforms - a hybridisation of social and gaming media where individuals can watch influencers (i.e., streamers) play videogames. No studies have explored food cues within the streamed content or content likely to be viewed by adolescents. The current study analysed the food cues in Twitch (the leading videogame livestreaming platform) videos (n = 52, 52h) uploaded to the platform during October 2020–September 2021 by influencers likely to be popular with adolescents. Food cues (n = 133, 2.56 per hour) were coded for exposure (e.g., display type, healthfulness) and power (e.g., presentation) using a World Health Organization (WHO) protocol and the UK Nutrient Profile Model. The majority (70.7%) of cues were HFSS, with energy drinks being the most featured food category (62.4%). Most cues were branded (80.5%) and featured as either product placement (44.4%) or a looping image (40.6%). Influencers were more likely to consume healthy (88.5%) than HFSS items (33.4%). The mean duration of each food cue was 20 min and 25 s per hour. Only 2.3% of cues had an advertising disclosure. This study provides the first empirical assessment of food cues on Twitch in livestreamed content likely to be popular with adolescents and has implications for digital food marketing policy development.

Gender differences in changes in alcohol consumption achieved by free provision of non-alcoholic beverages: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundWe recently demonstrated that a 12-week intervention consisting of the provision of free non-alcoholic beverages reduced alcohol consumption in excessive drinkers for 8 weeks after the intervention. However, gender differences in this effect were not explored. Thus, this secondary analysis investigated gender differences in the influence of non-alcoholic beverage provision on alcohol consumption.MethodsIndividuals who frequently drank excessively (at least 40 g/day in men and 20 g/day in women) and who were not diagnosed with alcoholism were recruited. Participants were randomized into the intervention or control group by simple randomization using a random number table. In the intervention group, free non-alcoholic beverages were provided once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks (three times in total). The consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was calculated based on a drinking diary submitted with the previous 4 weeks’ of data. In this study, we compared the longitudinal changes in alcohol consumption between genders in both groups.ResultsThe provision of non-alcoholic beverages significantly reduced alcohol consumption in both genders; however, significant differences in alcohol consumption between the control and intervention groups were observed only in men. The average alcohol consumption during the intervention fell below the level associated with a high risk of non-communicable diseases in men (32.7 g/day), but not in women (24.8 g/day). Correlation coefficient analysis showed that replacing alcoholic beverages with the provided non-alcoholic beverages resulted in different drinking patterns according to gender. The percent changes in the consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages relative to baseline levels did not differ between genders.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the provision of non-alcoholic beverages reduced alcohol consumption irrespective of gender. Of note, providing non-alcoholic beverages might be particularly useful for reducing high-risk alcohol consumption in male excessive drinkers.Trial registrationUMIN UMIN000047949. Registered 4 June 2022.

Research Progress on the Effect and Mechanism of Tea Products with Different Fermentation Degrees in Regulating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

A popular non-alcoholic beverage worldwide, tea can regulate blood glucose levels, lipid levels, and blood pressure, and may even prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Different tea fermentation levels impact these effects. Tea products with different fermentation degrees containing different functional ingredients can lower post-meal blood glucose levels and may prevent T2DM. There are seven critical factors that shed light on how teas with different fermentation levels affect blood glucose regulation in humans. These factors include the inhibition of digestive enzymes, enhancement of cellular glucose uptake, suppression of gluconeogenesis-related enzymes, reduction in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) activity, modulation of gut flora, and the alleviation of inflammation associated with oxidative stress. Fermented teas can be used to lower post-meal blood glucose levels and can help consumers make more informed tea selections.

Dietary polyphenol intake in the Canadian population: Findings from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition.

This study aimed to estimate usual polyphenol intake among Canadians using the nationally representative 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition and to explore the main dietary contributors to polyphenol intake and the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors that may impact polyphenol intake. Dietary information was collected from 19,409 respondents using 24-h dietary recalls. The polyphenol content of foods was estimated using the Phenol-Explorer Database (version 3.6). Daily intake values for total polyphenols (adjusted to energy intake), main classes, and subclasses were calculated for each respondent and dietary recall. Usual intake was estimated by age/sex groups and by sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics independently for adults and children using the National Cancer Institute method. Given-day arithmetic mean polyphenol intakes and mean proportions of main classes contributing to sum total polyphenol intakes were explored. Population proportions were used to determine dietary contributors. Usual total polyphenol intake was 1119.3mg/1000kcal/day (95% CI: 1090.5, 1148.1) for adults ≥ 19years and 473.0mg/1000kcal/day (95% CI: 454.9, 491.0) for children 2‒18years. Generally, total polyphenol intakes differed by age, sex, ethnicity, and household education status and were higher among coffee and tea consumers. Most polyphenols came from flavonoids (40.0%) and phenolic acids (49.8%), with children consuming more flavonoids and other polyphenols and adults more phenolic acids. The top food contributors to polyphenol intake were coffee (26.8%), tea (8.9%), fruit juice (4.2%), banana (4.1%), and apple (3.8%). Usual intake of total polyphenols among Canadians differed primarily by age. Non-alcoholic beverages were top contributors to total polyphenol intake.

Research on Demographic Segmentation and Marketing Strategies for Young PeopleBased on the Case Study of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has always been passionate about effectively reaching and engaging more customers. As one of the worlds largest producers of non-alcoholic drinks, Coca-Colas robust, innovative, and transformative demographic segmentation and marketing strategy are the primary factors that have contributed to the companys business success with young people and helped it grow sustainably across the globe and around the clock. Coca-Cola always keeps improving to meet the needs of everyone in the world. Although the demographic segmentation by age, affordability, and gender is already specific, clear, and direct, certain actions must be taken to address the new concerns of todays teenagers healthy lifestyle change and sugar-free tendency based on the marketing strategy of product, pricing, and promotion, including its vintage bottle, classic font, specialized logo, localized positioning, and social media. Coca-Cola should also make more efforts to create new solutions, for example, availability of sugar-free products, communication with customers, product placement, and package size reduction, to meet the rising challenges of the changing beliefs of youngsters globally.

Enhancing satiety and aerobic performance with beer microparticles-based non-alcoholic drinks: exploring dose and duration effects.

Beer is an alcoholic beverage, rich in carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and polyphenols, consumed worldwide as a social drink. There is a large number of beer styles which depends on the ingredients and brewing process. The consumption of beer as a fluid replacement after sport practice is a current discussion in literature. A non-alcoholic pale-ale microparticles-based beverage (PABM) have been previously designed, however, its phenolic profile and ergogenic effect remain unknown. Thus, this study aims to verify the ergogenic potential (increase of running performance) of PAMB in male Wistar rats. Beer microparticles were obtained by spray drying and beverages with different concentrations were prepared in water. Wistar rats were subjected to a training protocol on a treadmill (5 times/week, 60 min/day) and daily intake of PABM (20 mg.kg-1 or 200 mg.kg-1) or water by gavage. Chlorogenic acid was found to be the main component in the phenolic profile (12.28 mg·g-1) of PABM analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. An increase in the aerobic performance was observed after 4 weeks in the 20 mg.kg-1 group, but the same dose after 8 weeks and a higher dose (200 mg.kg-1) blunted this effect. A higher dose was also related to decrease in food intake. These data suggest that PABM can improve satiety and aerobic performance, but its effect depends on the dose and time of consumption.

Stability and Bioaccessibility of Lignans in Food Products.

Lignans are a group of plant phenolic compounds with various technofunctional and health-promoting properties. They can be found in oilseeds (291.7-2513 mg/100 g), nuts, vegetables, fruits, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. The most common structural representative feature of lignans' backbone is a dimeric phenylpropanoid, which consists of two C6-C3 units joined by a central carbon. Compared to other phenolics, such as flavonoids, the literature on lignan stability and bioaccessibility is limited. This Mini-Review aims to present an overview of recent literature, draw connecting lines to the known regarding polyphenols, and suggest the main knowledge gaps. Processing methods and processing conditions influence the stability of lignans with several thermal treatments explored. Roasting, as a major studied processing step, displayed varying effects as a function of the lignan structure and matrix. The content of specific and even total lignans was shown to increase in some cases even after intense thermal treatment. Lignans were also reported to present a stabilizing effect against oxidation to oils when added externally. Different fermentation methods presented inconclusive outcomes on the content of lignans, likely stemming from the various matrices and microorganisms studied in a relatively limited pool of studies. The bioaccessibility of lignans in in vitro studies was usually low (from less than 1% in fermented flaxseed to 30% for microwaved artichokes). Yet, a clear conclusion regarding the digestive fate of lignans as a function of processing and structure cannot be currently suggested, and significant additional effort in this direction is needed.

Fermentation Kinetics and Physicochemical Characterization of Nonalcoholic Wine Produced From Cashew Apple Juice

There is an increasing demand for nonalcoholic wines owing to religious beliefs, responsible driving, harmful effects of alcohol, and strict alcohol regulatory measures. Alcohol removal methods, used for nonalcoholic wine production, have negative impact on flavour characteristics and consumer acceptance. This study seeks to determine the fermentation kinetics and physicochemical properties of nonalcoholic wine developed from cashew apple juice using cold fermentation in combination with special yeast. The extracted cashew apple must was inoculated with S. ludwigii and Z. rouxii yeast culture separately and allowed to ferment at 0°C–4°C for 7 days in a completely randomized design. The pH, total soluble solids (TSS), temperature, specific gravity, titratable, volatile, and nonvolatile acidities of the fermenting must and wine were determined using standard methods. All the yeast strains maintained comparable fermentation trends with respect to pH, TSS, specific gravity, volatile acidity, titratable acidity, and fixed acid, but with different alcohol yields of 0.89 and 0.68% for S. ludwigii and Z. rouxii, respectively. The wine produced using S. ludwigii had a lower reducing sugar (3.58 mg/L) and TSS (6.65°Brix) compared to Z. rouxii (6.23 mg/L and 7.65°Brix), respectively. However, no significant differences existed in pH, titratable acidity, specific gravity, alcohol content, and colour characteristics: brightness (L∗). The matured wine products recorded 0% alcohol content and had distinct appealing colours. The application of cold fermentation combined with special yeast in nonalcoholic wine production is promising and deserves more research to explore its full potential in meeting the increasing demand for nonalcoholic wines.

Goods and Services Tax vs. Sales and Services Tax: Different Structures Impact on the Households’ Expenditure Pattern

The implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April 2015 has received criticism due to the significant increase in prices of goods and services. To contain this issue, the Malaysian government has decided to replace GST with the former SST system effective September 2018. However, this decision leaves the public with more questions regarding its impacts on households’ expenditures. To address these questions, this study is outlined to estimate the impacts of GST rates and SST on households’ expenditures. The method use for this study is input-output model in which each of tax variables were identified as items “taxes on products (domestic)” in the input-output table. Findings reveal that GST rates tend to reduce prices, which results in the reduction of expenditures for different household groups. In contrast to GST, SST is estimated to bring undesirable impacts for the households’ expenditure. The HES suggests that the main type of expenditures undertaken by households are on Food &amp; Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Housing, Water &amp; Fuel, the increase in production cost of these groups of goods and services will lead to price hikes that result in the rising cost of living. Particularly, the findings indicate that every different household group (Bumiputera by strata, non-Bumiputera by strata, T20, M40 and B40) are heavily affected as most of the expenditures increment are sourced from Food &amp; Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Yet, the findings from this study disregard the real situation because the impacts of other cost-push components are not taken into account.

Palm-Based Beverages Around the World: A Review

Abstract: Palms have been a source of food, drinks, oil, lumber, sugar, and the sap it produces. Palm sap is a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage that has a plethora of health benefits. Some examples of palm-based beverages are Neera, toddy, tuba, wine, arak, and other traditional fermented drinks, along with concentrated syrups. Palm sap-based beverages are high in carbohydrates, vital amino acids, and vitamins and are consumed as energy drinks around the world. Antioxidants, which have been shown to have a good effect on human health, are also found naturally in palm-based beverages. Technological advancement, marketing, and a lack of research and training hinder the commercialization of nutritional by-products made from palm sap. The current review aims to focus on palm-based beverages, their health benefits, recent developments, and future perspectives.

Consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods by a young population of Ecuador. An analysis in light of the PAHO model

The purpose of the research was to characterize the habitual consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, as well as to analyze their nutritional composition in relation to the Nutrient Model proposed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 2 125 young people participated, with prior informed consent; A food consumption and frequency questionnaire was applied to each participant (=0,784), including 75 foods and beverages classified into 13 categories. On the other hand, the labels of 89 brands of products purchased by the respondents were reviewed; the analysis included the presence of critical nutrients and the calculation of the percentage of energy contribution. The results revealed that 95 % of the population purchased in the last month: desserts (99,1 %); candy (95,1 %), non-alcoholic beverages (84,8 %), among others, with a significant difference in gender, area of residence, and economic income (P&lt;0,050). The amounts of sodium, free sugars, total fats, saturated fats, and trans fats exceed what is indicated in the PAHO Model, by 69,0 %, 54,0 %, 35,0 %, 23,0 %, 15,0 % respectively. The daily energy contribution per serving was 10,3 % ±3,1 %, this comes mainly from pre-cooked dishes (soups, broths, creams, instant noodles), 13,6 %; beverages (soft drinks, juices, soft drinks, beer, juices and nectars) 13,1; french fries, 12,5 %; sausages, 12,4 %; pastries, 12,4 %; snacks, 10,5 %. Concluding that there is a high prevalence in the consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, with levels of critical nutrients that exceed PAHO recommendations. These findings highlight the need to strengthen policies aimed at reducing the supply and demand of these products

Acute effects of energy drink consumption on microvascular reactivity in young male volunteers at rest: a randomized trial.

Energy drinks are nonalcoholic beverages whose main ingredients are sugar, taurine, and caffeine. The consumption of energy drinks is increasing worldwide, but only a few conflicting studies have investigated the vascular effects of energy drinks in young adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate microvascular reactivity before and after energy drinks consumption in young healthy male volunteers. This was a cross-sectional prospective study. Microvascular reactivity signals were evaluated in the skin of the forearm using laser speckle contrast imaging with acetylcholine (ACh) iontophoresis before and 90 and 180 min after the randomized consumption of one ED or the same volume of water (control), followed by a postocclusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) test. Thirty-two volunteers were evaluated (age: 25.4±4.3 years). Energy drink consumption prevented the rest-induced reduction in cutaneous vascular conductance over time that was observed in the control group. In the control group, there were significant reductions in microvascular vasodilation at 90 and 180 min compared to baseline (P=0.004), but this was not the case in the energy drink group (P=0.76). Our results demonstrated that the reduction in microvascular conductance associated with prolonged immobility can be prevented by the consumption of one energy drink, highlighting the vasodilator effects of this beverage in young individuals at rest. The between-study variability in terms of the brand of energy drinks and the ingested volume, as well as the method of vascular evaluation and the inclusion criteria, may explain the discrepancies among previous studies on the vascular effects of energy drinks.

An Empirical Research on the Economic Impact of War on Citizens and Consumers: The Case of Russian Ukrainian War

This study provides a comparative analysis of the impact of the Ukraine war (February 2022 – December 2023) on consumer behavior in the European Union and South Korea. The research fills a gap in the literature by examining the effects of a military crisis on two economically connected regions sharing borders with the instigating country. Utilizing the Difference-in-Difference (DiD) statistical technique, the study analyzes the evolution of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food, non-alcoholic beverages, and energy. The 21st century, despite technological advancements and lessons from history, has not been immune to conflicts, as exemplified by the Russia-Ukraine war. This conflict, occurring on the “old continent” and affecting the EU, one of the world’s largest democratic alliances, highlights the disparities between nations in the modern era.