Nonalcoholic Research Articles

Synergistic toxicity of some food additives used in non-alcoholic beverages on renal tubular epithelial cells.

Evidences supported many food additives (FAs) possess toxicity to human health due to chronic excessive exposure. Global hygienic standards strictly limit the dosage of each FA and mixture of the same functional FAs. However, the synergetic effects caused by the combination of FAs with different functions require careful evaluation. In the present study, the content of each FA in beverages was determined by HPLC-UV-Vis detection. The cytotoxic effects of selected typical FAs alone or their combination were evaluated in human renal tubular epithelial cells. Mathematical Modeling and bioinformatics methods were employed to evaluate the toxicity of FAs and to predict the key target proteins of FAs on renal tubular cell toxicity, which were verified by western blot. The results indicated above 5 FAs were used in each surveyed beverage. The content of each FA and the respective ratios of the same functional FAs in each beverage did not exceed the maximum permitted level. But it was intensively shown that the significant synergistic cytotoxicity for the combination of FAs with lower concentration. The intercellular signaling transduction pathways including JNK/STAT, PI3P/AKT, and MAPK pathways, which could also be activated by PDGF signaling, were predicted to be involved in Fas-induced cytotoxicity. The increased expression of p-STAT3, p-JNK and p-AKT was associated with renal tubular injury. The current study implied the synergistic cytotoxic effect caused by multiple FAs at no toxic dosages via activated cellular transduction pathways regulating cell survival and apoptosis function, which warning of the synergistic toxic effects of different types of FAs.

Development of a model and optimization of the interaction of factors in the grain malting process and its application in the production of functional beverages

The paper is devoted to the study of the interaction and significance of factors influencing the prediction and optimization of the process of obtaining malt. The object of our research is wheat, barley and rye malt. 33 full factorial experiments were performed, germination period, wetting degree and temperature act as variable factors. At the same time, the amylolytic activity of malt's enzymatic complex and malt's saccharification ability were taken as the response function of the experiment. 27 experiments were carried out with three repetitions in order to check the accuracy of the choice of optimal conditions for the process of obtaining malt, and a regression equation was obtained. According to the least squares method, the regression equations were obtained for approximation of the saccharification ability (SA) and amylolytic activity (AA) values of wheat malt. According to the method of regression analysis, the adequacy of the equations was checked by the Fisher criterion, the statistical significance of their coefficients was checked by the Student's criterion, and the homogeneity of parallel experiments was checked by the Cochrane criterion. The regression model expressing the result of the optimization of the process of obtaining wheat malt is as follows: τ=5.8 days, w=42.2 %, t=15.9 °C; YSA=5.35, YAA=320.0, for barley malt – τ=6.1 days; w=44.1 %; t=17.6 °C; YSA=4.93; YAA=255.2, and for rye malt – τ=4.6 days; w=45.1 %; t=15.0 °C; YSA=8.63; YAA=198.1. In this work, the temperature dependence of the amylolytic activity and saccharifying activity of malt enzymes was also studied. The germination temperature of grains has a maximum effect on the complex of amylolytic enzymes of malts. The research materials can be applied in the production of non-alcoholic and functional beverages

Transfer of heavy metals from soil to tea and the potential human health risk in a regional high geochemical background area in southwest China

Tea is one of the most consumed nonalcoholic beverages. The collaborative analysis of heavy metals soil-to-tea transfer and the associated potential risk to human health is important. This study features a survey of As, Cd, Pb and Cr in 144 paired soils and tea leaves from six main tea-growing regions (Fengqing, Linxiang, Yongde, Mangshi, Longling, and Yunlong) in Yunnan, China. The data showed soil acidification (pH = 4.77–5.17) in tea plantations, affecting heavy metals bioavailability thereby the transfer to tea leaves. Soil total and bioavailable As, Cd, Pb and Cr concentrations were 1.45–117, 0.025–0.67, 15.2–153, 3.8–409 mg kg−1 and 0.03–0.22, 0.011–0.38, 0.59–17, 0.013–0.47 mg kg−1, respectively. Specifically, As concentration in 20.8 % of the soil samples exceeded the standard value at 40 mg kg−1, while the standard-exceeding ratio of Cr was low at 9 %. Besides, Cd showed high bioavailability at 44–56.1 %, while Cr was low at 0.12–0.34 %. Arsenic, Cd, and Pb in tea leaves were within the standard values at 2, 1 and 5 mg kg−1. However, though soil Cr was low in standard-exceeding ratio and bioavailability, Cr accumulation in tea showed high standard-exceeding ratio (72.2 %). This indicated that soil heavy metals concentration and bioavailability are not necessarily to predict the pollution risk in tea leaves. Besides, tea favors to accumulate Cd, with 16 % showing BAF > 1. Though Cr in tea leaves was highly standard-exceeded and Cd was uptake-preferred, the target hazard quotients (THQ; <1) and aggregate risk hazard indexes (HI; 0.046) suggested that there was no potential risks to human health. This indicated that high pollution risk in tea leaves is not necessarily to induce risk to human health. The information helps to better understand the efficiency and influencing factors for heavy metals soil-to-tea leaves transfer and strategize how to more accurate evaluate the risks in soil pollution, food safety and human health.

Reproducibility and dietary correlates of plasma polyphenols in the JPHC-NEXT Protocol Area study.

In recent years, an increasing number of epidemiological studies have suggested a role of polyphenols in the prevention of chronic diseases. Prospective cohort studies have typically measured polyphenol concentrations in a single blood sample and the reproducibility of plasma polyphenol measurements is largely unknown. We evaluated the reproducibility of 35 plasma polyphenols collected at an interval of 1-year. We also examined correlations of these polyphenols with food group intakes calculated from weighed food records (WFR) and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The study included 227 middle-aged participants from the JPHC-NEXT Protocol Area in Japan. We measured 35 polyphenols in plasma collected at two points 1-year apart. Food group intakes were calculated from 12-day WFR and FFQ. For the reproducibility analysis, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 35 polyphenol concentrations were examined between the two points. Pearson's partial correlations was used to assess the correlation between polyphenols and food groups. Moderate- to high ICCs were observed for tea-originated polyphenols such as gallic acid, quercetin, epigallocatechin, and kaempferol - and coffee-derived polyphenols, such as caffeic acid, and ferulic acid. For the dietary analyses, moderate correlations were observed for non-alcoholic beverages intake and epigallocatechin, epicatechin, catechin, and gallic acid. For green tea, higher correlations were observed with these polyphenols. Plasma concentrations of tea and coffee-related polyphenols, except for catechin, had good reproducibility over a 1-year period. The correlations between intake of non-alcoholic beverages, particularly green tea, and tea polyphenols, indicated moderate- to high correlations.

3.A. Workshop: Accountability of the European food industry to improve food systems for public and planetary health

Abstract Currently, unhealthy food environments are a major influence on food and beverage choices and nutritional status throughout Europe. Improving population diets for both public health and environmental sustainability requires a comprehensive response from multiple stakeholders, including governments, private sector organisations, non-government organisations, and consumers. Amongst these groups, companies across the food industry have been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations as having an important role in addressing obesity and chronic diseases (NCDs) as well as unsustainable food systems. The need for broad-based action has led to an increased focus on increasing the accountability of several sectors in the food industry for taking action to address the problem, including through rigorous monitoring and benchmarking of their commitments and performance against independent targets. The INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/NCDs Research, Monitoring and Action Support) developed the Business Impact Assessment on population nutrition and obesity (BIA-Obesity) and the Business Impact Assessment on sustainability (BIA-Sustainability) to assess the commitments and practices of several food industry sectors (packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages, quick service restaurants, supermarkets, caterers) in relation to both obesity prevention and sustainable food systems. The tools consist of a range of indicators across 6 action areas for BIA-Obesity (corporate nutrition strategy, product reformulation, product labeling, product and brand promotion, product accessibility and relationships with other organizations) and 11 action areas for BIA-Sustainability (packaging, energy use, emissions, water and discharge, biodiversity, climate change adaptation, food loss and waste, environmental compliance, relationships with other organisations, corporate sustainability strategy and reducing ruminant-based products). In addition, methods have been developed to assess the corporate political activities as well as the market structure and dynamics of several food industries. Corporate political activities of the food industry across sectors are generally assessed using a range of publicly available data sourced from the industry itself, governments, the media and other sources. The workshop will discuss the latest findings on the commitments, practices, market structure and dynamics and corporate political activities of the food industry in relation to both obesity prevention and sustainable food systems across food industry sectors in Europe, as well as the next steps, both in terms of innovations in methodologies, different target sectors as well as in terms of using the results for better holding to account these actors in order to address obesity as well as unsustainable food systems in Europe. Key messages • Monitoring and benchmarking the commitments and practices of the food industry across sectors is key to increase accountability for action. • Substantial changes to the structural and regulatory conditions of corporate food systems are needed to improve population and planetary health.

Monitoring the healthiness of food environments in supermarkets and out-of-home settings

Abstract Background Food environment transformations are needed to improve population diets. Systems to monitor food environment transformations are often lacking, but can be useful to assess retail and food-service performances over time. Therefore, we aimed to measure the healthiness of supermarkets and out-of-home settings, including the assortment, price promotions, in-store promotions, and food marketing to children. Methods Web-scraping techniques were used to collect data on food assortment (n = 37761 products) for 6 supermarket chains (market value=72%). All products were categorized by food group and whether they contributed to a healthy diet (yes/no). During 8 weeks, price-promotions were collected for 8 supermarket chains (n = 23239 promotions). To identify instore promotions (n = 7757 products) and food marketing to children (14 product categories, n = 2,681 products), 40 supermarkets (8 chains) were visited. Similar data was gathered for out-of-home settings. Results 80% of the food assortment and 80% of the products featuring in supermarkets’ price- and in-store promotions were not supportive of a healthy diet. In addition, 73% of the check-outs offered snacks, but lacked healthy options. 97% of the food marketing to children was for products not supporting healthy diets. The top five most available food products in supermarkets were: non-alcoholic beverages, alcohol, sweets, biscuits, meat, and poultry (36% of the entire assortment). Non-alcoholic drinks, sweets and confections, alcoholic beverages, dairy, and ready-to-eat meals were the most featured products in price-promotions. Even less supportive observations were found for out-of-home settings. Conclusions Dutch food environments primarily consist of products and promotions that do not contribute to a healthy diet. Regular monitoring is needed to identify whether policies are effective to improve food environments. Key messages • The current food assortment, price promotions, in-store promotions, and food marketing to children of supermarkets and out-of-home settings are not supportive of healthy food choices. • Monitoring food environments can be useful to assess retail and food-service performances over time, and to identify whether policies are effective to improve food environments.

Company commitments and practices on nutrition and environmental sustainability in Belgium

Abstract Introduction INFORMAS developed a Business Impact Assessment for benchmarking and monitoring company commitments and practices on nutrition and environmental sustainability (BIA-Obesity &amp; BIA-Sustainability). The aim of this study is to assess the transparency, comprehensiveness and specificity of company commitments in Belgium, as well as their related practices. Methods We selected 38 companies across supermarkets, quick service restaurants, catering companies, and packaged food, infant formula and non-alcoholic beverage companies, according to market share data in Belgium. For BIA-sustainability, company commitments were assessed for a series of indicators in 10 domains (corporate sustainability strategy, packaging, emission, energy use, water and discharge, biodiversity, food waste, environmental compliance, animal-based products and sustainable products). For BIA-Obesity, company commitments were assessed for a range of indicators across 6 domains (corporate nutrition strategy, product reformulation, product labeling, product and brand promotion, product accessibility and relationships with other organizations). Performance metrics to evaluate the size of efforts undertaken by food companies to improve their practices, alongside their commitments are under development. Results There is a wide variation in scores for transparency, comprehensiveness and specificity of commitments related to environmental sustainability across companies within sectors. Most companies have some overarching commitments for reducing environmental impacts but increasing sustainable or plant-based products within portfolios were hardly addressed in the commitments. In general, scores for BIA-Obesity are lower than those for BIA-Sustainability in Belgium. Conclusions During the workshop detailed results of these assessments in Belgium will be presented, as well as linkages between BIA-Obesity and BIA-Sustainability and commitments in relation to practices.

10.A. Round table: Food marketing regulation and civil society mobilisation

Abstract For over 20 years, the EU has struggled to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing even though food marketing has been identified as an important contributor to unhealthy food environments and diet-related diseases. Overall, political will has been insufficient to implement the WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children in Europe. In particular, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive - the main EU legislative instrument intended to serve this purpose - contains major gaps, and its limited scope has promoted the shifts of marketing investment from regulated to unregulated programmes and media, leaving children insufficiently protected from exposure to unhealthy food marketing. Moreover, and perhaps even more fundamentally, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive relies primarily on the establishment of public-private partnerships and the adoption of industry codes of conduct, even though it is increasingly established that such regulatory mechanisms are not suitable to achieve the objective they pursue. This lack of political will to effectively regulate food marketing to protect children from its harmful impact is all the more striking if one considers the growing recognition in Europe and beyond that food marketing should be envisaged not only as a global health issue but also as a major child rights concern. Various Council Presidency Conclusions (e.g. Malta in 2017, Bulgaria in 2018) and the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021) all call on the EU to protect the right of the child to good nutrition through the regulation of, among others, food marketing. The need to address food marketing is further reinforced by the various actions that are ongoing in the EU, including the Best ReMaP joint action, and the forthcoming adoption by the WHO of a Guideline on policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing. This one-hour workshop proposes to discuss how the renewed mobilisation of civil society organisations across Europe, working closely with the academic community, can use this framing of food marketing as both a public health and a human rights concern. In particular, it will reflect on the human rights arguments that can be used to promote better health for all. Two short presentations will consider specifically the role that 1) human rights and health impact assessments, and 2) the best interest of the child principle can play in promoting healthier food environments. It will then reflect specifically on the ongoing Food Marketing Initiative, which over 20 pan-EU federations of public health, consumer and children's rights organisations are leading. A panel discussion with several of the organisations involved in this Initiative will reflect on the landmark moments of this Initiative to date, and how it has helped to foster new thinking in this policy area which is crucial to promote healthier food environments for all. Key messages • Envisaging food marketing as a child rights issue offers new, potentially powerful arguments to ensure that children are better protected from its harmful impact. • New forms of civil society mobilisation can urge the EU and its Member States to act in light of existing evidence with a view to promoting healthier, more sustainable food environments for all. Speakers/Panelists Eleanor Brooks University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Amandine Garde Law &amp; Non-Communicable Diseases Unit, Liverpool, UK Alba Gil European Public Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium Dorota Sienkiewicz EuroHealthNet, Brussels, Belgium Emma Calvert BEUC, Brussels, Belgium

How should we monitor marketing foods to children for their better eating habits?

Abstract There is unequivocal evidence that childhood obesity is influenced by marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in saturated fat, salt and/or free sugars (HFSS). Furthermore, there is convincing evidence that HFSS marketing in traditional media has detrimental effects on children's eating and eating-related behaviour, and HFSS marketing in digital media has similar effects with stronger effect in vulnerable groups. According to the WHO Commission on ending childhood obesity, efforts must be made to ensure that children everywhere are protected against the impact of marketing and given the opportunity to grow and develop in an enabling food environment - one that fosters and encourages healthy dietary choices and promotes the maintenance of healthy weight. Children are being continuously exposed to powerful food marketing, increasingly in the digital environment. Best-ReMaP partners were exploring how to better monitor food marketing and advertising activities, in particular of promotional activities targeted to and/or impacting children at one hand, and how could marketing activities could be better regulated. Main actions of Best-ReMaP consortium in this field were as following, among others: (1) to identify, develop and share best policy practices to reduce exposure of children to the (digital) marketing of unhealthy foods, (2) develop coordinated and comprehensive protocols and tools to monitor the extent and nature of (digital) marketing exposure of children, including the upgraded WHO nutrient profile model, and to (3) support Member States with the implementation of the new EU rules on audiovisual media services.

Food for thought: a look at the food industry’s corporate political activity in Portugal

Abstract Background Corporate political activity (CPA) stands for the strategies used by industries to attempt at influencing government policymaking in ways that are beneficial to the company. In the food industry context, these often collide with public health concerns, constituting a major barrier to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) prevention efforts. This study aimed to characterise the CPA activity of the food industry in the Portuguese context. Methods The methodology conceptualised by Mialon et al. (2015) to identify and monitor the CPA activity of the food industry concerning public health was used in this study. Prominent food industry actors were selected, including processed food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, fast food companies, and food retailers. To depict current practices, publicly available information from 2019 onwards was collected from the 7 selected food industry actors’ websites. A thematic qualitative analysis was performed by classifying the retrieved content according to the 6 CPA framework categories and subcategories. Results Collected data indicate that out of the 151 analysed written records, nearly half were information and messaging CPA strategies that mostly frame the debate on diet and public health-related issues. Constituency building through seeking community involvement was the second most represented category. Policy substitution was barely present, whereas financial incentive, legal, and opposition fragmentation and destabilisation strategies were not identified. Most of the coded content was retrieved from McDonald's and the Dairy Industry National Association websites. Conclusions Recognising the CPA strategies used by the food industry will enable more targeted and informed decisions at the public health intervention and policy levels. Notably, more attention should be paid to the way the food industry frames the diet and public health debate to avoid misinformation among consumers. Key messages • Addressing the global burden of noncommunicable diseases implies recognising corporate political activity strategies used by the food industry that counteract NCDs prevention efforts. • The way the food industry frames the diet and public health debate should be of concern to public health professionals and policymakers to prevent misinformation among consumers.

Screening of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Recovery of Valuable Phenolics From Waste of Shalgam Juice Process

Shalgam juice is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages in Türkiye and also in many countries. The high amount of production, regarding the high amount of consumption leads to an inevitable amount of solid waste. This amount reaches to almost 12 million kg of fermented black carrot annually. The accumulation of this waste causes fatal environmental pollution. The waste of shalgam juice process, fermented black carrot, retains significant amount of valuable components, such as phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. In this study new generation green solvents, Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) were screened for the extraction of valuable phenolics from fermented black carrot using ultrasound assisted extraction. The NADESs used were selected from four different groups such as acidic, sugar-based, choline chloride-sugar based and polyol-based. According to the results, the members of polyol and choline chloride sugar NADESs showed up. Choline chloride-glycerol (polyol group), extracted the highest total phenol amount (16.04 mg/g) and also provided the highest antioxidant activity (81.77%). On the other hand, NADESs belonging to choline chloride-sugar group were effective for the extraction of flavonoids and monomeric anthocyanins. Namely, choline chloride-fructose-water extract contained 21.45 mg/g of total flavonoids, while choline chloride-sucrose-water extract contained 1680.51 mg/kg of total monomeric anthocyanins. The performances of NADESs tested were found to be higher than that of water and ethanol showing the high yield recovery of valuable phenolics with NADESs. The results exhibited the significance of the components inside the waste. The remaining valuable content could be easily and efficiently extracted using NADESs and these extracts –as a mixture or after purification- can furtherly be used for different purposes in different fields, such as cosmetics, antioxidant preparations, etc, using a zero-cost waste as the input of the processes.

Development of kombucha-like beverage using butterfly pea flower extract with the addition of tender coconut water

Kombucha, a non-alcoholic beverage with multiple health benefits, is generally produced by fermenting sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY). This study applied butterfly pea flower extract as an alternative substrate to tea for preparing kombucha-like beverages. The experiment was carried out by mixing butterfly pea extract with different sugar concentrations of 15, 20, and 25 % (w/v). The fermentation was performed at room temperature for 14 days and the samples were collected at the initial stage and on day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 14 for physicochemical, chemical, sugar content and organic acid contents analysis. The results revealed that the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and organic acids in the extracts increase over the fermentation time. The addition of coconut water from various sources, including commercial, local farm at Samut Songkhram province, and local farm at Chachoengsao province affected to the generation of organic acids in kombucha-like beverages, which may influence on their taste. The results in this study suggests that butterfly pea flower extract can be used as an alternative substrate for developing kombucha-like fermentation combined with coconut water, in order to create a novel beverage with enhanced physicochemical properties, chemical properties and sensory characteristics.

Wearable Electrochemical Glove-Based Analytical Device (eGAD) for the Detection of Methamphetamine Employing Silver Nanoparticles.

Illicit drug misuse has become a widespread issue that requires continuous drug monitoring and diagnosis. Wearable electrochemical drug detection devices possess the potential to function as potent screening instruments in the possession of law enforcement personnel, aiding in the fight against drug trafficking and facilitating forensic investigations conducted on site. These wearable sensors are promising alternatives to traditional detection methods. In this study, we present a novel wearable electrochemical glove-based analytical device (eGAD) designed especially for detecting the club drug, methamphetamine. To develop this sensor, we immobilized meth aptamer onto silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-modified electrodes that were printed onto latex gloves. The characteristics of AgNPs, including their shape, size and purity were analysed using FTIR, SEM and UV vis spectrometry, confirming the successful synthesis. The developed sensor shows a 0.1 µg/mL limit of detection and 0.3 µg/mL limit of quantification with a linear concentration range of about 0.01-5 µg/mL and recovery percentages of approximately 102 and 103%, respectively. To demonstrate its applicability, we tested the developed wearable sensor by spiking various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink samples. We found that the sensor remains effective for 60 days, making it a practical option with a reasonable shelf-life. The developed sensor offers several advantages, including its affordability, ease of handling and high sensitivity and selectivity. Its portable nature makes it an ideal tool for rapid detection of METH in beverages too.

Genome-wide association studies reveal the genetic basis of amino acid content variation in tea plants

Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages in the world, and free amino acids, especially theanine, make a major contribution to the umami taste of tea. However, the genetic basis of the variation in amino acid content in tea plants remains largely unknown. Here, we measured the free amino acid content in fresh leaves of 174 tea accessions over two years using a targeted metabolomics approach and obtained genotype data via RNA sequencing. Genome-wide association studies were conducted to investigate loci affecting the content of free amino acids. A total of 69 quantitative trait loci (–log10(P-value)>5) were identified. Functional annotation revealed that branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase, glutamine synthetase, nitrate transporter, and glutamate decarboxylase might be important for amino acid metabolism. Two significant loci, glutamine synthetase (Glu1, P=3.71×10−4; Arg1, P=4.61×10−5) and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (Val1, P=4.67×10−5; I_Leu1, P=3.56×10−6), were identified, respectively. Based on the genotyping result, two alleles of CsGS (CsGS-L and CsGS-H) and CsBCAT (CsBCAT-L and CsBCAT-H) were selected to perform function verification. Overexpression of CsGS-L and CsGS-H enhanced the contents of glutamate and arginine in transgenic plants, and overexpression of CsBCAT-L and CsBCAT-H promoted the accumulation of valine, isoleucine and leucine. Enzyme activity assay uncovered that SNP1054 is important for CsGS catalyzing glutamate into glutamine. Furthermore, CsGS-L and CsGS-H differentially regulated the accumulation of glutamine, and CsBCAT-L and CsBCAT-H differentially regulated the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids. In summary, the findings in our study would provide new insights into the genetic basis of amino acids contents variation in tea plants and facilitate the identification of elite genes to enhance amino acids content.

A demand analysis with a dynamic approach to LA/AIDS for the Italian bottled water industry and its related non-alcoholic beverages

This paper analyses the demand for non-alcoholic beverages in Italy with Istat and Bevitalia data, including bottled water, soft drinks and juices, over the period of 2011–2020, using a dynamic approach based on the Linear Approximate-Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS). The analysis takes into account the correlation among the bottled water, soft drink, and juice industries, and the effects of changes in prices, income, and quantities on the demand for each type of beverage. Our findings suggest that, in Italy, during the considered period, the income elasticity of the three products was positive, indicating that they are normal goods, albeit bordering on the line between necessary and luxury goods. Bottled water and juices are classified as luxury goods, whereas soft drinks are more inclined to be classified as necessary goods. Additionally, soft drinks and bottled water are price-elastic goods, whereas juices and bottled water, or juices and soft drinks, are price-inelastic goods. Our results also indicate that bottled water is the most widely consumed good, followed by soft drinks and juices. Finally, we recommend policy interventions aimed at promoting healthier consumption habits, such as taxes on sweet drinks or subsidies for drinking water consumption. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the dynamics of demand for non-alcoholic beverages in Italy, which can inform policy decision-makers focused on promoting public health and welfare.

Factors influencing kombucha production: effects of tea composition, sugar, and SCOBY

Kombucha is a functional beverage that lacks studies toward standardization of process parameters; thus, the present work aims to evaluate the effect of sucrose content, initial SCOBY mass, and tea composition on several characteristics of the final beverage. For this purpose, a factorial design was performed, and the effect of the three variables was statistically evaluated. All kombuchas were within Brazilian regulation standards (higher than 2.5 and lower than 130 mgEq/L) and can be classified as non-alcoholic beverages. Kombucha yield ranged from 87.3% to 96.4%; SCOBY growth, from 41.11 to 62.08%; turbidity, from 108 to 421.5 NTU; acetic acid, from 3.78 to 5.33 mg/mL; glycerol, from 0.25 to 0.52 mg/mL; and ethanol content, from 1.90 to 3.21 mg/mL. Results showed that kombucha yield, pH, and SCOBY growth were significantly influenced by the SCOBY mass; acidity was greatly affected by the tea composition; kombucha’s turbidity was significantly affected by the sucrose content and the interaction of the sugar content and tea composition; and glycerol, alcohol, and acetic acid were not affected by the parameters evaluated. Results bring science-based information about this global trending beverage, seeking high quality and standardization.

Acute ischemic stroke in a caucasian male with long chiari network, interatrial septal aneurysm and patent foramen ovale: A case report

A 49-year-old Caucasian male, left-handed, with no known comorbidities, working as a middle school teacher, presented to the emergency room with a sudden-onset left hand weakness described as difficulty gripping with no other associated symptoms. A non-smoker, non-alcoholic beverage drinker, with no illicit drug use. There was no significant history of any neurological disease in the family background but his father has a history of interatrial septal aneurysm. Physical, cardiologic and neurologic examination at the emergency department were unremarkable aside from the weakness on his left hand and a mild sensory deficit on the left upper extremity. A cranial magnetic resonance imaging with magnetic resonance angiography was done which showed a hyperacute infarct in the right frontal lobe, with paucity of vessels and attenuation of flow-related signals in the M4 perforators of the right middle cerebral artery and contour irregularities along the intradural segment of the right vertebral artery relating to atherosclerotic changes (Figure 1). Patient was given a recombinant tissue plasminogen activator since he came in at the 3rd hour post-ictus. Laboratory tests done at the emergency department showed normal complete blood count, routine blood chemistry, A further work-up was done which showed a slightly elevated LDL on Lipid profile, and other parameters within normal limit.

A comparative evaluation of the effect of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages on tooth enamel surface pretreated with β-tricalcium phosphate, bioactive glass and amine fluoride: an in vitro study

Background and aims. The aim of this in vitro study is to quantitatively evaluate the effect of different alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages on the tooth enamel surface topography pretreated with various remineralizing agents using Atomic Force Microscopy.&#x0D; Methods. 120 tooth specimens were prepared from 60 freshly extracted intact human premolars by sectioning from mesial to distal surfaces using low speed diamond discs and were randomly assigned to study groups and control group. Specimens of Group I, Group II and Group III were pre-treated with β-Tri calcium phosphate, bioactive glass and amine fluoride respectively for 4 minutes for 28 days, followed by storage in artificial saliva. All the specimens were evaluated for surface roughness using Atomic Force Microscopy. The specimens were then placed in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for 10 minutes for 4 days and were again analyzed by Atomic Force Microscopy.&#x0D; Descriptive statistics was performed by using the proportional or frequency distribution of the parameters. The respondents were then grouped according to the branch of specialty if any and the data was evaluated by the one-way ANOVA with post-hoc, with p value &lt;0.005.&#x0D; Results. In the present study, among the remineralizing agents tested, bioactive glass was found to be more effective than β-Tri Calcium Phosphate and Amine Fluoride. Among the demineralizing agents used in this study, the demineralization potential of Coca Cola was found to be highest, followed by wine and green tea pretreated with β -tricalcium phosphate, bioactive glass and amine fluoride.&#x0D; Conclusions. The present study concluded that all the remineralizing agents tested were found to be effective in inhibiting the demineralization caused by various alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. Among the remineralizing agents tested, bioactive glass was found to be more effective than β-tri calcium phosphate and amine fluoride.

Effect of provision of non-alcoholic beverages on alcohol consumption: a randomized controlled study

BackgroundThe use of alcohol-flavored beverages not containing alcohol (hereinafter referred to as non-alcoholic beverages) is recommended to reduce alcohol consumption. However, it is unclear if this reduces excessive drinking.ObjectiveTo verify whether non-alcoholic beverages impact the alcohol consumption of excessive drinkers.Study designSingle-center, open-label, randomized, parallel-group study.MethodsParticipants aged 20 years or older who were not diagnosed with alcoholism, who drank at least four times a week, and whose alcohol consumption on those days was at least 40 g in males and 20 g in females, 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), and thereafter, the number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages consumed were recorded for up to 20 weeks. The consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was calculated based on a drinking diary submitted with the previous 4 weeks of data. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in total alcohol consumption during past 4 weeks at week 12. The participants were not blinded to group allocations.ResultsFifty-four participants (43.9%) were allocated to the intervention group and 69 (56.1%) to the control group. None of the participants in the intervention group dropped out, compared to two (1.6%) in the control group. The change in alcohol consumption was − 320.8 g (standard deviation [SD], 283.6) in the intervention group and − 76.9 g (SD, 272.6) in the control group at Week 12, indicating a significant difference (p < 0.001). Even at Week 20 (8 weeks after the completion of the intervention), the change was − 276.9 g (SD, 39.1) in the intervention group, which was significantly greater than − 126.1 g (SD, 41.3) in the control group (p < 0.001). The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the change in non-alcoholic beverage consumption and alcohol consumption at Week 12 was significantly negative only in the intervention group (ρ = − 0.500, p < 0.001). There were no reports of adverse events during the study.ConclusionsProviding non-alcoholic beverages significantly reduced alcohol consumption, an effect that persisted for 8 weeks after the intervention.Trial registrationUMIN UMIN000047949. Registered 4 June 2022.

Mapping of food environment policies in Zambia: a qualitative document analysis

BackgroundThe food environment in which people exercise food choices significantly impacts their dietary patterns. Policies that limit the availability, affordability, and access to unhealthy food while increasing that of healthier alternatives help build healthy food environments, which are required to address the double burden of malnutrition. This study aimed to assess the availability of food environment policies in Zambia.MethodWe applied a two-step qualitative document analysis to identify policy content relating to healthy food environments from global and Zambia-specific nutrition-related policy documents. In the first step, global policy documents were analyzed to develop a reference point for globally recommended policies for healthy food environments. In the second step, Zambia’s nutrition-related policies were analyzed to identify content relating to healthy food environments. The identified policy content was then mapped against the global reference point to identify food environment policy gaps.ResultsOur analysis of global policy recommendations identified five broad categories of policy provisions: information and education based; regulatory and legislative tools; strategies to promote production and access to healthy food production; social protection-based strategies and guiding principles for governments relating to multisectoral collaboration and governance. Our analysis found that Zambian Government policy documents in the health, agriculture, education, and national planning and development sectors have policy provisions for healthy food environments. While these policy provisions generally covered all five reference categories, we found policy gaps in the regulatory and legislative tools category relative to global recommendations.ConclusionZambia’s food environment policy landscape must include globally recommended regulatory and legislative policy measures like restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. Nutrition policy reforms are required to facilitate the introduction of regulatory and legislative policy measures that effectively address the double burden of malnutrition in Zambia.