Relevant Food Research Articles

Fabrication of Novel Porous Nano-pesticides by Modifying MPN onto Cu-TCPP MOFs to Enhance Bactericidal Efficacy and Modulate Its Bioavailability.

Nano-pesticides have attracted much attention in the field of agriculture, due to existing problems such as decreased bactericidal effect and poor adhesion. An environmentally friendly metal porphyrin (Cu-TCPP)-based nanocarrier pesticide release of diniconazole (DIN) was designed to enhance bactericidal efficacy and modulate its bioavailability in a multidimensional manner by constructing a metal phenolic network (MPN) encapsulation. The introduction of the MPN prevents the DIN from prematurely escaping from the Cu-TCPP@DIN@MPN in the environment and gives it strong interfacial adhesion to resist rain washing. The resulting Cu-TCPP@DIN@MPN nanoparticles (NPs) showed a lamellar stacked embedded structure, which improved the inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum (90.9%) and photostability (67.2%), while they do not affect healthy plant growth and meet the relevant food safety requirements for DIN residues. This work provides new ideas for the development of superior photostable, adhesive, rainwater erosion-resistant, and sustainable nanocarrier pesticides.

Revealing the influence of food industry actors in relation to nutritional policies in Belgium

Abstract Unhealthy food is one of the prevailing risk factors of NCDs and cancers, making the food industry a key player in their prevention. However, evidence-based public health policies aimed at reducing consumption of unhealthy food, may threaten industry sales. In response, food industry actors try to influence the development and implementation of these nutritional policies by engaging in corporate political activities (CPA). As part of the Joint Action PreventNCD, the CPA of relevant food industry actors in relation to public health nutritional policies will be assessed. In Belgium, strategies of Fevia, the umbrella organization of the food industry, are examined. This study analyses publicly available information collected from Fevia’s website, social media accounts (i.e. X and LinkedIn), newsletters and newspapers. A thematic qualitative analysis is conducted using established frameworks to categorize both framing and action strategies used by the industry. The categorization of framing strategies reveals how the food industry presents the actors, problems, and solutions. The framework of action strategies categorizes the CPA of the food industry under the following six strategies: information and messaging; financial incentives; constituency building; legal action; policy substitution; opposition fragmentation and destabilization. Preliminary results indicate that the industry often frames itself as ‘the good actor’ and primarily uses strategies such as ‘information and messaging’, ‘constituency building’ and ‘policy substitution’ to influence policies in Belgium in their favor. In the next phase, interviews with stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, politicians,...) will be performed to collect undocumented information. Overall, this research sheds light on the ongoing CPA of the food industry and will increase transparency in their influence on the development and implementation of effective nutritional policies aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs and cancers. Key messages • This study reveals how the umbrella organization of the food industry in Belgium influences public health nutritional policies through various corporate political action and framing strategies. • Identifying these CPA increases awareness of the industry’s influence, but also promotes their transparency and accountability, which is crucial for reliable and effective nutritional policy.

Determination of seven synthetic colourants in pharmaceutics, foods, and beverages by a validated HPLC-PDA method: A risk assessment study

A simple, rapid, sensitive and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method based-on ultraviolet determination was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of the tartrazine-TR, sunset yellow-SY, ponceau-4R P4R, allura red-AR, patent blue-PBV, brilliant blue-BB, erythrosine B-EB. The limit of detections were found as ≤0.083 µg/mL, determination coefficiencies were found as ≥0.999 in the range of 0.5 – 20 µg/mL for all colourants. Precision was ≤6.75 (RSD) and accuracy was between (-6.52) and 6.80 (RE%). This developed analytical method was successfully used to quantitatively detect the presence of these synthetic colourants in confectionery (n = 13), beverages (n = 12) and pharmaceutical products (n = 13) and a risk assessment was made based on the lowest exposure scenario. The risk index values determined in confectionery range between 0.10 and 5.78 (1.46 ± 1.52, mean ± SD), in beverages range between 0.001 and 2.79 (0.034 ± 0.082The risk index of five of the monitored confectionery samples (38.50 %) was determined to be above one in terms of the relevant food dyes.

JAK 1-3 inhibitors and TYK-2 inhibitors in dermatology: Practical pearls for the primary care physician

ABSTRACT Guidelines for primary care clinicians on monitoring and safety guidelines regarding Janus kinase and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions are often unclear. This review aims to provide the primary care physician with a review of clinically relevant and updated information regarding the monitoring and overall profile of these medications. To do so, a systematic review was conducted using the PubMed database and relevant Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug inserts from manufacturers. Janus kinase and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors have recently gained FDA approval for the treatment of several inflammatory skin conditions including atopic dermatitis, plaque psoriasis, alopecia areata, and vitiligo. There is a known box warning associated with the Janus kinase inhibitors that create the need for monitoring and close follow-up while patients are undergoing these treatments. Although these medications are often prescribed by specialists, as their use becomes more prevalent and therapies continue to gain approval for the treatment of these commonly encountered conditions, it is important for the primary physician to be updated and aware of the current monitoring guidelines and safety profile for this class of medication. Both Janus kinase inhibitors and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors display significant efficacy in the treatment of their approved conditions and research continues to move forward with the approval of more medications from these classes.

Is Starch Intake Associated With Periodontal Status? An 11-Year Longitudinal Analysis Among Finnish Adults.

To evaluate the association between baseline starch intake (amount and sources) and changes in periodontal status over 11 years in adults. Adults aged 30-82 years, who participated in the Finnish Health 2000 survey and were re-examined in 2004/2005 and/or 2011 were included in the study. The consumption of total starch and six relevant food groups (potatoes, fried potatoes, roots and tubers, pasta, wholegrains and legumes) over the past year was determined at baseline with a validated food frequency questionnaire. The number of teeth with periodontal pocketing ≥ 4 mm (NTPP) was recorded during clinical examinations in 2000, 2004/2005 and 2011. The association between baseline starch intake and the 11-year change in the NTPP was tested in mixed-effects negative binomial regression models, adjusting for covariates. A total of 1369 adults were included in the analysis. The mean NTPP was 4.1 ± 5.6, 6.3 ± 5.6, and 4.8 ± 5.9 in waves 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Baseline starch intake (in g/day or % energy intake) was not associated with changes in the NTPP after adjustment for covariates. In analysis by food groups, the baseline intake of wholegrains was negatively associated with the NTPP at baseline. This study found no evidence of an association between baseline starch intake and changes in periodontal status. Baseline intake of wholegrains was associated with better periodontal status at baseline.

Hispanic Thrifty Food Plan (H-TFP): Healthy, Affordable, and Culturally Relevant.

The USDA Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) is a federal estimate of a healthy diet at lowest cost for US population groups defined by gender and age. The present goal was to develop a version of the TFP that was more tailored to the observed dietary patterns of self-identified Hispanic participants in NHANES 2013-16. Analyses used the same national food prices and nutrient composition data as the TFP 2021. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index 2015. The new Hispanic TFP (H-TFP) was cost-neutral with respect to TFP 2021 and fixed at $186/week for a family of four. Two H-TFP models were created using a quadratic programming (QP) algorithm. Fresh pork was modeled separately from other red meats. Hispanic NHANES participants were younger, had lower education and incomes, but had similar or higher HEI 2015 scores than non-Hispanics. Their diet included more pulses, beans, fruit, 100% juice, grain-based dishes, and soups, but less pizza, coffee, candy, and desserts. The H-TFP market basket featured more pork, whole grains, 100% fruit juice, and cheese. The second TFP model showed that pork could replace both poultry and red meat, while satisfying all nutrient needs. A vegetarian H-TFP proved infeasible for most age-gender groups. Healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food plans can be developed for US population subgroups.

Advancing allergy source mapping: A comprehensive multidisciplinary framework integrating machine learning, graph theory and game theory

Allergic reactions can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening situations. To manage the healthcare difficulty, an efficient allergens mapping is required by mapping the allergies to reduce the severity risk reactions. The allergies are mapping with specific food items according to the daily usage. It enables the clear communication, targeted avoidance, and public awareness, which is necessary to scrutinize the prevention process. Since, the allergies are highly individualized and can exhibit significant variability among individuals that are capturing the complexity in the process of overcoming the predictive challenges. The complex relationships and data challenges require advanced approaches like ML and graph theory. For this purpose, we propose a new multidisciplinary framework that integrates the Machine Learning (ML), Graph Theory and Game Theory to predict the allergies associated with relevant foods using a modest dataset. This framework has two newly built graph models such as a conventional approach and a refined approach, to pave the way for better results. Here, the ML techniques are employed to perform the classification process on tabular data that are observed the remarkable improvements and transforming the data into a graph. Moreover, the Darwinian decision-making framework is adopted theoretically in evolutionary game theory to formulate effective formulas for assessing the spread of allergies among allergens and predict the allergies dynamically. The proposed framework has been evaluated by conducting experiments by using a modest dataset by considering the evaluation metrics such as accuracy, macro-precision, macro-recall, and macro F1-score.

Decoding the Foodome: Molecular Networks Connecting Diet and Health.

Diet, a modifiable risk factor, plays a pivotal role in most diseases, from cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and obesity. However, our understanding of the mechanistic role of the chemical compounds found in food remains incomplete. In this review, we explore the "dark matter" of nutrition, going beyond the macro- and micronutrients documented by national databases to unveil the exceptional chemical diversity of food composition. We also discuss the need to explore the impact of each compound in the presence of associated chemicals and relevant food sources and describe the tools that will allow us to do so. Finally, we discuss the role of network medicine in understanding the mechanism of action of each food molecule. Overall, we illustrate the important role of network science and artificial intelligence in our ability to reveal nutrition's multifaceted role in health and disease.

Chocolate Ganaches: Formulation, Processing and Stability in View of the New Production Trends.

This review aims at the current trends in chocolate ganache production and recipe formulation. Ganache is a blend of chocolate, sugars, dairy, and other ingredients commonly used to fill pralines, pastries, etc. In spite of ganache's popularity in the food industry, a comprehensive review focused on the application of functional substances and ganache processing has not been discussed in the scientific literature. This review addresses the new ways of applying special ingredients, such as vegetable fats and seeds, flavor infusions, oleogels, hemp products, etc., which can be added to the ganache matrix to achieve desirable properties. In particular, the application of sterols and sterol esters as functional substances of oleogels seems to be a very promising method, enhancing the ganache fat profile. The elevated caloric content that is characteristic of ganache can be substantially attenuated through the application of hydrocolloids and/or fruit-based components, thereby offering the potential for caloric reduction without compromising on taste. The various alterations to ganache formulations by the application of natural substances offer a large base for the development of novel ganache variants and relevant food products.

Sustainable food packaging: engagement through the public discourse on social networks

Purpose This study aims to examine the public discourse on sustainable food packaging, evaluating the main characteristics of that discourse and how risk and analytical message content influence consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach The authors use two studies with databases built from messages posted on Twitter (now X). Study 1 explores the discourse of sustainable food packaging by conducting a content/sentiment analysis. Study 2 examines more than four million messages posted by or mentioning the world’s most relevant food companies. Hypotheses are tested through censored regression analyses. Findings The results show that plastic is the term that can better classify how we talk about sustainable food packaging. The authors also show that food packaging messages related to sustainability, compared to those not related to sustainability, are composed using more analytical language, contributing to generating greater engagement. Moreover, social network users remain skeptical about food companies, as the latter messages on packaging sustainability generate less engagement (likes + retweets) than when other users post these messages. Originality/value This study addresses important points in the public discourse on social networks about the sustainability of food packaging and its language features. First, the data are representative of the food market with posts from leading worldwide food companies. Second, identifying the hot topics of the discussion on sustainability packaging on social media provides a new perspective on how companies and society view sustainable food packaging. Third, the authors show how the source of the message moderates the impact of sustainability on engagement.

Plant and Animal Fat Intake and Overall and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

The impact of dietary fat intake on long-term human health has attracted substantial research interest, and the health effects of diverse dietary fats depend on available food sources. Yet there is a paucity of data elucidating the links between dietary fats from specific food sources and health. To study associations of dietary plant and animal fat intake with overall mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. This large prospective cohort study took place in the US from 1995 to 2019. The analysis of men and women was conducted in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Data were analyzed from February 2021 to May 2024. Specific food sources of dietary fats and other dietary information were collected at baseline, using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 24-year adjusted absolute risk differences (ARDs) were estimated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression. The analysis included 407 531 men and women (231 881 [56.9%] male; the mean [SD] age of the cohort was 61.2 [5.4] years). During 8 107 711 person-years of follow-up, 185 111 deaths were ascertained, including 58 526 CVD deaths. After multivariable adjustment (including adjustment for the relevant food sources), a greater intake of plant fat (HRs, 0.91 and 0.86; adjusted ARDs, -1.10% and -0.73%; P for trend < .001), particularly fat from grains (HRs, 0.92 and 0.86; adjusted ARDs, -0.98% and -0.71%; P for trend < .001) and vegetable oils (HRs, 0.88 and 0.85; adjusted ARDs, -1.40% and -0.71%; P for trend < .001), was associated with a lower risk for overall and CVD mortality, respectively, comparing the highest to the lowest quintile. In contrast, a higher intake of total animal fat (HRs, 1.16 and 1.14; adjusted ARDs, 0.78% and 0.32%; P for trend < .001), dairy fat (HRs, 1.09 and 1.07; adjusted ARDs, 0.86% and 0.24%; P for trend < .001), or egg fat (HRs, 1.13 and 1.16; adjusted ARDs, 1.40% and 0.82%; P for trend < .001) was associated with an increased risk for mortality for overall and CVD mortality, respectively, comparing the highest to the lowest quintile. Replacement of 5% energy from animal fat with 5% energy from plant fat, particularly fat from grains or vegetable oils, was associated with a lower risk for mortality: 4% to 24% reduction in overall mortality, and 5% to 30% reduction in CVD mortality. The findings from this prospective cohort study demonstrated consistent but small inverse associations between a higher intake of plant fat, particularly fat from grains and vegetable oils, and a lower risk for both overall and CVD mortality. A diet with a high intake of animal-based fat, including fat from dairy foods and eggs, was also shown to be associated with an elevated risk for both overall and CVD mortality.

The Effects of International Transportation Process on Food Safety and Quality in Export of Agricultural Products: Sample Application in an Export Oriented Organisation

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of the international transportation process on food safety and quality, especially in agricultural products. One of the main ideas of the current research is to provide information and improvement areas on the general issues (without the risks of food safety) through international transport of agricultural products.. Theoretical Framework: Today, access to safe food, sustainability and traceability, contain great importance. Particularly, the control points to be carried out in the processes related to loading, transporting, transporting to the points of sale, unloading and storing, when necessary, from the collection of fields, greenhouses and similar production areas of crops covered by crop production should be determined correctly. It is necessary to carry out these controls according to the relevant food safety legislation and standards applied within the scope of food safety and customer demands, and to evaluate the results obtained for prevention and improvement purposes. Method: The methodology of the research is selected as a sample application on a specific case study. The selected company is an import-export company based in Hungary. During the identification and classification of process data, process parameters, process objectives and results, which come from Kropy Fruit Hungary Kft, for all control points in these processes, were evaluated. Results and Discussion: The results of this study are examined by analyzing the common requirements of the management system standards used for food safety purposes. As results, the used data in this study is the analysis results and the application of the relevant food safety standard requirements, the implementation of the legal requirements within the scope of the transportation processes, the identification and elimination of the elements threatening the food safety in the international transportation and storage processes. As an improvement, reduction of the losses at these stages and recommendations for similar organizations for safe food transport were discussed. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of the research are discussed and how the results can be practiced in real life organizations are indicated as recommendations. The risks and non-compliances arising from the employees of the organization were also examined and the effects of human factors on food safety in these processes and recommendations for improvement were developed. Originality/Value: The originality of the research comes from the fact that even though food safety and quality are popular topics in the specific research field; the effects of transportation process specifically in agricultural products and how the related regulations and standards can influence it positively were still questionnable. Therefore, the value of the current research is bringing a new questionnable area and its solution to the academic field, while touching to real life, practical examples and considering new improvement and innovative solutions.

Food waste awareness among Italian university students: results of an online survey.

Food waste (FW) represents a significant social and environmental problem, with 1.3 billion tons of food wasted yearly worldwide. Even if consumers are increasingly aware of the phenomenon, it remains relevant, and understanding the behaviors of specific target audience segments appears instrumental to the planning of effective interventions. To this end, we designed an observational study to investigate, throughout an online questionnaire, FW-related habits of university students in a Southern Italian region. A representative sample of 431 students from the University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia completed an online survey aimed at investigate FW related behaviors. A descriptive analysis was performed on the whole cohort, and a formal statistical analysis was carried out after excluding responders who had not correctly followed the survey instructions (n = 85). Differences were assessed by chi square (χ 2) tests. A food wasting score was generated, and differences in the score values were analyzed by Student T-test. Linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors contributing to the score. Overall, the results of our survey show a high prevalence of virtuous behaviors in the food purchasing phase; while, at home, less than 50% of respondents apply easy-to-implement waste prevention rules. The statistical analysis showed that the major determinants of FW were: no direct involvement in grocery shopping and male gender. Indeed, even if we observed several significant differences comparing subgroups based on established or putative determinants of FW behaviors, none survived matching for group size, gender and relevant food managing (shopping, storing, cooking) habits. The only exception was the more appropriate handling of "use by" products by respondents who received structured nutrition teaching, as opposed to students whose academic courses do not include this subject (adjusted p = 0.008). Our data suggest that young adults are trying to implement strategies to reduce FW, even if there is room for improvement, particularly in the storage phase. Extending nutrition education to all university programs may be helpful in reaching this goal.

Oligomalt, a New Slowly Digestible Carbohydrate, Reduces Post-Prandial Glucose and Insulin Trajectories Compared to Maltodextrin across Different Population Characteristics: Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials in Healthy Individuals, People with Obesity, and People with Type 2 Diabetes.

We assessed the glucometabolic effects of oligomalt, a novel fully slowly digestible carbohydrate, compared with maltodextrin, in cross-over randomized controlled trials (NCT05058144; NCT05963594) involving healthy volunteers (HV), people with overweight or obesity (PwO), and people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We tested 33 g and/or 50 g of oligomalt/maltodextrin, which were dissolved in 300 mL of water and consumed after fasting in the morning. The primary exploratory endpoint was the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for postprandial glucose, assessed by frequent blood sampling over 3 h. Insulin levels were also assessed. In the HV cohort, a 4 h hydrogen breath test was performed with 15 g of inulin as a positive control. Analysis was performed by a mixed model. Oligomalt elicited a lower post-prandial glucose response compared to maltodextrin in HV (50 g, n = 15 [7 women], mean age/BMI 31 years/22.6 kg/m2), in PwO (33 g and 50 g, n = 26 [10 women], age/BMI 44 years/29.9 kg/m2, mean HbA1c 5.3%), and in people with T2D (50 g, n = 22 [13 women], age/BMI 61 years/31.8 kg/m2, HbA1c 7.4%), with significant reductions observed in PwO and T2D for the 0-1 h window (HV: -19% [p = 0.149]/PwO33g-38% [p = 0.0002]/PwO50g-28% [p = 0.0027]/T2D-38% [p < 0.0001]; the 0-2 h window (HV: -17% [p = 0.311]/PwO33g-34% [p = 0.0057]/PwO50g-21% [p = 0.0415]/T2D-37% [p < 0.0001]), and the 0-3 h window (HV: -15% [p = 0.386]/PwO33g-30% [p = 0.0213]/PwO50g0-19% [p = 0.0686]/T2D-37% [p = 0.0001]). The post-prandial insulin response was significantly lower, by 38-60%, across all populations, dose, and time points, with oligomalt. In HV, the breath-hydrogen pattern was comparable between oligomalt and maltodextrin, but increased significantly with inulin. These data support the glucometabolic advantages of oligomalt over maltodextrin, hence confirming it as a healthier carbohydrate, and underscoring its full digestibility. This therefore opens up the possibility for the incorporation of oligomalt in relevant food products/matrices.

Online, group, low-intensity psychological intervention for adults, children, and parents with food allergy

BackgroundFood allergy (FA) impairs psychological wellbeing because of constant vigilance, planning and preparation, dietary and social restrictions, and fear of accidental ingestion, though psychological interventions are sparse. ObjectiveTo examine online, group, low-intensity psychological interventions for adults, children, young people (CYP), and parents with food allergies. MethodsThe randomized controlled trials assessed the feasibility and signal of the efficacy of a psychological intervention for adults, CYP, and parents with FA. Participants were randomized to receive the psychological intervention or treatment as usual. The intervention consisted of two, 3-hour manualized online sessions spaced 1 week apart. All participants completed relevant Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) and worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaires), in addition to exploratory outcomes, at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. ResultsA total of 129 participants (n = 44 adults, n = 52 CYP, and n = 33 parents) were recruited and randomized; 95 (74%) (n = 36 adults, n = 35 CYP, and n = 24 parents) were retained at 3 months. Owing to baseline differences, mean change was used for parent and CYP outcomes. The psychological intervention demonstrated large FAQLQ benefits across adults (g = −1.12, 95% CI −0.41 to −1.28), CYP (g = 1.23, 95% CI 0.51-1.95), and parents (g = 1.43, 95% CI 0.54-2.30) compared with controls at 3-months. ConclusionThis study provides encouraging findings regarding the feasibility of online, group, low-intensity psychological interventions, in terms of recruitment and retention as well as a signal of efficacy on FAQLQ. A definitive trial including health economic analysis and FA-specific psychological measures with consideration of best routes to implementation, is warranted. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT04763889 (adults), NCT04770727 (CYP), and NCT04774796 (parents).

Analisa Tingkat Keberhasilan Program Taman Gizi Dikampung Yoboi Kabupaten Jayapura Berdasarkan Indikator Ketahanan Pangan Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Nutrition Garden Program in Yoboi Village, Jayapura Regency, aims to enhance the accessibility and availability of nutritious food within the community, as part of efforts to achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): ending hunger and improving food security. This study aims to analyze the success rate of the program based on relevant food security indicators and identify factors influencing community participation in the program. The research methodology includes the collection of primary data through in-depth interviews with local residents and quantitative surveys, as well as secondary data from reports, official documents, and related literature. A comparative analysis with similar programs in other regions was also conducted to obtain a more comprehensive overview. The results of the study indicate that the Nutrition Garden Program has made a positive contribution to improving the accessibility and availability of nutritious food for the residents of Yoboi Village. Participants in the program reported an increase in the consumption of vegetables and fruits produced in their home gardens. Additionally, the program has raised awareness about the importance of balanced nutrition and healthy eating habits among the community. However, several challenges have led to a decline in community participation in the program after the Covid-19 pandemic. Identified factors include a lack of sustained support from local authorities, limited resources, and shifts in community priorities post-pandemic. This study provides recommendations to enhance the program's effectiveness through increased socialization, regular training, adequate resource provision, and closer collaboration with relevant stakeholders. In conclusion, despite the challenges, the Nutrition Garden Program has significant potential in supporting food security achievements in Yoboi Village. By implementing the given recommendations, the program is expected to operate more effectively and sustainably, thereby maximizing community participation.

Preparatory work for the safety evaluation by EFSA of Human‐identical Milk Oligosaccharides as Novel Foods

Abstract Background and aims This report describes a scoping literature review as preparatory work for the safety evaluation by EFSA of Human‐identical Milk Oligosaccharides (HiMOs) as Novel Foods (NFs). The main objective was to gather information on the concentrations of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) in human milk, both individual and total, and the combinations/mixtures of HiMOs/HMOs in commercially available products or those reported in the literature. Methods A scoping literature review was conducted, including a search strategy implemented in biomedical (PubMed) and multidisciplinary (Web of Science) databases from 2013 to March 2024, supplemented by an ad hoc search for primary studies included in two key recent systematic reviews and grey literature searches on relevant food business operators' websites. Both primary and secondary studies were selected to determine the individual concentrations of target HMOs, the total concentration of HMOs and relevant HMO fractions, and the combinations/mixtures of HiMOs/HMOs. Only studies with full text published in English or Spanish were eligible, excluding patents, editorials, conference abstracts, books, and dissertations. Results The structured searches yielded 2,851 unique references, with 218 selected for full‐text evaluation and 36 additional unique references from the key systematic reviews. Ultimately, 171 publications were included in the review. Fourteen companies related to HiMOs were identified through grey literature. In most publications, concentration data for multiple groups of donors (e.g., based on factors like secretor status or lactation period) were reported. By groups of donors, the mean total concentration of HMOs in milk (excluding colostrum) was 6,740 mg/L, whereas the mean by publication was 5,341 mg/L. By publication, the mean concentrations of individual HMOs (mg/L, excluding colostrum) were: LNnT 288, LNT 971, 2'‐FL 1,468, 3‐FL 800, DFL 232, 3'‐SL 212, 6'‐SL 365, LNFP I 738, and LNT/LNnT 611. By groups of donors, the mean concentrations (mg/L, excluding colostrum) were: LNnT 382, LNT 1064.1, 2'‐FL 1685, 3‐FL 907, DFL 303, 3'‐SL 225, 6'‐SL 435, LNFP I 773, and LNT/LNnT 882. By publication, the mean concentration (mg/L) of groups of HMOs mean concentrations (excluding colostrum) was: 4,577 for total neutral; 851 for total acidic; 4,635 for total acidic fucosylated; 1,631 for α‐1‐3/4‐fucosylated; 3,304 for α‐1‐2‐fucosylated; 1,601 for non‐fucosylated; 1,505 for total sialyllated; 2,293 for acidic sialyllated. By group of donors, the mean concentration (mg/L) of groups of HMOs mean concentrations (excluding colostrum) was: 3,942 for total neutral; 1,032 for total acidic; 6,477 for total acidic fucosylated; 1,650 for α‐1‐3/4‐fucosylated; 3,748 for α‐1‐2‐fucosylated; 2,026 for non‐fucosylated; 1,957 for total sialyllated; 2,293 for acidic sialyllated. The most frequent combinations of HMOs/HiMOs were LNnT + 2'‐FL (24 products, 32%) and 2'‐FL + 3'‐SL (12 products, 16%). Conclusions The findings of this review will support EFSA in the safety evaluation of HiMOs as NFs, in accordance with the EC mandate (M‐2023‐00157).

Volatilomics as a tool to ascertain food adulteration, authenticity, and origin.

Over recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of food fraud incidents, whereas at the same time, consumers demand authentic products of high quality. The emerging volatilomics technology could be the key to the analysis and characterization of the quality of different foodstuffs. This field of omics has aroused the interest of scientists due to its noninvasive, rapid, and cost-profitable nature. This review aims to monitor the available scientific information on the use of volatilomics technology, correlate it to the relevant food categories, and demonstrate its importance in the food adulteration, authenticity, and origin areas. A comprehensive literature search was performed using various scientific search engines and "volatilomics," "volatiles," "food authenticity," "adulteration," "origin," "fingerprint," "chemometrics," and variations thereof as keywords, without chronological restriction. One hundred thirty-seven relevant publications were retrieved, covering 11 different food categories (meat and meat products, fruits and fruit products, honey, coffee, tea, herbal products, olive oil, dairy products, spices, cereals, and others), the majority of which focused on the food geographical origin. The findings show that volatilomics typically involves various methods responsible for the extraction and consequential identification of volatile compounds, whereas, with the aid of data analysis, it can handle large amounts of data, enabling the origin classification of samples or even the detection of adulteration practices. Nonetheless, a greater number of specific research studies are needed to unlock the full potential of volatilomics.

Diversity of plant-based food consumption: A systematic scoping review on measurement tools and associated health outcomes

Plant-based foods encompass all food products derived from plant sources, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, herbs and spices, and nuts and seeds, plant-based fats and oils (e.g. olive oil) and plant-based beverages (e.g. tea and coffee). Consumption of diverse plant-based foods is a dietary pattern that has gained significant attention amongst the public, due to its perceived benefits for maintenance of health(1). Plant-based foods provide a rich source of macronutrients, micronutrients and non-nutrient bio-actives that are often reported to improve health outcomes. Despite this, there are no standard definitions of plant-based diversity, or consensus on methods of measurement in nutrition research studies. The objective of the current research was to conduct a scoping review of the literature to identify studies investigating plant-based food diversity and it’s impact on human health outcomes, and to subsequently characterize a) definitions of plant-based diversity used, b) methods used to assess plant-based food intake, c) methods used to assess plant- based food diversity, and d) health outcomes assessed and key findings.Eligible studies were those investigating the relationship or impact of plant-based food diversity on any health related or lifestyle outcome, by any study design, in high income countries only. Studies were identified by systematic searches of two electronic databases and manual searches of reference lists. No restrictions were applied for language or year of publication. The review was performed in line with the guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (2).Forty-four studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. The majority of studies were observational in design (39/44; 87%) and included fruits and vegetables only in their definitions of plant-based food diversity (32/44, 72%). Methods of measurement of both plant-based food intake and diversity varied greatly among studies, with only four studies (9%) utilizing a tool validated for assessment of plant-based food diversity in their population of interest. Health outcomes included dietary intake and behaviour, socioeconomic factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, and cancer risk,. No randomized controlled trials investigating the impact of plant food diversity on health outcomes were identified.There is a need for a consensus definition of “diverse plant-based foods” incorporating all relevant foods from plant sources (e.g. legumes, nuts, herbs). Robust measurement tools and reporting guidelines for the assessment of plant-based food diversity in nutrition research studies will help to standardize research in this area. Within countries, an assessment of standard levels of intake of plant-based foods would be beneficial, in identifying whether diverse plant-based eating may be a target for dietary improvement. Observational studies report associations between plant-based food diversity and health outcomes, that warrant investigation in future randomized controlled trials.

International migration, food insecurity, and mental health: A scoping review protocol.

Food insecurity is a global priority that has been found to negatively impact mental health, increasing the risk of mental disorders and severe mental illness. International migrants may face food insecurity throughout their migratory cycle due to a range of risk factors, such as poor transit conditions, precarious employment, financial pressure, discrimination, and lack of availability and access to culturally relevant food, among others. Although there are multiple reviews on migration, food insecurity, and health in general, no scoping review has been conducted on food insecurity among international migrants focusing on mental health. To investigate the available evidence on food insecurity and mental health among international migrants. A search of scientific literature in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese published since 2013 will be performed in the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, APA PsycArticles, Cinahl, and ASSIA databases, including grey literature available in Google Scholar. Two authors will independently review titles, abstracts, and full texts before extracting data from publications complying with the eligibility criteria. Extracted data will be descriptively mapped according to emerging thematic categories. The review will contribute to identifying what is known about international migration, food insecurity, and mental health, gaps in the literature, opportunities for specific research subtopics, and how food insecurity and mental health can be linked in the existing literature.