{"title":"Food safety and consumers' attitude in a new EU member state. A case study of Hungary.","authors":"D Bánáti, Z Lakner","doi":"10.1159/000083788","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083788","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food safety problems are gaining importance throughout Europe. National food safety strategies are required and in the center of these strategies are consumers. The aim of our study was to analyse the behavior of Hungarian consumers and their food safety-related knowledge based on cluster analysis of principal component scores. We have identified five clusters: 'uncertain curios', 'optimistic technocrats', 'indifferent', 'distrustful' and 'incoherent' consumers. The name of each group is reflecting the most characteristic feature of the cluster. Furthermore, their socio-economic and educational background was dominant, as well. Consequently, our most important aim should be to strengthen the efficiency of risk communication towards consumers relating to food safety issues if we want to preserve their fragile confidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"157-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083788","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Making the healthy choice an easy choice. From nutrition science to consumer action.","authors":"Paulus M Verschuren","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"167-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influences on food choice and dietary behavior.","authors":"Richard Shepherd","doi":"10.1159/000083752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083752","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There are a number of possible reasons for the lack of effectiveness of attempts at changing dietary behaviors. While lack of information and knowledge about foods and nutrient contents might play a part, motivation to change is likely to be much more important. Food choice, like any complex human behavior, is influenced by many interrelating factors, including various physiological, social and cultural factors, and these need to be taken into account when considering dietary interventions. In many cases people lack motivation to change. This can be related to optimistic bias, where people underestimate the risk to themselves relative to others from a variety of hazards. People feel less at risk personally for many dietary risks and this is related both to the control they feel they have over dietary behaviors and also to their considering themselves to have better diets than the average. The 'stages of change' model is a possible means for trying to address these motivational issues. While this model has been applied to various forms of behavior such as smoking, there are a number of problems transferring such a model from smoking to dietary behaviors, including the lack of clear cut specific behaviors and behavior change targets in the dietary field.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"36-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083752","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diversification and food choice: the consumer's view.","authors":"B Kettlitz","doi":"10.1159/000083790","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083790","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"169-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083790","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of 'functional food'.","authors":"Pierre René Guesry","doi":"10.1159/000083770","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>'Functional Food' is not a new concept but it became more important recently due to the collapse of most social health system because 'Functional Foods' allow low cost prevention of numerous diseases. 'Functional Foods' are different from 'Neutraceuticals' which remain drug based with poor taste whereas 'Functional Foods' remain good food which could be consumed for years, but in addition have a disease prophylactic function. They are becoming particularly important for the prevention of food allergy in 'at risk' population, obesity, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and particularly high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, but also for cancer prevention. The newest trend is that governments and health authorities allow food manufacturers to make health prevention related claims on mass media.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"73-83"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083770","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Macro- and micronutrients in a traditional Greek menu.","authors":"Antonia Trichopoulou, Effie Vasilopoulou, Kornilia Georga","doi":"10.1159/000083777","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083777","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aims: </strong>The traditional Mediterranean diet is frequently being considered as a prototype for dietary recommendations. We have investigated a weekly menu typical of the Greek variant of the Mediterranean diet to examine the compatibility with the nutritional recommendations of the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Commission, concerning macronutrients and certain micronutrients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A typical weekly traditional Greek Mediterranean menu was chemically analyzed and certain food constituents, like flavonoids were theoretically estimated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The evaluated typical menu meets all the dietary recommendations for macronutrients. The daily energy intake is derived from dietary lipids (40.3%) and carbohydrates (41.4%). The ratio of alpha-tocopherol per gram of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the Mediterranean diet under investigation is around 0.4 mg, indicating a well-balanced diet. With respect to microcomponents, with existing recommendations of the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Commission, such as inorganic constituents, the investigated menu meets all the requirements.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The diet that the Mediterranean populations developed many years ago, without any scientific input, appears to meet current dietary recommendations.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"135-46"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083777","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vegetarian diets: what are the advantages?","authors":"Claus Leitzmann","doi":"10.1159/000083787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000083787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that wholesome vegetarian diets offer distinct advantages compared to diets containing meat and other foods of animal origin. The benefits arise from lower intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein as well as higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals. Since vegetarians consume widely divergent diets, a differentiation between various types of vegetarian diets is necessary. Indeed, many contradictions and misunderstandings concerning vegetarianism are due to scientific data from studies without this differentiation. In the past, vegetarian diets have been described as being deficient in several nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12 and A, n-3 fatty acids and iodine. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the observed deficiencies are usually due to poor meal planning. Well-balanced vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and competitive athletes. In most cases, vegetarian diets are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease and dementia, as well as diverticular disease, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis. The reasons for choosing a vegetarian diet often go beyond health and well-being and include among others economical, ecological and social concerns. The influences of these aspects of vegetarian diets are the subject of the new field of nutritional ecology that is concerned with sustainable life styles and human development.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":" 57","pages":"147-56"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000083787","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24950893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aging, food patterns and disability.","authors":"Marianne Schroll","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To lay the groundwork for devising, improving and implementing strategies to prevent or delay the onset of disability in the elderly, a systematic literature review was conducted of longitudinal studies published between 1985 and 2001 that reported statistical significant associations between individual baseline nutritional risk factors and subsequent functional status in community-living older persons. The review revealed that nutrition has been neglected in past research. Not more than three studies fulfilled the methodological criteria (e.g. control for baseline functional status, control for confounding or attrition rate). The association between increased and decreased body mass index and functional decline was high. This and other available information regarding the importance of nutrition for the disablement process underline how important adequate intakes of energy and nutrients today are for the ability to manage activities of daily living tomorrow. Vulnerable groups of elderly people can be identified by questions on number of meals a day, food group intake and assessment of weight change. Policy makers and health care professionals should put a joined effort in optimising the food intake of these vulnerable elderly people. On one hand by stimulating physical activity to animate food intake and on the other hand by facilitating the availability of attractive nutritious foods.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":"56 ","pages":"256-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25208501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using national health and nutrition surveys for policy and programs: experiences from the demographic and health surveys.","authors":"Altrena G Mukuria","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>National health and nutrition surveys have proved invaluable for policy and programs internationally, nationally and locally. With internationally comparable data, decisions can be made on trends and to monitor progress towards improving the nutritional status of women and children. In addition, the iterative process of survey and indicator development ensures that the use of the findings are fed back into the survey for improved design, data collection and measurements. Researchers, policy makers, program managers and surveyors work together for maternal child health.</p>","PeriodicalId":55148,"journal":{"name":"Forum of Nutrition","volume":"56 ","pages":"207-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25209117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}