RESUMEN

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

RESUMEN

Packaged foods have significantly expanded their market presence, with the utilization of vice-virtue bundles gaining momentum, particularly in the realm of vice-packaged foods. Consequently, understanding how consumers respond to vice-packaged food with vice-virtue bundles (i.e., vice-packaged food combined with virtue ingredients) becomes crucial. This research investigates this issue through four experiments employing a one-way between-subjects design, incorporating distinct stimuli and measures, and involving samples from diverse sources. In Experiment 1 (n = 172), Experiment 2 (n = 169), and the follow-up experiment (n = 153), variance analysis, chi-square test, and mediating analysis demonstrate that consumers are more inclined to purchase vice-packaged food with vice-virtue bundles owing to the perception of it being healthier than vice packaged food with vice-virtue bundles. Furthermore, Experiment 3 (n = 249) employs moderated mediation analysis, uncovering that both the heightened purchase intention for vice-packaged food with vice-virtue bundles and the mediating effect of perceived healthiness are attenuated among consumers with prevention (vs. promotion) focus. Beyond contributing to theories on packaged food consumption, vice-virtue bundles, and regulatory focus theory, these findings hold practical implications for packaged food marketing, promoting rational food choices, and enhancing healthier diets.

RESUMEN

Background: Dietary sodium has a dose-response relationship with cardiovascular disease, and sodium intake in Sweden exceeds national and international recommendations. Two thirds of dietary sodium intake comes from processed foods, and adults in Sweden eat more processed foods than any other European country. We hypothesized that sodium content in processed foods is higher in Sweden than in other countries. The aim of this study was to investigate sodium content in processed food items in Sweden, and how it differs from Australia, France, Hong Kong, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Methods: Data were collected from retailers by trained research staff using standardized methods. Data were categorized into 10 food categories and compared using Kruskal-Wallis test of ranks. Sodium content in the food items was compared in mg sodium per 100 g of product, based on the nutritional content labels on the packages. Results: Compared to other countries, Sweden had among the highest sodium content in the "dairy" and "convenience foods" categories, but among the lowest in "cereal and grain products," "seafood and seafood products" and "snack foods" categories. Australia had the overall lowest sodium content, and the US the overall highest. The highest sodium content in most analyzed countries was found in the "meat and meat products" category. The highest median sodium content in any category was found among "sauces, dips, spreads and dressings" in Hong Kong. Conclusion: The sodium content differed substantially between countries in all food categories, although contrary to our hypothesis, processed foods overall had lower sodium content in Sweden than in most other included countries. Sodium content in processed food was nonetheless high also in Sweden, and especially so in increasingly consumed food categories, such as "convenience foods".

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In most African countries, the prevalence of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in the food supply is unknown. We estimated the number and proportion of products containing specific (any hydrogenated edible oils) and non-specific (vegetable fat, margarine, and vegetable cream) ingredients potentially indicative of iTFAs among pre-packaged foods collected in Kenya and Nigeria. We also summarized the number and proportion of products that reported trans-fatty acids levels and the range of reported trans-fatty acids levels. In total, 99 out of 5668 (1.7%) products in Kenya and 310 out of 6316 (4.9%) products in Nigeria contained specific ingredients indicative of iTFAs. Bread and bakery products and confectioneries in both countries had the most foods that contained iTFAs-indicative ingredients. A total of 656 products (12%) in Kenya and 624 products (10%) in Nigeria contained non-specific ingredients that may indicate the presence of iTFAs. The reporting of levels of trans-fatty acids was low in both Kenya and Nigeria (11% versus 26%, respectively, p < 0.001). With the increasing burden of ischemic heart disease in Kenya and Nigeria, the rapid adoption of WHO best-practice policies and the mandatory declaration of trans-fatty acids are important for eliminating iTFAs.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Objective: Consumers in the US make choices within a food supply dominated by processed packaged foods and beverage products. Front-of-package nutrition labels (FOPL) equip consumers to make healthier choices, but further evaluation and regulation regarding FOPL format, scope, and display have been recommended by the World Health Organization. As a leader in consumer FOPL guidance, the American Heart Association's (AHA) Heart Check programme certifies food companies seeking to add an AHA Heart Check logo as a FOPL for qualifying heart healthy products. A cross-sectional assessment of the AHA Heart Check Standard Certification was conducted within the US packaged food and beverage supply to assess the eligibility and prevalence of the programme as a FOPL. Methods: Data were derived from Label Insight's Open Data initiative, which is the largest publicly-available US branded food composition database. The proportions of products that were certified and eligible to be certified for the Standard Certification were reported by nutrient attributes, grocery aisles and food brands. Results: Among 153,453 products examined, fewer than 1% exhibited the Heart Check certification on their label. Among products that were not Heart Check certified,13.8% were eligible for Standard Certification. The most common reason for ineligibility was the saturated fat content (52%), followed by total fat content (47%) and sodium content (47%). Heart Check certification and eligibility differed substantially across grocery aisle categories. Conclusions: The abundance of unhealthy products in the US packaged food and beverage supply and absence of harmonized FOPL policies suggest the need for FOPL like the Heart Check label to promote adherence to healthy diets. There are opportunities for food manufacturers and the AHA to certify more heart healthy foods and beverages. However, more consistent criteria and transparent labelling could enhance Heart Check certification to facilitate consumers' ability to make more informed and healthful purchases.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In the last two decades, India has witnessed a dramatic rise in the consumption of packaged foods, especially among adolescents. Food labelling is often recognised as an instrumental population-based approach which can enable consumers to make informed food choices by providing all the necessary details about the food product on the packaging. In the Indian context, where adolescent obesity and the ensuing non-communicable diseases are escalating, it is crucial to understand adolescents' views on the use of non-nutritious packaged foods and food labels. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative inquiry was to explore Indian adolescents' perceptions regarding the consumption of packaged food and use of food labels. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 29 boys and 15 girls (aged 10-19 years) from rural Varanasi, India. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in the local language. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Narrative data were subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo software program. The adolescents reported frequent consumption of packaged food like potato chips, biscuits, chocolates, deep-fried Indian snacks both at school and home. Packaged foods were regarded as tasty, safe, and fresh. Brand name, date of expiry and cost were often read by the study respondents. Nevertheless, they reported difficulty in understanding other components of the label (e.g., nutrition information) and they were not aware of the negative impact of consuming unhealthy packaged foods. Nearly all the respondents insisted that food labels should be written in the local language for easy understanding. These emerging findings underscore the need to design school-based food literacy programs for vulnerable Indian adolescents to address obesity and diet-related complications in early adulthood.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Diet is important for chronic disease management, with limited research understanding dietary choices among those with multi-morbidity, the state of having 2 or more chronic conditions. The objective of this study was to identify associations between packaged food and drink purchases and diet-related cardiometabolic multi-morbidity (DRCMM). METHODS: Cross-sectional associations between packaged food and drink purchases and household DRCMM were investigated using a national sample of U.S. households participating in a research marketing study. DRCMM households were defined as household head(s) self-reporting 2 or more diet-related chronic conditions. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were used to model the associations between household DRCMM status and total servings of, and total calories and nutrients from, packaged food and drinks purchased per month, as well as the nutrient density (protein, carbohydrates, and fat per serving) of packaged food and drinks purchased per month, adjusted for household size. RESULTS: Among eligible households, 3795 (16.8%) had DRCMM. On average, households with DRCMM versus without purchased 14.8 more servings per capita, per month, from packaged foods and drinks (p < 0.001). DRCMM households were 1.01 times more likely to purchase fat and carbohydrates in lieu of protein across all packaged food and drinks (p = 0.002, p = 0.000, respectively). DRCMM households averaged fewer grams per serving of protein, carbohydrates, and fat per month across all food and drink purchases (all p < 0.001). When carbonated soft drinks and juices were excluded, the same associations for grams of protein and carbohydrates per serving per month were seen (both p < 0.001) but the association for grams of fat per serving per month attenuated. CONCLUSIONS: DRCMM households purchased greater quantities of packaged food and drinks per capita than non-DRCMM households, which contributed to more fat, carbohydrates, and sodium in the home. However, food and drinks in DRCMM homes on average were lower in nutrient-density. Future studies are needed to understand the motivations for packaged food and drink choices among households with DRCMM to inform interventions targeting the home food environment.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Food and beverage companies reformulate packaged foods and to better align their products with public health policies and evolving consumer needs. The nutritional quality of packaged foodscan be tracked using nutrient profiling methods. The present study compared the nutritional quality of packaged foods launched globally between 2016 and 2018 and those launched in 2018-2020, as reported in the Mintel Global New Products Database. Nutrient profiling analyses showed that the nutrient composition of product categories shifted for almost 40% of newly launched products between 2016-2018 and 2018-2020. For example, pizzas that had been assigned to one nutritionally homogenous category in 2016-2018 separated in two nutritionally distinct subgroups in 2018-2020. The new products that were reduced in protein, saturated fat, and sodium were now nutritionally distinct from the traditional pizza offer. By 2018-2020 "best of category" products were significantly lower in sugar and sodium than before; however, no clear trend was observed for saturated fats, proteins, or fibers. The relative speed of product reformulation was category specific. This analysis of the Mintel Global New Products Database suggests that the WHO nutritional recommendations focusing on sugar and sodium reduction did have a positive impact on the composition of new packaged foods, whether through reformulation of existing products, launches of line extensions or new product development.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Long-term, excessively high sodium consumption can lead to increased blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the dietary sodium intake and food sources to understand the epidemiological characteristics associated with potentially influencing variables in adults from Shanghai. METHODS: Residents aged 15 years and above were randomly selected using multi-stage stratified random sampling in Shanghai. Over 3 days, family condiments were weighed for each 24-h day, and recall surveys were conducted for the same timeframe regarding sodium intake during the spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons. RESULTS: The median sodium intake for residents aged 15 years and above was 4.3 g/d in Shanghai, where 55.1% was obtained from cooking salt, 13.2% from sodium condiments, and 22.2% from pre-packaged food. There were no significant differences in total sodium intake or main sources of sodium intake between different seasons. The sodium intake of rural residents > suburban residents > urban residents (P < 0.05). The logistic regression demonstrated that compared to the rural, the people living in urban and suburban consumed less sodium. Compared to the 18-44, the people aged 45-59 and ≥ 60 consumed more sodium (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sodium intake is high in Shanghai. The absolute amount of cooking salt is low in Shanghai, and the possibility of further reduction is very little under the existing dietary habit. Limiting high sodium condiments and pre-packaged food is the new key to controlling salt intake in the future.

RESUMEN

Front-of-Package (FOP) labels highlight important nutrients and help consumers make informed decisions about food purchases. In this study, we investigated consumer comprehension, opinion, and preference associated with two different formats of FOP labels and compared consumer shopping behavior and general trends related to nutrition labeling. Consumer eye-tracking was used for measuring perceived understanding of nutritional information objectively. Results revealed that a color-coded FOP label would garner more attention than a black and white FOP label. Subjects found color-coded FOP labels more straightforward than black and white labels. Participants used the information provided on the FOP for shopping goals. Still, FOPs did not affect objective consumer attention to labels, and labeling schemes did not significantly affect participants' decisions. Participating subjects did use FOP labels instead of the nutrition facts panels. Still, FOP groups scored lower on a nutrition literacy quiz, indicating that their perceived and actual understanding of nutritional information differed. Our findings suggest that subjects pay attention to FOP labels but do not make decisions.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Policy interventions are important public health tools because they can reach large numbers of people. State context has been associated with health outcomes, yet few studies have examined the extent to which state-level policies are associated with dietary quality. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether state policies are associated with the nutritional quality of household packaged food purchases. DESIGN: This observational study used data from Nielsen Homescan, an open-cohort household panel where participants track purchases, and a combination of state-level food and social safety net policy variables from 2008 through 2017. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study included 615,634 household-year observations in the United States from 2008 through 2017. Household-year observations were excluded in the case that a household did not make a minimum number of purchases and in the case that they had incorrect geographic information. The final analytic sample was 611,719 household-years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcomes included a set of nutrition-related measures of public health interest, including nutrients of concern (eg, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) and calories from specific food groups (eg, fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, processed meats, mixed dishes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts and snacks). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: This study used multilevel generalized linear models with state fixed effects on three samples: all households, only households with low income, and only households with low educational attainment. RESULTS: Few significant associations were found between healthy food retail policies and the nutritional quality of purchases, and mixed associations were found between social safety net policies and lower or higher quality packaged food purchases. CONCLUSIONS: Little evidence was found that state policy context in 2008 through 2017 was associated with the quality of packaged food purchases. However, variation in state policies is increasing over time, warranting future research into the relationship between these policies, the quality of packaged food purchases, and the rest of the diet.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background: Vulnerable populations are the most prone to diet-related disease. The availability, healthiness, and price of foods have established associations with diet-related disease in communities. However, data describing this in India are sparse, particularly in urban slums and rural areas. Aim: To quantify and compare availability, healthiness, and price of packaged and unpackaged foods and beverages in India, and to identify opportunities to improve diets and health of vulnerable populations. Methods: Nutrition data and price were collected on foods and beverages available at 44 stores in urban, urban slum, and rural areas in four states in India between May and August 2018. Healthiness was assessed using the Australasian Health Star Rating system and product retail prices were examined. Comparisons in the findings were made across state, community area type, and adherence to current and draft Indian food labeling regulations. Results: Packaged foods and beverages (n = 1443, 89%) were more prevalent than unpackaged (n = 172, 11%). Unpackaged products were healthier than packaged (mean Health Star Rating = 3.5 vs 2.0; p < 0.001) and lower in price (median price per 100 g/ml: 13.42 Indian rupees vs 25.70 Indian rupees; p < 0.001), a pattern observed across most community area types and states. 96% of packaged products were compliant with current Indian labeling regulations but only 23% were compliant with proposed labeling regulations. Conclusions: Unpackaged products were on average much healthier and lower in price than packaged foods and beverages. Food policies that support greater availability, accessibility and consumption of unpackaged foods, while limiting consumption of packaged foods, have enormous potential for sustaining the health of the Indian population.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The Australian Government will soon be releasing a series of sugar reformulation targets for packaged foods. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the amount of added sugar purchased from packaged food and beverages and the relative contribution that food categories and food companies made to these purchases in 2018. The secondary objective was to examine differences in purchases of added sugar across income levels. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: We used 1 year of grocery purchase data from a nationally representative panel of Australian households (the NielsenIQ Homescan panel), combined with a packaged food and beverage database (FoodSwitch). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Added sugar purchases (grams per day per capita), purchase-weighted added sugar content (grams per 100 g) and total weight of products (with added sugar) purchased (grams per day per capita). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Food categories and food companies were ranked according to their contribution to added sugar purchases. Differences in added sugar purchases by income levels were assessed by 1-factor analysis of variance. RESULTS: Added sugar information was available from 7188 households and across 26,291 unique foods and beverages. On average, the amount of added sugar acquired from packaged foods and beverages was (mean ± SE) 35.9 ± 0.01 g/d per capita. Low-income households purchased 11.0 g/d (95% CI: 10.9-11.0 g/d, P < .001) more added sugar from packaged products than high-income households per capita. The top 10 food categories accounted for 82.2% of added sugar purchased, largely due to purchases of chocolate and sweets, soft drinks, and ice cream and edible ices. Out of 994 food companies, the top 10 companies contributed to 62.1% of added sugar purchases. CONCLUSIONS: The Australian Government can strengthen their proposed sugar reduction program by adding further category-specific targets, prioritizing engagement with key food companies and considering a broader range of policies to reduce added sugar intakes across the Australian population.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Nutrition and health claims (NHCs) are a powerful tool that influence consumers' final decision on the choice of food products. The purposes of this repeated cross-sectional study were to (i) assess the prevalence of pre-packaged food products containing nutrition and health claims among different food categories, (ii) to determine the type of NHCs labelled on the examined food products, and (iii) to evaluate the trend in the use of NHCs in comparison to the 2012 survey. The survey was conducted immediately before the full enforcement of the new national legislation on NHCs in 2020. It comprised 3141 pre-packaged food products from 10 product categories. In total, 21.2% of food products contained any claim (19.4% contained any nutrition claim; 8.2% contained any health claim). In comparison to the 2012 survey, we observed a rising trend in the presence of NHCs; the use of nutrition claims on food products increased three times and the use of health claims increased 1.3 times in the 2020 survey. Bearing in mind that NHCs are a powerful tool guiding consumers' food purchase decisions, NHCs should be supported by precise legislation and strict surveillance by the public health authorities.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of products meeting Fiji government labelling regulations, assess compliance with national Na reformulation targets and examine the Na and total sugar levels in packaged foods sold in selected major supermarkets. DESIGN: We selected five major supermarkets in 2018 and collected the product information and nutritional content from the labels of all packaged foods sold. We organised 4278 foods into fourteen major food categories and thirty-six sub-categories and recorded the proportion of products labelled in accordance with the Fiji labelling regulations. We looked at the levels of Na and total sugar in each food category and assessed how many products complied with the Fiji reformulation targets set for Na. We also listed the companies responsible for each product. SETTING: Suva, Fiji. RESULTS: Fourteen percentage of packaged foods in fourteen major categories met Fiji national labelling regulations. Na was labelled on 95·4 % products, and total sugar labelled on 92·4 %. The convenience foods category had the highest Na levels (1699 mg/100 g), while confectionery had the highest content of total sugar (52·6 g/100 g). Forty percentage of eligible products did not meet the proposed voluntary Na reformulation targets. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate significant room for improvement in nutrient labelling, as well as a need for further enforcement of reformulation targets and monitoring of changes in food composition. Through enacting these measures and establishing additional regulations such as mandatory front-of-pack labelling, government and food industry can drive consumers towards healthier food choices and improve the nutritional quality of packaged foods in Fiji.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Nutrition policies recommend limiting the intake of added sugars. Information about added sugar content is not provided on packaged foods in Brazil, and even total sugar content information is often absent. This study aimed to (i) adapt a systematic methodology for estimating added sugar content in packaged foods when information on total and added sugar contents is not mandatory on labels, (ii) apply the adapted methodology to a Brazilian food composition database to estimate the extent of added sugar content in the national food supply, and (iii) assess the validity of the adapted methodology. We developed an 8-step protocol to estimate added sugar content using information provided on food labels. These steps included objective and subjective estimation procedures. Mean, median, and quartiles of the added sugar content of 4,805 Brazilian foods were determined and presented by food categories. Validity was assessed using a US database containing values of added sugar as displayed on the product labels. Objective estimation of added sugar content could be conducted for 3,119 products (64.9%), with the remainder 1,686 (35.1%) being assessed using subjective estimation. We found that 3,093 (64.4%) foods contained added sugar ingredients and the overall estimated median added sugar content was 4.7 g (interquartile range 0-29.3) per 100 g or 100 ml. The validity testing on US data for products with known added sugar values showed excellent agreement between estimated and reported added sugar values (ICC = 0.98). This new methodology is a useful approach for estimating the added sugar content of products in countries where both added and total sugar information are not mandated on food labels. The method can be used to monitor added sugar levels and support interventions aimed at limiting added sugar intake.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The application of optical sensing technology in food adulteration detection has been extensively studied. However, due to the impact of packaging materials on the penetration depth of photons in foods and the interference from the optical properties of the packaging materials themselves, the use of optical sensing technology to detect packaged foods adulteration is still a well-known problem. RESULTS: The line-scan Raman imaging system was used to collect Raman hyperspectral images of adulterated sugars, made by mixing soft sugar and cheap glucose in seven different ratios. With the 0 and 3 mm (optimal offset distance) between line-laser source and scanning line, the Raman hyperspectral images of adulterated sugars covered by packaging plastic were acquired respectively. Using adulterated samples un-covered by packaging plastic as training samples, the Random Forest prediction model was developed, and excellent prediction performance was achieved for adulterated samples un-covered by packaging plastics. Compared with Raman data acquired with 0 mm offset distance, the performance of the prediction model was significantly improved, with 0.957 for coefficient of determination (R2 ), 0.413 for root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), and 4.846 for residual predictive deviation (RPD), for adulterated samples with plastic packaging acquired with the 3 mm offset distance. CONCLUSIONS: The novel non-destructive method based on spatially offset Raman imaging technology, which can reduce the interference of packaging materials and enhance the signal of internal interesting materials, was proposed for detection of adulterated sugar with plastic packaging. The experiment results show that spatially offset imaging technology provides a candidate method for detecting adulteration of packaged foods. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether dietary quality varies by geography in the US. PURPOSE: Assess patterns in packaged food purchases (PFPs). METHODS: We characterized variation in PFP quality from 2008 to 2018 by 1) examining geographic clustering and 2) using regression analysis to control for household characteristics. RESULTS: Lower quality purchases clustered in the Southeast and Appalachia, whereas higher quality purchases clustered in the West and Northeast. Spatial patterns were similar for low socioeconomic households but not high socioeconomic households. Geographic differences in quality remained after controlling for demographic composition. CONCLUSION: This analysis should inform research into systemic drivers of PFP quality.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Food environments are influenced by food industries (packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers; supermarkets and quick service restaurants). An important source of this influence is the significant market power held by a limited number of food companies. Market structure analysis, as part of a broader market power research agenda, has received limited attention from the public health community. The aim of this study was to analyse similarities and differences in market structure across countries and industries in the European Single Market. METHODS: The companies with the largest market share at the national level for each industry were identified from Euromonitor sales data in 2017/18. The market structure was assessed by the following metrics: the number of global brand owners with ≥1% market share per country, the number of companies unique for one European Single Market member state, the most sold packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage categories, the number of quick-service restaurants and supermarkets per 1000 inhabitants and market concentration by means of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and the four firm concentration ratio (CR4). CR4-values > 40% and HHI-values > 2000 indicate concentrated markets with limited competition. RESULTS: The leading packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers and the most sold food and beverage product categories were similar across countries in Europe. The observed levels of concentration were however different. Average CR4-values ranged from 21 to 72% among packaged food product markets and 60 to 76% for non-alcoholic beverage product markets. Average CR4-values for quick service restaurants and supermarkets were 50 and 60%, respectively. Across European countries the same leading quick-service restaurants were identified, while this was not the case for supermarkets. CONCLUSIONS: This study forms an important basis to understand key aspects of market structure of the European food industry, observing clear differences between food industries and European Single Market member states. This has potential implications for the implementation of food environment policies at different levels of jurisdiction.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations includes the objective of setting up sustainable production patterns by pursuing several Sustainable Development Goals. Among them, the "Responsible production and consumption" is a key topic in the food production and is strictly connected with the "Climate action"; the crucial point, however, is how to jointly act on all these aspects and apply them in practice. The waste yearly produced in the food chain represent both an ethical, economic and environmental issue. In particular, as far as the recovery of packaged food waste from retailers is concerned, the valorisation of the wasted meat is an extremely relevant issue. Pet food industries could be interested in valorising this waste fraction to replace meat coming from slaughters in their product recipes. This article evaluates the environmental impact of valorising meat fraction from packaged food waste to produce two different recipes of high quality pet food, called Natura and Pâté. A life cycle assessment of the current scenario (traditional pet food production and landfilling of packaged food waste) and of a new one (pet food production using meat fraction from packaged food waste) is carried out applying the ReCiPe 2016 method of impact assessment. Real data have been taken from retailers and pet food manufacturer. The production of pet food using the meat fraction from packaged food waste generates on average lower environmental impacts if compared to the traditional process, in terms of GWP (-56.40%), water consumption (-22.62%), land use (-87.50%) and fossil resource scarcity (-21.78%). Benefits are interesting even if considering the production of Pâté (-14.66%), for which the traditional production process makes use of some slaughter by-products. The proposed industrial process is demonstrated to be sustainable from an environmental point of view and appears to be in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 12 and 13.

Asunto(s)