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BACKGROUND: Latin American countries are often limited in the availability of food outlet data. There is a need to use online search engines that allow the identification of food outlets and assess their agreement with field observations. We aimed to assess the agreement in the density of food outlets provided by a web collaborative data (Google) against the density obtained from an administrative registry. We also determined whether the agreement differed by type of food outlet and by area-level socioeconomic deprivation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed 1,693 census tracts from the municipalities of Hermosillo, Leon, Oaxaca de Juarez, and Tlalpan. The Google service was used to develop a tool for the automatic acquisition of food outlet data. To assess agreement, we compared food outlet densities obtained with Google against those registered in the National Statistical Directory of Economic Units (DENUE). Continuous densities were assessed using Bland-Altman plots and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), while agreement across tertiles of density was estimated using weighted kappa. RESULTS: The CCC indicated a strong correlation between Google and DENUE in the overall sample (0.75); by food outlet, most of the correlations were from negligible (0.08) to moderate (0.58). The CCC showed a weaker correlation as deprivation increased. Weighted kappa indicated substantial agreement between Google and DENUE across all census tracts (0.64). By type of food outlet, the weighted kappa showed substantial agreement for restaurants (0.69) and specialty food stores (0.68); the agreement was moderate for convenience stores/small food retail stores (0.49) and fair for candy/ice cream stores (0.30). Weighted kappa indicated substantial agreement in low-deprivation areas (0.63); in very high-deprivation areas, the agreement was moderate (0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Google could be useful in assessing fixed food outlet densities as a categorical indicator, especially for some establishments, like specialty food stores and restaurants. The data could also be informative of the availability of fixed food outlets, particularly in less deprived areas.

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Background: The retail food environment in Mexico is characterized by the co-existence of both, formal and informal food outlets. Yet, the contribution of these outlets to food purchases over time has not been documented. Understanding the longitudinal trends where Mexican households purchase their foods is critical for the development of future food retail policies. Methods: We used data from Mexico's National Income and Expenditure Survey from 1994 to 2020. We categorized food outlets as formal (supermarkets, chain convenience stores, restaurants), informal (street markets, street vendors, acquaintances), and mixed (fiscally regulated or not. i.e., small neighborhood stores, specialty stores, public markets). We calculated the proportion of food and beverage purchases by food outlet for each survey for the overall sample and stratified by education level and urbanicity. Results: In 1994, the highest proportion of food purchases was from mixed outlets, represented by specialty and small neighborhood stores (53.7%), and public markets (15.9%), followed by informal outlets (street vendors and street markets) with 12.3%, and formal outlets from which supermarkets accounted for 9.6%. Over time, specialty and small neighborhood stores increased 4.7 percentage points (p.p.), while public markets decreased 7.5 p.p. Street vendors and street markets decreased 1.6 p.p., and increased 0.5 p.p. for supermarkets. Convenience stores contributed 0.5% at baseline and increased to 1.3% by 2020. Purchases at specialty stores mostly increased in higher socioeconomic levels (13.2 p.p.) and metropolitan cities (8.7 p.p.) while public markets decreased the most in rural households and lower socioeconomic levels (6.0 p.p. & 5.3 p.p.). Supermarkets and chain convenience stores increased the most in rural localities and small cities. Conclusion: In conclusion, we observed an increase in food purchases from the formal sector, nonetheless, the mixed sector remains the predominant food source in Mexico, especially small-neighborhood stores. This is concerning, since these outlets are mostly supplied by food industries. Further, the decrease in purchases from public markets could imply a reduction in the consumption of fresh produce. In order to develop retail food environment policies in Mexico, the historical and predominant role of the mixed sector in food purchases needs to be acknowledged.

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BACKGROUND: Informal food outlets, defined as vendors who rarely have access to water and toilets, much less shelter and electricity, are a common component of the food environment, particularly in many non-Western countries. The purpose of this study was to review available instruments that measure the quality and particularly the healthfulness of food and beverages sold within informal food outlets. METHODS: PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were used. Articles were included if they reported instruments that measured the availability or type of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages by informal food outlets, were written in English or Spanish, and published between January 1, 2010, and July 31, 2020. Two trained researchers reviewed the title, abstract and full text of selected articles; discrepancies were solved by two independent researchers. In addition, the list of references for selected articles was reviewed for any additional articles of relevance. The quality of published articles and documents was evaluated using JBI Critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: We identified 1078 articles of which 14 were included after applying the selection criteria. Three additional articles were considered after reviewing the references from the selected articles. From the final 17 articles, 13 measurement tools were identified. Most of the instruments were used in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Products were classified as healthy/unhealthy or produce/non-produce or processed/unprocessed based on availability and type. Six studies reported psychometric tests, whereas one was tested within the informal food sector. CONCLUSIONS: Few instruments can measure the healthfulness of food and beverages sold in informal food outlets, of which the most valid and reliable have been used to measure formal food outlets as well. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an instrument that manages to measure, specifically, the elements available within an informal one. These actions are extremely important to better understand the food environment that is a central contributor to poor diets that are increasingly associated with the obesity and Non-communicable disease (NCD) pandemic.

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CONTEXT: The community food environment covers the type, quantity, density, location, and access to retail food outlets, and its influence on eating behavior, obesity, and metabolic syndrome has been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evidence on longitudinal associations between objectively measured retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components in children, adolescents, and adults. DATA EXTRACTION: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. DATA SOURCES: The Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Scielo, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Lilacs databases were searched without any restriction on publication dates. DATA ANALYSIS: Of the 18 longitudinal studies included, significant associations were reported in 9 between retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components in adults (6 positive associations, 2 negative, and 1 both positive and negative), and in 3 studies of children and adolescents (2 negative associations and 1 both positive and negative). Six studies with adults found no association. CONCLUSION: Limited evidence was found for longitudinal associations between retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components. In future studies, researchers should consider the use of standardized retail food outlet measurements and accurate analysis to better understand the influence of the community food environment on metabolic syndrome. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no: CRD42020177137.

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Las ensaladas crudas juegan un papel importante en las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos, sobre todo si durante su procesamiento no se cumplen con las condiciones higiénicas necesarias para impedir su contaminación. El objetivo es determinar la calidad microbiológica de ensaladas crudas que se expenden en puestos ambulantes de comida rápida de Maracaibo, Venezuela. 15 establecimientos fueron estudiados mediante el doble muestreo con intervalo de un mes. Para el estudio microbiológico, las muestras fueron preparadas según la Comisión Venezolana de Normas Industriales (COVENIN N°1126-89). Del homogenizado, se determinó el contaje Aerobios Mesόfilos, Salmonella, Coliformes Totales, Fecales y Escherichia coli. En relación a Aerobios Mesofilos, de las 30 muestras, 2 (6,67%) mostraron contajes de 225.000 UFC/g; y 28 (93, 33%) con recuentos incontables. Para Coliformes Totales, 28 (93.3%) mostraron contajes que oscilaron entre 350 x 107 hasta 730 x 107 y en 2 (6.6%) el contaje promedio fue 197 UFC/g. En el 93,3% (28) de las muestras se observó recuentos elevados para Escherichia coli, y en 2 (6,6%) fue menor a 1 UFC/g. Salmonella se detectó en 4 (13,3%) muestras. Las ensaladas estudiadas no son aptas para el consumo humano, por no cumplir con los requerimientos mínimos de inocuidad, según las normativas establecidas.

Raw salads play an important role in foodborne, especially during processing is not necessary meet to prevent its contamination hygienic conditions. The objective is to determine the microbiological quality of raw salads that are sold in fast food stalls Maracaibo, Venezuela. 15 establishments were studied by double sampling interval of one month. For microbiological study, samples were prepared according to the Venezuelan Industrial Standards Commission (COVENIN No. 1126-1189). Homogenate, counting mesophilic aerobics, Salmonella, Total and Fecal Coliforms and Escherichia coli by the method most probable number and rehydratable plate with dry films was determined. Regarding mesophilic aerobics, of the 30 samples, 2 (6.67%) showed counts of 225,000 CFU/g; and 28 (93, 33%) had countless counts. For Total Coliforms, 28 (93.3%) showed counts ranging from 350 to 730 x107 x 107 and 2 (6.6%) the average count was 197 CFU/g. Escherichia coli in 93.3% (28) of the samples was observed high counts, and in 2 (6.6%) counting was less than 1 CFU/g. Salmonella was detected in 4 (13.3%) samples. The salads studied are unfit for human consumption, not to meet the minimum safety requirements, according to established regulations.