Clean-label products: Factors affecting liking and acceptability by Portuguese older adults

Consumers are preferring more "natural" foods, made of "healthier" and "familiar" components - the "clean-label" trend. As the population ages, understanding the older adult consumer segment becomes increasingly important. This study aims to identify the factors influencing the acceptability and liking of clean-label products in older adults living in the community. A convenience sample of 100 older adults was used for this cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic data, health status, independence level, lifestyle characteristics, nutritional status, and food and nutrient intake data were collected. The acceptability and liking for clean-label products comprised two parts: Sensory analysis with overall liking evaluation of three pairs of products, using a 9-point hedonic scale and free comments; Willingness to eat and preference assessment of nine pairs of products using the Food Action scale and a simple preference test. The participants were 80% female with a mean age of 75 years old. The overall liking for clean-label versions of cookies and mayonnaise was lower than for traditional versions. However, participants were more willing to eat the clean-label versions of products, particularly ham and yogurt. Most of the participants would prefer buying the clean-label version of all nine pairs of products, especially for ham, loaf bread, sausages, and yogurt. In sum, older adults living in the community exhibit a lower liking but, a greater willingness to eat and a higher preference for buying clean-label products. Older adults who favor clean-label products have higher levels of education and are reported to have a more adequate diet.

Iodine intake assessment in the staff of a Porto region university (Portugal): the iMC Salt trial

PURPOSE

Iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) is an ongoing worldwide recognized problem with over two billion individuals having insufficient iodine intake. School-aged children and pregnant women are often target groups for epidemiological studies, but there is a lack of knowledge on the general adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the iodine status among a Portuguese public university staff as a proxy for the adult working population.

METHODS

The population study covered 103 adults within the iMC Salt randomized clinical trial, aged 24-69 years. Urinary iodine concentration was measured spectrophotometrically using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. Iodine food intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall. The contribution of discretionary salt to the iodine daily intake was assessed through 24-h urinary sodium excretion (UIE) and potentiometric iodine determination of household salt.

RESULTS

The mean urine volume in 24 h was 1.5 L. The median daily iodine intake estimated from 24-h UIE was 113 µg/day, being lower among women (p < 0.05). Only 22% of participants showed iodine intake above the WHO-recommended cutoff (150 µg/day). The median daily iodine intake estimated from the 24-h dietary recall was 58 µg/day (51 and 68 µg/day in women and men, respectively). Dairy, including yoghurt and milk products, were the primary dietary iodine source (55%). Iodine intake estimated from 24-h UIE and 24-h dietary recall was moderately correlated (Spearman rank correlation coefficient r = 0.34, p < 0.05). The average iodine concentration in household salt was 14 mg I/kg, with 45% of the samples below the minimum threshold preconized by WHO (15 mg I/kg). The contribution of discretionary salt to the daily iodine intake was around 38%.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes new knowledge about iodine status in Portuguese working adults. The results revealed moderate iodine deficiency, particularly in women. Public health strategies and monitoring programs are needed to ensure iodine adequacy in all population groups.

Patterns of Street Food Purchase in Cities From Central Asia

Street food makes a significant contribution to the diet of many dwellers in low- and middle-income countries and its trade is a well-developed activity in the central Asian region. However, data on its purchase and nutritional value is still scarce. This study aimed to describe street food purchasing patterns in central Asia, according to time and place of purchase. A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016/2017 in the main urban areas of four central Asian countries: Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan). Street food markets (n = 34) and vending sites (n = 390) were selected by random and systematic sampling procedures. Data on the purchased foods and beverages were collected by direct observation. Time and geographic location of the purchases was registered, and their nutritional composition was estimated. A total of 714 customers, who bought 852 foods, were observed. Customers' influx, buying rate and purchase of industrial food were higher in city centers compared to the outskirts (median: 4.0 vs. 2.0 customers/10 min, p < 0.001; 5.0 vs. 2.0 food items/10 min, p < 0.001; 36.2 vs. 28.7%, p = 0.004). Tea, coffee, bread and savory pastries were most frequently purchased in the early morning, bread, main dishes and savory pastries during lunchtime, and industrial products in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon periods. Energy and macronutrient density was highest at 11:00–12:00 and lowest at 09:00–10:00. Purchases were smaller but more energy-dense in city centers, and higher in saturated and trans-fat in the peripheries. This work provides an overview of the street food buying habits in these cities, which in turn reflect local food culture. These findings from the main urban areas of four low- and middle-income countries which are currently under nutrition transition can be useful when designing public health interventions customized to the specificities of these food environments and their customers.

Availability and Nutritional Composition of Street Food in Urban Central Asia: Findings From Almaty, Kazakhstan

Objective: To describe the availability and nutritional composition of commonly available street foods in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Methods: 384 street food vending sites (in 10 public markets) were assessed; information on vending sites' characteristics and food availability and samples of the most commonly available street foods (81 homemade; 40 industrial) were collected for chemical analysis. Results: Fruit, beverages and food other than fruit were available in 1.0%, 47.4% and 92.7% of all vending sites. Homemade food other than fruit (e.g., bread, main dishes, snacks, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes) were available in 63.4% of stationary vending sites, while industrial (e.g., snacks, chocolate, cakes, and cookies) in 45.6% of them. Industrial foods were the most energy-dense [median kcal/100 g: 438.8 vs. 267.2, p < 0.001 (homemade)]. Traditional homemade dishes were high in sodium, reaching 2,248 mg/serving (lagman) and major contributors of protein and fat to energy content (shashlik: 22.8% from protein, 68.3% from fat). Industrial chocolate and homemade cake presented the highest saturated (14.6 g/serving) and trans-fat (3.20 g/serving) contents. Conclusion: These findings advocate for the implementation of health promotion strategies targeted at vendors, consumers and other stakeholders.

Salt-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior in an Intervention to Reduce Added Salt When Cooking in a Sample of Adults in Portugal

(1) Background: Excessive salt intake is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, so reducing it is critical. The main objective of this study was to verify whether one intervention to reduce added salt during cooking changed knowledge, attitudes and behavior (KAB) towards salt, and to analyze changes in the main sources of salt. (2) Methods: The intervention study was an 8-week randomized controlled trial with 97 workers from a public university. KAB in relation to salt were obtained through the WHO STEPwise questionnaire, and the main sources of salt were obtained by 24-h food recall and 24 h urinary sodium excretion over two days. (3) Results: After the intervention, participants in the intervention group reported a decrease in the addition of salt when cooking (p = 0.037), an increase in the percentage of subjects who avoided the consumption of processed foods (from 54.2% to 83.3%, p = 0.001), who looked for salt on food labels (from 18.8% to 39.6%, p = 0.013), and who bought low-salt food alternatives (from 43.8% to 60.4%, p = 0.039). However, there were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group at baseline and post-intervention assessments. In the intervention group, after the intervention, the added salt decreased by 5%; food sources of salt such as the snacks and pizza group decreased by 7%, and the meat, fish and eggs group increased by 4%, but without statistical significance. (4) Conclusions: With innovative equipment for dosing salt when cooking, it is possible to change some dimensions of consumer behavior in relation to salt.

Chemical Characterization of the Oil Separated by Mechanical Pressing from Strychnos madagascariensis Dried Fruit Pulp Flour

In Mozambique, rural communities produce flours from the dried pulp of Strychnos madagascariensis fruits. Owing to its high lipid content, the oil from this flour is frequently separated by pressing to be used as seasoning and medicine. Aiming to characterize this oil, flour samples (n = 24), dried at two different temperatures (55 °C and 65 °C), were collected from four local communities, together with a control sample prepared in the lab (50 °C). The resulting oil was fluid at room temperature, deep orange, and characterized by a high content of oleic acid (62–63%), followed by palmitic (20%) and linoleic (7%). It contained considerable amounts of tocols (25–34 mg/100 g) and carotenoids (8–10 mg/100 g), as well as sterols (431 ± 10 mg/100 g) and triterpenic alcohols (823 ± 4 mg/100 g mg/100 g). The overall composition was highly consistent between origins and temperatures, with only small statistically significant differences (p < 0.05), mostly between the community dried flours and control group. However, its high free fatty acid content (22–25%) reveals intensive enzymatic hydrolysis during the drying/fermentation steps, whose extension can be reduced by optimizing its technological process. Its chemical profile supports some of its folklore uses, revealing that it can be a promising source of edible oil, with health and technological potential that is worth optimizing and exploring.

In vitro gastric bioaccessibility of avocado peel extract in beef and soy-based burgers and its impact on Helicobacter pylori risk factors

The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of phenolic-rich avocado peel extract (APE) as an ingredient in beef and soy-based burgers to increase their antioxidant activity, reduce lipid and protein oxidation during gastric digestion, and inhibit urease and anhydrase carbonic activity, which are considered as key factors in the main steps of Helicobacter pylori adhesion in the stomach. The gastric bioaccessible fraction of soy and beef burgers with added 0.5% APE obtained by in vitro digestion exhibited a higher content of phenolic compounds, including monomeric and oligomeric (epi)catechin forms and quercetin, and reduced levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyls (49% to 73% and 57% to 60%, respectively) when compared with control burgers. Moreover, the burgers with APE inhibited urease and carbonic anhydrase activity. Results generally showed that including APE reduces the primary risk factors associated with H. pylori infection.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Street Foods Purchased by Customers in Urban Areas of Central Asia

This study aimed to describe street food purchases in cities from Central Asia, considering customers' characteristics and the nutritional composition of the foods and beverages. Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2016/2017 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan). Direct observation was used to collect data on the purchases made by street food customers, selected by random and systematic sampling. Nutritional composition was estimated using data from chemical analyses, food composition tables or food labels. A total of 714 customers (56.6% females, 55.5% aged ≥35 years, 23.3% overweight/obese) were observed, who bought 852 foods and beverages, the most frequent being savoury pastries/snacks (23.2%), main dishes (19.0%), sweet pastries/confectionery (17.9%), tea/coffee (11.3%) and soft drinks/juices (9.8%). Fruit was the least purchased food (1.1%). Nearly one-third of customers purchased industrial food items (31.9%). The median energy content of a street food purchase was 529 kcal/serving. Saturated and trans-fat median contents were 4.7 g/serving and 0.36 g/serving (21.4% and 16.5% of maximum daily intake recommendations, respectively). Median sodium and potassium contents were 745 mg/serving (37.3% of maximum recommendation) and 304 mg/serving (8.7% of minimum recommendation), respectively. In general, the purchases observed presented high contents of energy, saturated-fat, trans-fat and sodium, and low levels of potassium. Policies towards the improvement of these urban food environments should be encouraged.

Intervention to decrease salt intake inadequacy using a control device to monitor and control salt use when cooking at home – iMC SALT preliminary results

Introduction

Excessive salt intake is one of the greatest risks to public health, making urgent to propose measures to reduce its intake and bring great benefits to reduce cardiovascular diseases risk. In the Portuguese population, the main source of salt consumption is the salt that is added during food preparation and cooking meals.

Purpose

The main aim of this study was to assess whether an intervention using a dosing salt device (Salt Control H) in food preparation and cooking has beneficial effects in salt intake.

Methods

This was a two-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 88 workers from a public university (50% female; mean age 47.2±11.4 years), were randomly assigned to a intervention (I; n=42) or a control group (C; n=46). The intervention was delivered by health professionals in an occupational medicine setting, asking participants to use a salt control device that delivers the maximum amount of salt to add in food preparation and cooking, according to the number and age of the persons who will consume the meal, during 8 weeks. Primary outcome was the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (Na24), validated by creatinine coefficient, and secondary outcome was 24-h urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na/K24). Parametric tests were used to assess differences between urinary data stratified by C or I group and Mann-Whitney to evaluate differences between stratified groups according to meet WHO daily recommendations of intake.

Results

At baseline, there was no significant differences in mean Na24 (C: 3145.5±1420.1 and I:3268.7±1159.8 mg/d, p=0.096) and Na/K24 (C: 2.0±0.9 and I: 2.1±0.8 mg/d, p=0.792) between the two groups. After 8 weeks intervention, a Na24 and Na/K24 non statistically significant decrease was observed in the I group (to 3094.1±1391 and 2.0±0.8 mg/d), as opposed to the C group (to 3262.5±1527.0 and 2.2±0.9 mg/d). The proportion of participants from I group that present Na&lt;2000 mg/d increased (from 17 to 29%) as the proportion of participants that present Na/K24 &lt;1 (from 0 to 12%) without significant differences from C group (p=0.214 for Na &lt;2000 mg/d and p=0.383 for Na/K24 &lt;1).

Conclusion

The Salt Control H measurement device showed promising results to increase adherence to daily salt intake recommendations. The device is a useful and practical tool for educating individuals about dietary salt doses to add to meals cooked at home.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia Figure 1

Incorporation of avocado peel extract to reduce cooking-induced hazards in beef and soy burgers: A clean label ingredient

In this study, the benefits of using avocado peel extract (APE), rich in phenolic compounds, to reduce the oxidation and formation of harmful compounds resulting from cooking, were investigated. Beef and soy-based burgers with the addition of APE (0.5% and 1%) were studied after pan frying concerning proximate and physicochemical characteristics, inhibition of protein and lipid oxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], hexanal, and carbonyls), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAs) and acrylamide formation. Sensory analysis was additionally performed. APE-affected proximate composition, protein, fat, and ash contents (%) were found to be markedly higher in APE-incorporated burgers (~28.32 ± 0.29, ~14.00 ± 0.01, and ~1.57 ± 0.05, respectively), compared with the controls (~26.55 ± 0.51, ~12.77 ± 0.32, and ~1.48 ± 0.16, respectively). Lower concentrations of TBARS, hexanal, and carbonyls were observed in APE-treated burgers on Days 1 and 10, post-cooking, compared to controls. Overall, it was found that APE had a greater protective effect than the positive control (sodium ascorbate incorporated) in beef burgers. In soy burgers, the positive control demonstrated pro-oxidant activity. The addition of 0.5% APE was found to inhibit HAs and acrylamide formation in beef and soy burgers. Although the addition of APE affected the color of both meat and soy burgers, it did not impact consumer preference. It was therefore concluded that APE extract might be a suitable clean-label alternative to synthetic antioxidants, and that it can protect and increase the nutritional value of meat and meat-free burgers.

IMPACT OF SALT REDUCTION ON BREAD ON SENSORY PREFERENCE AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of salt reduction on bread physicochemical parameters and sensory analysis. The relationship between sensory attributes and preference was assessed using external preference mapping (PREFMAP). Moreover, sensory attributes relationship with physicochemical parameters was evaluated. Methodology Four Portuguese bread formulations were tested: “D’água”, “Carcaça”, “Mistura”, and “Regueifa”, produced with different salt concentrations (0.0%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 1.1%, 1.3%, and 1.4% of salt per wheat flour). Bread physicochemical characteristics evaluated included weight, volume, moisture, salt content, and crumb colour and structure. Sodium was determined by flame photometry method, while crumb colour and structure by digital image analysis. Sensory analysis was carried out with 8 trained assessors and consumer test with 80 participants. Statistical models for sensory preference evaluation were developed using PREFMAP. Statistical comparison was performed using as control bread with 1.4% of salt (legal value allowed). Findings Overall, salt reduction had significant impact on moisture, salt content and colour parameters, but limited influence on crumb morphology. Salt reduction had a significant negative impact on overall assessment, taste liking and overall linking attributes. The lowest salt concentrations with best consumer acceptance were: 0.8% (“D’Água” and “Carcaça”), 1.0% (“Mistura”), and 1.1% (“Regueifa”). These results suggest that salt reduction in these breads is possible without major impact on bread characteristics and without compromising consumers’ acceptance.

Western Dietary Pattern Antioxidant Intakes and Oxidative Stress: Importance During the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Pandemic

The importance of balanced dietary habits, which include appropriate amounts of antioxidants to maintain the immune system, has become increasingly relevant during the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic, because viral infections are characterized by high oxidative stress. Furthermore, the measures taken by governments to control the pandemic have led to increased anxiety, stress, and depression, which affect physical and mental health, all of which are influenced by nutritional status, diet, and lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet (MD), Atlantic diet (AD), and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans all provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds needed to activate enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant responses. However, viral pandemics such as the current COVID-19 crisis entail high oxidative damage caused by both the infection and the resultant social stresses within populations, which increases the probability and severity of infection. Balanced dietary patterns such as the MD and the AD are characterized by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and whole grains with low intakes of processed foods and red meat. For a healthy lifestyle in young adults, the MD in particular provides the required amount of antioxidants per day for vitamins D (0.3-3.8 μg), E (17.0 mg), C (137.2-269.8 mg), A (1273.3 μg), B-12 (1.5-2.0 μg), and folate (455.1-561.3 μg), the minerals Se (120.0 μg), Zn (11.0 mg), Fe (15.0-18.8 mg), and Mn (5.2-12.5 mg), and polyphenols (1171.00 mg) needed to maintain an active immune response. However, all of these diets are deficient in the recommended amount of vitamin D (20 μg/d). Therefore, vulnerable populations such as elders and obese individuals could benefit from antioxidant supplementation to improve their antioxidant response. Although evidence remains scarce, there is some indication that a healthy diet, along with supplemental antioxidant intake, is beneficial to COVID-19 patients.

Street food in Eastern Europe: a perspective from an urban environment in Moldova

Street food is popular in Eastern Europe, but its diversity and nutritional value are unknown. This study aimed to characterise the street food environment in Chişinău, Moldova, including the vending sites and vendors, food availability and nutritional composition of foods and beverages. All street food vending sites (single point of sale) located in a 1-km buffer centred on the main public market were systematically selected (n 439; n 328 participants). Data on vending sites' characteristics (mobility, type of physical set-up and access to electricity), operating periods and food availability were collected. Samples of the most commonly available foods of unknown composition were collected (twenty-eight home-made and twenty-four industrial). Macronutrients, Na and K were quantified through chemical analysis. Fruits, beverages and food other than fruits were available in 2·5, 74·3 and 80·8 % of the vending sites, respectively. Among the latter, 66·4 % sold only industrial foods (e.g. pretzels, biscuits, wafers, chocolate and ice cream), 21·5 % only home-made (e.g. savoury and sweet pastries) and 12·1 % both. Home-made foods presented larger serving sizes and energy/serving (median kJ/serving: 1312·5 v. 670·3, P = 0·022); industrial foods were more energy-dense (median kJ/100 g: 1797·0 v. 1269·8, P = 0·002). High SFA, trans-fat and Na contents were found, reaching 10·9 g/serving, 1·4 g/serving and 773·7 mg/serving, respectively. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages were available in 80·7 and 42·0 % of the vending sites selling beverages, respectively. Concluding, industrial snacks and home-made pastries high in Na and unhealthy fat were frequent in Chişinău. Prevention of diet-related diseases in Moldova may benefit from the improvement of the nutritional profile of street food.

Macronutrient composition of street food in Central Asia: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

BACKGROUND

Urban areas in central Asia are currently undergoing nutrition transition. Street food is very popular, but the specific foods available and their nutritional composition are unknown. The aim was to describe the availability and macronutrient composition of street foods in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

RESULTS

Trained interviewers collected data on street food vending sites' characteristics and food availability (n = 596). Samples of the most commonly available foods and drinks were collected (n = 80 homemade; n = 40 industrial). Macronutrients were quantified through chemical analysis. Fruit, beverages, and food other than fruit were available in 4.0%, 61.7%, and 81.0% of the vending sites, respectively. Among those selling food other than fruit, 56.5% sold only homemade (e.g., bread, main dishes, snacks, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes), 23.3% both homemade and industrial and 20.2% only industrial foods (e.g., bread, snacks, pastries, cakes, and cookies). Homemade foods presented the highest energy/serving (median kcal/serving: 357 versus 145, p < .001). A high content in saturated and trans-fatty acids was observed in some homemade traditional dishes and snacks, reaching, respectively, 30.2 g/serving and 2.9 g/serving (in homemade manty, a traditional dish). Tea and soft drinks were available in over 50% of the vending sites selling beverages.

CONCLUSION

The high availability of street food in Bishkek highlights its importance for this urban population. Traditional snacks, dishes, and beverages coexist with more westernized products. The variability in energy, macronutrients, and lipid profile of homemade and industrial products reflects heterogeneous culinary practices and ingredients. Policies promoting the availability of healthy foods and ingredients should be implemented.

Knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake according to urinary Na excretion and blood pressure

Background

Understanding salt-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors can help the design of effective health interventions. Therefore, our objective was to describe knowledge and behaviors related to salt intake according to urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure in University workers.

Methods

We performed our study in a subsample of the participants of the iMC Salt project (n = 60 subjects, 60.5% women, mean age 48±9.5 years). Sodium excretion were measured by one 24-h urinary collection, validated by creatinine excretion and participants were grouped according to the WHO sodium recommendations (&lt;2.0 g/day; high, ≥2.0 g/day). Subjects were classified as hypertensive if the systolic blood pressure was ≥130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure was ≥80mmHg. Knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake were assessed by the WHO Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance.

Results

About 74.6% of the participants reported that reducing salt in their diet was very important and 93.2% think that salt is harmful to health. However, 76.3% always add salt during cooking, 42.4% said that they always or often consume processed foods high in salt, 79.7% reported that they don't look at the salt on food labels, 50.8% don't buy low salt alternatives and 30.5% don't use spices as one substitute for salt when cooking. Hypertensive subjects had a higher mean sodium excretion (3710±1508mg/day vs 2478±871mg/day, p = 0.002) and reported a significant higher frequency of consumption of processed foods high in salt (53.1% vs 29.6%, p = 0.024). No significant differences were found with the other variables.

Conclusions

Most university workers were aware that high salt intake can cause health problems, but they reported low adherence to behaviors to control their salt intake. Hypertensive subjects recognized that frequently consume processed foods high in salt, so reduce salt content on those products could have important impact on their daily salt consumption.

Key messages

This study provides evidence on knowledge and behaviors regarding salt intake to guide salt reduction policies. Hypertensive participants reported a higher frequency of eating processed foods rich in salt.

Hydration status and hypertension in University workers

Background

Vascular function and blood pressure regulation may be impaired by acute hypohydration but data on the association between hypertension and hydration status is scarce. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the hydration status in a sample of university workers and to assess the association between hypertension and hydration status.

Methods

A cross-sectional evaluation of a sample of 60 university workers (32 women) was conducted in 2019/2020 in Portugal. A 24-hour urine sample was collected; urinary volume, creatinine and osmolality were quantified. Free water reserve (FWR) was used to assess hydration status and subjects were classified as hypohydrated (FWR&lt;0) or euhydrated (FWR &gt; =0). Arterial blood pressure was evaluated [average of 2 blood pressure (BP) measurements] by researchers using standard methodology and participants with systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg and/or ≥80 mm Hg, respectively, were classified as hypertensive. A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between hypohydration and hypertension, adjusting for sex, age and use of anti-hypertensive drugs. Odds Ratios (OR) and respective 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were calculated.

Results

Hypertension was observed in 40.6% of women and 67.9% of men whereas hypohydration affected 31.3% of women and 32.1% of men. After adjusting for confounders, hypertension was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of hypohydration (OR = 7.56; 95% CI: 1.81-31.59).

Conclusions

These results stress the positive association between hypohydration and hypertension and highlight the need for implementing strategies for the promotion of water intake, particularly in the hypertensive patients.

This project was granted by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029269.

Key messages

Hypohydration affect nearly one third of this sample of university workers. Hypertension was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of hypohydration.

Innovative equipments to monitor and control salt usage during culinary

Issue

In Portugal, most of the salt consumed comes from the salt added during preparation/cooking. Therefore, it is urgent to introduce mechanisms to allow the quantification of the salt in foods, and the salt added during culinary.

Description of the Problem

To tackle salt reduction, we considered: having a portable and user-friendly instrument that measure salt content of foods; and controlling the amount of salt added to foods during culinary, assessing its impact on health. The first project was SALT QUANTI (co-funded by NORTE 2020), promoted by a consortium between EVOLEO Technologies and the University of Porto (finished in September 2018, duration 18 months); its major deliverable was to obtain a prototype of a portable device and the analytical procedure that enabled the analysis of salt content in foods/meals produced in catering kitchens, in less than 5 minutes. The second project was iMC SALT (supported by FCT, Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029269), started in July 2018 (duration 36 months), aiming to develop prototypes for controlling the amount of salt added to foods during culinary, at home and catering, according international recommendations; one clinical intervention to assess the impact on health of the prototype at home is underway.

Results

The SALT QUANTI and iMC SALT prototypes showed good results in validation tests. The preliminary results of the health impact of the iMC SALT prototype will be presented at the conference.

Lessons

The implementation of innovative equipments to help consumers and catering industry to monitor or control the addition of salt during preparation of food or cooking are expected to be available soon and to be useful to consumers and catering industry to reduce salt intake.

Key messages

Innovative equipments may contribute to estimate salt in foods, and to reduce salt added during culinary. The implementation of an equipment to control culinary salt could be one valid approach to reduce salt consumption with impact on health.

Innovative equipment to monitor and control salt usage when cooking at home: iMC SALT research protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Excessive salt intake is a public health concern due to its deleterious impact on health. Most of the salt consumed come from those that are added when cooking. This study will improve knowledge on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce salt consumption among consumers.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this randomised clinical trial, we will be evaluating the efficacy of an intervention-the Salt Control H, an innovative prototype equipment to monitor and control use of salt when cooking-among workers from a public university, with the aim of reducing their dietary salt intake. We will randomly select 260 workers who meet the eligibility criteria and who are enrolled to an occupational health appointment and randomise them into one of the two arms of the study (either control or intervention), with matched baseline characteristics (sex and hypertension). The intervention will last for 8 weeks, during which the participants will use the equipment at home to monitor and control their use of salt when cooking. The main outcome will be 24-hour urinary sodium excretion at baseline, at fourth and eighth weeks of intervention, and at 6 months after intervention.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval for the study has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João. The results of the investigation will be published in peer-reviewed scientific papers and presented at international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03974477 EQUIPMENT PROVISIONAL PATENT NUMBER: Registered at INPI: 20191000033265.

A multicentre study of street foods purchased in urban areas of Central Asia: the FEEDCities Project

Background

Street food (SF) is a strong tradition in Central Asia, where urbanization and westernization of food habits is occurring. Research on SF consumption is scarce, and crucial to understand its implications for public health. This study aims to describe the SF purchases in urban areas of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dushanbe, Bishkek, Ashgabat and Almaty in 2016/2017. SF markets (n = 34) and vending sites (n = 270) were selected by random and systematic sampling. Data on customers’ characteristics and food items purchased was collected by direct observation. Nutritional composition of the food items (n = 852) was obtained by laboratorial analysis (n = 582) or food composition tables and labels (n = 270).

Results

A total of 714 customers were identified. The most commonly purchased foods and beverages were savoury pastries/snacks (23.2%), main dishes (19.0%), sweet pastries/confectionery (17.9%), tea/coffee (11.3%) and soft drinks/juices (9.8%). Fruit was the least frequently purchased food (1.1%). Nearly one-third of customers purchased industrial food items; this proportion was significantly higher in Kazakhstan (43.2%) and Turkmenistan (32.3%). The median energy content of a SF purchase ranged between 352kcal (Tajikistan) and 568kcal (Turkmenistan). The median saturated (SFA) and trans fat contents were 4.74g and 0.36g, respectively; the highest values were 9.01g for SFA (Turkmenistan) and 0.60g for trans fat (Kazakhstan), accounting for 40.6% and 27.3% of the maximum daily recommendations, respectively. Sodium-potassium ratio was far above recommended, reaching the highest values of 6.57 and 5.17 in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Conclusions

Frequent purchase of industrial food reflects a shift to a westernized dietary pattern. Public health policies in these settings should aim to increase fruit availability and to improve SF nutritional composition, namely its lipid profile and sodium content.

Key messages

A relevant proportion of customers bought industrial foods, while fruit was rarely purchased, reflecting the nutrition transition process that is occurring in developing countries. Street food meals showed concerning levels of saturated fat, trans-fat and sodium, which must be considered when designing strategies targeted to improve the urban food environment in these settings.

Street food in Maputo, Mozambique: Availability and nutritional value of homemade foods

BACKGROUND:

A nutrition transition is occurring in the urban areas of developing countries, where street food makes an important contribution to daily food intake.

AIM:

We aimed to characterise street food offer in Maputo, Mozambique, and to evaluate the nutritional composition of the most common homemade foods.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014. Streets in the surroundings (500 m buffer) of randomly selected public transport stops in KaMpfumu district, Maputo, were canvassed to identify all street food vending sites ( n = 968). Information regarding vending site characteristics and the food offered was gathered through interview and observation. Samples ( n = 80) of the most common homemade foods were collected for laboratorial analysis.

RESULTS:

Most street food vending sites identified were stationary (77.4%) and sold exclusively industrial food (51.9%). Frequency of fruit, beverages and food other than fruit was 24.5%, 32.5% and 73.9%, respectively. Fried cakes were the most energy-dense (430 kcal/100 g), and richest in fats (21.0g/100 g) and carbohydrates (53.4 g/100 g). The richest sources of protein were the stewed meat/fish/liver dishes (10.7-11.6 g/100 g). Fried cakes showed the lowest sodium and potassium content (90 mg/100 g and 81 mg/100 g, respectively) whereas hamburgers exhibited the highest content of those micronutrients (455 mg/100 g and 183 mg/100 g, respectively). Stewed liver dishes presented the highest sodium/potassium ratio (11.95). Fried snacks presented the highest trans-fatty acid content (0.20 g/100 g).

CONCLUSIONS:

Street food in Maputo is abundant and scattered throughout the urban district, exhibiting high variability in the nutritional composition of homemade foods. Public health policies should be targeted to improve the street food offer, promoting nutrient-dense foods and the reduction of added salt.

Impact of new ingredients obtained from brewer's spent yeast on bread characteristics

The impact of bread fortification with β-glucans and with proteins/proteolytic enzymes from brewers' spent yeast on physical characteristics was evaluated. β-Glucans extraction from spent yeast cell wall was optimized and the extract was incorporated on bread to obtain 2.02 g β-glucans/100 g flour, in order to comply with the European Food Safety Authority guidelines. Protein/proteolytic enzymes extract from spent yeast was added to bread at 60 U proteolytic activity/100 g flour. Both β-glucans rich and proteins/proteolytic enzymes extracts favoured browning of bread crust. However, breads with proteins/proteolytic enzymes addition presented lower specific volume, whereas the incorporation of β-glucans in bread lead to uniform pores that was also noticeble in terms of higher specific volume. Overall, the improvement of nutritional/health promoting properties is highlighted with β-glucan rich extract, not only due to bread β-glucan content but also for total dietary fibre content (39% increase). The improvement was less noticeable for proteins/proteolytic enzymes extract. Only a 6% increase in bread protein content was noted with the addition of this extract and higher protein content would most likely accentuate the negative impact on bread specific volume that in turn could impair consumer acceptance. Therefore, only β-glucan rich extract is a promising bread ingredient.

Modulation of human osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis by lycopene

Lycopene is a lipid-soluble pigment that is mainly found in tomato. It is the carotenoid that presents the highest antioxidant potential, and due to that, it has been implicated in a decrease of the risk of several oxidative-stress-related disorders, such as cancer, inflammatory diseases and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, at the present, there is no detailed information about how lycopene affects bone metabolism. The aim of the present work was to characterize the cellular and molecular effects of lycopene on human osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation and function. It was observed that lycopene, at levels found in plasma after the ingestion of lycopene-containing products, decreased osteoclast differentiation but did not affect cell density/survival; calcium-phosphate resorbing ability was also decreased. On the other hand, osteoblast proliferation (via a decrease on apoptosis) and differentiation were increased in the presence of lycopene. The observed effects in both cell types appeared to be related to significant changes in MEK signaling pathway, but also in protein kinase C pathway in osteoclasts and NFkB signaling in osteoblasts. In conclusion, lycopene appears to promote an anabolic state of bone metabolism, stimulating osteoblastogenesis and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, which may contribute to the promotion of a proper health status of bone tissue. This information might be relevant for the prevention and delay in the progression of osteolytic bone conditions.

The Sodium and Potassium Content of the Most Commonly Available Street Foods in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in the Context of the FEEDCities Project

This cross-sectional study is aimed at assessing sodium (Na) and potassium (K) content and the molar Na:K ratios of the most commonly available ready-to-eat street foods in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Four different samples of each of these foods were collected and 62 food categories were evaluated through bromatological analysis. Flame photometry was used to quantify sodium and potassium concentrations. The results show that home-made foods can be important sources of sodium. In particular, main dishes and sandwiches, respectively, contain more than 1400 and nearly 1000 mg Na in an average serving and provide approximately 70% and 50% of the maximum daily recommended values. Wide ranges of sodium content were found between individual samples of the same home-made food collected from different vending sites from both countries. In industrial foods, sodium contents ranged from 1 to 1511 mg/serving in Tajikistan, and from 19 to 658 mg/serving in Kyrgyzstan. Most Na:K ratios exceeded the recommended level of 1.0 and the highest ratios were found in home-made snacks (21.2) from Tajikistan and industrial beverages (16.4) from Kyrgyzstan. These findings not only improve data on the nutritional composition of foods in these countries, but may also serve as baseline information for future policies and interventions.

Bio-functional properties of sardine protein hydrolysates obtained by brewer's spent yeast and commercial proteases

BACKGROUND

The canned-sardine industry generates large amounts of protein-rich waste, which demands useful exploitation. This paper describes the potential use of muscle and viscera proteins from canned sardine by-products as substrate to obtain hydrolysates with biological and functional properties. Three enzymatic approaches, brewer's spent yeast (Bsy) proteases, Alcalase® and Neutrase® were applied to perform protein hydrolysis at the same proteolytic activity (1 U mL^-1 ), using an enzyme/substrate ratio of 20% (v/v), at 50°C and for 7 h. Hydrolysis degree (DH), antioxidant and angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACE-I) activities, functional properties (i.e. solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties, water and oil binding capacity) and colour were investigated.

RESULTS

All hydrolysates presented a high protein content [52.7-83.2% dry weight (DW)] and low fat content (0.9-3.9% DW). Alcalase® treatment of muscle and viscera proteins resulted in higher DH (7.5% and 8.6%, respectively) and higher biological activities (P < 0.05). All hydrolysates had excellent solubility and presented functional properties. Among viscera hydrolysates, treatment with Bsy proteases promoted higher emulsion (80.1 m² g^-1 ), foaming (79.2%) and oil binding capacity (5.8 g g^-1 ) of viscera sardine proteins.

CONCLUSION

Improved biological and functional properties were observed for sardine protein hydrolysates produced using the three enzymatic treatments tested. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fibre fortification of wheat bread: impact on mineral composition and bioaccessibility

In this work, wheat bread was fortified with fibre enriched extracts recovered from agroindustry by-products, namely, elderberry skin, pulp and seeds (EE); orange peel (OE); pomegranate peel and interior membranes (PE); and spent yeast (YE).

Sodium and potassium urinary excretion and dietary intake: a cross-sectional analysis in adolescents

Background

Hypertension is the leading cause for heart disease and stroke, for mortality and morbidity worldwide, and a high sodium-to-potassium intake ratio is considered a stronger risk factor for hypertension than sodium alone.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate sodium and potassium urinary excretion, and assess the food sources of these nutrients in a sample of Portuguese adolescents.

Design

A cross-sectional study with a sample of 250 Portuguese adolescents. Sodium and potassium excretion were measured by one 24-h urinary collection, and the coefficient of creatinine was used to validate completeness of urine collections. Dietary sources of sodium and potassium were assessed using a 24-h dietary recall.

Results

Valid urine collections were provided by 200 adolescents (118 girls) with a median age of 14.0 in both sexes (p=0.295). Regarding sodium, the mean urinary excretion was 3,725 mg/day in boys and 3,062 mg/day in girls (p<0.01), and 9.8% of boys and 22% of girls met the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for sodium intake. Concerning potassium, the mean urinary excretion was 2,237 mg/day in boys and 1,904 mg/day in girls (p<0.01), and 6.1% of boys and 1.7% of girls met the WHO recommendations for potassium intake. Major dietary sources for sodium intake were cereal and cereal products (41%), meat products (16%), and milk and milk products (11%); and for potassium intake, main sources were milk and milk products (21%), meat products (17%), and vegetables (15%).

Conclusions

Adolescents had a high-sodium and low-potassium diet, well above the WHO recommendations. Health promotion interventions are needed in order to decrease sodium and increase potassium intake.

Street Food Environment in Maputo (STOOD Map): a Cross-Sectional Study in Mozambique

Background

Street food represents a cultural, social, and economic phenomenon that is typical of urbanized areas, directly linked with a more sedentary lifestyle and providing a very accessible and inexpensive source of nutrition. Food advertising may contribute to shaping consumers’ preferences and has the potential to drive the supply of specific foods.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to characterize the street food offerings available to the urban population of Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, and the billboard food advertising in the same setting.

Methods

People selling ready-to-eat foods, beverages, or snacks from venues such as carts, trucks, stands, and a variety of improvised informal setups (eg, shopping carts, trunks of cars, sides of vans, blankets on the sidewalk, etc) will be identified in the district of KaMpfumu. We will gather information about the actual food being sold through direct observation and interviews to vendors, and from the billboard advertising in the same areas. A second phase of the research entails collecting food samples to be analyzed in a specialized laboratory. The street food environment will be characterized, overall and according to socioeconomic and physical characteristics of the neighborhood, using descriptive statistics and spatial analysis. The study protocol was approved by the National Committee for Bioethics for Health in Mozambique.

Results

Data collection, including the identification of street food vending sites and billboard advertising, started on October 20, 2014, and lasted for 1 month. The collection of food samples took place in December 2014, and the bromatological analyses are expected to be concluded in August 2015.

Conclusions

The district of KaMpfumu is the wealthiest and most urbanized in Maputo, and it is the area with the highest concentration and variety of street food vendors. The expected results may yield important information to assess the nutritional environment and the characteristics of the foods to which a great majority of the urban population living or working in Maputo are exposed. Furthermore, this study protocol provides a framework for a stepwise standardized characterization of the street food environment, comprising 3 steps with increasing complexity and demand for human and technical resources: Step 1 consists of the evaluation of food advertising in the streets; Step 2 includes the identification of street food vendors and the characterization of the products available; and Step 3 requires the collection of food samples for bromatological analyses. This structured approach to the assessment of the street food environment may enable within-country and international comparisons as well as monitoring of temporal trends.

Salt reduction in vegetable soup does not affect saltiness intensity and liking in the elderly and children

STUDY BACKGROUND

Reduction of added salt levels in soups is recommended. We evaluated the impact of a 30% reduction of usual added salt in vegetable soups on elderly and children's saltiness and liking evaluation.

METHODS

Subjects were elderly and recruited from two public nursing homes (29 older adults, 79.7±8.9 years), and preschool children recruited from a public preschool (49 children, 4.5±1.3 years). This study took place in institutional lunchrooms. Through randomization and crossover, the subjects participated in two sensory evaluation sessions, on consecutive days, to assess perceived saltiness intensity (elderly sample) and liking (elderly and children samples) of a vegetable soup with baseline salt content and with a 30% salt reduction. Elderly rated perceived liking through a 10 cm visual analogue scale ['like extremely' (1) to 'dislike extremely' (10)] and children through a five-point facial scale ['dislike very much' (1) to 'like very much' (5)].

RESULTS

After 30% added salt reduction in vegetable soup, there were no significant differences in saltiness noted by the elderly (p=0.150), and in perceived liking by children (p=0.160) and elderly (p=0.860).

CONCLUSIONS

A 30% salt reduction in vegetable soup may be achieved without compromising perceived saltiness and liking in children and the elderly.

Study of hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural formation in cakes during baking in different ovens, using a validated multiple-stage extraction-based analytical method

A procedure for extraction of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural from cakes was validated. Higher yield was achieved by multiple step extraction with water/methanol (70/30) and clarification with Carrez I and II reagents. Oven type and baking time strongly influenced HMF, moisture and volatile profile of model cakes, whereas furfural content was not significantly affected. No correlation was found between these parameters. Baking time influenced moisture and HMF formation in cakes from traditional and microwave ovens but not in steam oven cakes. Significant moisture decrease and HMF increase (3.63, 9.32, and 41.9 mg kg(-1)dw at 20, 40 and 60 min, respectively) were observed during traditional baking. Cakes baked by microwave also presented a significant increase of HMF (up to 16.84 mg kg(-1)dw at 2.5 min). Steam oven cakes possessed the highest moisture content and no significant differences in HMF and furfural. This oven is likely to form low HMF and furfural, maintaining cake moisture and aroma compounds.