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Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition)

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 3768

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Dr. Christopher P. F. Marinangeli

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Centre for Regulatory Research and Innovation, Protein Industries Canada, 200-1965 Broad Street, Regina, SK S4P 1Y1, Canada
Interests: sustainable dietary patterns; decreased risk of disease; effects of regulation and policy on dietary choices; consumer insights
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The four domains of sustainability are health, the environment, sociocultural factors, and economics. Food systems are undergoing a renaissance and re-positioning their value as proponents of sustainable dietary patterns. Many of these efforts focus on providing consumers with the information required to make sustainable food choices. These domains increasingly underpin the strategic development of food policies and dietary guidelines. Industry stakeholders are incorporating measures of sustainability into supply chain and innovation pipelines so that they can be leveraged as salient factors of differentiation to consumers. At the same time, regulatory and policy efforts aim to facilitate sustainable food systems and mitigate the risks of consumers being misled by information lacking scientific rigor and substantiation.

This Special Issue will examine the consumer–food interface within the context of sustainable dietary patterns. Studies will focus on labeling and other tools that can affect dietary choice and/or eating behaviors that enhance one or more domains of sustainable diets. Random clinical trials, narrative reviews, systematic reviews with and without meta-analyses, and commentaries are welcomed as submissions for this issue. Relevant topics include the modeling effects of labeling strategies on the sustainability metrics of dietary patterns; changes in the retail positioning of food categories over time; behavioral strategies that affect dietary patterns; the analysis of regulatory and policy tools; and consumer insights. However, other relevant topics that provide new and innovative data, discussion, and/or highlight challenges are also welcome.

Dr. Christopher P. F. Marinangeli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

labeling
sustainability
consumer behavior
nutrition
health
environment
sociocultural
economics

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Research

26 pages, 7074 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Menu Dilemmas: An Integrated Assessment of the Nutritional Quality, Environmental Impact, and Cost of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Meat-Based Versions of Meals

by Berill Takacs, Anastasia Z. Kalea and Aiduan Borrion

Nutrients 2025, 17(9), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091569 - 2 May 2025

Viewed by 743

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Adopting sustainable dietary patterns is essential for addressing environmental sustainability and improving public health outcomes. However, food service providers and consumers often face challenges in making informed choices due to a lack of information on the environmental, nutritional, and cost implications of different meal options. The aim of this paper was to provide an integrated assessment of the nutritional quality, environmental impact and cost of vegan, vegetarian, and meat-based versions of four popular meals (lasagne, chilli, teriyaki, and curry) offered in the lunch service of a university food service establishment in London, UK. Methods: In this study, real recipes from the food service provider were analysed. The nutritional quality of meals was evaluated using the Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF 9.3 and 17.3), the environmental impact was assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA), and the cost was calculated using recipe costing. Results were normalised using the min–max method, and recipes were ranked relative to each other based on their final nutritional quality, environmental impact and cost scores using a normalised integrated scoring method to identify which recipe version of meals was the most optimal when considering environmental sustainability, nutrition, and cost simultaneously. Results: The integrated assessment revealed that vegan recipe versions of meals made with whole foods consistently outperformed their meat-based counterparts across all three criteria—environmental impact, nutritional quality, and cost—ranking highest in environmental sustainability and nutrition while also being more cost-effective, regardless of cuisine or dish type. Conclusions: These findings suggest that shifting towards plant-based recipes made with whole-foods (e.g., vegetables, legumes, etc.) can improve micronutrient intake, reduce environmental impact, and lower costs, thus supporting sustainable dietary transitions and public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition))

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20 pages, 987 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Survey of Allergic Consumers and Allergists on Precautionary Allergen Labelling: Where Do We Go from Here?

by François Graham, Susan Waserman, Jennifer Gerdts, Beatrice Povolo, Yvette Bonvalot and Sébastien La Vieille

Nutrients 2025, 17(9), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091556 - 30 Apr 2025

Viewed by 225

Abstract

Background: Despite the widespread use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) by manufacturers, PAL is not always used consistently and can be a source of misinterpretation by consumers and allergists. Although its use is not specifically regulated in Canada, some voluntary guidelines exist. The aims of this study were to investigate allergic consumers’ and clinicians’ understanding of PAL, to describe consumers’ attitudes towards products with PAL, and to examine recommendations given by clinicians to their patients about these products. We also compared two groups of consumers enrolled in this study, since the majority of them (72%) were registered in the Food Allergy Canada database and the others (28%) came from representative consumers of the general population. Methods: An online survey was sent from 2 to 28 December 2021 to allergic consumers registered with Food Allergy Canada’s database and to a group of allergic consumers extracted from a panel representative of the general population and not registered with Food Allergy Canada (third-party panel). All consumer participants had a food allergy or were a parent/caregiver of a child with food allergy and had to be diagnosed by a medical professional. Considering that consumers registered via the Food Allergy Canada database could be more informed about labelling than the third-party consumer panel, we conducted a multivariate analysis (logistic regression) on the key variables related to PAL allowing to compare these two groups of participants. In addition, a separate online survey was sent to allergist members of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and provincial associations to investigate their understanding of PAL from 12 November 2021 to 16 January 2022. Results: A total of 1080 consumers and 63 allergists (29% of allergists in Canada) responded to the surveys. Fifty percent of consumers were adults with food allergy, and 50% were a parent/caregiver of a child with food allergy. Food allergy was diagnosed most commonly by an allergist in 76% of the cases. Fifty-four percent of consumers purchased products with a PAL statement at least occasionally, and more than half of consumers (53%) considered PAL a very useful tool. Most surveyed individuals (59%) had not heard of the term “individual allergen threshold” or had heard the term but did not know what it meant. The same allergic consumers were reluctant to buy food products with even a small amount of their allergen (i.e., a dose that would not trigger an allergic reaction in the vast majority of them). Half of allergists reported PAL was not useful in its current form, and 83% supported the consumption of foods with PAL to their patients in some circumstances. Conclusion: While most consumers are somewhat confident in the accuracy of ingredient information on pre-packaged foods, interpretation of PAL remains confusing by many allergic consumers. If changes are to be made based on allergen thresholds, a multi-stakeholder approach will be required with greater consumer and allergist education on risk assessment concepts to facilitate the implementation of allergen population thresholds into the application of PAL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition))

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12 pages, 218 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Health Professionals’ Knowledge and Views on the Use of Convenience Cooking Products: An Australian Cross-Sectional Study

by Natasha Brasington, Emma L. Beckett, Taiwo O. Akanbi and Penta Pristijono

Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071156 - 26 Mar 2025

Viewed by 399

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Convenience cooking foods have gained popularity as they reduce the time and effort spent on preparation. These types of products are often deemed unhealthy and low in nutrients. However, if these products had an adequate serving and variety of vegetables and healthful sources of protein, they could be a good time-efficient and cost-effective alternative. However, there is no established evidence on health professionals’ opinions and ideas about convenience cooking products, nor is their information whether if they consume them or recommend them to their patients/clients, or whether they could provide a solution when patients are confronted with decision fatigue. The objective of the present study is to define the opinions that health professionals have regarding convenience cooking products and their healthfulness, if they use these products themselves, if they recommend these products to clients, and their ideas regarding decision fatigue and the use of convenience cooking products. Methods: A cross-sectional survey analysed the opinions of 143 Australian health professional participants, including dietitians, nutritionists, and doctors on their use of the products, if they recommend them to their clients, their health opinions of the products and decision fatigue. Results: The findings indicate that 74.8% of the participants use convenience products. The participant’s professions (p = 0.0014) and their personal usage of the products (p = 0.0154) significantly correlated with their recommending these products. Additionally, 86.7% of participants believed that decision fatigue impacts food choices. Conclusion: These insights highlight the complex role of convenience cooking products in dietary practices, particularly for time-poor individuals, and provide insight into the potential for future improvements in the nutritional formulations of these products to enhance their acceptability among health professionals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition))

18 pages, 564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Children’s Adherence to Sustainable Healthy Diets During the Implementation of Chile’s Food Labelling and Advertising Law: A Longitudinal Study (2016–2019)

by Carolina Venegas Hargous, Liliana Orellana, Camila Corvalan, Steven Allender and Colin Bell

Nutrients 2025, 17(6), 1041; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061041 - 16 Mar 2025

Viewed by 648

Abstract

Objectives: This longitudinal study measured changes in adherence to sustainable healthy diets in 698 Chilean children (aged 3–6 years at baseline) over the period that Chile’s Food Labelling and Advertising Law was implemented. Methods: Dietary data were collected annually from 2016 to 2019 applying single multiple-pass 24 h dietary recalls to children’s primary caretakers. The Planetary Health Diet Index for Children and Adolescents (PHDI-C) was used to quantify adherence to sustainable healthy diets where higher scores indicate better adherence. Linear mixed models were fitted to estimate the change in PHDI-C total and individual component scores from 2016 to 2019. Results: Mean total PHDI-C score decreased from 50.1 points in 2016 to 46.3 and 46.1 in 2018 and 2019, respectively (p-value < 0.001), suggesting that children’s overall adherence to sustainable healthy diets was low and decreased over time. Intake of legumes, fruits, dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, and vegetable oils decreased, while intake of palm oil, red meats, and animal fats increased, resulting in small but significant declines in eight PHDI-C component scores. Whole cereal intake increased, while the consumption of dairy products and added sugars decreased, resulting in improvements in three PHDI-C component scores. Conclusions: Aside from the decrease in added sugar intake, all dietary changes observed in this study were consistent with trends described among children transitioning from pre-school age to school age. The Law might have contributed to reducing children’s added sugar intake, but further research is required to establish causality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition))

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23 pages, 3772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trajectories of Nutritional Quality, Diet-Related Environmental Impact, and Diet Cost in China: How Much Does Ultra-Processed Food and Drink Consumption Matter?

by Zhiyao Chang, Elise F. Talsma, Hongyi Cai, Shenggen Fan, Yuanying Ni, Xin Wen, Pieter van ‘t Veer and Sander Biesbroek

Nutrients 2025, 17(2), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020334 - 17 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1372

Abstract

Background: Rapid socio-economic developments confront China with a rising consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and ultra-processed drinks (UPDs). This study aims to evaluate their potential impact on diet transformation towards sustainability including nutrition, environmental sustainability, and diet-related cost. Methods: Dietary intake was assessed by 24 h recalls in 27,311 participants (age: 40.5 ± 19.7; female, 51.1%) in the China Health and Nutrition Survey 1997–2011. The nutrient quality, environmental sustainability (greenhouse gas emission (GHGE), total water use (TWU), land use (LU), and diet cost were assessed as diet-related sustainability indicators. Foods and drinks were classified according to the degree of processing based on NOVA. Two-level mixed effects models were applied to explore the secular trends of the sustainability indicators being nested within random effect (individual level). Results: UPFs and UPDs are less nutrient-dense, containing more energy, sodium, and added sugar compared to unprocessed or minimally processed foods and drinks (MPFs and MPDs). UPFs and UPDs were higher for GHGE and TWU but lower for LU. Costs of UPDs tripled those of MPDs. In the period of 1997–2011, the percentage of UPFs and UPDs per 2000 kcal increased for both sexes. The increase in UPFs and UPDs was associated with a lower nutrient quality but a higher environmental impact and diet cost. Conclusions: From 1997 to 2011, there was a significant increase in the consumption of UPFs and UPDs in China. This trend had negative impacts on both the nutrient quality and environmental impact; meanwhile, it led to increased diet costs. Policies to reduce the production and consumption of UPFs and UPDs should be reinforced by making alternatives for ultra-processed breakfast cereals, snacks, and alcoholic beverages available and acceptable. Additionally, instead of only focusing on high-UPFD consumers, attention is needed on the currently low-UPFD consumers as their consumption has been growing rapidly in the last decades. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors (2nd Edition))

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