Search Results (59)

Background/Objectives: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is associated with child obesity, an understudied issue in the southern United States, where obesity rates are the highest in the country. We examined the factors associated with high SSB intakes among children aged 2–12 years in two major cities in Louisiana, New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey. The sample consisted of caregivers of children aged 2–12 years who eat restaurant meals (either dine-in, delivery, or take-out) at least once a month and reside in or near New Orleans or Baton Rouge, LA. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with high child SSB intake frequency (≥4 times/week), including restaurant use, caregiver attitudes towards SSB, and their demographics (n = 1006). Results: Most caregivers reported weekly child SSB consumption (74.6% ≥ 1×/week; 38.1% ≥ 4+/week) and restaurant use (58.8% ≥ 1×/week). High SSB frequency (≥4+/week) was associated with a higher frequency of restaurant use, lower caregiver education, agreement with the statement that SSBs are an important part of family meals, and disagreement with the statement that restaurants should not offer SSBs with children’s meals (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results revealed a high frequency of SSB consumption among children who dine at restaurants monthly, with significant associations observed between SSB intake, restaurant meals, and pro-SSB attitudes. These findings may support the need for regulations, such as healthy default beverage policies for children’s menus, to potentially reduce SSB intake and shift social norms, particularly in regions with high childhood obesity rates like Louisiana and the southern USA. Full article

Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity affect a significant portion of the population and require adherence to a gluten-free diet. Dining in social settings, such as family events, workplace gatherings, or restaurants, makes it difficult to ensure that certain foods are gluten-free. Despite the availability of portable gluten testing devices, these instruments have high costs, disposable capsules, depend on user preparation and technique, and cannot analyze an entire meal or detect gluten levels below the legal thresholds, potentially leading to inaccurate results. In this study, we propose RGB (Recognition of Gluten in Bread), a novel deep learning-based method for automatically detecting gluten in bread images. RGB is a decision-support tool to help individuals with celiac disease make informed dietary choices. To develop this method, we curated and annotated three unique datasets of bread images collected from Pinterest, Instagram, and a custom dataset containing information about flour types. Fine-tuning pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on the Pinterest dataset, our best-performing model, ResNet50V2, achieved 77% accuracy and recall. Transfer learning was subsequently applied to adapt the model to the Instagram dataset, resulting in 78% accuracy and 77% recall. Finally, further fine-tuning the model on a significantly different dataset, the custom bread dataset, significantly improved the performance, achieving an accuracy of 86%, precision of 87%, recall of 86%, and F1-score of 86%. Our analysis further revealed that the model performed better on gluten-free flours, achieving higher accuracy scores for these types. This study demonstrates the feasibility of image-based gluten detection in bread and highlights its potential to provide a cost-effective non-invasive alternative to traditional testing methods by allowing individuals with celiac disease to receive immediate feedback on potential gluten content in their meals through simple food photography. Full article

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contributes to the risk of developing overweight and obesity in children and adults. Thus, reducing free sugar is a globally recognized public health priority. The implementation of a sugar tax is one way of achieving this goal. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between familiarity with the sugar tax and its importance in reducing obesity, the perceived health consequences of SSBs, situations and reasons for consumption, and the frequency of SSB consumption. A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2022 among 216 Polish adults (age 18–45). Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify three homogeneous clusters with regard to the perceived health consequences of consuming SSBs. A logistic regression model was used to verify the relationship between the frequency of SSB consumption (dependent variable) and other variables. Respondents with higher familiarity with the sugar tax (OR: 0.594; 95% CI: 0.42–0.85) and those in the “Unaware of disease” (OR: 0.437; 95% CI: 0.18–0.94) and “Disease-conscious” (OR: 0.484; 95% CI: 0.24–0.97) clusters were less likely to consume SSBs at least once per week than those in the “Moderately disease-conscious” cluster. Both the place of SSB consumption (i.e., restaurant—OR: 1.847; 95% CI: 1.14–3.64, work or university—OR: 3.217; 95% CI: 1.51–6.88, family home—OR: 2.877; 95% CI: 1.50–5.53) as well as a preference for their taste (OR: 4.54; 95% CI: 1.66–12.45) increased the chance of consuming SSBs at least once a week. In conclusion, it is necessary to continue educating the public about the health consequences of SSB consumption. The use of legislative measures (i.e., sugar tax) also contributes to reducing SSB consumption and can thus counteract the increasing obesity rate. Full article

This research tackled the food waste problem in Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on family restaurants, where this issue is evident. The study adopted a semi-structured survey, including structured and open-ended questions with family restaurants’ owner–manager/managers. The results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis showed that the most frequent types of food waste in family restaurants are starchy foods, especially bread and rice with a waste ratio above 50% of these items. Additionally, the average ratio of food waste was at least 20% of served food at sampled restaurants per customer. Three major reasons for this high rate of food waste were consumers’ behavior, e.g., positive attitude towards food waste; external factors, e.g., absence of a legal framework; and factors related to restaurants, e.g., food portion served and food cycle management. The results identified no applied strategies for handling food left over and reducing food waste at most (70%) of Saudi restaurants. This study calls for a national policy and program on managing food waste at Saudi family restaurants by adopting the 5Rs model for proper food waste management. Restaurants are encouraged to adopt green initiatives, such as “clean your plate” or “eat or waste” to stimulate their customers’ behavior for reducing their food waste and sustain the environment. This would support a green and circular economy. Full article

In this study, we present the first attempt at a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the entire family of Cordulegastridae involving 60% of its known species. Our analysis is in favor of reclassification of the members of the family into four genera: (i) the monophyletic genus Anotogaster Selys, 1854, with the number of known species reduced by three synonymizations; (ii) the genus Cordulegaster Leach in Brewster, 1815 including all members of the boltonii group and, as a preliminary solution, the American species C. virginiae Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2018 and, very tentatively, C. diadema Selys, 1868. The bidentata group forms a genus of its own, for which we restored the name Thecagaster Selys 1854, stat. rev. Cordulegaster pekinensis McLachlan in Selys, 1886, currently considered as Neallogaster pekinensis, was placed by us in Thecagaster as well. The genus Neallogaster Cowley, 1934 needs further investigation involving all remaining species listed in it. The genus Zoraena Kirby, 1890, stat. rev., was recovered to accommodate the remaining American species of Cordulegaster. We synonymized three species of Anotogaster: Anotogaster gregoryi Fraser, 1923 = Anotogaster xanthoptera Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogasterkuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster antehumeralis Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster cornutifrons Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov., based on examination of the existing type specimens. The type of specimens of A. klossi Fraser, 1919 = A. flaveola Lohmann 1993 syn. confirm., were also examined, and their synonymy was confirmed. The isolated populations of A. sieboldii (Selys, 1854) from the archipelagos of Okinawa and Amami Oshima in Japan, respectively, should be regarded as separate species, which will be described elsewhere. Furthermore, we suggest the synonymization of Cordulegaster parvistigma Selys 1873 syn. nov. with Thecagaster brevistigma (Selys 1854) comb. restaur. Full article

The aim of this study was to analyze the factors associated with overweight and obesity in a sample of university students. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical observational study conducted with undergraduate students at the main campus of the Federal University of Acre. The study included a total of 655 students, 58.3% being female and 41.7% male. The overweight was 48.9%, with higher rates among males (53.8%), those aged 30 years and older (76.6%), and those from families with incomes above three minimum wages (57.2%). Obesity was present in 18.2% of students, with higher rates among females (18.8%), those aged 30 years and older (34.2%), and 19.1% among those from families with incomes above three minimum wages. The age group of 30 years and older; non-utilization of the university restaurant; being female; and self-rated health as regular, poor, or very poor emerged as associated factors with overweight in university students in the adjusted final model. The same association pattern for obesity was observed, except for the variable of gender. The findings of this study point to a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among older university students, those who reported unfavorable self-rated health, and those who reported not consuming meals offered at the UR. Full article

This study aims to examine the influence of social customer relationship management (CRM) on relationship quality (RQ); the role of strategic information exchange capabilities (SIECs) as a mediator on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ was also investigated. A self-structured questionnaire survey was conducted on the subordinates working at various family-style restaurants in Egypt. Following a simple random sampling procedure, 466 valid responses were used for data analysis. The findings reveal that three dimensions of social CRM, namely customer service quality (CSQ), integrated marketing channels (IMCs), and online communities (OCs), have statistically significant effects on RQ. Moreover, SIECs mediate the relationship between CS/IMCs/OCs and RQ. The other two dimensions, rewards (RDs) and value-added services (VSs), do not directly or indirectly affect RQ. This study opens new avenues in the existing literature by identifying the most relevant factors affecting RQ in the context of Egyptian restaurants. This study can enable policymakers and restaurant owners to formulate social CRM strategies and achieve customer satisfaction properly. This study explores the mediation mechanism of SIECs on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ. Full article

In highly developed countries, more and more people use culinary services. Cooking at home, for the family, is giving way to culinary services. Consumers either order food home or use the offers of restaurants and bars. Consumers’ choice of culinary form may be influenced by cooking television programs. Many TV stations broadcast cooking programs. This study examined the impact of television culinary programs on consumer behavior in the restaurant services market. The article examines the interplay of emotional responses, personality traits, and culinary preferences to understand how TV cooking programs influence dining decisions. The study was conducted using the CAWI method, which involved 742 respondents. The study, conducted between May 2021 and April 2022, was addressed to people who visited restaurants presented in the Polish culinary TV show titled “Kitchen Revolutions”. The study revealed that almost 3/4 of the respondents chose restaurants based on the program’s recommendations. Although there was a strong emotional connection with this program—nearly half of the respondents expressed delight in the taste of snacks and main courses—this did not always translate into an increased frequency of eating meals away from home. Only every third respondent said that the program influenced their gastronomic behavior. The research hypotheses examined the extent to which culinary TV shows influence the frequency of visits to restaurants, the perceived quality of life, and the influence on consumers with specific personality traits. The results partially supported the hypothesis that cooking programs on television encourage people to eat out more often, but the perceived impact on quality of life and on some personality traits was less clear. The article contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior in the food service market by highlighting the complex dynamics of emotional reactions, personality traits, and the impact of culinary television programs. The findings have practical implications for the restaurant industry, suggesting a focus on emotional impact, food quality and presentation, and targeting marketing strategies towards consumers who are open to new experiences and ready to experiment. Full article

Sugar-induced metabolic imbalances are a major health problem since an excessive consumption of saccharides has been linked to greater obesity rates at a global level. Sucrose, a disaccharide composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, is commonly used in the food industry and found in a range of fast, restaurant, and processed foods. Herein, we investigated the effects of a TRPC4/TRPC5 blocker, ML204, in the metabolic imbalances triggered by early exposure to sucrose-enriched diet in mice. TRPC4 and TRPC5 belong to the family of non-selective Ca⁺² channels known as transient receptor potential channels. High-sucrose (HS)-fed animals with hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia, were accompanied by increased body mass index. mesenteric adipose tissue accumulation with larger diameter cells and hepatic steatosis in comparison to those fed normal diet. HS mice also exhibited enhanced adipose, liver, and pancreas TNFα and VEGF levels. ML204 exacerbated hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, fat tissue deposition, hepatic steatosis, and adipose tissue and liver TNFα in HS-fed mice. Normal mice treated with the blocker had greater hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue cell numbers/diameter than those receiving vehicle, but showed no significant changes in tissue inflammation, glucose, and lipid levels. The results indicate that TRPC4/TRPC5 protect against the metabolic imbalances caused by HS ingestion. Full article

The magnitude and relevance of food allergies in the preschool population remain unknown in most regions of Mexico and Latin America. Thus, our aim was to estimate the parent-reported prevalence of food allergies in a Mexican preschool population and to characterize their clinical diagnosis and presentation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Culiacán City. A validated questionnaire was utilized. A total of 810 parents responded to the questionnaire (valid response rate, 40.7%). The estimated prevalence rates (95% CI) were: “physician-diagnosed Food Allergy (FA), ever” 5.30% (3.86–7.08); “immediate-type FA, ever” 2.96% (1.91–4.38); “immediate-type FA, current” 1.60% (0.86–2.73); and food-dependent anaphylaxis 1.11% (0.51–2.01). The main food allergens were milk (0.49%), strawberries (0.37%), egg, and soy (0.25% each). Atopic diseases and a family history of allergies were significantly associated with immediate-type FA. Among “immediate-type FA, current” cases, 76.9% required emergency room visits, but the prescription of epinephrine autoinjectors was reported in one case only. The food reactions occurred at home (92.35%), in a relative’s house (38.5), and at restaurants (23%). Immediate-type FA reactions requiring emergency room visits are not uncommon among the studied population. Actions like proper anaphylaxis management and the prevention of cross-contamination of foods should be encouraged. Full article

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of the countries that heavily rely on expatriates, especially in the private sector, which includes restaurants. However, to overcome the increasing rate of unemployment, the government has adopted new quota up to 50% Saudi Arabian people in restaurants. Notwithstanding, Saudization has been more successful in public sectors than it has been in the private sector. The current study undertook a sequential mixed method approach, starting with a questionnaire for newly joined local workers in restaurants and supplemented with in-depth interviews with managers. The main purpose of the questionnaire was to understand how new local workers perceive their new jobs/careers in restaurants, while the managers’ interviews explored the challenges encountered in the effective implementation of the new quota in restaurants. The results of questionnaire showed that local workers had negative perceptions about their new jobs/careers. They perceived it as a “bad” and “disrespected” job and reported overall dissatisfaction with their new job. Newly joined local workers consider restaurant positions as a “transit job”, with no intention to continue it as a career or even recommend it to their friends and family members. Managers, on the other hand, identified six main challenges that are associated with this, albeit they are linked to the absence of a clear strategic framework and executive plan by the government for the effective implementation of the new quota. The plan has to clearly focus on the employability and mitigate the wrong assumption about working in restaurants due to cultural and social impacts. The plan should consider the needs of both employers and employees to promote sustainable career among local workers, which ultimately influences the sustainable development of restaurants in the KSA. Full article

The authentication of food products and the verification of their identity are of major importance for consumers. Food fraud through mislabeling is an illegal practice consisting of the substitution of an expensive food product by a relatively cheaper one, misleading false labelling of their origin and adulteration in processed or frozen products. This issue is particularly of high importance concerning fish and seafood, which are easily adulterated primarily due to difficult morphological identification. Fish species of the Mullidae family are considered among the most high-valued seafood products traded in Greece and Eastern Mediterranean in general, in terms of the price and demand. Specifically, the red mullet (Mullus barbatus) and the striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) are both indigenous in the Aegean (FAO Division 37.3.1) and the Ionian (FAO Division 37.2.2) Seas, with high levels of consumers’ preferences. However, they could be easily adulterated or misidentified by the invasive Aegean Sea Lessepsian migrator goldband goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) as well as by the imported West African goatfish (Pseudupeneus prayensis). Keeping this in mind, we designed two novel, time-saving and easy-to-apply multiplex PCR assays and one multiple Melt–Curve analysis real-time PCR for the identification of these four species. These methodologies are based on species-specific primers targeting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected via sequencing analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (CO1) and of the cytochrome b (CYTB) genes in newly collected individuals, with additional comparison with congeneric and conspecific haplotypes obtained from the GenBank database. Both methodologies, targeting CO1 or CYTB, utilize one common and four diagnostic primers, producing amplicons of different length that are easily and reliably separated on agarose gel electrophoresis, yielding a single clear band of diagnostic size for each species or a certain Melt–Curve profile. The applicability of this cost-effective and fast methodology was tested in 328 collected specimens, including 10 cooked samples obtained from restaurants. In the vast majority (327 out of the 328) of the specimens tested, one single band was produced, in agreement with the expected products with a single exception a M. barbatus sample that was identified as M. surmuletus, the identity of which was confirmed using sequencing, indicating erroneous morphological identification. The developed methodologies are expected to contribute to the detection of commercial fraud in fish authentication. Full article

The Mediterranean diet (MD), a well-established quality diet model, and regular physical activity are associated with reducing the appearance or progression of several chronic diseases and reducing morbidity and mortality. However, reduction of these goals, adherence to the MD, and regular physical activity occur at all ages, including older individuals in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, where at least adherence to the MD is culturally rooted. Objective: To evaluate the degree of adherence to the MD and physical activity in older individuals. Methods: The sample comprises 679 older adults aged 60 and over who attended activities in municipal centers for older adults in Valencia. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, frequency of physical activity, and anthropometric assessment were used. Results: High adherence (score ≥ 9) to MD was observed only in 23.7% of the study sample. Smoking habits or having meals in fast-food restaurants on a weekly basis were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with lower MD adherence. Age, BMI, marital status, and physical activity were not significantly associated with MD adherence. Physical activity was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in individuals who were divorced or widow/ers and in those taking care of their grandchildren several times a week. Conclusions: Adherence to the MD in a big Spanish city is low among older individuals. Socio-family factors seem to play a role. Public health and governmental strategies should reinforce adherence to the MD among older individuals as a gold standard for nutrition. Full article

Agritourism is not a new phenomenon; moreover, it has increased significantly over the past decade and is expected to continue growing in the future. Despite this growth, there is no shared understanding of agritourism, which is problematic because it creates confusion and diminishes its appeal among consumers, thereby impeding communication and collaboration between stakeholders. Agritourism activities can be carried out on a microscale in rural areas by families and agricultural practitioners or on a large scale by hotels, restaurants, and catering firms. Despite many developing countries’ agricultural potential, agritourism has not been inserted into development plans in these countries. Only agritourism in small accommodation enterprises is carried out on a microscale by rural families. This study seeks to test the relationship between the positive impacts of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation and agritourism performance, with the mediating effects of support for P2P accommodations and organizational citizenship behavior towards P2P accommodations. The data were derived from 300 Airbnb consumers and hosts of agritourism accommodations in the eastern province of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results of “Structural Equation Modeling” (SEM) via the “Partial least squares” (PLS) showed a positive direct relationship between peer-to-peer accommodation and agritourism performance with a significant mediating role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior and a positive moderating role of information on Agritourism destinations. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Full article

This study examined consumers’ change in perception related to food delivery using big data before and after the COVID-19 crisis. This study identified words closely associated with the keyword “food delivery” based on big data from social media and investigated consumers’ perceptions of and needs for food delivery and related issues before and after COVID-19. Results were derived through analysis methods such as text mining analysis, Concor analysis, and sentiment analysis. The research findings can be summarized as follows: In 2019, frequently appearing dining-related words were “dining-out,” “delivery,” “famous restaurant,” “delivery food,” “foundation,” “dish,” “family order,” and “delicious.” In 2021, these words were “delivery,” “delivery food,” “famous restaurant,” “foundation,” “COVID-19,” “dish,” “order,” “application,” and “family.” The analysis results for the food delivery sentimental network based on 2019 data revealed discourses revolving around delicious, delivery food, lunch box, and Korean food. For the 2021 data, discourses revolved around delivery food, recommend, and delicious. The emotional analysis, which extracted positive and negative words from the “food delivery” search word data, demonstrated that the number of positive keywords decreased by 2.85%, while negative keywords increased at the same rate. In addition, compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era, a weakening trend in positive emotions and an increasing trend in negative emotions were detected after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; sub-emotions under the positive category (e.g., good feelings, joy, interest) decreased in 2021 compared to 2019, whereas sub-emotions under the negative category (e.g., sadness, fear, pain) increased. Full article