Search Results (86)

Purpose/Background: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that deploy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems face a persistent paradox: although ERP centralises organisational data, frontline users frequently lack the technical expertise to navigate complex menu structures, preventing efficient information retrieval for decision-making. This study presents a preliminary Research and Development (R&D) effort to design, build, and qualitatively evaluate a prototype intelligent question-answering system that connects to Odoo ERP through application programming interfaces (APIs) via Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), enabling natural-language access to real SME business data. Methods: A single-organisation R&D case study was conducted at an SME in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. The development cycle comprised problem analysis and requirement specification, system architecture design, prototype construction, integration and deployment, iterative testing and refinement, and multidimensional evaluation. The prototype was implemented with Chainlit (conversational interface), FastAPI (orchestration and tool-calling layer), and Odoo XML-RPC/JSON-RPC APIs (structured data retrieval). A fixed set of 20 test questions spanning four complexity levels (easy, moderate, complex, out-of-scope) was evaluated by three automated tools (OpenAI Evals, DeepEval, Ragas), by real-task verification against live ERP data, by five domain experts using 5-point Likert-scale questionnaires, and by three end users from the case-study organisation, who additionally completed the System Usability Scale (SUS). Given the very small expert and user samples, all human evaluation results are reported descriptively as preliminary, exploratory indicators rather than as statistically generalisable measures. Results: Automated evaluation achieved indicative pass rates of 95.00% (OpenAI Evals, 19/20), 90.00% (Ragas, 18/20), and 85.00% (DeepEval, 17/20). Descriptive expert feedback (n = 5) yielded an overall mean of 3.82 (high level), and descriptive end-user feedback (n = 3) yielded an overall satisfaction mean of 4.33 (highest level). The SUS score was 66.67/100, sitting at the boundary between ‘OK’ and ‘Good’ and revealing a divergence between high stated satisfaction and lower confidence in independent system use (item 9, raw mean = 2.33) and a stronger perceived need for expert assistance (item 4, raw mean = 2.67). These results are interpreted as preliminary diagnostic signals for further development rather than as confirmatory evidence. Conclusions: This preliminary R&D study suggests that a RAG-based ERP chatbot can meaningfully simplify ERP data access for SME users, while exposing persistent gaps in multi-step reasoning, user confidence, and data privacy boundaries that must be addressed in subsequent development cycles. The SUS pattern, in particular, suggests a ‘novelty effect’ in which users are enthusiastic about the natural-language interface yet remain anxious about correctness and stability during real tasks. Originality/Value: This work contributes a transparent, replicable preliminary R&D blueprint that combines (i) live API-mediated RAG over structured ERP data, (ii) a complementary multi-tool automated evaluation set (OpenAI Evals + DeepEval + Ragas), (iii) descriptive expert and end-user feedback, and (iv) SUS-based usability assessment, all documented for a single Thai SME using Odoo 18. The study explicitly positions itself as an early step toward larger, multi-site, and on-premise deployments of trustworthy ERP-integrated conversational agents. Full article

This study explores the role of organic food within sustainable tourism in Slovenia, with particular attention to consumer expectations, trust in organic certification, willingness to pay a price premium, and the interpretation of sustainability labels, especially the Slovenia Green scheme. Data were collected through an online survey conducted in Slovenia in 2025 (n = 324) and analysed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and exploratory factor analysis to examine key dimensions of sustainable tourism perceptions. The results show that organic food is generally recognised as an important element of sustainable tourism and is most often associated with environmental protection, health benefits, and food safety. The study also identified a clear gap between consumer expectations and certification requirements, as many respondents associated the Slovenia Green label with certified organic dishes, although organic food is not mandatory within the scheme. Consumer trust in organic food was moderate to high, and most respondents expressed willingness to pay a price premium for certified organic menu items, indicating market potential within the tourism and hospitality sector. The findings highlight the need for clearer communication of certification scope, better alignment between sustainability labels and consumer expectations, and targeted education and capacity building among tourism providers. Overall, organic food remains an underutilised but strategically relevant component of sustainable tourism development in Slovenia. Full article

Food recommender systems are pivotal in helping people make optimal dietary choices based on tremendous amounts of data. Extant studies offer different methods and techniques, but the combination of similarity search, large language models (LLMs), and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) remains underexplored. This study proposes a new system that leverages all three. First, we utilize an LLM to suggest queries from the same domain as the dish database. Then, the queries are vectorized and used for similarity search to generate a preliminary list of suggested menu items. Next, multiple LLMs provide scores for each item, which become the MCDM inputs, where Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) enhances the weighted sum scalarization technique. We evaluated the prototype on three publicly available dish datasets and at classification thresholds of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75, and the proposed domain-adaptation approach consistently outperformed the baseline query. For example, at the 0.50 threshold, precision ranged from 49.11% to 56.60%, compared with 35.40% for the baseline. Furthermore, aggregating multiple LLMs mitigates single-model bias in recommendations. To substantiate this, a bootstrap evaluation of the proposed LCCC-based consensus weighting confirms that both the estimated weights and the induced rankings are numerically stable under sampling perturbations. To further ensure the robustness and reliability of the proposed system, we validate the results against other established weighting schemes and state-of-the-art MCDM methods. Moreover, Kendall’s $\tau$-based comparisons across weighting schemes and multiple MCDM methods confirm that the proposed LCCC-based framework produces highly consistent and statistically significant rankings, demonstrating strong robustness to methodological choices. This paper contributes a system architecture and design that can be adopted for other domains of recommender systems where the capability of multiple LLMs can benefit complex and multifaceted decision-making processes. Full article

Background/Objectives: The university stage is a critical period for consolidating dietary habits that influence future health. University canteens therefore play a key role in providing menus aligned with nutritional recommendations. As menu composition shapes students’ access to healthy food, its evaluation also has equity implications. This study aimed to apply a newly designed questionnaire—the COMUNI questionnaire—intended to provide a rapid, user-friendly, and transferable method for evaluating the dietary quality of lunch menus offered in university canteens. Methods: Two versions of the 13-item COMUNI questionnaire were developed: COMUNI-1 for single-option menus and COMUNI-2 for menus offering multiple first- and second-course choices. The tool evaluates the frequency of key food groups, the availability of water and wholegrain bread, and the variety of foods and culinary techniques. To test the questionnaire, it was applied to 34 menu templates from university residences, colleges, and cafeterias. Results: 85.3% of menus showed deficient dietary quality, and 14.7% were rated as improvable; none achieved an optimal score. Menus managed by catering companies obtained significantly higher scores than those under direct management. Most frequently shortcomings included insufficient offerings of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wholegrain bread, alongside a frequent presence of refined carbohydrate sources and fried or ultra-processed foods. Conclusions: Universities should incorporate adherence to dietary recommendations as a key criterion in food-service procurement. The COMUNI questionnaire provides a simple and operational tool for assessing menu quality, supporting both diagnosis and monitoring of university food-service, once formally validated. Its use may also help identify structural disparities in access to healthy foods across campus settings, supporting more equitable food-service policies. Full article

Background: Food-allergic reactions in restaurants often result from miscommunication between customers with allergies and staff, or from staff members’ insufficient knowledge of food allergies. This study examined the behaviors, attitudes, and risk perceptions of food-allergic consumers when dining out or ordering from foodservice establishments (FSEs) compared to consumers without food allergies. Methods: A representative pan-Canadian survey was conducted amongst three groups: one of individuals without food allergies (n = 500) and two of food-allergic individuals (allergic-convenience sample [n = 500] and allergic-general population [n = 500]). The convenience sample comprised members of Food Allergy Canada, a national patient advocacy organization. Some participants with food allergies had experienced reactions linked to an FSE (43% convenience, 27% general). Weighted responses from food-allergic groups were compared to those of non-allergic ones using chi-square (p < 0.05). Statistical comparison between allergic groups was not attempted due to inherent differences in their allergic condition. Results: In several questions, responses from the non-allergic group differed significantly from those of the allergic-convenience sample, but not from those of the allergic-general population. Food-allergic-convenience respondents were more likely to avoid ordering food or dining out than non-allergic ones, with the highest avoidance (66%) noted for third-party platforms. Cost was the main barrier for non-allergic and allergic-general populations, whereas the allergic-convenience sample prioritized allergy-related concerns. Although at a lower rate than for participants with food allergies, food allergies influenced restaurant selection for 44% of participants without food allergies when dining with individuals outside their household. Most allergic respondents perceived that FSEs underestimate the seriousness of food allergies (82% convenience, 71% general), yet they felt safe while dining out (60% convenience, 85% general), pointing at loyalty to specific FSEs as a risk mitigation strategy. Conclusions: This study highlights a potentially higher burden of disease (psychological and social strain, reduced quality of life) among a subgroup of the food-allergic population (convenience sample), as reflected in their behaviors, attitudes, and risk perceptions towards meals prepared in FSEs. Nevertheless, both allergic groups expressed shared concerns and needs related to safety (e.g., ingredient disclosure for all menu items, prevention of allergen cross-contact, ability of an FSE to offer a safe meal, establishing clear communication processes for allergy-related information), which FSEs and regulators should consider when designing risk management strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Military Service Members (SMs) require optimal nutrition to support health, readiness, and job performance. However, they often fall short of meeting nutrition guidelines. This study aimed to determine the impact and feasibility of implementing the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) “Fueled to Fight^®” (F2F) nutrition program in non-appropriated fund (NAF) food venues. Objectives included evaluating changes in Military Nutrition Environment Assessment Tool (mNEAT) scores, feasibility of implementing and maintaining F2F strategies, and influence on customer purchasing patterns. Methods: Researchers conducted a pre-post interventional study from January to December 2024 at three NAF food venues across two USMC bases. F2F strategies, including identifying items using a stoplight color coding system (Green = healthy, Yellow = less healthy, Red = least healthy), menu revisions, food placement, promotion, and marketing, were implemented. Data included mNEAT assessments, sales reports, and stakeholder focus groups. Generalized Estimating Equations models were used to analyze sales data. Results: mNEAT scores increased across all venues post-intervention. Availability and sales of Green items increased, while sales of Red items decreased in some venues. Profit increased at all three food venues. Focus groups revealed feasibility and provided insights for future interventions. Conclusions: F2F interventions in NAF food venues are feasible and can positively impact the food environment and customer purchasing patterns without negatively affecting profit. This study highlights the importance of integrating nutrition programs into all military food venues, not just government-funded dining facilities, to support the nutritional fitness and readiness of SMs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite evidence on the association between marketing unhealthy foods to children (M2K) and negative health outcomes, M2K remains widespread in Canada. To support mandatory restrictions, Health Canada has prioritized a monitoring strategy to assess the current state of M2K, identify gaps, and establish a baseline for future policy evaluation. This study aimed to support this initiative by updating the University of Toronto (UofT) Food Classification List and evaluating the proportion of foods and beverages in the Canadian grocery and restaurant food supply that would be permitted or restricted from M2K under Health Canada’s proposed nutrient profile model. Methods: Grocery items from the UofT Food Label Information Price 2020 (n = 24,949) and restaurant menu items from Menu-Food Label Information Price 2020 (n = 14,286) databases were evaluated using Health Canada’s M2K nutrient profile model, which assesses foods solely based on thresholds for added sodium, sugars, and saturated fat. The proportion of items permitted for or restricted from M2K was determined overall and by food and menu categories for grocery and restaurant items, respectively. Results: The updated UofT List contained n = 24,494 grocery items and n = 14,286 menu items. Overall, 83% (n = 32,664/39,235) of foods and beverages in the 2020 Canadian food supply would be restricted from M2K. Among grocery items, 23% (n = 5630) would be permitted and 77% (n = 19,202) would be restricted from M2K. Among restaurant items, only 6% (n = 837) would be permitted and 94% (n = 13,442) restricted. Conclusions: The updated UofT List supports Health Canada’s monitoring strategy and highlights the large proportion of unhealthy products in the Canadian food supply that are currently still permitted for M2K. While Health Canada’s M2K nutrient profile model is stringent, gaps remain that could allow continued M2K exposure under the current proposed policy. Ongoing monitoring and policy refinement are essential to effectively protect children from M2K and its harmful effects. Full article

The complexity of companies in the restaurant industry is clear, and various techniques can be used to make decisions. The analysis of performance and the optimization of restaurant menus are considered important, which is why several approaches can be used. The objective of this study is to achieve financial sustainability in the restaurant industry through menu performance analysis and identifying strategies to improve menu profitability. A qualitative methodology of a dual case study was adopted by comparing a restaurant within a hotel and a street restaurant. The results show that for restaurant owners and managers, these approaches are useful, simple, and pertinent for measuring the performance of the restaurant menu and consequently improving results. The originality of this research lies in the fact that three analysis models were applied simultaneously, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the profitability of the menus being analyzed. This study identified the most profitable items for each restaurant and the items that needed to be changed to contribute more to the profitability of the restaurant’s menu, resulting in practical implications. Through theoretical implications, this study corrects the limited knowledge about performance through the restaurant menu, creating a starting point for knowledge spreading to society. In conclusion, this research is one of the first to bridge the gap between theory and practice, taking several approaches to assess restaurant menu performances, which can be useful in restaurants to promote sustainability. Full article

Background: Vegan/vegetarian (VEG) restaurants and VEG options in omnivore (OMNI) restaurants may serve unhealthful plant-based food that may be more harmful than a typical American diet. Methods: A sample of 561 restaurants with online menus were analyzed over a 3-year period. Each plant-based menu entrée was counted, up to a maximum of ten entrées per restaurant, meaning that a restaurant customer could select from ten or more healthful plant-based choices. Entrées containing refined grains (e.g., white rice and refined flour), saturated fat (e.g., palm oil and coconut oil), or deep-fried foods were counted as zero. Results: We evaluated 278 VEG and 283 OMNI restaurants. A full menu (10 or more plant-based entrées) was available in 59% of the VEG, but only 16% of the OMNI (p < 0.0001). Zero healthful options occurred in 27% of OMNI, but only 14% of VEG (p = 0.0002). The mean healthy entrée count for all restaurants was 3.2, meaning that, on average, there were only about three healthful plant-based choices of entrées on the menu, significantly more in VEG (4.0 vs. 2.4 p < 0.0001). The most common entrée reduction was for refined grains (e.g., white flour in veggie-burger buns or white rice in Asian entrées, n = 1408), followed by fried items (n = 768) and saturated fat (n = 318). VEG restaurants had a significantly higher frequency of adequate VEG options (≥7 options, 24% vs. 13%, p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Restaurants listed as VEG have a slightly higher number of healthful entrées than OMNI restaurants, which offer more limited vegan/vegetarian options. Given the published relationship between unhealthful dietary patterns, chronic illness, and mortality, we propose that detailed nutrition facts be publicly available for every restaurant. Full article

Background/Objective: Research shows that obesity has risen among rehabilitation patients. Despite this, nutrition care in subacute rehabilitation wards focuses primarily on preventing and treating protein-energy malnutrition. The continued provision of energy-dense meals during lengthy rehabilitation admissions may present a risk of overnutrition for some patients, which can adversely affect functional outcomes. However, overnutrition is not routinely monitored in practice. This study summarizes the initial findings of a multi-site investigation of overnutrition incidence across five rehabilitation wards to scope the need for future research. Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted, including all inpatients admitted over 3 months to the study wards with a complete dataset (total sample n = 199). Data were collected from the medical record and menu management system to determine overnutrition, defined as an average daily energy intake equal to or greater than 1000 kJ above estimated requirements and weight gain of equal to or greater than 1 kg over the admission. Results: The incidence of overnutrition in the total sample was 12.1%. Of those patients deemed at low risk of malnutrition (n = 124), 19.4% developed overnutrition during their rehabilitation admission. Those who developed overnutrition during their admission gained an average of 2.9 kg, with a mean excess energy intake of 2456 kJ/day above estimated requirements. They also consumed a high intake of discretionary items (mean of 3156 kJ/day). Conclusions: The findings suggest that further research is needed to investigate the etiology and impact of the overlooked problem of overnutrition in subacute rehabilitation settings. Future investigation is essential to ensure that the planning and delivery of subacute dietetic and food services meet the nutrition needs of patients in longer-stay inpatient settings. Full article

School meals play a critical role in supporting students’ biopsychosocial growth, development, learning, academic performance, and the establishment of healthy eating habits. In public institutions, food procurement is conducted through formal public procurement processes. However, emphasizing cost-effectiveness in bidding criteria, such as prioritizing the lowest product price, may inadvertently encourage the acquisition of foods high in critical nutrients. In Brazil, specific guidelines for public school food procurement have been introduced to improve the nutritional quality of foods included in school menus. Objective: To evaluate the impact of legislative measures and regulations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on the nutritional composition of school meals provided by federal high schools in Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil. It also compared the composition and origin of foods procured before and after the pandemic. Methods: This is a longitudinal observational panel study conducted across 20 federal schools. Procurement documents from 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2021 (post-pandemic) were analyzed to assess changes in the nutritional profile of procured foods. Results: Post-pandemic, the procurement of natural and minimally processed and processed foods increased, representing 73.39% and 10.34%, respectively, of the total approved foods. There was also a 39% reduction in ultra-processed foods compared to 2019, in addition to a reduction in culinary ingredients. Additionally, the proportion of foods containing excessive levels of critical nutrients declined. A significant shift was observed in the origin of procured foods, with a notable increase in the purchase of locally sourced items. Conclusions: The findings indicate a positive shift in the nutritional quality of foods procured after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a decrease in ultra-processed food purchases and an increase in the procurement of natural and minimally processed options. Nonetheless, the continued presence of ultra-processed foods and items with excessive critical nutrients highlights the need for further improvements in public procurement practices to fully align with nutritional guidelines. Full article

To promote sustainable food choices, it is essential to provide easily understandable information that integrates health, environmental impacts and planetary boundaries. For this purpose, the Planet Health Conformity Index (PHC) was developed and tested. Current labels, such as the Nutri-Score for health and the Eco-Score for environmental impacts, provide separate information, which may result in consumers receiving conflicting messages. The PHC combines these dimensions into a single label, aligning with consumer demand for clearer guidance and fostering sustainable food consumption and development. Methods: The PHC assesses 18 nutrients and five environmental impacts—Global Warming Potential (GWP), cropland use, freshwater use, nitrogen application (N-min) and phosphorus application (P-min)—within the framework of planetary boundaries. Six different algorithm designs, varying in capping and weighting, were tested on 125 food products from the German market. The analysis compared mass-, energy- and multi-nutrient-based functional units. Results: Under mass- and energy-based units, many products meet planetary boundaries. However, incorporating nutrient profiles often leads to exceeding these boundaries (exceedance rate PHC: GWP: 38% of products transgressed the boundary, cropland use: 41%, freshwater use: 27%, N-min: 34%, P-min: 71%). Accordingly, the PHC contextualizes nutritional strengths and weaknesses environmentally. Moreover, it disaggregates the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) at the nutrient level, facilitating adaptation to individual nutritional needs. Conclusions: Traditional food Life Cycle Assessments should include nutrients in the functional unit and consider planetary boundaries to enable more accurate food comparisons. The PHC presented here takes these aspects into account. In addition, its dual-factor approach, integrating health and environmental metrics, ensures broad applicability. Thus, the PHC Index can be applied not only to single food items but also to recipes, dishes, menus and entire diets. Full article

Introducing grain legumes, i.e., pulses, into any food pattern effectively increases dietary fiber and other bioactive food components of public health concern; however, the impact depends on the amount consumed. Given the convergence of preclinical and clinical data indicating that intake of at least 300 g (1.5 cup) of cooked pulse per day has clinically observable benefit, the feasibility for a typical consumer was demonstrated by creation of a fourteen-day menu plan that met this criterion. This menu plan, named Bean Cuisine, was comprised of a combination of five cooked pulses: dry beans, chickpeas, cowpeas, dry peas, and lentils. As reported herein, the impact of each menu day of the fourteen-day plan on gut microbial composition and predicted function was evaluated in female C57BL/6J mice, a strain commonly used in studies of metabolic dysfunction-associated chronic diseases. We report that pulse-related effects were observed across a wide variety of food item combinations. In comparison to a pulse-free human cuisine, all pulse menu days enriched for a gut ecosystem were associated with changes in predicted metabolic pathways involving amino acids (lysine, tryptophan, cysteine), short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate), and vitamins (B₁, B₆, B₉, B₁₂, K₂) albeit via different combinations of microbiota, according to the PICRUSt2 estimates. The predicted metabolic functions correlating with the various pulses in the menus, indicate the value of a food pattern comprised of all pulse types consumed on a regular basis. This type of multi-pulse food pattern has the potential to enhance the taxonomic and functional diversity of the gut microbiome as a means of strengthening the resilience of the gut ecosystem to the challenges associated with the daily activities of living. Full article

This cross-sectional study aims to explore the dietary patterns and associated factors of adolescents, which are often overlooked in nutrition data systems. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 304 participants aged 10 to 19 in rural northern Thailand, utilizing both open recall and list-based 24 h recall techniques, with the data recorded online. Dietary diversity (DD) was assessed using ten food groups as per the Food and Agricultural Organization guidelines. We employed binary logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Most participants consumed items from the grains, white roots, and tubers food group, while the nuts, seeds, and pulses food group was the least consumed. The mean number of food groups consumed was 5.23 ± 0.12, with no significant differences across gender and age groups, and participants reporting no influence of mass media on food choices were more likely to have inadequate DD (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI 1.38–6.28). Conversely, those not influenced by social media when choosing food (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.21–0.96), who felt relaxed during meals (AOR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.19–0.59), and with no role in family meal decisions (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.31–0.95) were less likely to have inadequate dietary diversity. We suggest that assisting adolescents with mealtime management and involving them in selecting healthy menus could improve their dietary variety. Moreover, future research should further investigate these mechanisms to inform strategies for improving DD in this age group. Full article

Two U.S. cities require chain restaurants to label menu items that exceed 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for sodium, informing consumers and potentially prompting restaurant reformulation. To inform policy design for other localities, this study determined the percentage of the top 91 U.S. chain restaurants’ menu items that would be labeled if a warning policy were established for menu items exceeding the thresholds of 20%, 33%, 50%, 65%, and 100% of the sodium DV for adults. We obtained U.S. chain restaurants’ nutrition information from the 2019 MenuStat database and calculated the percentage of items requiring sodium warning labels across the food and beverage categories at all the restaurants and at the full- and limited-service restaurants separately. In total, 19,038 items were included in the analyses. A warning label covering items with >20%, >33%, >50%, >65%, and >100% of the sodium DV resulted in expected coverage of 42%, 30%, 20%, 13%, and 5% of menu items at all the restaurants, respectively. At each threshold, the average percentage of items labeled per restaurant was higher among the full-service restaurants than the limited-service restaurants. These results suggest that restaurant warning policies with a threshold of 100% of the sodium DV per item would cover a minority of high-sodium menu items and that lower thresholds should be considered to help U.S. consumers reduce their sodium consumption. Full article