Search Results (10)

Background: Capturing the healthfulness of mixed dishes per serving can be a challenge. Objectives: To develop a Nutrient Density Calculator (NDC) for mixed dishes to guide recipe innovation and reformulation. Methods: Recipe files and nutrient composition data for mixed dishes came from the US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS 2021–2023). Included were mixed dishes with meat, poultry, seafood, grains, vegetables or legumes as their main ingredient, Asian and Mexican dishes, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, and nuts and seeds (n = 1570). Observed servings as consumed came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (NHANES 2017–2020/2021 –2023). The NDC version 643 had three components: NR6 based on six nutrients to encourage (protein, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D); MP4 based on ingredients (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds); and LIM based on three nutrients to limit (saturated fat, added or total sugar, sodium). An abbreviated version, NDC343, used NR3 (protein, fiber, calcium). Alternative NDC models tested different component weights. Nutrient density was calculated per serving. Results: Both NDC643 and NDC343 gave higher scores to vegetables, pulses, and nuts and lower scores to meat-based dishes. Equal weighting of the three components produced NDC scores that were correlated with Nutri-Score (r = −0.64 for NDC343 and −0.70 for NDC643) and Health Star Rating values (r = −0.74 for NDC343 and −0.75 for NDC643). Correlations with energy density were −0.25 for NDC343 and −0.33 for NDC643. The NDC643 model was sensitive to recipe improvements for a variety of mixed dishes—more so than the Nutri-Score or the Health Star Rating. Conclusion: The three-component NDC model, combining both nutrients and ingredients, successfully captured nutrient density of mixed dishes and was sensitive to recipe improvements. Full article

Interest in plant-based milk is rapidly growing worldwide. However, several challenges remain, such as low consumer acceptance, difficulty in matching cow milk’s nutritional profile, and poor stability. Since various groups benefit from consuming plant-based options, addressing these challenges is crucial. This study aimed to analyze plant sources used in plant-based milk, evaluating their chemical, technological, and sensory characteristics, as well as processing methods and emerging trends. A literature search was conducted for studies published in English over the last ten years in Embase, Scopus, Lilacs, Fsta, Pubmed, and Google Scholar, selecting those best fitting the inclusion criteria. Legumes, cereals, pseudo-cereals, nuts, fruits, and seeds have been used as plant matrices, each contributing distinct attributes to the plant-based milk. Thus, using plant proteins —i.e., mixing different plant-based foods into a single formulation has proven effective in overcoming certain limitations. Additionally, germination and fermentation have improved the stability, nutritional quality, and sensory properties of plant-based milk, reinforcing their potential for future advancements in this field. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lipid transfer protein (LTP) syndrome is a leading cause of primary food allergy in Mediterranean countries, often associated with severe reactions. Due to in vitro cross-reactivity among plant foods, clinical manifestations are unpredictable, frequently requiring multiple oral food challenges (OFC) to assess nut tolerance. These procedures increase healthcare burden and patient anxiety. This study evaluated the safety and utility of a mixed-nut oral food challenge (MixNut) in LTP-sensitized patients. Methods: In this prospective observational multi-center study, patients with LTP syndrome were enrolled. Group A included individuals allergic to fruits or vegetables who had avoided nuts; Group B included patients with suspected or confirmed nut allergy. Participants underwent a MixNut challenge comprising 2–4 nuts (≥3 g protein per nut). Results: Nineteen patients (73.7% male; median age 32.5 years) underwent MixNut, testing 52 individual nuts. All challenges were negative. The MixNut approach reduced the number of OFC by 63% (from 52 to 19) and total testing time from 208 to 76 h. Specific IgE levels to LTP allergens (Pru p 3, Cor a 8, Ara h 9) varied widely and did not predict clinical reactivity. Conclusions: MixNut is an efficient diagnostic tool for LTP syndrome, significantly reducing testing time, costs, and patient burden. It facilitates accurate dietary management and prevents unnecessary food avoidance. Further studies should optimize MixNut protocols and identify predictive markers for clinical reactivity. Full article

In operational testing contexts, testers face dual challenges of constrained timeframes and limited resources, both of which impede the generation of reliability test data. To address this issue, integrating data from similar systems with test data can effectively expand data sources. This study proposes a systematic approach wherein the mission of the system under test (SUT) is decomposed to identify candidate subsystems for data combination. A phylogenetic tree representation is constructed for subsystem analysis and subsequently mapped to a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model, enabling efficient computation of similarity factors. A reliability assessment model that combines data from similar subsystems is established. The similarity factor is regarded as a covariate, and the regression relationship between it and the subsystem failure-time distribution is established. The joint posterior distribution of regression coefficients is derived using Bayesian theory, which are then sampled via the No-U-Turn Sampler (NUTS) algorithm to obtain reliability estimates. Numerical case studies demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing approaches, yielding more robust similarity factors and higher accuracy in reliability assessments. Full article

Background: In response to criticism and limitations of the Nutri-Score Nutrient Profiling Model (NS-NPM), the algorithm was updated in 2023. However, its impact on beverage classification remains partially assessed. Objective: This study aimed to compare the nutritional profiles of beverages marketed in Spain using the original and updated NS-NPM algorithms. Methods: Nutritional data for 3432 beverages in the “Drink Base” database were analyzed using both the 2015 (original) and 2023 (updated) NS-NPM versions. Results: The 2023 update showed significant changes compared to the 2015 version. Updated scores particularly increased for artificially sweetened beverages (+190.3%), milkshakes (+98.9%), nut-based beverages (+343.9%), cereal-based beverages (+651.3%), and the mix of plant-based beverages (+733%), leading to a less healthy classification. Conversely, scores decreased for fruit juices (−12.7%) and alcohol-substitute beverages (−8.2%), while legume-based beverages maintained their classification with minimal score variation (−1.4%), raising questions about the treatment of free sugars. The remaining beverage categories experienced score changes that did not alter their classification. Conclusions: The 2023 NS-NPM algorithm improves beverage classification by refining the differentiation of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, improving consumer guidance. While it increases discrimination, challenges remain in the classification of plant-based beverages and fruit juices. These findings highlight Nutri-Score’s impact on industry reformulation and its potential as a public health tool to promote healthier beverage choices. This study provides novel evidence on how the updated Nutri-Score algorithm may influence consumer perception and food policy in the Spanish context. Full article

Utilizing a dataset covering four Portuguese NUTS II regions from 2009 to 2022 and employing multiple regression analyses, this research challenges traditional tourism theories by providing empirical evidence on how various factors—average stay, overnight stays, and foreign guests—affect regional revenue in tourist accommodations. In the context of sustainable tourism development, these findings have revealed a significant negative relationship between average stay duration and revenue, indicating that longer stays may be associated with lower daily revenues. This necessitates a re-evaluation of tourist spending behavior and accommodation of pricing strategies to promote economic sustainability. This study underscores the consistently positive impact of overnight stays on revenue, reinforcing the importance of maximizing overnight stays as a strategy for sustainable economic growth within the tourism sector. Additionally, the mixed results regarding the proportion of foreign guests reveal varying regional impacts, suggesting that region-specific strategies are essential for optimizing revenue from international tourists in a sustainable manner. This research integrates these factors to offer practical insights for refining revenue strategies in tourism management, emphasizing the need for multifaceted theoretical models that account for the complexity of sustainable tourism dynamics. Future research should focus on these nuanced approaches to better understand and manage the interplay between tourism dynamics and sustainable development. Full article

High-density urban development is promoted by both global and local policies in response to socio-economic and environmental challenges since it increases mobility of different land uses, decreases the need for traveling, encourages the use of more energy-efficient buildings and modes of transportation, and permits the sharing of scarce urban amenities. It is therefore argued that increased density and mixed-use development are expected to deliver positive outcomes in terms of contributing to three pillars (social, economic, and environmental domains) of sustainability in the subject themes. Territorial quality of life (TQL)—initially proposed by the ESPON Programme—is a composite indicator of the socio-economic and environmental well-being and life satisfaction of individuals living in an area. Understanding the role of urban density in TQL can provide an important input for urban planning debates addressing whether compact development can be promoted by referring to potential efficiencies in high-density, mixed land use and sustainable transport provisions. Alternatively, low-density suburban development is preferable due to its benefits of high per capita land use consumption (larger houses) for individual households given lower land prices. There is little empirical evidence on how TQL is shaped by high-density versus low-density urban forms. This paper investigates this topic through providing an approach to spatially map and examine the relationship between TQL, residential expansion, and densification processes in the so-called NUTS2 (nomenclature of terrestrial units for statistics) regions of European Union (EU) member countries. The relative importance of each TQL indicator was determined through the entropy weight method, where these indicators were aggregated through using the subject weights to obtain the overall TQL indicator. The spatial dynamics of TQL were examined and its relationship with residential expansion and densification processes was analysed to uncover whether the former or the latter process is positively associated with the TQL indicator within our study area. From our regression models, the residential expansion index is negatively related to the TQL indicator, implying that high levels of residential expansion can result in a reduction in overall quality of life in the regions if they are not supported by associated infrastructure and facility investments. Full article

The global demand for bottled king coconut water has led to a significant accumulation of empty king coconut husks in nut water export industries, posing challenges in managing and disposing of this agricultural waste. To address this issue, the production of king coconut husk ash (KCHA) has emerged as an eco-friendly solution. This product can be applied as a fertilizer, soil amendment, or after mixing with compost to enhance its nutrient value. This study aimed to determine the optimal cut size and moisture level for obtaining a high yield of KCHA with the maximum potassium content. The experiment involved drying full-, half-, quarter-, and chip-sized husks in a dehydrator at 60 °C for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h. The findings revealed that reducing the particle size of the husks accelerated the drying process. The ash produced with chips exhibited the most favorable characteristics, reaching the desired dryness in a relatively shorter time while yielding the highest KCHA content. Moreover, the results indicated that the optimal duration for dehydrating the husks to produce ash was 24 h at 60 °C, resulting in the highest moisture loss. This processing condition facilitated the efficient conversion of king coconut husks into potassium-rich ash. Implementing these findings into the production of KCHA as a nutrient-rich fertilizer or soil amendment offers a sustainable approach to improving agricultural practices while reducing the dependence on synthetic fertilizers and mitigating the environmental challenges associated with their accumulation. Full article

The research and development of alternatives to meat (including fish) and dairy products for human consumption have been increasing in recent years. In the context of these alternatives, there is a diversity of products such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, pulses, algae, seeds, nuts and insects. Apart from these, some products require new technical processes such as needed by milk drink alternatives, mycoprotein and meat, cheese and fish analogues. The aim of these analogues is to mimic the physical and organoleptic properties of animal origin products through fibrous composition and mix of ingredients from vegetable sources using adequate technology, which allow providing similar texture and flavor. Using a narrative approach to review literature, the objectives of this paper are to systematize the arguments supporting the adoption of meat, eggs and dairy alternatives, to identify the diversity of alternatives to these products on the market, including the related technological processes, and to project the challenges that the food industry may face soon. From a total of 302 scientific papers identified in databases, 186 papers were considered. More research papers on products associated with alternatives to milk were found. Nevertheless, there are products that need more research as analogues to meat and dairy products. A general scheme that brings together the main reasons, resources and challenges that the food industry faces in this promising area of alternatives to meat and dairy products is presented. Full article

International and national guidelines have been promoting active aging while creating the necessary means for decision-makers and other relevant actors to work together (governance mechanisms) to implement local and active aging policies. This is especially important in the present COVID-19 pandemic context, posing greater challenges on older people who tend to be self-isolated. How are local actors conceptualizing active aging? What are their priorities related to a healthy life for older people? Which governance mechanisms are used to implement such policies? These are some of the questions addressed in this paper, targeting Portugal, a southern European country. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design combining a survey conducted at a national level and interviews with key actors in the NUTS III Aveiro Region was employed to identify and understand the underpinning governance mechanisms. Findings confirm the ‘passive organization type’ in which European politico-territorial studies tend to place Portugal, as there are gaps in the way policies are formulated, implemented and evaluated, as well as a lack of coordination. Results of this study have important impacts on the way local governments and other stakeholders will prepare themselves in the post-pandemic period to design and implement policies addressing active aging. Full article