PortFIR – An integrated data provider as support for the food policy-makers

Introduction: Portuguese Food Composition Table (TCA) is managed by the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) and is publicly available on the Portuguese Food Information Resource (PortFIR) platform. PortFIR, besides food composition data, was designed to include data on food contamination and food consumption, in order to provide national data easily available in one platform. Objective:To compile and make widely available food-related data (food composition, food safety and food consumption), while providing science-based information, to support food policy-makers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Of Junk Food and Junk Science

The popular press has triumphantly announced that the cause of the obesity epidemic is “junk food.†After a moment’s reflection, however, it seems likely that the true causal structure of the obesity epidemic can be neither single-equation nor univariate. Therefore, while the hypothesis that “junk food†is the cause of obesity has little a priori plausibility, these articles in the popular press present a testable hypothesis that, in spite of some measurement impossibilities, is tested here. While one can always argue about p values etc., it is safe to say that the results show no evidence to indicate support for a causal link. The second section of the paper explains this result and suggests a rudimentary structural model of obesity that begins to address the issues of specification error, simultaneity, etc., that plague much of the obesity research. This model shows that because of the dynamic nature of weight status, there is no necessary reason to expect to find a statistical relation between a person’s observed weight and the amount he or she is currently eating or exercising. Therefore, studies which regress weight, obesity, or the probability of obesity on eating and exercise patterns have serious specification error. Further development of structural econometric models of obesity may lead to consistent estimates of the partial effects of exogenous variables on obesity levels. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for policy development and industry.obesity, junk food, Granger-causality, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q10, Q16,

IFPRI Annual Report 2007-2008:

Food prices, Poverty reduction, Globalization, Food security Developing countries, Agricultural systems, trade, Markets, Natural resources, World food situation, Social protection, science and technology, Nutrition, Capacity strengthening,

Consumers and Food Choice: Quality, Nutrition and Genes

The quantity and quality of food needed for reproduction differs from nutritional needs for health and longevity. The choice of food type and amount is driven by our genetic need for growth and reproduction, not for long term health. So, fast digestible food, rich in energy is searched for. We humans share that drive with almost all animals. The energy carrying nutrients in processed food are more accessible than in the same unprocessed food. That leads to an ever increasing level of processing, and an ever decreasing consumption of raw fruits/vegetables and home cooked meals. In the past, with alternating conditions of food shortage and food abundance, overeating in times of prosperity was a reproductive advantage. However, high energy food becomes a severe nuisance in the age of permanent food abundance. Obesity and heart diseases spread through the developed world. That behaviour is rooted in our genetic instincts. Cultural based sensorial preferences, induced mostly in childhood by an epigenetic mechanism, present a variation around the instinctive rooted preferences. Food choice based on reflective decisions appears of minor importance. Nevertheless, all government campaigns against over-eating appeal to reason, not to instinct. We are faced with a permanent dichotomy between what is good for reproduction and what is good for health. This occurs not only in what and how we eat, but also in all neighbouring areas on the edges of food science, biology, social science, medicine and ethics

Intelligent Packaging Systems: Sensors and Nanosensors to Monitor Food Quality and Safety

Indexación: Web of Science y Scopus.The application of nanotechnology in different areas of food packaging is an emerging field that will grow rapidly in the coming years. Advances in food safety have yielded promising results leading to the development of intelligent packaging (IP). By these containers, it is possible to monitor and provide information of the condition of food, packaging, or the environment. This article describes the role of the different concepts of intelligent packaging. It is possible that this new technology could reach enhancing food safety, improving pathogen detection time, and controlling the quality of food and packaging throughout the supply chain.https://www.hindawi.com/journals/js/2016/4046061/cta

Combining absolute and relative information in studies on food quality

A common problem in food science concerns the assessment of the quality of food samples. Typically, a group of panellists is trained exhaustively on how to identify different quality indicators in order to provide absolute information, in the form of scores, for each given food sample. Unfortunately, this training is expensive and time-consuming. For this very reason, it is quite common to search for additional information provided by untrained panellists. However, untrained panellists usually provide relative information, in the form of rankings, for the food samples. In this paper, we discuss how both scores and rankings can be combined in order to improve the quality of the assessment

Needs analysis for an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for Thai undergraduates in a Food Science and Technology programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This thesis aims to explore the English language needs of students and relevant stakeholders for an English for specific purposes (ESP) programme for food science and technology students at Agriculture University in Thailand. The research was conducted using Dudley-Evans and St. John’s (1998) needs analysis as a research framework, and multiple sources of data collection were used. The study investigated the English language skills needed in academic and occupational contexts in the area of food science and technology. The participants in this research included 45 third-year students, six former students, three subject teachers in the food science and technology programme, two ESP teachers, and six employers. The study showed that the students had low levels of English proficiency. Their low levels of English then affected their study in the academic context and their work during the internship programme in the occupational context. Reading and translation were the most needed skills in their academic context, whereas speaking and listening were considered the most needed skills in the occupational context. The study also revealed a mismatch of the perceptions of the students’ needs between the ESP teachers and other stakeholders in both academic and occupational contexts. The changes across two ESP courses in the students’ needs depended on three main factors: learners, professional information, and environmental situations. This thesis contributes to knowledge of the ESP branches required for food science and technology at Agriculture University and using a needs analysis as an on-going process within the overall process of course development. It proposes a redesigned needs analysis model which could be used for future ESP needs analyses at Agriculture University in different disciplines and possibly also be adapted for use in wider Thai and international contexts. Recommendations for supporting the ESP programme at Agriculture University and implications for future research are also provided

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: CONSUMER ISSUES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Scientific progress in understanding the relationship of diet to disease, along with increasing health-care costs and consumersÂ’' desires to make healthy lifestyle improvements, provides a significant impetus for the development of novel foods with health benefits (functional foods). Combining sound science, effective and balanced communication strategies, and changes in the regulatory environment, important benefits could be realized for the entire food system, including producers, food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Using Food to Demonstrate Earth Science Concepts: a Review

Researchers categorized over one hundred print and web resources that use food to demonstrate earth science concepts. This article describes their findings: food-based activities are found in print and web-based resources with nearly equal frequency; most feature geologic themes; most are designed for primary and middle school audiences, but can be adapted for older students; and most of these activities meet the National Science Standard "Structure of the Earth" for middle school students. The authors suggest that food-based activities are a way to make subject matter more exciting and understandable, particularly for those with little or no background in science, and that food, which students consume daily, can serve as a reality based analogy to better understand many of the unfamiliar, abstract concepts taught in earth science classes. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Values, attitudes, and goals of future Hungarian food engineers

Over the last few decades Hungarian higher education has been radically transformed, and this transformation was implemented to counter the backwardness that previously plagued the education system. Agricultural education in particular was part of this transformation process, which included the disciplines of food science and related technology. This attempt at transformation yielded only a partial success; student numbers shot up, but there was no subsequent general improvement in the efficiency of higher education. This article is based on two surveys carried out in 1997 and 2007. The students’ values can be characterised as pluralistic and heterogenous. Based on longitudinal research, a shift can be seen toward materialistic and hedonistic values. The motivation for choosing the Faculty of Food Science is varied in nature, mirroring the food industry’s often critical current situation. High schools’ professional orientation is weak. Although the Faculty’s Budapest location is attractive, in the long run this is not sufficient to replace carefully planned promotional work. By structural equation modelling a significant relationship can be proven between the students’ values, their types of knowledge, and their expectations for future types of work.higher education policy, human resource management, food science education, social psychology, empirical research, Agribusiness, Labor and Human Capital,