How Supermarkets Are Shaping Up and Growing Their Lower-Calorie Products

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than a third of adults and nearly 17 percent of children in the United States are obese. This public health crisis has spurred policy debates at all levels of government, and has prompted initiatives aimed at making schools and communities healthier for children and families. For the past four years, Hudson Institute, a nonpartisan policy research organization, has studied the link between healthier, lower-calorie products and the sales performance of the companies that offer them. It has completed several landmark studies covering consumer packaged goods (CPG) food companies and restaurant chains that have demonstrated the positive impact of lower-calorie and/or better-for-you (BFY) foods and beverages on overall sales growth. This latest study aims to determine whether supermarket chains, like CPG companies and restaurant chains, are also reaping business benefits from selling lower-calorie products

Sugar In School Breakfasts: A School District\u27s Perspective

A recent series of emails and phone calls from parents concerned about the sugar content of Houston Independent School District’s school breakfasts revealed that a new issue had risen to the surface. This prompted us to look closely at the sugar content of our breakfast items. School districts participating in the National School Breakfast Program follow a strict set of nutritional regulations set forth by the USDA under the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 in response to the childhood obesity epidemic. HHFKA made significant changes to the breakfast meal pattern, but did not set standards for the sugar content. Whether this is an oversight or the authors of the law intentionally did not limit sugar, the result is the same: lower fat, higher carbohydrate school breakfast meals. Herein, we would like to provide the perspective of a school food service organization concerning sugar in breakfast, and present the challenges and efforts made to provide students with healthy, well-balanced school breakfasts

Shaping a Healthier Generation: Successful State Strategies to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Provides an overview of the socioeconomic and environmental risk factors and costs of childhood obesity. Presents examples of state policies to prevent the epidemic by promoting healthy behaviors in child care, school, community, and healthcare settings

TOWARD A MORE COMPREHENSIVE THEORY OF FOOD LABELING

Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

TRENDS IN U.S. WHEAT-BASED FOOD CONSUMPTION: NUTRITION, CONVENIENCE, AND ETHNIC FOODS

This study identifies U.S. consumers' use of food nutrition labels on wheat-based foods; consumer attitudes toward the importance of taste, price, and nutrition in choosing wheat-based snack foods; and consumer knowledge of Middle-Eastern wheat-based foods. A survey of U.S. primary grocery shoppers indicated that most respondents believed it was important that their diets contained wheat-based food products. A majority of respondents indicated that fat content was the most important item on food nutrition labels when making a wheat-based food purchase decision. A majority of respondents indicated that taste was the most important factor when making wheat-based snack food purchases. Most respondents were not familiar with Middle-Eastern wheat-based foods.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A RETAIL CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIRECTOR REACTS TO PACKAGING CHANGES

Agribusiness,

Organic Agriculture in Saudi Arabia - Sector Study 2012

This publication compiles the facts and figures of the organic sector in Saudi Arabia. It is a valuable resource for local stakeholders and interested trading companies. The publication is resulting from a collaboration between GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and FiBL together with its partners of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and Saudi Organic Farming Association (SOFA)

LABEL USE AND IMPORTANCE RANKINGS FOR SELECTED MILK LABELING ATTRIBUTES

Results from a random telephone survey of households in 13 southern states suggest that 80 percent of respondents use labels when making food purchasing decisions. Label users are more likely to be college-educated, female, living in the East South Central Region, and to be childless or to have children between the ages of five and twelve. Age is invariant to label use; however, older respondents are more likely to assign higher importance ratings to caloric, fat, sodium, and cholesterol content than to price, expiration date, and brand when buying fresh-fluid milk.Agribusiness,

USING INFORMATIONAL LABELING TO INFLUENCE THE MARKET FOR QUALITY IN FOOD PRODUCTS

In the United States, the federal government is increasingly using requirements for informational labeling on food products to influence 1) consumers' knowledge and purchasing patterns and 2) manufacturers' product offerings and marketing practices. We discuss the economic rationale behind these regulations and issues related to judging their success or failure.Food labeling, food quality, food safety, information, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Consumer Perceptions of Organic, Natural, and Conventional Products When Provided at the Same Price.

Today’s grocery stores are filled aisle to aisle with an overwhelming variety of options for the consumer. In a consumer-driven market structure, the food industry has grown to encompass many niche markets which meet the ever changing demands of consumers. From organically produced food to more modern agriculture practices and even to finding non-meat protein alternatives, the options are endless. However, in the United States (a country with a higher level of disposable income compared to others), the question arises are customers educated about what the products truly are that they are spending a price premium on? This study assessed the perceptions that college students have regarding the labeling terms organic and natural – specifically in regards to the poultry industry. Through a focus group interview process and administration of a brief survey questionnaire, data was collected surrounding the various perceptions. The collected data was analyzed using the constant comparative method and NVivo software to arrive at common themes amongst respondents. The results found in general consumers believe organic and natural to be synonymous terms that are both equated to a “cleaner,” “healthier” product. Although most respondents placed heavy emphasis on the influence of price to their current buying decisions, if all three (organic, natural, and conventional) otherwise identical products were offered at the same price, they would gravitate towards either the organic or natural option. After presenting respondents with the technical definitions, there was a shift away from natural products and a newfound interest in what other food labels mean. This solidified the importance for strengthened agriculture communication and proved consumers do like to be knowledgeable about their food, they just may not know where to find accurate information. Future research should evaluate broader demographic populations and look further into what methods of education would be most beneficial