School meals in French secondary state schools with regard to the national recommendations

International audienceIn 2001, a circular addressing both the composition of school meals and food safety issues was introduced in France to improve the nutrient compositionof school meals and provided food-frequency guidelines to guarantee dietary balanced meals. The present study assesses the extent towhich secondary state schools are familiar with and implement this circular. In 2005, a nationally representative sample of 1440 secondarystate schools received a questionnaire on their catering service and the implementation of the circular’s recommendations, and were requestedto enclose all menus (lunches and dinners) served over 1 month. Menu analysis shows that progress is still required to achieve a meal compositionin accordance with the food-group frequency guidelines appended to the circular. Some recommendations are followed by most of the schools,such as limiting high-fat products and providing plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, cooked vegetables and starchy foods. Other guidelinesshould be implemented further, especially with regard to the nutritional quality of main courses and dairy products, which are met by lessthan a third and a half of schools, respectively. Specific efforts are necessary for evening meals to ensure that the nutritional requirements of boardersare covered. Some recommendations, such as the food purchasing manager being trained in nutrition (38% of schools) and the involvement ofdietetic expertise when designing meals (6 %), seem to be linked to better dietary balance of meals. Implementation of the circular must thereforebe promoted in schools and may require stronger regulatory nutrition standards and better cooperation between schools

School meals in French secondary state schools: do national recommendations lead to healthier nutrition on offer?

International audienceTo improve the dietary offering in schools, the French authorities published recommendations on nutrition in 1999, which were thenrevised in 2007. The aim of the present study was to assess the nutritional offering in secondary school meals and the extent to whichthe recommendations promote balanced nutritional offerings. In 2005, a national survey was conducted on a representative sample of secondaryschools, either administrated by the Ministry of Education (ES) or the Ministry of Agriculture (AS). Information on school-cateringorganisation and twenty consecutive meals was collected from each of the 707 secondary schools surveyed. Nutritional composition wasestimated according to the French food composition database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the impact offood-group frequency guidelines (FFG) on nutritional offering. It was found that 15 and 26% of ES and AS schools, respectively, had highcompliance with the FFG, at lunch. Macronutrient content was unbalanced in ES school lunches in which 42·8% lipids, 21·5% proteins and35·7% carbohydrates contributed to the energy. Nevertheless, proper offerings in Fe, Ca and vitamin C content were observed. In addition,a lower offering in lipids and a higher offering in proteins, Ca, vitamin C and Fe were found when the FFG were applied (P,0·001). Similarresults were found for AS schools. This paper confirms the effectiveness of FFG in providing nutritionally balanced school meals. However,others measures such as nutrition promotion and actions to improve children’s food habits have to be introduced to make the recommendationsmore effective and easier to understand

Socio-economic and demographic variations in school lunch participation of French children aged 3-17 years

Objective: To assess school canteen attendance in a French nationally representative sample of children and to analyse its association with the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the children and their families.Design: Data from the second French national cross-sectional food consumption survey (INCA2), performed in 2006&ndash;2007, were used. Information on usual weekly school canteen attendance was collected through a self-reported questionnaire, and demographic and socio-economic variables through a face-to-face questionnaire. The associations between school canteen attendance and the socio-economic and demographic variables were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analyses.Setting: The INCA2 sample was representative of the children aged 3&ndash;17 years in France.Subject: Analysis was performed on 1413 schoolchildren who completed the school canteen attendance questions.Results: Some 65?6% of schoolchildren aged 3&ndash;17 years had school lunch at least once weekly. This rate of attendance was positively correlated with age. Whatever the school level, school canteen attendance was positively associated with the educational level of the caregiver/parent. In pre- and elementary-school children, enrolment at the school canteen was also higher when the caregiver/parent worked, or in single-parent families. In secondary-school children, school lunch participation decreased with children living in more densely populated areas and increased with the level of the household&rsquo;s living standards.Conclusions: School canteen attendance was positively associated with children&rsquo;s socio-economic background. This could reduce the effectiveness of the forthcoming school meal composition regulations designed to improve the diet of children from deprived backgrounds, who are more likely to have unhealthy food habits.<br /

Trends in food and nutritional intakes of French adults from 1999 to 2007 : results from the INCA surveys

Two independent cross-sectional dietary surveys (the Individual and National Food Consumption Surveys, INCA), performed in 1998&ndash;99 (INCA1) and in 2006&ndash;07 (INCA2) on nationally representative samples of French people, were used to analyse trends in the dietary habits and nutritional intake of French adults. Food consumption was recorded through 7-d dietary records, and nutritional intakes were assessed using the French food composition database. After exclusion of under-reporters, analyses were performed on 3267 adults, aged 18&ndash;79 years: 1345 from INCA1 and 1922 from INCA2. The trends highlighted over the 8-year period showed a decrease in consumption of dairy products, meat, bread, potatoes, pastries/croissant-like pastries/cakes/biscuits and sugar/confectionery. In contrast, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, rice, ice cream and chocolate increased. Other food groups, like fish and snacking foods, remained stable. Food choices were mostly age specific. These age differences remained consistent over the years and underlined two opposite dietary trends: a &lsquo;traditional&rsquo; one mainly followed by the elderly, and a &lsquo;snacking and convenience&rsquo; one mainly adopted by young adults. The overall trends in food consumption did not influence the mean energy intake, but did slightly modify the contribution of each macronutrient to energy intake. These repeated surveys highlighted the fact that trends in French food habits have moved towards an average European diet at the crossroads between Mediterranean and Northern diets, and that food consumption changes impacted, to a lesser extent, nutritional intake.<br /

Comparison of different maximum safe levels in fortified foods and supplements using a probabilistic risk assessment approach

International audienceDifferent European institutions have developed mathematical models to propose maximum safe levels either for fortified foods or for dietarysupplements. The objective of the present study was to compare and check the safety of these different maximum safe levels (MSL) by usinga probabilistic risk assessment approach. The potential maximum nutritional intakes were estimated by taking into account all sources of intakes(base diet, fortified foods and dietary supplements) and compared with the tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals. This approachsimulated the consequences of both food fortification and supplementation in terms of food safety. Different scenarios were tested. They are theresult of the combination of several MSL obtained using the previous models. The study was based on the second French Individual and National Study on Food Consumption performed in 2006–7, matched with the French food nutritional composition database. The analyses were based on a sample of 1918 adults aged 18–79 years. Some MSL in fortified foods and dietary supplements obtained independently were protective enough, although some others could lead to nutritional intakes above the tolerable upper intake levels. The simulation showed that it is crucial to consider the inter-individual variability of fortified food intakes when setting MSL for foods and supplements. The risk assessment approach developed here by integrating the MSL for fortified foods and dietary supplements is useful for ensuring consumer protection. It may be subsequently used to test any other MSL for vitamins and minerals proposed in the future

Trends in food intake in French children from 1999 to 2007 : results from the INCA (étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires) dietary surveys

The objectives of the present study were to assess the intake of different food groups in French children aged 3&ndash;17 years (n 1455), and to analyse trends since a dietary survey undertaken 8 years ago. Dietary intake was evaluated using data from the 2006&ndash;7 cross-sectional INCA2 national dietary survey (&eacute;tude Individuelle Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires), based on a 7 d food record. Dietary intake (percentage of subjects consuming the food group and amount eaten) was assessed for thirty-nine food categories. We observed variations in food consumption by age, sex, North&ndash;South regional gradient, seasonal period and educational level of the responding parent. Trends in dietary intake between 1999 and 2007 were determined by comparing the INCA1 (n 1126) and the INCA2 surveys. Both surveys had been carried out using the same methodology. The findings showed a decrease in energy intake in children aged 3&ndash;14 years, due to a reduction in the consumption of foods of animal origin and sweetened products. In adolescents aged 15&ndash;17 years, energy intake remained rather stable; during this 8-year period, the consumption of meat decreased, whereas the consumption of savoury snacks such as sandwiches and hamburgers significantly increased. These trends occurred during a time of growing concern about overweight and the associated co-morbidities in France. A number of public health measures were implemented over this period to improve dietary habits and physical activity patterns in children and adults. The periodic monitoring of dietary patterns through the INCA surveys is an essential part of the surveillance network in France.<br /