The quality of organic products

The sustainable development of ecological agriculture productions (AB) should be based on their overall quality, in the framework of nutritional recommendations and public action plans. In France, the PNNS (Nutrition and health national plan) advises to increase intake of fruits and vegetables, unrefined cereals, fibres and calcium and to reduce saturated fat. In addition, healthy foods should avoid any microbiological or chemical contaminants. The question arose of the adequacy of organic productions. For that purpose, the AFSSA (the French food safety agency) established an expert group headed by the author to conduct a sounded review of international scientific literature. The AFSSA report (2003) made conclusions as summarized here. Regarding the nutritional value of organic products, a trend was found for higher dry matter, iron and magnesium contents in vegetables, and noticeably higher contents in phytoconstituants (polyphenols, flavonols, resveratrol) in fruits or vegetables. Lower total fat and higher poly-unsaturated fatty acids were found in chicken meat. Concerning the sanitary value, organic products were found almost devoid of pesticide residues (only 2-6% contaminated compared with about 40% in general), with comparable levels of mycotoxins and about half contents in nitrates in vegetables. The challenge for the ecological agriculture future is to sustain such good results by developing a strategy based not only on production and transformation standards but also on end-products quality

Dietary habits of a Mediterranean population of women in an agricultural region of Morocco

Knowing food habits of populations is of importance to better define appropriate public health interventions. The objective of this study was to assess and describe the dietary intake and major food sources of energy and nutrients in a women sample selected from an agricultural region of Morocco. A total of 191 adult women 18–55 years old resident in urban areas in El Jadida, a costal province of Moroccowas selected. Dietary habits were assessed using a combination of a 24-h dietary recall during 3 non consecutive days and a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Food habits are characterized by large consumption of cereals, meat and poultry, fish and sea foods, eggs, fruits and vegetables, but low intake of olive oil. The total energy intake was high and not balanced by physical activity levels. The contribution of lipids to the energy was low but high in saturated fat (39 %) reflected in the higher PUFA/SFA ratio (0.76 ± 0.62). The total carbohydrate consumption was high (61 % of daily energy) and that of fiber was low 18.07 ± 11.44 g. Furthermore a significantly high intake of saturated and monounsaturated fat is observed in the youngest women and women with a higher education level. Except for the intakes of phosphorus and sodium, all minerals and vitamins assessed are below or close to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) while all vitamins are consumed at rates below two-third of RDA by a large proportion of women. The nutrient intake of the studied population is not in line with that recommended for women despite a large consumption of the majority of food groups. Data indicate that dietary guidelines should not consider only quantitative intake but must address adequate numbers of servings and favorable food choices that may explain, in part, the nutritional and metabolic disorders reported in this population.Keywords: women, Diet - intake - habits, Mediterranean, Morocc

Consumers of organic products in France: first results of the Nutrinet-Santé cohort

Lifestyle, dietary patterns and nutritional status of organic food consumers have rarely been described, while interest for a sustainable diet is markedly increasing. Consumer attitude and frequency of use of 18 organic products were assessed in 54,311 adult participants in the Nutrinet-Santé cohort. Cluster analysis was performed to identify behaviors associated with organic product consumption. Cross-sectional association with overweight/obesity was estimated using polytomous logistic regression. Five clusters were identified: 3 clusters of non-consumers (35%) whose reasons differed, occasional (OCOP, 51%) and regular (RCOP, 14%) organic product consumers. RCOP were more highly educated and physically active than others. They exhibited dietary patterns with more plant foods and less sweet and alcoholic beverages, processed meat or milk. Their nutrient intake profiles (fatty acids, most minerals and vitamins, fibers) were healthier and closer to dietary guidelines. In multivariate models (after accounting for confounders, including level of adherence to nutritional guidelines), compared to those not interested in organic products, RCOP participants showed a markedly lower probability of overweight (excluding obesity) and obesity :-36% and -62% in men and -42% and -48% in women, respectively (P<0.0001). OCOP participants generally showed intermediate figures. In conclusion, regular consumers of organic products exhibit specific socio-demographic characteristics, and an overall healthy profile

Free-sugar, total-sugar, fibre and micronutrient intake within elite youth British soccer players: a nutritional transition from schoolboy to fulltime soccer player.

It is recommended that soccer players consume a high carbohydrate (CHO) diet to augment performance. However, growing evidence suggests that there is a link between high free-sugar (FS) intake (>5% total energy intake; TEI) and metabolic diseases. Furthermore, foods that are often high in sugar, such as processed foods, are typically lacking in nutrient quality. We therefore analysed total- and FS, dietary fibre and micronutrient intake of players from an English Premier League academy under(U) 18 (n=13); U15/16 (n=25); U13/14 (n=21) using a 7-day food diary. Data was compared to current UK dietary reference value (DRV) for free-sugar via a t-test. The U13/14s (1018 %) and U15/16s (1130 %) both consumed higher amounts of free-sugar in comparison to the UK DRV of 5% TEI 5% (P<0.01), conversely, the U18s did not exceed the DRV (513 %). Furthermore, FS intake of the U18s was significantly lower than the U13/14s and U15/16s (P<0.01). Dietary fibre was below the DRV (25g/d for U13/14 & U15/16s; 30g/d for U18s) for all squads (19.04.7; 19.68.3; 17.14.2 g/d, respectively), but not different between squads. Additionally, micronutrient reference intakes were generally met. In conclusion, we provide novel data on dietary sugar, fibre and micronutrient intake within elite youth soccer players. We report an apparent 'nutritional transition' from schoolboy to fulltime soccer player, with U18s showing a significantly lower intake of sugar in comparison to younger squads, and a similar intake of FS to the UK DRVs. Practitioners should target improving player education around sugar and fibre consumption

Updating the mediterranean diet pyramid towards sustainability: focus on environmental concerns

Background: Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused on nutrients and health, to a new one considering the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impact—and thus the sustainability—of diets. Objective: To present an updated version of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (MDP) to reflect multiple environmental concerns. Methods: We performed a revision and restructuring of the MDP to incorporate more recent findings on the sustainability and environmental impact of the Mediterranean Diet pattern, as well as its associations with nutrition and health. For each level of the MDP we provided a third dimension featuring the corresponding environmental aspects related to it. Conclusions: The new environmental dimension of the MDP enhances food intake recommendations addressing both health and environmental issues. Compared to the previous 2011 version, it emphasizes more strongly a lower consumption of red meat and bovine dairy products, and a higher consumption of legumes and locally grown eco-friendly plant foods as much as possible

Organic Agriculture

Consumers are increasingly aware of the health- and safety-related implications of the food which they can buy in the market. At the same time, households have become more aware of their environmental responsibilities. Regarding the production of food, a crucial and multifunctional role is played by agriculture. The way vegetables, fruits, and other crops are grown and how livestock is raised has an impact on the environment and landscape. Operations performed by farmers, such as water management, can be dangerous for the soil and the whole ecosystem. Consequently, there is a search for natural ways of sustaining the impact of agriculture on the environment. In this context, one of the most popular ideas is organic agriculture. In the literature on the subject, there are many concepts that some authors consider to be synonymous even as others argue that these terms are not interchangeable. There is, for example, "organic agriculture," "alternative agriculture," "sustainable agriculture," "ecological agriculture," "biological agriculture," "niche farming," "community-supported agriculture," and "integrated pest management." Very often, techniques and products related to organic agriculture are described by marketing experts with the use of abbreviations such as "bio" and "eco." Products with such markings and labels are increasingly popular in stores that often give them separate shelves for their sale. Despite the higher price compared to conventional products, they are increasingly sought by consumers. The entry examines the various impacts of organic agriculture with a view to these trends

The effect of seasoning with herbs on the nutritional, safety and sensory properties of reduced-sodium fermented Cobrançosa cv. table olives

This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of seasoning Cobrancosa table olives in a brine with aromatic ingredients, in order to mask the bitter taste given by KCl when added to reduced-sodium fermentation brines. Olives were fermented in two different salt combinations: Brine A, containing 8% NaCl and, Brine B, a reduced-sodium brine, containing 4% NaCl + 4% KCl. After the fermentation the olives were immersed in seasoning brines with NaCl (2%) and the aromatic herbs (thyme, oregano and calamintha), garlic and lemon. At the end of the fermentation and two weeks after seasoning, the physicochemical, nutritional, organoleptic, and microbiological parameters, were determined. The olives fermented in the reduced-sodium brines had half the sodium concentration, higher potassium and calcium content, a lower caloric level, but were considered, by a sensorial panel, more bitter than olives fermented in NaCl brine. Seasoned table olives, previously fermented in Brine A and Brine B, had no significant differences in the amounts of protein (1.23% or 1.11%), carbohydrates (1.0% or 0.66%), fat (20.0% or 20.5%) and dietary fiber (3.4% or 3.6%). Regarding mineral contents, the sodium-reduced fermented olives, presented one third of sodium, seven times more potassium and three times more calcium than the traditional olives fermented in 8% NaCl. Additionally, according to the panelists' evaluation, seasoning the olives fermented in 4% NaCl + 4% KCl, resulted in a decrease in bitterness and an improvement in the overall evaluation and flavor. Escherichia coli and Salmonella were not found in the olives produced.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of rye bread breakfasts on subjective hunger and satiety: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several studies report that dietary fibre from different sources promotes the feeling of satiety and suppresses hunger. However, results for cereal fibre from rye are essentially lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate subjective appetite during 8 h after intake of iso-caloric rye bread breakfasts varying in rye dietary fibre composition and content.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was divided into two parts. The first part (n = 16) compared the satiating effect of iso-caloric bread breakfasts including different milling fractions of rye (bran, intermediate fraction (B4) and sifted flour). The second part (n = 16) investigated the dose-response effect of rye bran and intermediate rye fraction, each providing 5 or 8 g of dietary fibre per iso-caloric bread breakfast. Both study parts used a wheat bread breakfast as reference and a randomised, within-subject comparison design. Appetite (hunger, satiety and desire to eat) was rated regularly from just before breakfast at 08:00 until 16:00. Amount, type and timing of food and drink intake were standardised during the study period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Milling fractions study showed that each of the rye breakfasts resulted in a suppressed appetite during the time period before lunch (08:3012:00) compared with the wheat reference bread breakfast. At a comparison between the rye bread breakfasts the one with rye bran induced the strongest effect on satiety. In the afternoon the effect from all three rye bread breakfasts could still be seen as a decreased hunger and desire to eat compared to the wheat reference bread breakfast.</p> <p>In the Dose-response study both levels of rye bran and the lower level of intermediate rye fraction resulted in an increased satiety before lunch compared with the wheat reference bread breakfast. Neither the variation in composition between the milling fractions nor the different doses resulted in significant differences in any of the appetite ratings when compared with one another.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results show that rye bread can be used to decrease hunger feelings both before and after lunch when included in a breakfast meal. Rye bran induces a stronger effect on satiety than the other two rye fractions used when served in iso-caloric portions.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Trial registration number NCT00876785</p