Eko-logiskt : eko-märken som meningsskapande för konsumenter

The aim of this thesis is to, through a consumer perspective, study how organic labelling and trademarks can be seen as meaningful in everyday life. Besides interviews the research is based on nethnography, which includes researching consumer stories revealed on interactive blogs on the Internet. The Swedish organisation for organic certification, KRAV, has been the dominant actor on the food market since 1985. However, recently the European Union introduced a label to which standards KRAV complies with and in some aspects is stricter. The EU-label is perceived as more doubtful than KRAV, which most Swedish consumers have high confidence in. Eco-trademarks, such as the food chain ICA:s I love eco, enables the consumers to buy more green labelled food in the same supermarket where they usually do their shopping. The expansion of the brand also makes it possible to buy more eco-items to a price that is perceived as cheaper than eco-products of other brands. Consumers’ perception of organic labels is closely connected to nature and the traditional rural production before the green revolution. This interpretation, I claim, is a significant part of the consumer’s eco-logic which determines whether an aspect is reasonable or not. A locally – but conventionally – produced grocery is seen as more environmentallyfriendly than an organic imported equivalent

Mat- och måltidskultur – en introduktion

Måltidskulturer påverkar alla situationer där lagande, ätande ochdrickande förekommer. Trots detta tas måltidskulturella aspektersällan i beaktande i det praktiska arbetet med professionella måltideri Sverige. Med en ökad kunskap om måltidskultur är det möjligt attdesigna måltider som tilltalar och skänker mening till gäster medolika bakgrund, ideal och preferenser. Det finns därför en storpotential i att arbeta medvetet med måltidskulturella perspektiv.Denna text ger en introduktion till studiet av måltidskultur ochsynliggör hur måltidskulturen är närvarande och av betydelse förprofessioner som arbetar med måltider. Texten riktar sig främst tilldig som studerar en måltidsinriktad utbildning, men vi hoppas attden ska vara användbar även i andra utbildningar och för alla somarbetar praktiskt med måltider och måltidsutveckling

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. METHODS: This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0-75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4-97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8-80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3-4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lemann Foundation, Rede D'Or, Brava and Telles Foundation, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK

Background A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. Methods This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. Findings Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0–75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4–97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8–80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3–4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. Interpretation ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Fridge stories and other tales from the kitchen: a methodological toolbox for getting closer to everyday food practices

In this paper we present a methodological toolbox as a useful research approach for investigating domestic food practices. Consumption research often relies strongly on interviews or surveys. While helpful, such methods inevitably create a distance between the verbalization of the studied practice and the practice itself, inviting post hoc rationalization. The toolbox helps the researcher to get closer to the studied practice by combining interviews with methods based on observation, visualization and verbalization, in or close to practice. The toolbox holds a variety of methods and we describe fridge stories, food mapping, shop-alongs and food diaries. Through a practical discussion of the advantages and difficulties of these methods, and their combined use, we hope our paper can be useful to other researchers and students interested in everyday food practices

Collective cool : Freezer lockers and collective freezing practices

Would you share your freezer with your neighbours? Today, most Swedish households have access to a home freezer, but in the middle of the 20th century, collective freezer lockers offered affordable access to modern technology. Geographers have suggested that encouraging collective cooling practices could reduce environmental impact. The aim of this article is to investigate collective freezer lockers as a cultural phenomenon, and thereby getting closer to collective cooling practices, and to discuss the conditions for (re-introducing) collective freezer practices. Through personal narratives and media material, I trace meanings, norms, and discourses that formed part of these practices. The lockers were involved in daily practices of food, managing distances and social relations, and declined when home freezers became depicted as more affordable and rational. I conclude with discussing the possibilities and implications of a potential upscaling or revitalising of the practice of collective freezing.Kan du tänka dig att dela din frys med dina grannar? Idag har de flesta hushåll i Sverige tillgång till en frys i hemmet, men i mitten av 1900-talet erbjöd kollektiva frysfacksanläggningar ett ekonomiskt alternativ till modern teknik. Forskare i geografi har föreslaget att uppmuntrande av kollektiva kylningspraktiker kan minska klimat- och miljöpåverkan. Syftet med denna artikel är att undersöka kollektiva frysfack som kulturellt fenomen och därmed komma närmre kollektiva kylningspraktiker, samt att diskutera förutsättningarna för (återinförandet av) kollektiva fryspraktiker. Genom personliga berättelser och mediematerial följer jag meningar, normer och diskurser som är del av dessa kollektiva och vardagliga praktiker. Frysfacken var del av vardagliga praktiker gällande mat, hantera avstånd och sociala relationer. När hemfrysen framställdes som mer överkomlig och rationell minskade antalet frysfack. Avslutningsvis diskuterar jag möjligheter och implikationer av en potentiell uppskalning eller revitalisering av den kollektiva fryspraktiken.Från hemleverans av is till elberoende kylskåp - matförvaring och hållbarhetsföreställningar från 1920-tal till 202

Kyla, förvara och lagra : Kulturella perspektiv på dryckesförvaring

Från hemleverans av is till elberoende kylskåp - matförvaring och hållbarhetsföreställningar från 1920-tal till 202

Sustainability for Dinner : An Ethnological Study of how Sustainable Eating is Practised in Everyday Life

Sustainability has become a conspicuous term in the public and political debate, as well as in the landscapes of consumption. This study focuses on how people understand and practice sustainability through food in their everyday life. The aim is to describe and analyse sustainability as a collection of meaning-making practices by studying households that in some sense actively aim for an environmentally friendly and sustainable food consumption. The ethnographic fieldwork, mainly interviews and participant observations, included fifteen households in a municipality in northern Sweden during 2012-15. The dissertation centres around reoccurring themes: organic food, local food, food as culture and materiality, morality and distinction. Through these themes it became evident that the participants related sustainable food practices to more than environmental issues. Socioeconomic relations within the locality and the global world, as well as cultural norms, traditions and values related to food, were important aspects of a perceived sustainable society. Although occasionally seeming inconsistent and contradictory in their meaning-making of and commitment to practices revolving around ideals of (ecological) sustainability, the participants balanced multiple sustainabilities simultaneously. Besides the ecological aspect, they also wished for sustainable localities, household economy, social relations and personal wellbeing. Influenced by social practice theory the study pays attention to the competences, meanings and materials a practice is dependent on. The participants developed individual repertoires, or practice bundles, of sustainable food related practices that were meaningful in their everyday life. The development and expansion of such a bundle could be understood as a form of acquiring and maintaining green capital; a symbolic capital based upon shared green values which unite the possessors and distinguish them from those lacking such values. Green capital is expressed through green distinction, that is, using taste to differentiate between holders and non-holders of the symbolic capital. The participants separated themselves from both the large majority who did not yet understand or practise sustainability, and from “fanatics” who they perceived took sustainability in an extreme and unsound manner. A balanced approach to sustainability was favoured as the participants to a great extent valued a lifestyle adjustable to the preconditions of the contemporary Swedish society, such as social norms. The study shows how sustainability is constantly renegotiated and filled with new cultural meaning

Från hemleverans av is till elberoende kylskåp : matförvaring och hållbarhetsföreställningar från 1920-tal till 2020

Populärvetenskaplig projektrapport.Från hemleverans av is till elberoende kylskåp – matförvaring och hållbarhetsföreställningar från 1920-tal till 202