Legislative Factors and Product Specifications in the Marketing of ‘Light’ Foodstuffs

In the second half of the twentieth century, a new paradigm in food consumption emerged – expressed in the quest for low-calorie foods, with the objective of meeting new aesthetic standards, but also countering the development of obesity-related diseases. The food industry has been able to grasp consumers’ current needs with the introduction of reduced-calorie foods that, unlike other categories of products, have been showing an increasing sales trend. In this paper, after analysing the specifications, composition and production characteristics of low-calorie food products, we have attempted to clarify the effectiveness of said foods and the way they are perceived by consumers, in light of developments in the legislation regulating the marketing of reduced-calorie foods

Chronic Pruritus and Connective Tissue Disorders: Review, Gaps, and Future Directions

Chronic itch is a common skin manifestation in many connective tissue diseases. However, the cause of chronic itch in these diseases is still not fully understood. The complex, and in some cases incomplete understanding of, pathogenesis in each condition makes it difficult to target specific mediators of chronic itch. It is important to better understand the pathophysiology of chronic itch in these conditions, as this information might provide a fuller understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases in general and lead to the development of more specific treatments for connective tissue diseases in patients with chronic itch. We present a review of the literature on what is known about the prevalence, possible pathophysiology, and effect on quality of life of chronic itch in patients with scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and mixed connective tissue disease