This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
In order to measure consumer trust in food chain actors and its impact on consumer confidence in ... more In order to measure consumer trust in food chain actors and its impact on consumer confidence in food and the technology with which it has been produced, a model was developed relating social trust, beliefs in trustworthiness, overall trust in food chain actors, and confidence in both the supply of food products and food technologies. Data were collected via an online survey in five European countries. Analysis provided support for the model and showed that consumer confidence is largely determined by consumer beliefs about the trustworthiness of food chain actors. In particular the beliefs about openness, and especially about the openness of food manufacturers, are strongly related to consumer confidence. Some national differences in trust and confidence exist. This instrument is shown to be suitable for monitoring the development of, and changes in, trust across countries over time.
Background Comparisons of objectively measured physical activity (PA) between residents of Europe... more Background Comparisons of objectively measured physical activity (PA) between residents of European countries measured concurrently with the same protocol are lacking. We aimed to compare PA between the seven European countries involved in the Food4Me Study, using accelerometer data collected remotely via the Internet. Methods Of the 1607 participants recruited, 1287 (539 men and 748 women) provided at least 3 weekdays and 2 weekend days of valid accelerometer data (TracmorD) at baseline and were included in the present analyses. Results Men were significantly more active than women (physical activity level = 1.74 vs. 1.70, p < 0.001). Time spent in light PA and moderate PA differed significantly between countries but only for women. Adherence to the World Health Organization recommendation to accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-equivalent PA weekly was similar between countries for men (range: 54-65%) but differed significantly between countries for women (range: 26
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Evidence in support of the neuroprotective effects of flavonoids has increased significantly in r... more Evidence in support of the neuroprotective effects of flavonoids has increased significantly in recent years, although to date much of this evidence has emerged from animal rather than human studies. Nonetheless, with a view to making recommendations for future good practice, we review 15 existing human dietary intervention studies that have examined the effects of particular types of flavonoid on cognitive performance. The studies employed a total of 55 different cognitive tests covering a broad range of cognitive domains. Most studies incorporated at least one measure of executive function/working memory, with nine reporting significant improvements in performance as a function of flavonoid supplementation compared to a control group. However, some domains were overlooked completely (e.g. implicit memory, prospective memory), and for the most part there was little consistency in terms of the particular cognitive tests used making across study comparisons difficult. Furthermore, there was some confusion concerning what aspects of cognitive function particular tests were actually measuring. Overall, while initial results are encouraging, future studies need to pay careful attention when selecting cognitive measures, especially in terms of ensuring that tasks are actually sensitive enough to detect treatment effects.
Diet is a key modulator of non-communicable diseases, and food production represents a major caus... more Diet is a key modulator of non-communicable diseases, and food production represents a major cause of environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, 'nudging' people to make better food choices is challenging, as factors including affordability, convenience and taste often take priority over the achievement of health and environmental benefits. The overall 'Raising the Pulse' project aim is to bring about a step change in the nutritional value of the UK consumers' diet, and to do so in a way that leads to improved health and greater sustainability within the UK food system. To achieve our objectives, UKspecific faba bean production systems that optimise both end users' diets and environmental and economic sustainability of production will be implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders (including industry, the retail sector and government). Palatable faba bean flours will be produced and used to develop 'Raising the Pulse' food products with improved nutritional profile and environmental value. Consumer focus groups and workshops will establish attitudes, preferences, drivers of and barriers to increased consumption of such products. They will inform the co-creation of sensory testing and University-wide intervention studies to evaluate the effects of pulses and 'Raising the Pulse' foods on diet quality, self-reported satiety, nutritional knowledge, consumer acceptance and market potential. Nutrient bioavailability and satiety will be evaluated in a randomised-controlled postprandial human study. Finally, a system model will be developed that predicts changes to land use, environment, business viability,
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2021
Background The effect of personalised nutrition advice on discretionary foods intake is unknown. ... more Background The effect of personalised nutrition advice on discretionary foods intake is unknown. To date, two national classifications for discretionary foods have been derived. This study examined changes in intake of discretionary foods and beverages following a personalised nutrition intervention using these two classifications. Methods Participants were recruited into a 6-month RCT across seven European countries (Food4Me) and were randomised to receive generalised dietary advice (control) or one of three levels of personalised nutrition advice (based on diet [L1], phenotype [L2] and genotype [L3]). Dietary intake was derived from an FFQ. An analysis of covariance was used to determine intervention effects at month 6 between personalised nutrition (overall and by levels) and control on i) percentage energy from discretionary items and ii) percentage contribution of total fat, SFA, total sugars and salt to discretionary intake, defined by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and Austral...
Introduction: Carbohydrate intake and physical activity are related to glucose homeostasis, both ... more Introduction: Carbohydrate intake and physical activity are related to glucose homeostasis, both being influenced by individual genetic makeup. However, the interactions between these 2 factors, as affected by genetics, on glycaemia have been scarcely reported. Objective: We focused on analysing the interplay between carbohydrate intake and physical activity levels on blood glucose, taking into account a genetic risk score (GRS), based on SNPs related to glucose/energy metabolism. Methods: A total of 1,271 individuals from the Food4Me cohort, who completed the nutritional intervention, were evaluated at baseline. We collected dietary information by using an online-validated food frequency questionnaire, a questionnaire on physical activity, blood biochemistry by analysis of dried blood spots, and by analysis of selected SNPs. Fifteen out of 31 SNPs, with recognized participation in carbohydrate/energy metabolism, were included in the component analyses. The GRS included risk alleles...
With the growing numbers of e-health intervention studies, concerns have arisen regarding the val... more With the growing numbers of e-health intervention studies, concerns have arisen regarding the validity and reliability of Web-based self-reported data. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the validity of Web-based self-reported (SR) anthropometric and socio-demographic data compared with standardized measurements performed face-to-face in a validation study (VS). A total of 140 participants from seven European countries, participating in the Food4Me Proof of Principle Study which is investigating the utility of personalised nutrition, were invited to take part in the VS. Participants visited a research centre in each country within two weeks of self-reporting their data via a Web-based questionnaire. For SR data, participants were provided with detailed instructions, including photographs and online video, on how to make each measurement. Differences between SR and VS were investigated using paired t-test, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement for continuous variables (height, weight and BMI); socio-demographic characteristics (age and gender) were presented as percentage of concordance between SR and VS. The results demonstrate a strong ICC between SR and VS for self-reported anthropometric data (height 0.992 [95% CI 0.988 to 0.993], p < 0.0001; weight 0.996[0.995 to 0.997], p < 0.0001 and for the derived estimates of BMI 0.993 [0.990 to 0.995], p < 0.0001). However, the Web-based SR for height (Δ 0.003 m[95% limits of agreement-0.027to 0.032], p = 0.046) was slightly higher than the VS measurements but lower for weight (Δ-0.65 kg [-3.6 to 2.2], p < 0.0001) and, therefore, for estimated BMI (Δ −0.30 kg. m −2 [-1.56 to 0.96] p < 0.0001). In addition, the Bland-Altman analyses show that just 4.2%, 7.1% and 5.0% of the total participants fall outside 95% limits of agreements for height, weight and BMI respectively. A perfect concordance was found for age and sex between SR and VS data. Our findings confirm the reliability of Web-based self-reported anthropometric and socio-demographic data collected in the Food4Me study. This reliability of SR data may have been aided by the provision of standardised instructions, including photographs and videos, to facilitate self-measurement by the participants. This project is supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (N. 65494).
At 3 months, participants in the Lower-and Higher-Frequency Feedback groups showed improvements i... more At 3 months, participants in the Lower-and Higher-Frequency Feedback groups showed improvements in Healthy Eating Index score; this improvement was larger in the Higher-Frequency group than the Lower-Frequency group (Δ=1.84 points, 95% CI=0.79, 2.89, p=0.0001). Similarly, there were greater improvements for the Higher-versus Lower-Frequency group for body weight (Δ= −0.73 kg, 95% CI= −1.07, −0.38, p<0.0001), BMI (Δ= −0.24 kg/m2, 95% CI= −0.36, −0.13, p<0.0001), and waist circumference (Δ= −1.20 cm, 95% CI= −2.36, −0.04, p=0.039). However, only body weight and BMI remained significant at 6 months. Conclusions At 3 months, higher-frequency feedback produced larger improvements in overall diet quality as well as in body weight and waist circumference than lower-frequency feedback. However, only body weight and BMI remained significant at 6 months. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01530139.
The growing demand for livestock products is associated with an increase in environmental, econom... more The growing demand for livestock products is associated with an increase in environmental, economic, and ethical issues. New alternative sources of protein such as edible insects have recently been developed to tackle these issues with fewer drawbacks. However, several challenges are associated with insect-based food, mainly regarding consumer acceptance and commercialization. In this systematic review, we explored these challenges by reviewing 85 papers from 2010 to 2020, which were selected following the PRISMA methodology. Additionally, we applied the SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research type) tool for developing the inclusion criteria. Our analysis adds new knowledge to previous systematic reviews on this topic. It reveals both a comprehensive framework of factors influencing consumers’ acceptance of insects as food and aspects of the marketing mix of these products. Disgust, food neophobia, familiarity, visibility of insects, and taste appear...
The FLAVURS trial : the influence of a flavonoid-rich versus flavonoid-poor fruit and vegetable dietary intervention on cognitive function in free-living indidividuals at risk of cardiovascular disease
Human and animal studies indicate that cell-signalling, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant proper... more Human and animal studies indicate that cell-signalling, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of flavonoids and carotenoids in fruits and vegetables (F&V) may protect against, or slow, age-related decline in cognitive functioning. The Flavonoid University of Reading Study (FLA VURS), designed to explore the dose-response relationship between dietary F&V flavonoids and cardiovascular disease, enabled the investigation of such an association with cognitive function. FLA VURS was an 18-week parallel 3-arm randomised controlled dietary intervention trial with four time points, measured at 6-weekly intervals from baseline. Low F&V consumers were randomly assigned to a high flavonoid (HP), low flavonoid (LF), or control group. HF or LF F&V intake was increased by two daily 80g portions every 6 weeks, while controls maintained their habitual diet. Cognitive function and mood were measured at each visit. While no overall group differences in cognition or mood were found, age group s...
Objectives This study aimed to examine changes in intake of discretionary foods and beverages fol... more Objectives This study aimed to examine changes in intake of discretionary foods and beverages following a personalized nutrition intervention using two national classifications for discretionary foods. Methods Participants were recruited into a 6-month RCT across seven European countries (Food4Me) and were randomized to receive generalized dietary advice (Control) or one of three levels of personalized nutrition advice (based on dietary, phenotypic and genotypic information). Dietary intake from a FFQ was used to determine change between baseline and month 6 in (i) % energy, % contribution to total fat, SFA, total sugars and salt and (ii) contribution (%) made by sweets and snacks to intake of total fat, SFA, sugars and salt from discretionary foods and beverages, defined by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). Results A total of 1270 adults (40.9 (SD 13.0) years; 57% female) completed the intervention. At month 6, percentage sugars from FSS dis...
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