Nutrition Opportunities Worldwide’s Post

In a landmark decision, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved revisions to nutritional labelling on packaged foods. Under the new regulations, total sugar, salt, and saturated fat content will now be prominently displayed in bold and larger font sizes. This initiative, ratified during the 44th Food Authority meeting, aims to enable consumers to make informed choices by emphasising serving sizes and % contributions to Recommended Dietary Allowances (% RDA). Here's what makes this necessary: 1. Enhanced Consumer Awareness: Clear, bold labelling of sugar, salt, and saturated fat reinforces informed dietary choices among consumers. 2. Promotion of Healthier Eating Habits: Highlighting these components encourages healthier food choices and helps manage intake of substances like sugar and salt, which are often overconsumed in modern diets. 3. Transparency and Accountability: This initiative enhances food label transparency, ensuring accurate and accessible information, fostering industry accountability and consumer trust. What do you think about this decision? #NutritionLabelling #FSSAI #HealthyChoices [ FSSAI, Nutrition, Health, Wellness, Diet ]

Did you know that processed foods play a crucial role in meeting the dietary needs of many Americans, accounting for nearly 70% of their daily caloric intake? This industry provides accessible options that contribute to food security and meet diverse preferences and lifestyles. Let's appreciate the innovation and convenience it brings while also striving for balance and incorporating whole, nutritious foods into our diets. #FoodIndustry #FoodServiceIndustry #EconomicContribution #GlobalGrowth #BusinessTrends #IndustryInsights #GlobalSignificance #FoodIndustryGrowth #FinancialStatistics #MarketExpansion

Confused on where consumers stand on processed foods? Consumers are just as uncertain... A new report from International Food Information Council reveals that although 53% of Americans think processed foods can be part of a healthy diet, over 70% are unclear about what defines a processed food. The findings underscore the need for further research and science communication to advance the dialogue around the role of processed foods in healthy and sustainable eating patterns. In fact, a new USDA-funded study, led by the University of Rhode Island, aims to shed light on the subject by exploring how we view and consume processed foods. The study will also investigate consumer perceptions, and evaluate processed foods' impact on calorie intake, satiety, and eating behaviors. The results could help inform the recommendations that guide our food choices. FoodMinds is keeping an eye on the latest research around processed foods, so stay tuned! And learn more about the new study here: https://bit.ly/3OSHLf8 #nutritionresearch #consumerinsights #dietaryguidelines

In the contemporary landscape of fast-paced lifestyles and convenience-driven food choices, a silent menace looms over our diets – the pervasive issue of food adulteration. This article delves into the intricate relationship between the rising cholesterol levels in our population and the concerning prevalence of adulterated food products. Unveiling the intricacies of this predicament, we explore how compromised food quality contributes significantly to the escalating cholesterol crisis. 1.Understanding the Adulteration Predicament: Adulteration, a practice involving the intentional debasement of food quality through the addition of inferior or harmful substances, has become a prevalent concern in our modern food industry. Driven by the pursuit of profit margins, unscrupulous practices compromise the nutritional integrity of our daily sustenance, posing severe risks to health. 2.The Cholesterol Connection: High cholesterol levels stand as a formidable health challenge, intricately linked to cardiovascular diseases and overall well-being. Adulterated food products, often loaded with trans fats, artificial additives, and substandard ingredients, exacerbate the cholesterol crisis. This article elucidates how the consumption of such adulterated foods amplifies the risk of developing cholesterol-related health issues, creating a ripple effect on public health. 3.Severity of the Crisis: The repercussions of a cholesterol crisis extend beyond individual health https://lnkd.in/gTGeJEuT

While life expectancy has been rising, the length of a healthy life has deteriorated, a new World Economic Forum and Accenture report finds. Diet is the most important driver of health and changing the way people consume food is the key to cultivating a sustainable and healthy food system. Here are four ways to help people make better food choices for better health outcomes. But while the improvement in overall life expectancy is undeniable, healthy life expectancy is broadly deteriorating and nutrition is responsible, according to a new insight report from the World Economic Forum and Accenture. Here’s why the global food system needs to change, and four key ways to help people embrace healthier food choices and reduce the healthspan-lifespan gap: 1) reimagine retail layouts, 2) subsidize healthy food, 3) standardize food labelling and 4) make healthy food the default. #foodsystems #foodsystemtransformation #globalfoodsystem #susustainablefoodsystems #diet #sustainablediets #healthydiets #healthysustainablediets #sustainablehealthydiets #upfs #ultraprocessedfoods #foodlabeling #foodlabelling #foodretail #foodretailing #fiscalpolicy #foodpolicy #publichealth #humanhealth #populationhealth #dietitians #nutritionists #nutricionistas

Just published 📄A new study focusing on the eating habits and health outcomes of health-conscious, plant-based adults in the UK 🇬🇧 and this is what it found: 🥦Overall, the study participants ate a plethora of whole plant foods, especially vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. 🍕Consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and meat alternatives was very low. ❤️The majority reported to perceive their health as very good or even excellent. 🌾When compared, the whole food, plant-based eaters did slightly better than the vegan group - although, overall the dietary habits were significantly better than in the general UK population. 💊Most of the participants used some form of B12 (containing) supplement. There are some limitations, e.g. the participants were mostly highly educated and motivated and/or health professionals and self-reported data can always be biased. But when you look at the big picture, the results indicate that plant-based diets can be of high quality and sustainable and come with indicators of beneficial health outcomes. Check the full article here: Sadler I, Bauer A, Kassam S. Dietary habits and self-reported health outcomes in a cross-sectional survey of health-conscious adults eating a plant-based diet. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2024; 1–14. https://lnkd.in/e8kdMFgw #NutritionInHealthcare #NutritionMatters #PlantBased #NutritionStudy #WholeFoodPlantBased

How does your food make you feel? - With #COP28 food systems have (rightly) been getting a lot of attention in terms of #sustainability. There's also ongoing discussion around #nutrition #health #animalwelfare. But how about simply how food makes us feel? - "Results showed that participants expected to feel more ‘proud’ and ‘cool’ and less ‘guilty’ and ‘worried’ when eating a plant-based burger compared to a meat burger" (Zandstra et al 2023) https://lnkd.in/g9NW3S5C #food #futurefood #foodforthought

UPF are a largely invisible part of most consumers’ diets! This is a part of EIT Food Consumer Observatory research on consumer perceptions of ultra-processed foods, that combining a survey of 10,000 consumers from 17 European countries. We already know that food processing allows manufacturers to increase the shelf life of food and save consumers time and energy from preparing the food themselves. Additionaly, food processing contributes to reduction of waste, low prices and in that way can improve the availability of food supply for the global population. However, there are growing concerns that over-processing foods can lead to poor nutritional quality and disease. According to the Consumer Observatory Survey, 16% of European citizens claim that they eat UPF 5 times a week or more. This shows that while UPF are ubiquitous, they are sometimes invisible in consumers’ everyday food choices. Young Europeans (18-34) are more likely than older Europeans (35-54 and 55+) to say that they eat UPF on a daily basis (12% , 9% and 4% respectively). However, for most consumers, UPF are an integral part of their diet. Whether it is morning cereal, grain bars, cookies, instant noodles, frozen pizza, or sodas, many more consumers eat UPF on a daily basis, more often than they are aware of or willing to admit. There is a small group of very health-conscious participants who are better at recognising UPF over other processed foods. This group avoids UPF in their daily diet but allows them every now and then, usually as a treat, or when other options are not available. #ConsumerObservarory

According to the Global Food Policy Report 2024, Indians are eating unhealthy food not because they do not have options, but because of the price of the food. I am summarizing other main reasons mentioned in the report: 1. Significant promotion of ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks via media specifically targeting kids and adolescents. This has been manipulating the behavior of this segment. 2. A significant portion of food available through online platforms is not aligned with healthy eating recommendations. 3. Ultra-processed foods are cheaper and more accessible to the urban population. 4. A significant portion of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, which makes cheaper, less healthy food options more appealing. These factors combined create an environment where unhealthy food choices are more accessible and appealing, leading to poorer dietary habits among Indians Source: https://lnkd.in/g7Y3rA9m

Health star labels move closer to being mandatory. But food companies could still (legally) game the system. Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after the food industry made slow progress in meeting the target to roll out health stars to more products voluntarily, ministers are tightening the screws. In a significant step, they’ve just set in train a process to make health stars mandatory. Here’s what this could mean for consumers, and what else we’d like to see. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02Lpb150 #healthstars #foodlabels #foodindustry #publichealth #healthychoices #nutrition #foodregulation #foodpolicy #foodmanufacturing #consumerprotection