Project description:To describe the availability and nutrient composition of U.S. commercially available squeeze pouch infant and toddler foods in 2015. Data were from information presented on nutrition labels for 703 ready-to-serve, pureed food products from 24 major U.S. infant and toddler food brands. We described nutritional components (e.g., calories, fat) and compared them between packaging types (squeeze pouch versus other packaging types) within food categories. 397 (56%) of the analyzed food products were packaged as squeeze pouches. Differences in 13 nutritional components between squeeze pouch versus other packaging types were generally small and varied by food category. Squeeze pouches in the fruits and vegetables, fruit-based, and vegetable-based categories were more likely to contain added sugars than other package types. In 2015, squeeze pouches were prevalent in the U.S. commercial infant and toddler food market. Nutrient composition differed between squeeze pouches and other packaging types for some macro- and micronutrients. Although it is recommended that infants and toddlers under two years old not consume any added sugars, a specific area of concern may be the inclusion of sources of added sugar in squeeze pouches. Linking this information with children's dietary intake would facilitate understanding how these differences affect overall diet quality.
Project description:Knowing the type and quality of the most popular foods consumed by a population can be useful in the design of technologies for monitoring food intake and interventions. The aim of this research was to determine the most frequently consumed foods and beverages among the Australian population and provide recommendations for progressing the design of dietary assessment technologies. Analysis of the first 24 h recall of the most recent Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was conducted. The most popular foods and beverages consumed by energy (kJ) and by frequency were calculated. There were 4515 separate foods and beverages reported by 12,153 people. Overall, the top 10 foods that contributed most energy included full fat milk, beer, white rice, white bread, red wine, cola soft drinks, bananas, red apples, wholewheat breakfast cereal and white sugar. The five most frequently reported foods and beverages were tap water, black tea, full fat milk, instant coffee, and sugar. Understanding the most popular foods and beverages consumed can support innovations in the design of digital tools for dietary surveillance and to reduce under-reporting and food omissions. These findings could also guide the development of more tailored and relevant food databases that underpin these technologies.
Project description:Consumption of seafood brings health benefits but may increase the ingestion of contaminants. Compared with other ethnic groups in the U.S., Asians consume seafood more frequently. However, there is little information about how culturally specific fish consumption contributes to exposure to toxicants. In this work, we surveyed fish consumption among Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities and purchased 103 seafood samples from local markets in Chicago. Each sample was analyzed for mercury (Hg) and 92 organic chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and Dechlorane Plus and related compounds (DPs). The rank order of pollutant concentration in all samples was Hg ≫ Σ66PCBs > Σ17OCPs > Σ8PBDEs > Σ8DPs. Positive correlations were noted among most contaminant groups. Bluefish, pike and tuna steak had the highest mean Hg (>1 mg/kg). The mean Σ66PCBs was highest in pike and bluefish (>100 ng/g) followed by pollock and mackerel (>40 ng/g). Overall, octopus, shrimp and tilapia were the least contaminated; while pike, bluefish, and pollock were the most contaminated. Omega-3 fatty acids were more strongly affiliated with the organic contaminants than mercury. A risk assessment identified seven types of fish that should have consumption limitations and six that should not be consumed. For these seafoods, consumption advice based on Hg levels would adequately protect health. In the survey participants, 17% of seafood mass consumed is from types of fish that should be limited to 1 or 2 meals/week, while 7% of the seafood mass consumed comes from types that should not be consumed at all. This work adds additional contaminants to the profile of health risks resulting from fish consumption among Asian Americans, which can be used in interventions aimed at conserving consumption of healthy fish while avoiding contaminants.
Project description:Plant-based foods intended for feeding dogs and cats are available in Canada, though few studies have examined the suitability of plant-based foods for dogs and cats. All commercial plant-based extruded and wet pet food products available in Ontario, Canada, in 2018 (n = 26) were acquired and analysed for energy, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins A, B12, D2 and D3. Results were compared with recommendations of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). Thirteen products were labelled for adult canine maintenance, four for canine all life stages, one for puppy growth, two for adult feline maintenance, three for feline all life stages, one for adult maintenance of dogs and cats and two for all life stages of dogs and cats. Four products met AAFCO and one product met FEDIAF nutrient recommendations for canine maintenance. No diets met AAFCO or FEDIAF recommendations for feline maintenance or growth for either species. Nutrients most commonly found insufficient were: sulfur amino acids, taurine, arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA, calcium phosphorus and vitamin D. There were no nutrients unable to be provided from non-animal sources. Compliance with labelling guidelines was also poor, similar to other findings with commercial animal-based pet products. The results from this study indicate areas where producers of plant-based pet foods must improve to meet the industry recommended nutrient profiles and labelling requirements.
Project description:Aquaculture production has nearly tripled in the last two decades, bringing with it a significant increase in the use of antibiotics. Using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the presence of 47 antibiotics was investigated in U.S. purchased shrimp, salmon, catfish, trout, tilapia, and swai originating from 11 different countries. All samples (n=27) complied with U.S. FDA regulations and five antibiotics were detected above the limits of detection: oxytetracycline (in wild shrimp, 7.7ng/g of fresh weight; farmed tilapia, 2.7; farmed salmon, 8.6; farmed trout with spinal deformities, 3.9), 4-epioxytetracycline (farmed salmon, 4.1), sulfadimethoxine (farmed shrimp, 0.3), ormetoprim (farmed salmon, 0.5), and virginiamycin (farmed salmon marketed as antibiotic-free, 5.2). A literature review showed that sub-regulatory levels of antibiotics, as found here, can promote resistance development; publications linking aquaculture to this have increased more than 8-fold from 1991 to 2013. Although this study was limited in size and employed sample pooling, it represents the largest reconnaissance of antibiotics in U.S. seafood to date, providing data on previously unmonitored antibiotics and on farmed trout with spinal deformities. Results indicate low levels of antibiotic residues and general compliance with U.S. regulations. The potential for development of microbial drug resistance was identified as a key concern and research priority.
Project description:BackgroundCigarette smoke contains microbes and microbial toxins, such as endotoxin and [Formula: see text], that may have adverse respiratory effects. To our knowledge, the potential for contamination of electronic cigarette (EC) products sold in the United States has not been investigated.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine whether popular cartridge and e-liquid EC products were contaminated with endotoxin or glucan and to examine differences according to the type and flavor of products.MethodsWe selected 37 cartridges and 38 e-liquid products with the highest nicotine content from the ten top-selling U.S. brands. Flavors were classified into four groups: tobacco, menthol, fruit, and other. Endotoxin and glucan were measured using an endotoxin-specific kinetic turbidimetric assay and a Glucatell® Kinetic Assay (Associates of Cape Cod, Inc.), respectively.ResultsEndotoxin concentrations were over the limit of detection (LOD) in 17 of 75 products tested (23%), and glucan concentrations were greater than LOD in 61 of 75 products (81%). After adjusting for brand and flavor, the mean glucan concentration was 3.2 times higher [95% confidence interval (CI): [Formula: see text], 18.4] in cartridge vs. e-liquid samples. After adjusting for brand and type of product, glucan concentrations in tobacco- and menthol-flavored ECs were 10.4 (95% CI: 1.8, 44.9) and 3.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 17.3) times higher than concentrations found in fruit-flavored products.ConclusionsEC products may be contaminated with microbial toxins. Further studies with large representative samples of products are needed to confirm our findings, identify sources and routes of contamination, and evaluate health effects associated with the use of contaminated products. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3469.
Project description:BackgroundTo estimate usual intake distributions of dietary components, collection of nonconsecutive repeated 24-h dietary recalls is recommended, but resource limitations sometimes restrict data collection to single-day dietary data per person.ObjectivesWe developed a new statistical method, the NCI 1-d method, which uses single-day dietary data and an external within-person to between-person variance ratio to estimate population distributions of usual intake of nearly-daily consumed foods and nutrients.MethodsWe used NHANES 2011-2014 data for men (n = 4938 and n = 4293 for the first and second 24-h recalls) to compare nutrient intake distributions of vitamin A, magnesium, folate, and vitamin E generated by the 1-d method (with use of only the first recall per person) with those from the NCI amount-only method (with use of all days of dietary intake per person). The within-person to between-person variance ratio from the amount-only model was used as the unbiased "external" estimate for the 1-d method. We also examined the effect of mis-specification of variance ratios on usual intake distributions.ResultsThe amount-only and 1-d methods estimated statistically equivalent median (25p, 75p): 647 (459, 890) compared with 648 (461, 886) µg retinol activity equivalents/d, 338 (268, 420) compared with 334 (266, 417) mg magnesium/d, 595 (458, 762) compared with 589 (456, 758) µg dietary folate equivalents/d, and 9.7 (7.3, 12.6) compared with 9.6 (7.3, 12.7) mg vitamin E/d. As the external variance ratios increased from 25% to 200% of the unbiased ratios, the prevalence of inadequate intake ranged from 53% to 43% for vitamin A, 57% to 55% for magnesium, 16% to 2% for folate, and 70% to 73% for vitamin E.ConclusionsThe 1-d method is a viable statistical method for estimating usual intakes of nearly-daily consumed dietary components when the variance ratio is unbiased. Results are sensitive to variance ratio selection, so researchers should still collect replicate data where possible.
Project description:Maintaining dietary self-monitoring during obesity treatment may improve outcomes. As dietary variety is associated with energy intake, understanding the pattern of when new foods and beverages are consumed may assist with identifying when self-monitoring should occur. This study examined dietary variety (total number of differing foods and beverages consumed) from the first 40 days of self-monitoring records reporting ≥ 3 eating occasions and >600 kcal/day from 60 adults (55.9 ± 9.1 yrs, 35.1 ± 5.3 kg/m2, 80.0% female, 95.0% white) participating in a smartphone-based, lifestyle intervention. Dietary variety was coded using an ingredient-based approach. Additionally, new flavors of previously consumed items, and modified and non-modified items contributed to variety. Total number of different foods and beverages consumed over 40 coded days (cumulative variety [cv40]); number of days to reach 50%, 75%, and 100% of cv40; cv40 by eating occasions; and mean number of new items consumed on weekdays and weekend days were calculated. CV40 was 145.4 ± 33.5. Number of coded days to consume 50%, 75%, and 100% of cv40 was 12.7, 25.1, and 40.0, respectively. Dinner was greater (p < 0.0001) in cv40 (58.6 ± 18.5 different items) than other eating occasions, and lunch was greater (p < 0.0001) (38.8 ± 10.7 different items) than breakfast and snack. Weekend days had a greater mean number of new items consumed than weekdays, (3.8 ± 1.0 items vs. 3.6 ± 0.9 items, p = 0.035). Variety of items consumed during obesity treatment is high, and to capture the majority of differing items consumed, at least 4 weeks of detailed recording is needed. After this, to capture new foods and beverages consumed, self-monitoring dinners, lunch, and weekend days may be helpful.
Project description:Dairy cows convert human-indigestible forages and byproducts nutrients into edible food for humans [1]. Because of microbiota located in their rumen, dairy cows can digest fibrous forages and feeds which are not exploited by humans and monogastric animals like pigs. Dairy cows in the U.S. have been fed byproduct feeds as part of their diet for decades [2], [3]. Dairy nutritionists use complex nutrition models to develop economical and nutritious diets composed of grains, byproduct feeds, and forages. Accurate, complete, up-to-date information on byproduct feed consumption by dairy cows would be useful for both public and private researchers seeking to understand the type and extent of byproduct usage on US dairies. In collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), a survey was sent to US feed company representatives inquiring about the types and amounts of byproducts sold as dairy cow feed during the last year, the number of lactating cows serviced, the amount of milk produced by these lactating cows, and the states where these cows were located. A similar survey was sent to practicing US dairy nutritionists inquiring about their typical daily feeding rates of byproduct feeds by type, the number of cows consuming these byproducts, the amount of milk produced by the lactating cows, and the states where these cows were located. Survey data are representative of 33.5% of US lactating cows and 35.7% of US milk production in 2019 [4]. Amounts of each type of byproduct feed consumed per US milking cow (including replacement heifers and dry cows) and per kg of milk produced were calculated for the US and its four regions [5]. Total 2019 regional and US byproduct consumption by type was calculated. Nutrient compositions of each byproduct feed were reported.
Project description:BackgroundConsumer food waste in the United States represents substantial amounts of wasted nutrients, as well as needless environmental impact from wasted agricultural inputs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to reduce food waste at the consumer level are urgently needed to address the most prominent nutrition and environmental sustainability issues we now face. Importantly, individuals report that saving money is a salient motivator for reducing food waste, yet contemporary evidence on the consumer cost of wasted food is lacking. The objectives of this study are to 1) estimate the daily per capita cost of food wasted, inedible, and consumed 2) at home and away from home, and 3) by food group.MethodsThis study utilizes cross-sectional, nationally-representative data on food intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2016), linked with nationally representative data on food waste from published literature, as well as data on food prices and food price inflation from multiple publicly-available sources. Survey-weighted procedures estimated daily per capita expenditure on food waste for 39,758 adults aged ≥20 y.ResultsTotal daily per capita food expenditure was $13.27, representing 27% wasted, 14% inedible, and 59% consumed. The greatest daily food waste expenditures were observed for meat and seafood purchased for consumption outside of the home ($0.94, 95% CI: $0.90-0.99), and fruits and vegetables purchased for consumption in the home ($0.68, $0.63-0.73).ConclusionsThe most cost-effective ways to reduce food waste at the consumer level are to focus waste reduction efforts on meat and seafood purchased for consumption outside of the home and fruits and vegetables purchased for consumption in the home. A number of strategies are available to help consumers reduce their food waste, which can increase their financial flexibility to purchase more healthy foods while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.