Growth of Ready Meals in Australian Supermarkets: Nutrient Composition, Price and Serving Size

The Nutritional Quality of Food Donated to a Western Australian Food Bank

Food banks provide an indispensable service to people experiencing severe food insecurity. Food banks source donations from across the food system; however, the food redistributed to clients across the developed world is nutritionally poor. This, together with the increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and food insecurity, has prompted a focus on nutritional quality. Despite more food being distributed via food banks in Australia, the nutritional quality of donated food remains unreported. This study analyzed all food (84,996 kg (1216 products)) donated to Foodbank WA over a 5-day period using diet-, food-, and nutrient-based nutrition classification schemes (NCSs). A total of 42% (27% of total weight) of donated food products were deemed 'unsuitable' and 19% (23% by weight) were 'suitable' according to all NCSs. There was no agreement on 39% of products (50% by weight). Overall, NOVA and the Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines (HERNG) (κ = 0.521) had the highest level of agreement and the ADGs and HERNGs the lowest (κ = 0.329). The findings confirm the poor nutritional quality of food donated to food banks and the need to work with donors to improve the food they donate. Fit-for-purpose nutrition guidelines are urgently needed for Australian food banks to support them in providing nutritious food to their vulnerable clients.

Mapping the behaviour change potential of meal kits to positively influence parental food literacy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the theoretical potential of meal kit subscription services in Australia to promote parental food literacy using the retrospective application of behaviour change frameworks.

DESIGN

A one-week subscription was purchased for all Australian-based meal kit subscription services (n 9) to access content and features available to subscribers. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) identified in the subscription and meal planning features, meal kit delivery (i.e. ingredients and recipes) and website were coded using the behaviour change technique taxonomy (BCTTv1) and associated behaviour change frameworks. Identified BCTs were mapped to the theoretical domains framework to identify potential mechanisms of action for influencing parental food literacy development.

SETTING

Australia.

RESULTS

Thirty-five BCTs were identified across the nine meal kit services reviewed, ranging from nineteen to twenty-nine BCTs per company. Sixteen BCTs were common to all meal kits services, from the hierarchical clusters of 'goals and planning', 'shaping knowledge', 'social support', 'natural consequences', 'comparison of behaviour', 'repetitions and substitution', 'associations', 'reward and threat', 'antecedents' and 'regulation'. Across the meal kit services, the most frequently identified mechanisms of action were motivation (n 27) and capability (n 19).

CONCLUSION

These findings support the applicability of behaviour change frameworks to commercial meal kit subscription services and provide a theory-informed process for identifying BCTs that may be relevant for promoting parental food literacy within this context. Further research is required to explore how families engage with meal kit subscription services to determine the exposure and delivery of identified BCT content and to evaluate the potential influence on food literacy development.

Nutrient composition of milk and plant-based milk alternatives: A cross-sectional study of products sold in Australia and Singapore

Dairy and non-dairy (plant-based) alternatives are promoted as an essential component of a healthy diet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the range of dairy milks and plant-based milk alternatives in supermarkets in Australia and Singapore, and to explore nutritional differences within the category, and between countries. Product information was collected in store from packaging. Products were sorted into dairy milks and plant-based milk alternatives, and further categorised as (i) breakfast drinks (12 % of products); (ii) plain milks (62 %); or (iii) flavoured milks (26 %). The nutrient profiles of products were tested for differences using Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Flavoured products contained almost double the median sugar content of plain products (8.3 g v. 4.6 g, p = 0.005). Two-thirds of the product range were dairy milks, which contained nearly four times the median saturated fat content (1.1 g v. 0.3 v, p < 0.0001) and more than double the amount of sugar (5.1 g v. 2.6 g, p < 0.0001) of plant-based milk alternatives, but three times more protein (3.3 g v. 1.0 g, p < 0.0001). Between countries, generally, calcium contents were similar across products, likely due to fortification of plant-based milk alternatives. Compared to Singapore, dairy milk and plant-based milk alternative products sold in Australia were generally higher in energy, protein and fat, but lower in carbohydrate content. Food supply differences between Singapore and Australia may be cultural and have nutritional implications.

The Analysis of Residents' Intention to Consume Pre-Made Dishes in China: A Grounded Theory

The demand for pre-made dishes has increased in China. However, a detailed understanding of residents' intention to consume pre-made dishes is lacking in the existing studies. This research aims to investigate the consumer motives and intention to consume pre-made dishes. Through in-depth interviews and analysis, this research explores the factors influencing the residents' intention along the research steps of grounded theory. Fifty-one residents participated in semi-structured interviews via face-to-face or online interviews. Three motives for purchasing pre-made dishes were attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control. These were influenced by external factors, including environmental features and product features. Subjective characteristics are pre-existing characteristics of individuals themselves, including cooking skills, food skills, housework allocation, and eating attitudes, which play a moderating role in the relationship between external factors and consumer motives. Based on the six major categories, this study built a model of the formation mechanism of the consumer intention to consume pre-made dishes. It revealed the psychological attribution of residents' consumption of pre-made dishes. The finding of this study contributes to the understanding of the internal logic of PMDs' consumer intention formation. It would be a guide for researchers to map out appropriate business development strategies, and provide evidence for the government in formulating management policies.

Effects of Reheating Methods on Rheological and Textural Characteristics of Rice Starch with Different Gelatinization Degrees

Pregelatinized starch (PGS) is often used to improve the processing quality of foodstuffs, but little attention has been paid to the effects of different reheating methods and degree of starch gelatinization (DSG) on their rheological and textural properties. In this study, pregelatinized rice starches (RS) with gelatinization degrees ranging from 58% to 100% were prepared via different Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) heating procedures and reheated in various methods, including high-power microwave (HM), low-power microwave (LM), and water bath. The rheological behavior and textural properties were explored, and the results demonstrated that the consistency, gel strength, hardness, and springiness of PGS in all tested samples decreased significantly after reheating. The storage modulus (G') of PGS increased dramatically while the thermal stability decreased. Interestingly, the reheating methods possessed various effects on the starch of different DSG.

Australian Ready Meals: Does a Higher Health Star Rating Mean Lower Sodium Content?

Ready meals are typically a high sodium product and excessive sodium increases the risk for chronic disease. The study aimed to explore the association between sodium content, Health Star Rating (HSR) and the Healthy Food Partnership (HFP) sodium reduction target for ready meals. Median (IQR) sodium content in mg/100 g and mg/serving were determined overall and for each subcategory (ambient, chilled and frozen). Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the sodium content between ready meals with and without HSR. The Jonckheere trend test was used to assess presence of trend in sodium content by HSR categories. In total, 631 ready meals were included and 311 (49%) met the HFP sodium target (<250 mg per 100 g). The percentage of products displaying the voluntary front-of-pack HSR was 52% and of these, 82% had a star rating ≥3.5. A lower median sodium content (mg/100 g) was consistently observed for products with HSR compared with products without HSR (all p’s < 0.05). Except for ambient ready meals, a trend was observed where the higher the HSR category, the lower the sodium content (p < 0.001). A higher proportion of the products with HSR ≥ 4 met the HFP sodium target for ready meals.