Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Safety and Nutritional Behaviors

2022 ◽  
pp. 444-462
Author(s):  
Ayse Saygun
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Direct Transmission ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Daily Routines ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Global Events

Global events like pandemics or climatic changes have an important influence on food systems. Taking into account consumer requirements during the pandemic, nutrition and food safety are very significant for individuals' well-being. Lockdowns, quarantine, and social distancing changed daily routines as well as nutritional behaviors from shopping for food to eating habits. Direct transmission of coronavirus through food was not observed. Food safety and food sustainability are strongly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic is still ongoing. For this reason, novel treatments of COVID-19 and immune-boosting food products will remain on-trend. Food loss and food waste should be avoided to achieve a sustainable food future. This chapter reveals a basis for the pandemic about the changes on nutritional behaviors, eating habits, and aimed to highlight the importance of food handling and food safety issues to create awareness. Future studies should investigate the sustainability, innovative technologies, mechanisms, and changes on nutritional behavior and food safety aspects during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Healthy sustainable food patterns and systems: a planetary urgency

Medwave ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (07) ◽  
pp. e8436-e8436
Author(s):  
Mariane Lutz
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
World Population ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Healthy Eating Habits ◽  
The Impact

Food choice impacts human health and planetary sustainability. The feeding patterns that reduce risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and various mortality causes are recognized as healthy eating habits. The average world population is far from reaching these habits due to the lack of access to healthy foods and a high prevalence of malnutrition. Understanding the impact of healthy sustainable food systems is growing worldwide to reach food security for the global population and future generations. A systemic perspective of this concept includes the health and well-being of individuals and the environmental, economic, socio-cultural, public policies context, besides food, agriculture, and ecological sciences. We need to confront the menaces and challenges represented by the ongoing changes of our era, which strongly generate global food insecurity. This issue is relevant not only for human health but also for climate change and other threats, based on modifications in production, handling, and consumption of foods that consider health and welfare impact at individual and planetary levels. In this review, some key concepts related to healthy and sustainable food systems are presented.

scholarly journals Multitemporal Geospatial Evaluation of Urban Agriculture and (Non)-Sustainable Food Self-Provisioning in Milan, Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Pulighe ◽  
Flavio Lupia
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Ancillary Data ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
The City

Urban agriculture in Global North cities is strongly promoted as a sustainable solution to achieve different goals, such as food production, quality of life, and well-being. Although several attempts have been made to evaluate urban agriculture production, few studies have investigated food production in a multitemporal geospatial way and considered per capita population needs, gender, and age strata consumption. This study presents a spatiotemporal quantification of urban agriculture in the city of Milan (Italy) for assessing food self-provisioning potential. We utilized high-resolution Google Earth images and ancillary data to create a detailed cadaster of urban agriculture for the years 2007 and 2014. Based on four scenarios of food production and statistical data on vegetables and cereals consumption, we estimated current total production and requirements for the city dwellers. Our results showed that the actual extension of vegetable gardens (98 ha) and arable land (2539 ha) in the best scenario could satisfy approximately 63,700 and 321,000 consumers of vegetables and cereal products, respectively. Overall, current urban agriculture production is not able to meet vegetables and cereal consumption for more than 1.3 million city residents. Scenario estimates suggest rethinking land use promoting horticultural production to achieve more sustainable food systems.

Exploring local and organic food consumption in a holistic sustainability view

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 749-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Scalvedi ◽  
Anna Saba
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Organic Food Consumption ◽  
Sustainability Standards

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify sustainability aspects that overlap with local and organic consumer profiles in order to provide evidence that can be used to promote both kinds of foods in a sustainable food consumption (SFC) integrated framework. Design/methodology/approach Discriminant analysis was applied to a national sample of 3,004 respondents in Italy to separately depict local and organic consumers’ profiles based on personal values, eating habits, food purchase motivations, and involvement. Findings Organic consumption showed a lower penetration compared to local consumption. However, organic consumers adhered to more sustainable consumption principles. Adopting healthy diets and sharing self-transcendence values emerged as common traits of both consumers. Regular consumption made both consumers’ profiles look similar by sharing more sustainability-related traits. Research limitations/implications Only two out of the different types of foods promoted as sustainable were considered. Further insights could be made regarding fair trade foods and food promoted by voluntary sustainability standards. Practical implications The overlapping motivations of the two consumer profiles provided evidence of the potential efficacy of joint promotion in favour of sustainability and demonstrated that a synergic approach among food systems could foster more sustainable consumption. Originality/value This study identified common sustainability motivations among different consumer groups, based on sustainable food categories, adopting a holistic vision of SFC.

scholarly journals How a Transformation towards Sustainable Community Catering Can Succeed

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviana Lopez ◽  
Jenny Teufel ◽  
Carl-Otto Gensch
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Menu Planning ◽  
Governance Model

Community catering or to use another common term especially in the American literature institutional foodservice plays a central role in changing our food system towards sustainability. Community catering establishments can bring about changes in this context at various levels. Hence, in the context of menu planning, they have a direct influence on the level of meat consumption. Indirectly, however, they can also support changes in eating habits by offering the guest an equally attractive alternative, thus giving him or her a sense of how tasty a low-meat cuisine can be. On the basis of this experience, the consumer may possibly change in turn his or her own purchasing behavior and menu planning at home. With the increasing importance of catering for day-care centers and schools, community catering also has a considerable influence on the nutritional status as well as on the development of people’s individual diet and the later eating habits of young people. By understanding socio-technical systems as embedded in ecological systems this paper takes a systemic view on innovations in transformation domains as the objects of desire for governance towards sustainability. The framework developed in the context of the BMBF-funded research project “Governance model for socio-ecological transformation processes in practice: development and testing in three areas of application” known by its acronym TRAFO 3.0 was applied to examine innovative approaches and actors in community catering and their contributions to more sustainable food systems. A number of studies show that a very large environmental relief potential can be achieved by reducing the quantity of meat and other animal products offered. However, the concrete implementation of this goal is associated with a multitude of challenges, since meat-containing meals are an important part of German food culture. How the transformation towards meals with fewer animal products in German community catering can succeed is an important question in the context of the transformation to sustainable food systems. To answer this question, we analyzed the status quo of the socio-technical system of German community catering using a developed governance model. One of the central results was that community catering stakeholders who have successfully reduced their offer of animal products died fundamental changes in meal planning. Cooks had to “reinvent” meals completely to be successful.

Expectations and everyday opportunities for building trust in the food system

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Tonkin ◽  
Julie Henderson ◽  
Samantha B. Meyer ◽  
John Coveney ◽  
Paul R. Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Consumer Trust ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safety Incident ◽  
The Media ◽  
Business As Usual

PurposeConsumers’ trust in food systems is essential to their functioning and to consumers’ well-being. However, the literature exploring how food safety incidents impact consumer trust is theoretically underdeveloped. This study explores the relationship between consumers’ expectations of the food system and its actors (regulators, food industry and the media) and how these influence trust-related judgements that consumers make during a food safety incident.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, two groups of purposefully sampled Australian participants (n = 15) spent one day engaged in qualitative public deliberation to discuss unfolding food incident scenarios. Group discussion was audio recorded and transcribed for the analysis. Facilitated group discussion included participants' expected behaviour in response to the scenario and their perceptions of actors' actions described within the scenario, particularly their trust responses (an increase, decrease or no change in their trust in the food system) and justification for these.FindingsThe findings of the study indicated that food incident features and unique consumer characteristics, particularly their expectations of the food system, interacted to form each participant's individual trust response to the scenario. Consumer expectations were delineated into “fundamental” and “anticipatory” expectations. Whether fundamental and anticipatory expectations were in alignment was central to the trust response. Experiences with the food system and its actors during business as usual contributed to forming anticipatory expectations.Originality/valueTo ensure that food incidents do not undermine consumer trust in food systems, food system actors must not only demonstrate competent management of the incident but also prioritise trustworthiness during business as usual to ensure that anticipatory expectations held by consumers are positive.

scholarly journals Bridging Sustainability and Food Security Ideas Towards Building Sustainable Food Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Majing Oloko
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Security Assessment ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Health And Well Being

Having stable access to nutritious and culturally preferred food to maintain health and well-being is still a challenge for many people across the globe. Food insecurity and environmental degradation is rising across the world with interrelated drivers. There has been increasing advocacy for the creation of sustainable food systems to support food and nutritional security without degrading the environment. Bridging sustainability and food security ideas is a step towards building such food systems. However, how to apply ideas of sustainability and food security into building sustainable food systems remains a challenge, given the connection between the two concepts is not well appreciated. I introduce a sustainability and food security assessment framework as a first step for bridging sustainability and food security concepts, towards building sustainable food systems.

scholarly journals Food Counts: Food systems report cards, food sovereignty and the politics of indicators

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Z. Levkoe ◽  
Alison Blay-Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Report Card ◽  
Report Cards ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
International Panel ◽  
Using Data

The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems recognized that "current systems will be held in place insofar as these systems continue to be measured in terms of what industrial agriculture is designed to deliver, at the expense of many other outcomes that really matter in food systems" (IPES 2016: 57). In response, they called for new food systems indicators rooted in social justice, support for local economies, ecological regeneration and democratic engagement. This paper reflects on the ways that indicators can serve as a tool to understand the current state of food systems, challenge existing approaches and (re)frame a future vision of equity and sustainability. Our analysis focuses on the development of Food Counts: A Pan-Canadian Sustainable Food Systems Report Card, a first attempt to bring together existing measures of social, environmental, and economic well-being to help researchers, policy makers, and practitioners examine food systems more comprehensively. The report card used a food sovereignty framework and an integrated systems perspective and make connections to a global movement for collective social change. Beyond its practical value, and particularly in the context of Canada's development of a national food policy, our analysis illuminates the limited kinds of data available, the privileging of scientific expertise over traditional knowledge, the assumed value of certain indicators, and the reductionist nature of using data to represent complex food systems. We argue that while report cards can make visible numerous food systems' elements, they can also obscure divers experiences, reinforcing unsustainable practices and policies.

scholarly journals Serving Social Justice: The Role of the Commons in Sustainable Food Systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sumner
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Economies ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
The Commons

Food is a source of sustenance, a cause for celebration, an inducement to temptation, a vehicle for power, an indicator of well-being, a catalyst for change and, above all, a life good.  Along with other life goods such as potable water, clean air, adequate shelter and protective clothing, food is something we cannot live without.  The global corporate food system, however, allows 800 million to go hungry, while an even larger number of people grow obese.  Based in money-values, this food system promotes accumulation first and foremost, enriching a few while creating economic, social and environmental externalities that are destroying local economies, devastating individuals, families and communities and degrading the planet. What would a food system look like that was based in life-values, centred on the commons and anchored by social justice?  This paper will focus on the creation of sustainable food systems, beginning with the crises of the global corporate food system and then moving to the heart of sustainable food systems – the civil commons.

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