Exploring the impacts of FDA temporary food labeling flexibility among the food allergy community during the Covid-19 pandemic

In an attempt to improve access to food distribution systems during the Covid-19 pandemic, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued temporary flexibility in food labeling requirements. This requirement affects the Top 8 allergens and could lead to accidental allergen ingestion. The purpose of this study was to utilize a qualitative method to collect and analyze comments to FDA that were available via Allergic Living's website from May 22, 2020, to June 18, 2020, following the release of the food labeling change. In total, 3,033 comments were analyzed using the thematic analysis six-phase framework approach. Various themes were extracted relating to the emotional responses of the new labeling including fear, safety concerns, and trust of certain food product brands among the food allergy community. This research has implications for a broad spectrum of the U.S. food industry including restaurants, grocery stores, specialty food associations, and consumers. Stakeholders and experts in the food allergy community should be consulted when a policy change is occurring, especially during a pandemic affecting access to safe food.

Food safety knowledge and changes in practices and concerns of Indian families during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose>Unsafe food can lead to various foodborne diseases and even death, especially among children. This paper aims to assess food safety knowledge and changes in practices and concerns among adults ≥ 18 years during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among 325 adults living in Northern India. Demographic data and information regarding their knowledge, practices and concerns about various food safety issues were collected to see if there were any changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Findings>The results showed that the participants had slightly higher than average knowledge and good food safety practices with mean scores of 9.75 ± 2.23 and 24.87 ± 2.28, respectively. Contracting COVID-19 from food and food packaging materials was of high concern for more than 70% of the participants. Majority (> 80%) of them reported an increase in the frequency of handwashing. About 16% of the participants used chemical disinfectants for washing fruits and vegetables. An increase (57.5%) in the frequency of food label reading was also noted during the pandemic. Freshness and the general quality of food items (49.5%), safety of food (30.8%) and cost (18.2%) were the top drivers that influenced the purchase decision.Originality/value>This study highlighted the need to send out clear messages on safe food handling practices and keeping the tempo up for sustaining good hygienic practices. This will help in reducing the risk of foodborne diseases.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on consumers' food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information

PurposeThere are many studies investigating people's eating habits during the COVID-19 period, and people have been encouraged to eat healthier. Healthy nutrition is made possible by making healthy food choices and food labels are one of the tools that help consumers make healthy food choices. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers' food label reading behaviours and their level of trust in food labels.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,012 adults aged 18–65 years from seven different regions of Turkey. Participants' food label reading behaviours and their trust in food label information were assessed using an online questionnaire, and COVID-19 fear scores were determined using the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S).FindingsAlthough not statistically significant, participants' rate of reading food labels increased during the pandemic (65.6% vs 68.7%, p = 0.078). On the contrary, trust in label information decreased significantly (52.1% vs 43.9%, p < 0.001). In addition, increased COVID-19 fear was associated with an increased rate of food label reading and decreased trust in the label information (p < 0.001).Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the study's cross-sectional nature, the authors cannot provide a causal link between COVID-19 fear and food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information. However, it is difficult to investigate this causal link due to difficulties in studies of consumer behaviour and food choice (e.g. multifactorial effects and complexity). Second, because the present study's findings were based on self-report data, there may be a risk of resource bias. Nevertheless, the authors think that this study will shed light on future studies as it is the first time that the COVID-19 pandemic has investigated consumers' food label reading habits and their trust in food labels.Practical implicationsConsidering the pandemic as an opportunity to change consumer behaviour, it may be useful to provide food label reading education to consumers, especially during this period. In addition, the information given on the label should be clear and understandable for a better understanding of the food label information. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to conduct food inspections more frequently and share the results with the public to increase consumers' trust in food labels. Moreover, as the food system shifts towards a "new normal”, it is critical for policymakers to understand the changes in consumer perceptions, preferences and trust in foods.Originality/valueCOVID-19 fear affected consumers' food label reading behaviours. As far as the authors know, there is no study about the effects of COVID-19 on consumers' food label reading behaviours.

Conventional or Organic? Motives and Trends in Polish Vegetable Consumption.

Vegetables constitute a major component of human food security. They are the main sources of essential nutrients including antioxidants, natural dyes, minerals, and vitamins. Eating habit issues related to the consumption of vegetables are gaining importance within the context of a healthy lifestyle, longevity, and physical fitness. Additionally, food quality is of primary importance, and so-called eco-food (defined as food as natural as possible, without fertilizers, pesticides, or preservatives) seems to be the most popular world-trend in healthy nutrition. Keeping these ideas in focus, research on vegetable consumption in Poland in the context of conventional or organic production was performed using online questionnaire surveys. The results revealed that the rate of vegetable consumption depended primarily on economic status, except for the potato, which was a staple cutting across all economic strata. Among the 108 analyzed respondents, 74% bought vegetables from certified organic farms. However, 59% bought organic vegetables "rarely" or "sometimes", and only 15% "often". Next, respondents chose to buy vegetables from fresh food markets (45%) and in local shops (41%). About 20% of the respondents acquired vegetables from their own farms. Among the reasons for choosing vegetables from certified organic farms, respondents mentioned in decreasing order: "desire for proper nutrition" (30%), "thinking that organic vegetables are healthier" (28%), and "organic vegetables are generally better" (7%).

Perception of frontal food labeling, purchase and consumption of ultra-processed foods during the COVID-19 quarantine: A cross-sectional study in the Peruvian population

Introduction: The current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic and the constant increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods represent a threat to public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of front-of-pack nutrition labelling, the trend of purchase and consumption of ultra-processed foods during social confinement by COVID-19 in the Peruvian population. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online survey. A total of 330 participants between the ages of 18 and 59 were recruited from all regions of Peru. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the perception of front-of-food labelling, purchases, and consumption of ultra-processed foods. The data were analyzed using the statistical software IBM SPSS version 27, using the Chi-square test. A significance level of 5% was considered. Results: 77.9% and 68.7% showed a positive perception towards the implementation of the nutrient warning octagons and the label model/design, respectively. 63.3% agreed or totally agreed that octagons influence food purchases. The purchase of ultra-processed foods during confinement by COVID-19 occurred in 67.5% in women. Women were the ones who reported having read almost always or always in a higher proportion compared to men (31.5% vs. 23.3%). The largest proportion of participants reported an increase in the consumption of foods high in saturated fat (90%) and sugars (87%) during confinement. Conclusions: Participants had a positive perception towards the implementation of the nutrition warning labelling standard. However, both the purchase and consumption of ultra-processed foods were high. It is suggested that educational programs should be implemented to promote a gradual decrease in the consumption of ultra-processed foods during the COVID-19 pandemic.