Survey Regarding Changing Food Habits in Wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the emergence of the new coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) in Wuhan, China, on December 12, 2019, and it has significantly impacted human health. It has also caused abrupt changes in lifestyle that have had social and economic repercussions, including social exclusion and isolation at home. This study aimed to investigate how COVID-19 has affected the food habits and lifestyle of the general population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chennai to assess the awareness level of the population regarding the protective measures they take during the pandemic, and 500 participants of all ages were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. The study found that over 50% of the participants increased their intake of vegetables and fruits, and about 49.33% decreased their intake of fast food and snacks. Furthermore, more than 40% of the participants added immune-boosting ingredients to their diet. These results suggest that the study population adopted healthier dietary habits and behaviors, including a more nutritious diet with more vegetables, immune-boosting foods, and increased water intake. © 2023 IEEE.

Did A Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program Support low-income Households in North Carolina during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Mixed Methods Assessment of the Healthy Helping Program and Other Pandemic-Related Food Assistance

In 2020, the Healthy Helping Fruit and Vegetable Program provided SNAP-eligible beneficiaries with $40/month, for up to 3 months, to purchase fruits and vegetablesata chainsupermarket inNorthCarolina.A survey to describeparticipants' experiences with the program and interviews to explore whether these experiences were shaped byparticipating inotherpandemic-related food access programs were conducted.In conjunction with other food access programs,programs that allow participants freedom to choose what they purchase mayalleviate household hardships and provide greater access tonutrient-dense foods during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond..Copyright © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Food bioactive compounds, sources, and their effectiveness during COVID-19

Since the occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic in the late 2019, it has impacted to almost all the countries throughout the world by its severity of infection. The vaccines or drugs to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection were not available till recent time, and the people looked out for healthy foods, which help to increase the immune response. Even after the vaccines have been developed for the COVID-19, the importance of food-based diet cannot be neglected due to their health beneficial properties, which are required post-COVID-19 infection or during the incubation duration of infection. Several food groups and their products have been known to provide vital nutrients, which are required for proper functioning of human body. Along with nutrients, these foods are known to have various nonnutrients components, which help in reduction or management of several physiological disorders. These compounds are collectively known as bioactive compounds, which are naturally synthesized. These compounds are widely spread and abundantly found in plant-based foods. The major groups of bioactive compounds present in foods include polyphenols, carotenoids, bioactive carbohydrates, and phytosterols. These compounds are known to have mainly the properties of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, and antimicrobial, which helps in keeping the human body healthy. In this chapter, the main bioactive compounds, their classification, and food sources have been highlighted, which will give an insight of their beneficial effects. The bioactive compounds will have a major role in reduction of inflammation and infection through several complex physiological mechanism, thereby involved in increasing the immunity. Hence, these compounds play a vital role in management or reduction of COVID-19 infection through the effectiveness of bioactive compounds. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

This special issue consists of seven articles examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the markets of selected commodities, including: seafood, lumber, crawfish, cattle/beef, fruits and vegetables in the USA, cotton and garments in Bangladesh, and fuel oil globally.

Vegetable production and the COVID-19 lockdown

Due to various policies measures to curtail the virus, one of which was lockdown, the occurrence of COVID-19 had a negative impact on the nation's economy, especially the rural smallholder farmers. The study looked into how Covid-19 lockdowns affected Nigerian vegetable production. Descriptive statistics, budgetary approaches, multiple regression analysis, and a Likert scale were all used for the analysis. The findings show that most of vegetable growers in the research region were married women (88.33%). About 70% of respondents have completed at least their primary education. The multiple regression analysis results disclosed that number of extensions contact, farm size, market access and transportation cost were significantly affected the level of vegetable production with positive sign while household size had a negative effect on the vegetable production. The findings also showed that after the COVID-19 lockdown, vegetable production was extremely profitable in the study area, with an average gross margin of 82,836.04 that was statistically higher than the 60,709.97 gross margin generated from vegetable production during COVID-19 and the 71,234.91 gross margin generated prior to COVID-19. The constraints faced by vegetable farmers during the covid - 19 restrictions include: high cost of transportation, price fluctuation, and high cost of input, perishability of the produce and lack of improved seeds. It was concluded that Covid 19 pandemic has greater effect on vegetable production in the study areas.

The role of healthy eating and functional foods in the protection of the immune system, especially the consumption of vegetables and fruits: lifestyle survey among adult population

Our manuscript focuses on vegetables and fruits as functional foods. Our questionnaire survey was conducted at the end of the third wave of the pandemic, however, we also paid increased attention to lifestyle, mostly dietary, changes in the active stages of the coronavirus pandemic, especially vegetable and fruit consumption patterns. Our quantitative analysis was carried out with the help of 9 questionnaires, including 4 cumulative closed-ended questionnaires, which were divided into four main groups of statistical activities. We first analysed demographic data and then focused on health status, knowledge of concepts, and assessment of consumer needs. For the statistical evaluation of our survey, we performed a descriptive statistical analysis, including a distribution analysis of demography and related issues. Next, we calculated the appropriate type of correlation between the questions, which was evaluated in Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The number of respondents was n = 109, of which 37% were male and 63% female. Before evaluating our results, we also asked a research question: To what extent did the attitudes related to regular exercise, healthy eating and the importance of health change during the active stages of the pandemic? Based on our empirical analyses, an increase in extremes can be observed with regular exercise. In terms of general health, there was an increase in the "extremely important" category. In the active phase of the pandemic, the number of vegetable consumers was lower, and among the proponents of a healthy diet, the consumption of fruit foods was not significantly higher. Based on our conclusions, this is due on the one hand to the restrictions during the pandemic and on the other hand to the endowment of fruit-containing foods with negative properties (e.g. made with the addition of sugar).

Pandemic Produce: Impacts of COVID-19 on Florida's Fruit and Vegetable Industries

Florida has one of the most diverse agricultural economies in the United States, producing several dozen types of fruits and vegetables that are consumed within the state, across the country, and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting policy responses occurred during the peak of spring harvest season for many crops in Florida, abruptly removing market demand from the food service industry and shifting consumer purchasing habits, which enabled insights into several aspects of the fruit and vegetable supply chain. This article examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted fruit and vegetable industries in Florida, how these industries responded to COVID-19 impacts, and how Florida's experience compared to that of other states. Data are derived from several sources including a statewide survey that measured agricultural production losses in Florida resulting from COVID-19 in early 2020, interviews with Florida operations that provided insights into how the pandemic induced change across the food supply chain, and a survey of food supply chain operations in three regions of the United States conducted in 2021. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Food security and fruit and vegetable consumption among preschoolers: an exploratory study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Studies that assess food insecurity and its association with the consumption of fruits, legumes, and vegetables (FLV) can help identify groups and risk factors of inadequate food consumption, in order to propose assertive nutritional interventions. The aim of this study was to describe FLV consumption by children in different food security situations. This is an exploratory cross-sectional study, conducted with parents/guardians of 44 children from zero to four years old. The short version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale and a Food Frequency Questionnaire were applied to parents/guardians via a telephone interview. The children were 2.6 years old on average, 56.8% were female, 67.5% were eutrophic, and 70.5% of the families were in a situation of food insecurity. For households in a situation of food security, the median consumption of FLV was 213.4 g/day (P25=97.89;P75=425.91). As for those in a situation of food insecurity, the median FLV was 105.4 g/day (P25=33.58;P75=205.16). It was concluded that the consumption of FLV by children from families in a situation of food security is higher than that of children in a situation of food insecurity, who are strongly influenced by the offer of cheap food with low nutritional quality. Public policies are needed to favor the guarantee of access to FLV of quality and at an affordable cost for all families.

The sustainability of the fruit and vegetable supply chain tested by Covid-19 : Case of Meknes city, Morocco

This article aims to assess the sustainability of the Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chain (SCF &V ) of the city of Meknes in Morocco in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis. During this crisis, new and more sustainable food supply practices emerged (mutualized and proximity supply, reduction of food waste...) and thus made the CAF & L evolve towards a sustainability process. Our method was based on the calculation of the performance of 12 indicators composing 5 dimensions of sustainability (the territorial, economic, social, ecological and food security dimensions). The survey of 120 stakeholders revealed that sustainability improved by 30.73 points during the period of strict containment. On the other hand, the study showed that some areas are still vulnerable, such as the lack of social security coverage for employees and the weak coordination of stakeholders in CAF & L.

Traditional and indigenous foods for food security and sovereignty

The world faces a formidable challenge: to feed an increasingly hot and hungry plant. Despite some achievements in meeting global food demand, the prevalence of malnutrition remains high particularly in low and middle-income countries. It is predicted that food system shocks such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic will negatively impact agricultural production and exasperate the prevalence of malnutrition. Moreover, low biodiversity among food crops further threatens agroecological issue. The promotion of neglected and underutilized African, EurAsian, American, and Australian indigenous and traditional foods (AITFs) around the globe is one way that agriculture can diversify to better serve human nutritional and ecosystem service needs. A holistic enabling environment that utilizes a systems approach is needed for global food security and food sovereignty under worsening climate change conditions. Market-first, science-driven solutions that combine concepts from food security and food sovereignty discourse need to incorporate a community resiliency framework that rebuilds local economies, regenerates ecosystems, and mitigates climate impact. This model engages farmers and consumers directly in the formulation of the research agenda and actively involves them in the process of technological innovation and dissemination through hands-on demonstrations and storytelling that captures shared experiences, strengthening local community resilience and improving nutrition outcomes. This paper will use the dual concept of food security and sovereignty as a framework for the promotion of consumption and production for various markets (e.g., local, national, international) of indigenous and traditional foods in EurAsia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia through four pillars: availability, affordability accessibility, and acceptability. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Feedback on Shopping Receipt Data Through a Mobile App: A Pilot Study

Mobile applications have become popular tools for supporting healthy nutrition behavior. Current tools are primarily based on the detailed tracking of a user's direct consumption, thus intervening only during or even after a user has eaten something. With increasing home office hours (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), people are eating more often at home, which has also led to a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption. Therefore, we aim to support people in the food-shopping process. We suggest a mobile application that helps people reflect on their purchases and tries to nudge users toward healthier product choices. We conducted a pilot study with 31 participants who used the application for two consecutive weeks. During this time, we observed a decrease in the caloric values per 100 g of purchases. Furthermore, we collected positive feedback on the app regarding acceptance, usability, and user experience. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

An integrated IoT architecture to monitor food quality along the supply chain

Drop in nutrition value during food logistics impacts the health of consumers. Vegetables, fruits, fish, milk lose nutrients during logistics if it is not properly monitored. Real-time tracking and monitoring, large data handling and secure business transactions are key to the effective operation of supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the need for handling unforeseen situations in various sectors. Limitations to logistic operations, inaccessible warehouses, shutdown of consumer outlets for an unexpected duration, have affected the supply chain drastically. This has laid emphasis on the need for technology-based solutions that can monitor, control and make quick decisions, that can reduce losses. With this scenario as a background, a system architecture has been proposed to detect the nutrient value of food by periodically monitoring temperature and humidity in real-time and alerting the cold chain entities in cold chain environments. This architecture is proposed as an integration of Internet of Things (IoT) with cloud-based storage, to provide real-time data collection at the end-user, seamless storage and computation in the cloud and secure transactions at the business layer. An experimental setup of the system architecture has been configured and the implementation has been tested at a preliminary level. The performance of the application is analyzed and the proposed web application is efficient for large scale supply chain applications, provided scaling of hardware resources.

Rapid monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 on fruits and vegetables using reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay

COVID-infected people handling fruits and vegetables may spread the virus to healthy people on contact. Here we examined if SARS-CoV-2 was detectable on the fruits, vegetables, hand gloves and packaging materials collected from the open markets and pack houses in India. During the study (2021-22), swabs from 748 samples representing the majorly traded items were tested using RT-LAMP assay. The sensitivity and specificity of the kit were found to be equivalent to the RT-PCR assay. All test samples were found negative for SARS-CoV-2. Thus, it can be concluded that the virus is unlikely to spread to foods and packaging materials through human contact. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Current Science (00113891) is the property of Indian Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

A review of the medicinal plants with immune-boosting potential

Background: Humanity is faced with various kinds of infections (viral, bacterial and fungal). The recent spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led the World Health Organization to declare the coronavirus disease outbreak as a global pandemic. Medical experts suggested that people with high immunity tend to survive the infection more than those with low immunity. Hence, people must boost their immunity by consuming more fruit and vegetable or medications with immune-boosting potential to survive any form of unforeseen infections. Aim: This study aimed to review horticultural fruit, vegetables and medicinal plants with immune-boosting potentials that may be useful in drug formulations to combat infectious diseases. Methods: A literature search was conducted on electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science. Several terms and free text words were combined in an appropriate manner to perform the search. Identified articles were reviewed independently for eligibility and extract of information. Results: The study highlighted medicinal and horticultural crops with the potential to combat the symptoms of Covid-19 such as cold, cough, chest pain and high fever. Details about how despite effective vaccines, respiratory infections such as asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia and measles are causing significant death worldwide. Conclusion: This review highlights the fact that pharmaceutical companies should be encouraged to maximise the use of medicinal plants suggested for drug formulation strategies and humans should consume more fruit and vegetables to boost their immune systems. Contribution: The use of natural products is now receiving global attention against synthetic ones to combat infections and the recent COVID-19 outbreak has called for innovative methods of treating the disease and its symptoms. This review provided information about medicinal plants with immune-boosting potential that when consumed or used in drug formulations can boost immune systems against various forms of infections. Insights on how the burden of diseases can be reduced and healthy lifestyles enhanced naturally are provided for social and economic developments. © 2022. The Authors.

Analysis of changes in shopping habits and causes of food waste among consumers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

Food waste is a worldwide phenomenon that needs to be reduced. The causes of this problem vary widely. The study used the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. There were 500 respondents from all over the country and among them 60% women and 40% men. The sample selection was purposeful. Before the pandemic began, the highest percentage of consumers shopped two to three times a week. As of March 2020, the frequency of this activity has decreased for every fourth respondent. Also during this period, an increase in the frequency of shopping alone was observed, as well as an increase in the number of people who outsource their shopping list to others. Nowadays, the vast majority of respondents usually create a shopping list before doing it and follow it. Before the pandemic, this was the case for only 46% of respondents, while during the pandemic it was the case for 81%. Exceeding the expiration date was the most common reason for throwing products in the trash before as well as during the pandemic. Over-shopping as a cause of food waste increased almost fourfold during the pandemic. A positive aspect is noticeable for the 'I don't throw food away' response. The percentage of respondents increased from 16% to 21%. During both survey periods, respondents most often indicated that they throw away fruits, vegetables, bread, and dairy products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers' shopping behaviour changed. They attended grocery stores far less frequently, mostly on their own, and purchased larger quantities of products. Nonetheless, consumers planned their purchases and checked expiration dates before putting food in their shopping carts. Households were thus forced to respond quickly, adjusting their shopping behaviour. These behaviours have implications for the subsequent activities of retail merchants.

Sanitization of fruits and vegetables: a review

Recently, with the coronavirus pandemic, the eating habits of the population have been modified, observing the search for healthy diet. In this sense, the consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, and the hygiene is a fundamental step in quality control, since fruits and vegetables can be consumed in natura. The objective of the work was to elaborate a review about the main chemical sanitizers used in the sanitization of fruits and vegetables. The study is a review based on scientific publications, using the combination of the following descriptors: hygiene, fruits and vegetables, sanitizers and sanitizing. It was possible to verify that the most used sanitizer in the sanitization of fruits and vegetables is chlorine and its derivatives, in concentrations from 100 to 200 ppm, normally for 15 minutes. Ozone could destroy numerous microorganisms and for its sanitizing effect it is necessary to have a longer exposure time, on average up to 30 minutes. When using organic acids (acetic, citric, lactic and peracetic acid), the concentrations vary up to 2% and the average exposure time is a few minutes, which can be used in combination or not. However, its use is not always effective. It is concluded that the application of each type of sanitizer varies according to its concentrations, pH, exposure time to the treatment and the type of fruit or vegetable to be sanitized.

Social-ecological systems and social innovations regarding fruits and vegetables supply chains – case study of the Brazilian social enterprise Sumá

Approximately 70% of the food consumed in Brazil comes from family farming, mainly composed of small farmers. Small farmers are especially active in the fruits and vegetables (FV) chains in Brazil and were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the degradation in the country's food security. This paper explores how social innovation in the FV sector can contribute to social-ecological systems resilience and supply chain resilience, using as the main theoretical background the adaptive cycle framework. The article was based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews, exploring the FV sector issues at a macro-level and then focusing on the case study of Sumá, a social enterprise from Southern Brazil. Sumá develops small farmers and connects them to regular food purchasers in small towns, promoting sustainable food systems. This case study stands out as an example of how to identify, evaluate and take advantage of market opportunities and public sector gaps in order to generate economic growth and multidimensional social impact.

Mutual Effects of Zinc Concentration and Ratio of Red-Blue Light on Growth and Nutritional Quality of Flowering Chinese Cabbage Sprouts

The nutritional quality and biomass of various sprouts can be enhanced by Zn and red-blue light, especially the Brassica sprouts. However, the combined effects of this two on sprouts are rarely reported. In this study, different Zn concentrations (0, 1.74, 3.48, 10.43 and 17.39 mM) were combined with two ratios of red-blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (R: B = 1:2, 1R2B;R: B = 2:1, 2R1B, at 70 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD, 14 h/10 h, light/dark) to investigate their mutual effects on the growth, mineral elements, and nutritional quality in flowering Chinese cabbage sprouts (FCCS). Fresh weight, dry weight, contents of organic Zn, soluble sugar, vitamin C, total flavonoids, total polyphenol, FRAP (ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (radical inhibition percentage of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) were significantly increased by Zn supplement (10.43 and 17.39 mM) and 2R1B, while hypocotyl length and moisture content were decreased remarkably by Zn supplement. Total glucosinolates contents in the sprouts increased dramatically under 2R1B compared with 1R2B, while photosynthetic pigments contents decreased. Heat map and principal component analysis showed that 2R1B + 17.39 mM Zn was the optimal treatment for the accumulation of biomass and health-promoting compound in FCCS, suggesting that a suitable combination of light quality and Zn supplement might be beneficial to zinc-biofortified FCCS production.

Pathways for advancing good work in food systems: reflecting on the international good work for good food forum

The crucial roles that workers, especially seasonal and migrant workers, play in our food systems have come under renewed attention in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in food workers being recognized as critical or essential workers in many countries. In 2021, this coincided with the UN International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV), highlighting the importance of horticultural crops to healthy lives globally. Yet, workers' quality of life in this most labor-intensive form of food production is often disregarded, or in the case of the UN IYFV, misconstrued. The agriculture-migration nexus-on which food systems depend-remains recognized as a challenge, yet there is limited debate about how it could be ameliorated and a lack of articulation of desirable alternatives. While alternative food and peasant movements propose food system transformation and alternative labor futures based on agroecology, labor lawyers and other advocates propose regulation and formalization of workplace regimes to ensure fair working conditions. Most recently, a third possibility has emerged from agri-tech innovators: a techno-centric future with far fewer agricultural workers. These three archetypes of agricultural labor futures (agroecological, formally regulated, and techno-centric) have the potential to leave food scholars and activists without a unified, coherent vision to advance. Addressing this gap, this paper reports and builds on insights harvested from the international Good Work for Good Food Forum, organized by the authors with the aim of shaping consensus on positive visions for work in food systems. About 40 scholar-activists across three continents discussed the current challenges facing food workers and crafted a collective vision for good food work. This vision is documented in the form of nine principles supported by a framework of seven enabling pathways. We conclude by emphasizing the need for a people-centered incorporation of technology and a re-valuation of food workers' contributions to global food systems. We offer the vision as a collective platform for action to advocate for and organize with workers in food systems.

Horticultural activities with lasting impact on urban communities, in the context of COVID 19 lockdown

Horticultural activities in urban areas and suburbs describe economically viable ways of production (North and Patterson, 2018), and are a continuous growing segment of production in developing countries as well as in Romania countries and are expected to have positive impacts on nutrition quality first and implicit on people's health. This comes as a necessity as the population is continuously growing as the land has a limited use. In a wide sense, urban horticulture includes everything from small home and community gardens to city park management, rooftop greening, as well as complex vertical way of production. This sector assures increased availability of fresh products (vegetables and fruits) in big cities, healthier diets, improved food safety, low transportation costs, efficient resource use, and the mitigation of environmental impacts of horticultural production such as the emission of greenhouse gases.