Changes in the characteristic of dietary and lifestyle during Covid-19 lockdown in different countries: A systematic review

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, governments were forced to adopt lockdown policies to effectively control the pandemic. These restrictions increased anxiety, depression, and lifestyle changes. This systematic review aims to analyze changes in dietary patterns in the worldwide population during the COVID-19 lockdown. 11 studies were selected from the 1412 founds after searching in three databases. Searching keywords were: "Change dietary”, "COVID-19 dietary” "Confinement dietary”. Inclusion criteria were: studies that collected people's dietary patterns during the COVID-19 lockdown and recorded the consumption of food groups and the variations in lifestyle habits. This research found that people increased their consumption of food. People increased their sedentary hours, slept more but exercised less, leading to gain weight during the lockdown, as well as a poorer sleeping quality and higher anxiety levels.Alternate : Debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, los gobiernos se vieron obligados a tomar medidas de confinamiento para controlar eficazmente el contagio. Sin embargo, después de un tiempo de control al poblado, estas restricciones hicieron la gente tener más ansiedad y depresión, incluso cambiar el estilo de vida.

Reaction of the cereal market to the disruption of trade flows in Romania

The paper presents the reaction of the Romanian cereal market to the disruption of trade flows caused by certain shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which lead to changes with high impact on the functioning of this market, representing an important test for the resilience of the sector. Due to trade liberalization in global markets, including agri-food markets, the competitiveness of exports has become increasingly important, contributing to the creation of the country's competitive advantage. Any restrictions to trade in agri-food products can distort trade flows, and this disruption will have an impact on supply and prices. Maintaining a balance between imports and exports is essential to ensure domestic market stability. International trade in agri-food products plays an important role in global food security. The results show that Romania mainly exports unprocessed agricultural products, with cereals having the largest share in the export structure, cereal supply is dependent on climate change, yet it is one of the products with the lowest volatility. The cereal market shows a more elastic reaction to price responses, even though demand for staple foods is generally inelastic.

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.

Consumer attitudes and sociodemographic profiles in purchasing organic food products: evidence from a Greek and Swedish survey

PurposeThis study explores Greek and Swedish consumers' attitude towards organic food consumption in order to demonstrate possible differences that can be identified based on health and ecological consciousness beliefs rather than demographic factors. The examination of an emerging and a more mature market allow the authors to provide more targeted marketing strategies that possibly increase organic food consumption in both countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt an econometric approach to the analysis of consumer behavior in relation to organic food consumption in Sweden and Greece. More specifically, the authors examine the motivations and postexperiences of organic food consumers of different socioeconomic profiles in these two countries, one in northern and one in southern Europe. The authors apply an ordered logistic regression analysis model to map out the interaction between consumer attitudes and sociodemographic variables.FindingsThe authors results show that consumers in Sweden more frequently purchase organic foods than consumers in Greece. Environmental protection and ethical values increase the odds for Swedish organic food consumers to buy organic food products. Health consciousness and family well-being are perceived as factors that increase the odds for Greek organic food consumers to buy organic foods. Sociodemographic factors do not play a pivotal role for consumer behavior in relation to organic food in both countries.Originality/valueThis study distinguishes between organic food consumers in two countries with different levels of organic food production and export activity, size of organic market, national organic labeling system and legal definition and standards of organic food. Within these differences, the organic food industry could align its marketing efforts better rather focus on simplistic demographics. The current view unfolds the fact that there are limited studies comparing two European markets at different stages of development and the factors that influence organic food consumer behavior.

Was COVID-19 pandemic anxiety reflected on nutritional habits in adults?

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the reflection of COVID-19 pandemic anxiety experienced in adults on nutritional habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted with 600 adults aged between 19 and 64 years. The general characteristics of the individuals, nutritional habits, use of dietary supplements and COVID-19 pandemic anxiety before and during the pandemic period were questioned via a Web-based questionnaire. COVID-19-related anxiety was assessed using The COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 24.0.FindingsIn this study, 49.8% of the participants stated that their appetite and food consumption amount increased during the pandemic period. The rate of use of dietary supplements among individuals was found to be 40%. It was observed that the mean body weight and body mass index increased significantly in both genders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been determined that anxiety about COVID-19 is higher in individuals and women who start using nutritional support during the pandemic period. The total C19P-S and STAI scores of those who started using a dietary supplement during the pandemic were significantly higher than those who did not use a dietary supplement. Similarly, those whose eating habits changed positively and those who bought more packaged products had higher C19P-S scale mean scores (p < 0.05).Originality/valueDuring the COVID-19 period, it is important to reduce the anxiety levels of individuals, provide psychological support, raise awareness of adequate and balanced nutrition and the correct use of dietary supplements to adapt to the new lifestyle.

Special report - 2020 FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to the Republic of South Sudan

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) conducted an analysis from 7 to 16 December 2020 to estimate the cereal production in South Sudan during 2020, based on a review of data and information collected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS). The Mission also reviewed secondary data from a variety of sources in order to produce an overview of the overall food security situation in the country. Due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the analysis was performed remotely through several video-conferences with relevant staff of the FAO Office in South Sudan. The CFSAM reviewed the findings of several Crop Assessment Missions conducted at harvest time from August, following the removal of COVID-19-related travel restrictions, to December 2020, in different agro-ecological zones of the country.

Food security in the United Arab Emirates: External cereal supply risks

The coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have exposed the vulnerability of the food systems of import-dependent countries to supply chain disruptions. This study measured the short-term external cereal supply risks for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by applying the Herfindahl-Hirschman Concentration Index (HHI) and the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (SWI) during 2012-2020. We measured the security of UAE's external cereal supplies by taking the degree of UAE's cereal import dependency, the level of political- and business-related risks of UAE's cereal supplying countries, and the distance between UAE and its supplying countries into account. The results of the index values generally imply that UAE's cereal external supply risk has been low during the sample period. However, the external wheat supply risk has increased since 2017. This was mainly attributable to UAE's increasing dependence on less secured countries, i.e. countries with higher levels of risk assessment values such as Russia. UAE has heavily been dependent on one or two, mostly price competitive, sources for its cereal imports, which also raises the external cereal supply risk. The UAE's increasing dependence on Russia as the main source of cereals and the increasing consolidation of sources pose a serious threat to sustaining food security.

Characterization of cereal consumption in Cotonou, Benin

The cereal group occupies a prominent place in the dietary habits of the populations of southern Benin and there are few recent consumption data on cereals. This study aims to assess the consumption, acquisition and supply of cereals to households in Cotonou. A semi-directive survey with KoB°Collect was conducted with 345 households to collect individual cereal food consumption data. The survey data studied by inferential statistics showed that the most consumed cereals are corn (99%, p=l), rice (85%, p=0.936), wheat (35%, p=0.999), sorghum (15%, p=0.659), millet (10%, p=0.971) and fonio at less than 5%. The most common mode of acquisition is buying from secondary market (95%, p=0.987) and street (85%, p=0.999) retailers. The most used preservation techniques are: drying at room temperature (70%, p=0.619) and keeping the product away from light (30%, p=0.806). Households most often dry in areas laid out at home (70%, p=0.984) or at the edge of the road (30%, p=0.939). Storage places are very diverse: the kitchen (45%, p=0.871), the bedroom (40%, 0.998), the living room (25%, p=0.900) and the store (20, 0.931). In addition, the supply costs of cereals increased from 0.009 USD to 0.056 USD between 2020 and 2021. This vertiginous rise in prices is due to the covid19 pandemic. The various data emitted make it possible not only to have fresh data but also to invest them in the assessment of health risks for the achievement of a high level of protection of the health and life of consumers.

A 2022. évi orosz-ukrán háború gazdasági következményei

A 2020-as évek a Covid-19 okozta globális recesszióval kezdodtek, s a világ még ki sem lábalt a járványból és a recesszióból sem, amikor 2022. február végén kitört az orosz-ukrán háború, amely nyilvánvalóan átfogó rövid, közép- és hosszú távú világgazdasági következményekkel jár. Tanulmányunk megkísérli összefoglalni a várható strukturális átrendezodéseket a koolaj és a földgáz világpiacán, valamint a mezogazdasági termékek, elsosorban a gabonák és az olajos magvak globális piacán. Fentiek alapján felvázoljuk a háborúnak a világgazdasági eroviszonyokra gyakorolt várható hatásait.Alternate :The 2020s began with a global recession caused by Covid-19, and the world economy had not even recovered from either the epidemic or the following recession when the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out at the end of February 2022, with obvious broad short-, medium- and long-term consequences for the global economy. Our study attempts to sum up the expected structural changes in the global market for oil and gas as well as for agricultural products, mainly cereals and oilseeds. On this basis, we outline the likely effects of war on the balance of power in the global economy.

Ninjacart: Disrupting Fresh Produce Supply Chain in India

In response to the broken agriculture supply chain caused by a lack of storage facilities, lack of transportation, and manifold intermediaries and lack of transparency and traceability, Thirukumaran Nagarajan launched Ninjacart, a leading agritech firm in India, in 2015, along with Sharath Babu Loganathan, Ashutosh Vikram, Kartheeswaran K K and Vasudevan Chinnathambi. After exploring the issues in the agriculture sector, Ninjacart shifted its operations from B2C to B2B, to leverage the profitable business opportunity. Ninjacart used advanced level supply chain algorithms that it developed in-house, predictive analytics, Big Data, IoT technology, and mobile applications to help farmers overcome the various issues they were grappling with. As of early 2020, Ninjacart became one of the largest fresh produce supply chain companies in India. With the Covid-19 pandemic leaving millions of farmers across India in the lurch, Ninjacart launched many initiatives. As part of its future plans, Ninjacart was banking on Machine Learning to improve operations. However, it faced several challenges. Having established itself as a prominent player, Ninjacart's next challenge was scaling up its operations while improving efficiency and profitability at the same time.

Cereals as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Anti-Hypertensive Activity and Their Intake in Times of COVID-19.

Cereals have phytochemical compounds that can diminish the incidence of chronic diseases such as hypertension. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) participates in the modulation of blood pressure and is the principal receptor of the virus SARS-CoV-2. The inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and the block receptors of angiotensin II regulate the expression of ACE2; thus, they could be useful in the treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The inferior peptides from 1 to 3 kDa and the hydrophobic amino acids are the best candidates to inhibit ACE, and these compounds are present in rice, corn, wheat, oats, sorghum, and barley. In addition, the vitamins C and E, phenolic acids, and flavonoids present in cereals show a reduction in the oxidative stress involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The influence of ACE on hypertension and COVID-19 has turned into a primary point of control and treatment from the nutritional perspective. The objective of this work was to describe the inhibitory effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme that the bioactive compounds present in cereals possess in order to lower blood pressure and how their consumption could be associated with reducing the virulence of COVID-19.

IMPACT OF DIFFERENT FOPL SYSTEMS (NUTRI-SCORE vs NUTRINFORM) ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: CASE STUDY OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Undoubtedly, the proportion of the obese population has increased significantly in recent decades. Using FOPL (front-of-pack labelling) with clear nutritional information could also be helpful in eliminating this problem. The main aim of this contribution is to analyse the effects of using nutritional FOPL on consumers choices. The analysis was based on the research, while 1000 respondents were asked to choose the desired product variant in three categories - cereals, yoghurts and protein bars without FOPL and with FOPL on their package. Two of the most discussed FOPL systems in the EU (Nutri-Score and Nutrinform) were analysed. Changes in consumer choice were analysed using non-parametric statistics, multiple correspondences, and correlation analysis. The results showed that both FOPLs affect the consumer in all products. The effects of FOPL resulted in choosing the best product (for cereals from 47% to 49%;for yoghurts from 28% to 31%;for bars from 28% to 42%) and improved consumers' choice. There are differences in effects between Nutri-Score (NS) and Nutrinform (NI). NS seems to be a more effective system because it has a stronger positive impact on consumers' choices. For cereals, the selection improved by 18% (NS) vs. 15% (NI), for yoghurts by 17% (NS) vs. 13% (NI), and for bars 28% (NS) vs. 20% (Nl). The results among different product categories were not consistent. Consumers' attitudes toward a healthier diet can be improved using nutritional FOPL.

Ion Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Bromide Ions in Cereals and Legumes: New Scenario for Global Food Security.

The new scenario for global food production and supply is decidedly complex given the current forecast of an increase in food fragility due to international tensions. In this period, exports from other parts of the world require different routes and treatments to preserve the food quality and integrity. Fumigation is a procedure used for the killing, removal, or rendering infertile of pests, with serious dangers to human health. The most-used fumigants are methyl bromide and ethylene dibromide. It is important to bear in mind that the soil may contain bromide ions naturally or from anthropogenic source (fertilizers and pesticides that contain bromide or previous fumigations). Different methods (titrimetric, spectrophotometric, and fluorometric approaches) are available to rapidly determine the amount of bromide ion on site in the containers, but these are non-specific and with high limits of quantification. The increasing interest in healthy food, without xenobiotic residues, requires the use of more sensitive, specific, and accurate analytical methods. In order to help give an overview of the bromide ion scenario, a new, fast method was developed and validated according to SANTE 11312/2021. It involves the determination of bromide ion in cereals and legumes through ion chromatography-Q-Orbitrap. The extraction was performed by the QuPPe method, but some modifications were applied based on the matrix. The method described here was validated at four different levels. Recoveries were satisfactory and the mean values ranged between 99 and 106%, with a relative standard deviation lower than 3%. The linearity in the matrix was evaluated to be between 0.010 and 2.5 mg kg-1, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9962. Finally, the proposed method was applied to different cereals and legumes (rice, wheat, beans, lentils pearled barley, and spelt) and tested with satisfactory results in EUPT-SMR16 organized by EURL.

COVID-19 epidemic lockdown-induced changes of cereals and animal protein foods consumption of Iran population: the first nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 epidemic has affected diverse issues of life including economy, health and nutrition. This nationwide study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the epidemic lockdown-induced socio-economic changes on animal source proteins and cereals intakes of Iran population for the first time. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study using a web-based electronic self-administered questionnaire. A questionnaire was designed with the aim of detecting any changes in the dietary pattern of the Iranian household following coronavirus epidemic. RESULTS: A total of 21,290 households participated in the study. Approximately 33%, 24%, 14.2% and 7% of the households had decreased the weekly consumption of red meat, white meat, eggs and rice/bread, respectively, following COVID-19 epidemic. The results of ordered logistic regression showed that the female-headed households, as compared with male-headed ones, were 30% more likely to decrease their weekly consumption of white meat (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5). About 8.6% of the households had reduced all three major dietary sources of animal protein. Close to half of the households (46.9%) who decreased their intake of the animal protein sources had increased their intake of rice or bread, too. The major reasons for these changes were decrease of income and job loss. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, animal protein food consumption decreased during epidemic lockdown but the amounts of rice and bread, as the major sources of dietary energy, have increased. These changes, if persist long enough, can seriously affect micronutrient status of the whole population. Early nutritional interventions for needy families are warranted.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food market

The aim of this paper is to contribute knowledge about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on behavior and changes in the food market and to assess the level of resilience of the agri-food sector to the coronavirus pandemic, analyzing its impact on commodity prices and focusing on supply chain and values. The paper presents an overview of literature data related to the topic of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the food market, ie the food chain. Analyzing FAO Food Price Index (ICH) from 2015 to 2020, the average ICH is growing slightly on average in 2020 (5.3%) compared to 2015. Looking at individual commodity groups, more or less oscillations were observed in all of them, and the increase in the price index refers to dairy products, vegetable oils and cereals, while a decrease was observed in meat and sugar. If we analyze more closely the movement of ICH and commodity groups in the period from March 2020 to March 2021, we can see an increase in the ICH average and all individual commodity groups. The increase is most significant in vegetable oils and sugars. The trade of purchased and sold agricultural products in Croatia from 2018 to 2020 slightly increased in 2020 compared to the previous (non-pandemic) year. Unlike other sectors, the food sector, as part of the national critical infrastructure, remained operational throughout the supply chain during the pandemic. As this crisis is unlikely to remain a one-off, further research efforts should focus on considering its long-term impacts, such as negative impacts on job security, supply chains and globalization.

DOES HUMAN CAPITAL INFLUENCE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION? A CASE STUDY ON CEREALS PRODUCTION IN THE CEMAC ZONE

The main objective of our study is to analyse the influence of human capital on agricultural cereal production in the CEMAC countries. To achieve this, we use a set data from World Bank (WDI) publications from the period of 2001 to 2017. These data are analysed by the fixed effects model following the ordinary least squares method. The given results show that an increase of one-unit in the total primary school enrolment variable leads to an increase of a 0.672-unit in cereal production. A one-unit increase in public spending on health leads to a 0.048-unit increase in cereal production. This means that human capital positively influences cereal agricultural production in the CEMAC countries. It is commend that producers be trained and supervised on appropriate seed techniques and that an observatory be set up to monitor and evaluate the training and supervision of farmers.

Isolation, biochemical characterization and safety screening of potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria from spontaneously fermented cereal products from Western Kenya

The global demand for non-dairy beverages has sky rocketed especially so during this Covid-19 pandemic for potential health benefits. Development of probiotic strains from fermented cereal and legumes with the ability to grow well and adapt to gastrointestinal conditions at the same time possess high therapeutic ability will be a great achievement. This study aimed at isolating and screening probiotic potential Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) involved in traditional fermentation of cereals (maize, sorghum and millet). A total of ten isolates were obtained from the cereals out of which five isolates that met preliminary attributes of probiotic bacteria were selected for further investigation. Two isolates SPU2 and FPU1 were found to survive a low pH which is a desirable attribute for the survival of probiotic bacteria in the gut. MPU1, FPU1 and SPU2 are possible thermophiles and can survive at low pH and moderate high salt concentration. The enzymes DNase and gelatinase used to test pathogenicity of a microorganism were not produced by all the isolates in this study. The isolates recorded a high susceptibility to the eight antibiotics. This study also revealed that the tested isolates have the ability to grow well even at the minimum tested pH of 1.0 for 1 and 2 h of incubation, respectively. Most isolates were resistant to 0.3% bile concentration with over 92% survival. FPU1 was more resistant at bile concentration of 1% than all the rest while MPU1 was most resistant at 2% bile salt. Traditionally fermented cereals are potential sources of safe bacteria that can be tried in the production of functional foods.

Food products placement during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely changed the patterns of behavior in the market. Physical distance, quarantine measures, safety and security protocols, and shortages along the entire supply chain, have particularly affected the placement of food products. In this regard, the paper aims to define the impact of various indicators on the placement of food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. An empirical study was conducted on a sample of 248 final consumers. The survey was conducted during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the territory of the Republic of Serbia (February - April 2021). An online questionnaire was created and forwarded to consumers to e-mail addresses from the collected databases of trade companies covering the domestic market. The analysis was performed specifically for four groups of essential food products in a pandemic: meat and meat products, fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy products, cereals, and cereal products. The method of structural modeling (SEM) or path analysis was applied to test the first group of research hypotheses on the impact of indicators on the placement of food products. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the correlation between subcategories of food products. The results showed a statistically significant impact of indicators such as safety and security standards, hygiene, product freshness, nutritional composition, and product quality. The impact of these indicators differs significantly depending on the analyzed product group. The obtained results indicate to the supply chain management which negative impacts need to be minimized to ensure timely placement of food products and more efficiently meet the needs of final consumers in a pandemic. Guidelines for future research are listed in the paper.

Situated Information Flow between Food Commodity and Regional Equity Markets: An EEMD-Based Transfer Entropy Analysis

The intrinsic information shared by financial assets provides a means of assessing their mutual linkages. In times of crisis, spillovers and information flow between markets increase, and this drives empirical investigations into the degree of connectedness between financial assets. In the context of commodity markets, empirical evidence about the mutual information shared and its influence on portfolio management is largely unknown. This study examines the situated information between the food commodities (cereals, dairy, food, meat, vegetable oil, and sugar) of the FAO and regional stock markets’ returns. From the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD)-based Rényian transfer entropy analysis employed, we find significant bidirectional information flow between the food commodities and regional equity markets. Our findings divulge that the diversification potentials of food commodities rest in the long term, with sugar being a consistent diversifier across all investment horizons. The investment and policy implications of our findings are further discussed.

The "crisis performance" of the Hungarian food economy

Crises affect the whole economy, but their impacts vary from sector to sector. The last two crises from Hungarian aspect (the global financial crisis in 2008 and the embargo against Russia in 2014) have resulted in a decline in international agri-food trade and an increase in agricultural prices. Hungary had an agri-food trade surplus even before the EU accession which increased significantly after the accession. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the impacts of the past 3 crises on the Hungarian agri-food industry. According to the results, the type of products (raw material vs. processed product, perishable vs non-perishable goods, etc.) and the level of trade integration matter among other issues. To this end, the article provides an overview of the Hungarian agricultural production and agri-food trade performance. As Hungary is strongly integrated into the EU's single market, therefore trading mainly happens with other member states, and its most important trade partner is Germany. At the product level, it can be seen that the share of raw materials is higher on the export side (cereals and oilseeds) compared to the import side (e.g., meat and meat products or various confectionery products). Based on the results, the impacts of the coronavirus were different from that of the two previous crises. The Hungarian exports are expanded despite transport difficulties, which resulted in a growing trade surplus. Besides, international food prices have remained stable. Overall, Hungary was able to take advantage of this crisis, as its overproduction resulted in an even higher food security and an increasing agri-food trade surplus.