Industry watch archive
People with coeliac disease paying up to 35% more for weekly food shop
1st July 2024
The updated Coeliac UK report: The Gluten Free Diet: What does it cost and why does it matter? explored the cost of gluten free products compared to their gluten containing equivalents in the major UK supermarkets.
The report found that people with coeliac disease are spending up to 35% more on weekly food shopping for a gluten free diet.
1st July 2024
A new study has found that a healthy diet which follows nutrition recommendations is associated with improved blood glucose levels and a reduced risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. This was also observed in participants with a genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes.
17th June 2024
Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, has stated that although the traditional BMI (Body Mass Index) measure is easy and quick, and reducing the obesity measure to a BMI of 27 may indicate our overall likely weight and health balance [1], that however technology has progressed.
Reference:
1) https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224848
Fiscal policies to promote healthy diets: WHO guideline
17th June 2024
A new World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline provides recommendations for the creation of food environments that enable dietary decisions that are healthy.
This includes fiscal policies that discourage the consumption of foods which contribute to unhealthy diets i.e. food and drinks taxation, and food subsidies which have the main aim of changing consumer behaviour by reducing the prices of targeted foods and drinks at retail level.
3rd June 2024
The study found that participants who received semaglutide had a 24% reduced risk for kidney outcomes and death due to kidney and cardiovascular causes, in comparison to participants who received placebo.
The risk of major cardiovascular events was reduced by 18%, and the risk of all-cause mortality was decreased by 20% for participants who received semaglutide.
3rd June 2024
The Department of Health and Social Care asked SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) to provide advice on the option of introducing mandatory vitamin D fortification in the UK as part of a plan to increase vitamin D status in the UK.
SACN carried out a rapid review that examined the experience of countries that have vitamin D fortification programmes and their effect on the intake of vitamin D and on vitamin D status. The report also investigated the efficiency of different types of vitamin D to fortify food.
Eating disorder symptoms are surprisingly common in people with insulin-dependent diabetes
20th May 2024
A recent meta-analysis study undertaken at the University of Eastern Finland has found that one in four patients aged 16 years and over with insulin-dependent diabetes also have eating disorder symptoms.
Insulin-dependent diabetes has an association with insulin omission, as well as typical eating disorder symptoms, i.e. food restriction and binge eating.
20th May 2024
A cross-sectional study of 4,800 adults aged 40 to 80 years old in Italy, investigated obesity levels by measuring body fat percentage - an alternative to BMI (Body Mass Index).
The study found that 38% of the male participants and 41% of the female participants had a BMI above 30 (categorized as obese using BMI). However, 71% and 64% respectively were found to be obese when their body fat percentage was measured using scans.
6th May 2024
A group of world-leading brain health scientists from the UK, US, Japan, and China have come together to launch Alzheimer’s Prevention Day on 15th May 2024. The day aims to increase awareness of how Alzheimer's can be prevented using an evidence-based approach.
Their website includes a short Alzheimer's Prevention Check which helps you to find out simple steps you can take to decrease your risk of Alzheimer's.
Nutri-Score and Eco-Score: Consumers' trade-offs when facing two sustainability labels
6th April 2024
Researchers have investigated whether there are interaction effects between the Nutri-Score and the Eco-Score on food labels. They also examined consumer behaviour where there were label information conflicts.
This study found that the perceived healthiness (i.e. the Nutri-Score) had an influence on the perceived environmental impact (i.e. the Eco-Score) of foods and vice versa.
15th April 2024
Researchers studied coverage by the media and social media reactions to the National Food Strategy (NFS) to comprehend the public perception of who is responsible for dealing with issues relating to food.
This study found that the media's coverage of the National Food Strategy’s findings generally placed more responsibility for change on the individual’s personal choice.
15th April 2024
School Kitchen, a community-focused enterprise, works with local schools to use their kitchens on school day evenings and during weekends. It provides an eco-friendly home delivery takeaway food service and the school also receives a share of the revenue.
School Kitchen is run from the kitchens of Carr Junior School in York, which is part of the South Bank Multi Academy Trust.
Forget port-swilling Victorians: 1 in 40 Brits have gout and cases in young adults increased 30%
2nd April 2024
The most recent figures have shown that 1 in 40 British people have gout, which makes it the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. Cases of gout have increased by 30% among people in their twenties and thirties (London Medical Laboratory).
The 2023 BMC Primary Care study examined 51,784 cases of people with gout. The study found that 35.9% of people experienced at least one more gout flare up during the study.
2nd April 2024
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published research results on children’s meals served in restaurants in Northern Ireland. This research was conducted in partnership with local councils,
The main findings of the report What’s on the Children’s Menu are:
The most popular children’s meals included fried chicken and chips, sausages and chips and burger and chips.
The most popular children’s meals had a high energy, salt and saturated fat content.
18th March 2024
The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) Drummond Early Career Scientist Award is run by the BNF annually. The award recognises early career nutrition scientists, who demonstrate the potential to become future leaders in the nutrition field.
The closing date for applications is midnight on 26th May 2024.
AI-Generated Food Images Look Tastier Than Real Ones
18th March 2024
Researchers asked 297 study participants, to evaluate real or AI-generated images of food using a scale from “Not at all appetising” to “Extremely appetising.” The images included natural, processed, and ultra-processed foods.
The study found that the AI-generated food images were rated as significantly more appetising than the real food images, when the participants were not aware of how the images were created.
4th March 2024
Action on Salt examined the salt content of over 600 Cheddar and similar cheeses using 10 retailers.
According to the new research data by Action on Salt, plant-based cheeses contain the highest level of salt with an average salt content of 1.91g/100g.
Cheddar cheese contained the second highest salt levels, Cheddar was found to have an average salt content of 1.78g/100g.
4th March 2024
Public Health Scotland and Food Standards Scotland have produced a briefing paper on transforming our food environment and focuses on food promotions.
The briefing paper highlights the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt, and explores the effect of food promotions on our behaviours and health. The briefing paper also recommends for more progressive action to reduce the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt.
If you or a colleague has ever experienced a claim against you in your professional role as a dietitian or nutritionist, you will know how stressful and worrying it can be. PI insurance protection can cover you against claims of negligence or breach of duty made by a client.
Specialist PI broker, Trafalgar Risk Management (TRM), has announced the extension of its comprehensive and competitive PI insurance protection to cover registered dietitians and nutritionists against such claims.
The cover is available with premium funding from www.trafalgarinsurance.co.uk.