This study aimed to analyse how political factors, institutions and governance influence the prioritisation, formulation and implementation of fruit and vegetables (F&V)-related policies in Tanzania, where – like in many low- and middle-income countries – consumption is low, but there is limited priority and action for F&V in food policies across sectors.

We undertook a qualitative policy analysis based on policy process and political economy theories. Data were collected using key-informant interviews (n 25) and review of thirty-one policy documents between 2022 and 2023. We used a purposive sampling approach to identify respondents who were knowledgeable about F&V policies. Policy information relevant to F&V food systems was extracted to a matrix. Interview data were coded and processed in Quirkos software based on theory and the aims of the study.

Tanzania, sub-Saharan Africa.

Key stakeholders who are knowledgeable about policy-making and implementation related to F&V.

The findings show a cross-sectoral action on F&V and highlight opportunities to strengthen policy coordination, stakeholder engagement and support for smallholder farmers. The promotion of sustainable, healthy diets necessitates improving access to financing, safe production promotion, market access and increased consumption through public campaigns.

F&V are critical but neglected in Tanzania’s nutrition policy agenda. Despite their roles in healthy diets being increasingly recognised, the F&V subsector is marginalised by priority staple food, fragmented mandates and poor coordination. Policy coherence, governance and fiscal and market support need to be enhanced to place F&V as a strategic lever of sustainable healthy diets

To examine pharmacy professionals’ involvement in nutrition care, including the nutrition advice and services they provide, perceived barriers and facilitators, and resource needs for integrating nutrition into pharmacy practice.

Mixed-methods cross-sectional survey comprising quantitative items on knowledge, attitudes and practices, and open-ended questions analysed thematically.

Online survey administered via Qualtrics.

UK-based pharmacy professionals aged ≥18 years (N 220).

Nutrition advice was most frequently provided for diabetes (68·4 %), CVD risk factors (64·1 %), dietary supplements (49·3 %) and weight management (48·3 %). Knowledge was strongest for food–drug interactions and supplements, but weakest for sustainable diets and national dietary guidelines. Higher perceived knowledge was significantly associated with providing advice on diabetes, obesity, CVD and malnutrition (all p < 0·05). Nutritional assessment practices were limited: 67·7 % of participants did not conduct nutritional screening and 70·2 % did not perform dietary assessments. Overall, 65·3 % reported that nutrition training is essential. Key barriers included limited education, practical resources, unclear referral pathways and challenges initiating nutrition conversations, while respondents highlighted strong needs for practice-specific tools and collaboration with dietitians.

Pharmacists commonly provide nutrition support for key non-communicable disease areas, yet provision remains inconsistent. Persistent gaps in knowledge, training and practical resources, combined with unclear referral pathways, limit their capacity to deliver nutrition care. Strengthening nutrition education, developing pharmacy-focused resources and enhancing interprofessional collaboration could enable more effective, integrated nutrition support in primary care.

To assess the prevalence and formatting of voluntary alcohol, nutrition and ingredient information on the labels of alcoholic beverages sold in the USA in 2021.

We assessed labels from the top 150 beer, spirits and wine brands from 2021. Primary outcomes were presence of: (1) Statement of Average Analysis (SAA; includes calories, carbohydrates, fat and protein); (2) Serving Facts (SAA plus serving size, servings per container and alcohol content); and (3) ingredients lists. We also assessed the prevalence of nutrition- and ingredient-related claims. Attributes were considered present for a brand if they appeared on the label of at least one product from that brand. We used Fisher’s exact tests to assess associations between primary outcomes and beverage characteristics.

Labels were from a government-run label approval database.

Unit of analysis was brands.

The analysis included 925 labels from 65 beer, 93 spirits and 101 wine brands. Forty-one beer brands (63 %), twenty-four spirits brands (26 %) and two wine brands (2 %) had SAA. Eighteen beer brands (28 %), eleven spirits brands (12 %) and no wine brands had Serving Facts statements. Eleven beer brands (17 %), but no spirits or wine brands, had ingredients lists. The presence of SAA was positively associated with having calorie or carbohydrate claims (beer and spirits), larger market share (beer only) and being a member of the beer industry’s Brewers’ Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (beer only) (p < 0·05).

Low uptake of voluntary nutrition and ingredient information by top beer, spirits and wine brands suggests the need for mandatory standardised labels.

Describe the food environment in an urban African township by examining the availability, quality, pricing and promotion of food items in areas of higher and lower deprivation, defined according to household income, unemployment and economic activity, dwelling type and basic service availability.

Cross-sectional study applied an adapted Environmental Profile of Community Health (EPOCH) tool to audit the food environment. Data were collected on food outlets (formal, informal, food service and specialty stores), grocery item quality and pricing and product advertising.

Four areas (∼7·8 km2) of Soweto, South Africa, purposively selected by deprivation level.

This study did not involve human participants.

We audited 241 routes, identifying 1899 food outlets (1169 lower-, 730 higher-deprivation). Outlet distribution differed by deprivation (p < 0·001): supermarkets were more common in lower-deprivation areas (6·5 % v. 1·1 %), while convenience stores selling cigarettes were more prevalent in higher-deprivation areas (9·0 % v. 3·8 %). Fast-food outlets dominated both settings, though alcohol stores and pubs were more frequent in higher-deprivation areas. Specialty and informal outlets, fruit and vegetable quality and pricing, did not differ significantly. While some food items were marginally more expensive in lower-deprivation areas, the difference was modest. Advertising patterns varied, with more packaged snack and alcohol advertisements in lower-deprivation areas and more sugar-sweetened beverage advertisements in higher-deprivation areas (p < 0·01).

Findings highlight the need to expand healthy food access in higher-deprivation areas and regulate unhealthy food advertising in lower-deprivation areas. Context-specific interventions are essential to promote equitable, health-supporting food environments in Soweto.

We explored how Indigenous food sovereignty promotes sustainable human–environment connections when families work together to reinvigorate Indigenous food systems.

We employed an Indigenous modification of Photovoice to follow the principles of Anishinaabe Symbol-Based Reflection, which emphasises creating and describing photographs as symbols for a holistic experience that engages mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Drawing from community-engagement praxis, we co-developed a codebook and analysed transcripts using ATLAS.ti.

This project emerged from a long-term partnership, Wiba Anung (Early Star), between Indigenous community leaders, the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and researchers, focused on reclaiming Indigenous practices and promoting food sovereignty and well-being by co-developing resources for Indigenous families.

Six mothers and grandmothers caring for Anishinaabe children under age five across participated. Their intergenerational and caregiving experiences grounded the project in lived realities.

Participants shared 147 photographs, discussing the images in a series of five 2-hour meetings. We present images, captions and quotes from our meetings, which together illustrate the experiences of Indigenous families. Discussions focused on the importance of sharing food knowledge between generations, reclaiming Indigenous cultural practices through food and learning from our more-than-human relations to promote holistic well-being.

Participants expressed personal well-being as a reflection of broader community and environmental well-being. Food systems become an effective conduit for promoting healing from colonial trauma and rebalancing all aspects of well-being. This illustrates the importance of integrating the holistic practice of relationality and connectedness when mobilising for change through new food and nutrition programming, particularly for Indigenous communities.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the amount and source of dietary protein and the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity.

A prospective study using data from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk cohort study.

General population-based study conducted in the United Kingdom.

About 14 816 community dwelling men and women aged 39–79 years.

The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was 8·9 % in men and 11·9 % in women. Median dietary intake of total, animal and plant protein intake, based on fat free mass standardised for BMI to assess sarcopenia, was significantly lower in those with sarcopenic obesity compared with those without sarcopenia and obesity (0·80 v. 1·04, 0·51 v. 0·66, and 0·25 v. 0·35 g/kg body weight/d, respectively, all P < 0·001). Higher intakes of protein, either total, animal or plant-based (in g/kg body weight/d), were associated with a significantly lower likelihood of sarcopenic obesity (OR 0·14 (95 % CI: 0·08, 0·20), 0·58 (0·53, 0·62) and 0·46 (0·41, 0·52), respectively, P < 0·001 for all). The prevalence of both sarcopenic obesity and obesity was significantly (P < 0·001) higher in those with lowest compared with those in the highest intake quartiles of total- animal- and plant protein, but the prevalence of sarcopenia did not appear to depend on protein intake.

Our findings indicate that consumption of total, animal- and plant-based protein is important for both the prevention of sarcopenic obesity and obesity during ageing, especially in women, smokers or those living with comorbidities such as diabetes and bronchitis.

We examined the effects of price interventions on the healthiness of a hypothetical food order in a simulated online out-of-home food delivery app.

The design was a randomised controlled trial, with four conditions (10 % taxation of less healthy menu items; 10 % subsidy of healthier menu items; a combination of taxation and subsidy; standard pricing), and recruitment was stratified by socioeconomic position (SEP). Primary outcomes were healthier v. less healthy main meal selected and total kilocalories (kcals) selected.

Participants selected a hypothetical evening meal from out-of-home food outlets on a simulated online food delivery app.

N 3106 adult participants from the UK were randomised into taxation (n 750), subsidies (n 808), a combination of taxation and subsidies (n 769), and standard pricing (n 779). 57–58 % of participants were of higher SEP.

There were no statistically significant effects of the pricing interventions on whether a healthy v. less healthy main meal was selected (e.g. taxation v. control OR 0·91 (95 % CI 0·74, 1·12); subsidies v. control OR 1·08 (95 % CI 0·89, 1·31)) or on total kcals selected (e.g. taxation v. control regression coefficient −44·31 (95 % CI −95·90, 7·28); subsidies v. control regression coefficient −7·94 (95 % CI −60·23, 44·35)). There was no evidence that effects differed by SEP.

We found no convincing evidence that 10 % changes in price of healthy and less healthy food in a simulated out-of-home food delivery app significantly impacted on healthiness of food selected. Further research may benefit from examining effects of larger price changes and in real-world purchasing conditions.

Exposure to food advertising is associated with consumption. Globally, most outdoor food advertisements feature unhealthy foods or beverages. As Australian local government areas (LGAs) begin developing restriction policies, the feasibility of applying nutrient-based nutrition classification systems to outdoor advertising requires evaluation.

Observational study on (1) types of food business advertisements outdoors and (2) availability of quantitative nutrition and/or ingredient information for featured products. 178 outdoor advertisements were analysed, from a 500m audit around schools in sixteen stratified LGAs (2019), along with bus shelter audits in four LGAs (2022). Advertisements were categorised as featuring ‘branded packaged products’, ‘food service product – chain’, ‘food service product – independent’, ‘branding only’ or ‘incidental food/beverage’. For packaged or food service advertisements, online searches were conducted to identify product-specific nutrition information.

Metropolitan Perth, Australia.

Advertisements featured packaged products (34 % of advertisements), food service products – chain (21 %), independent (16 %), incidental food/beverage (18 %) and branding only (11 %). Nutrition information was located for 70 % of packaged products and 68 % of chain food service advertisements. Independent food service outlets provided no nutrition data and rarely depicted identifiable products. Overall, nutrition information was available for 45 % of advertisements and ingredient information for 35 %.

The limited availability of quantitative data constrains the application of nutrient-based nutrition classification systems. A system based primarily on food categories, with nutrient limits for some categories and a robust approach to brand advertising, likely offers a practical and impactful approach for LGAs seeking to restrict unhealthy outdoor food advertising.

Nutrition claims on alcohol packaging are increasingly common; however, little is known about how consumers interpret and understand them. This study examined exposure to and perceptions of nutrition claims among Australians who regularly drink alcohol and identified predictors of positive attitudes towards claims.

In a cross-sectional online survey, participants viewed mocked-up alcohol labels showing eight nutrition-related claims commonly found in the Australian market, indicated how frequently they recalled seeing each, and the extent to which it was perceived as true, understandable, important and relevant. χ2 tests examined associations between perceptions and consumer attributes, and linear regression identified predictors of positive attitudes.

Australia, 2024.

2028 adults (18 + years) who regularly (more than once monthly) drink alcohol and reside in Australia.

Claims about carbohydrates (32 %) and sugar (31 %) were most frequently recalled and perceived to be true, relevant and easy to understand by approximately half of participants. Most participants considered access to claims’ content important, particularly sugar (76 %) and calories (73 %). Younger age, higher claim awareness and greater claim exposure significantly (p < 0·05) predicted positive attitudes across most claims, while female gender predicted positive attitudes towards sugar, calorie and vegan claims. The significance of other characteristics varied by claim type.

Alcohol nutrition claims are salient to many consumers and generally interpreted positively. These findings highlight the appeal of claims in alcohol contexts and underscore the need to consider regulatory options – including mandated health warning labels – to address this subtle marketing tactic and support informed choices.

To examine school food service directors’ (FSD) perceived barriers and facilitators to increase scratch cooking as a strategy to reduce ultra-processed foods (UPF) in school meals.

A mixed-methods study design was used, incorporating semi-structured interviews and surveys. A Community Advisory Board provided input on the study design, interview guide and interpretation of results. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, de-identified and double-coded. A hybrid thematic analysis was conducted, integrating emergent and a priori themes based on the socio-ecological model.

California San Joaquin Valley, USA, from January to June 2024.

Twenty FSD were randomly selected from a stratified sample of San Joaquin Valley school districts, categorised by locale (rural/urban) and whether they received a California supplementary funding award requiring at least 40 % of school meals to be freshly prepared.

Key barriers to increasing scratch cooking in school meals included labour costs, staff shortages, inadequate kitchen infrastructure and food procurement challenges, with many districts relying on UPF. State and federal funding supported scratch cooking, but limited kitchen space and funding uncertainty hindered sustainable changes. While some FSD identified student preferences as a challenge, others described successful strategies to engage both students and parents to increase acceptance of scratch-cooked meals and boost participation in school meals.

Given the current momentum at the federal, state and local levels to reduce UPF in school meals, this study provides timely insights to guide policies and practices that support the transition from UPF to scratch-cooked meals.

To determine the associations among Fe status, depressive/anxiety symptoms and quality of life (QoL) throughout pregnancy.

This longitudinal study recruited participants in their first trimester (< 13 weeks; n 116) and followed in their second (n 71) and third (n 71) trimesters. Socio-demographic, food security, anxiety, depressive symptoms and QoL questions were collected. Hb, ferritin (Ft) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) were determined. Women were categorised as iron improvers or non-improvers based on changes in Fe status. Associations were assessed using difference-in-difference analyses.

Cape Coast, Ghana between October 2017 and September 2018.

Pregnant women, 18–38 years.

Improvement in Ft levels from the first to second trimester was associated with reduced depressive symptoms (–2·96 v. –0·58, P = 0·028) and higher overall QoL (13·99 v. 1·92, P = 0·006) particularly role physical (23·32 v. –2·55, P = 0·025) and role emotional (27·50 v. 10·06, P = 0·025) subscales. Improvement in Hb levels during the same period was linked to less anxiety, particularly fear factor (–2·62 v. –0·51, P = 0·020), and worsened physical health aspect of QoL (–21·80 v. –3·75, P = 0·005). Improvement in TSAT levels from second to third trimester was associated with increased total anxiety (1·56 v. –0·64, P = 0·030) and panic factor (0·45 v. –0·26, P = 0·004) and decreased total QoL (–1·08 v. 7·94, P = 0·017), specifically role physical (–10·98 v. 11·93, P = 0·018).

Increases in Fe status from first to second trimester were related to improvements in psychosocial well-being, implying potential benefit of Fe supplementation on affect in early pregnancy. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Food waste is a major problem that contributes to climate change, while inequities in access to healthy food persist among socially vulnerable populations. Surplus food redistribution initiatives operate at the intersection of waste reduction and efforts to support food access. Our objective was to explore and better understand the perspectives and experiences of organisational stakeholders within the food redistribution system in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured qualitative interviews, as well as field observations. Data were analysed using conventional qualitative content analysis.

This study took place in the Canton of Vaud in Western Switzerland, with most participants being in the capital city of Lausanne.

A variety of participants were interviewed, including managers of the food delivery organisations, social service organisations and grocery stores. A total of fourteen interviews and eight field observations were conducted.

Participants described the food redistribution system as a collaborative effort at reducing food waste and increasing access to nutritious foods for socially disadvantaged populations. Four major themes emerged: (1) Processes are in place to ensure the food that reaches individuals is reasonably fresh and of high nutritional quality; (2) food redistribution contributes to addressing food needs, while simultaneously reducing food waste; (3) a high degree of creativity and flexibility is required to optimally use the redistributed foods and (4) all parties involved in the food redistribution participate with goodwill towards one another.

This study demonstrates that the success of the multi-stakeholder programme currently in place to redistribute food products in the Canton of Vaud is due to collaboration, adaptability and a shared goal of reducing food waste while improving food access.

This study aims to develop and validate a semi-quantitative FFQ specifically designed to assess dietary intake among Turkish adults (19–64 years), based on the Türkiye Dietary Guideline (TDG-SFFQ). The primary goal is to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the TDG-SFFQ to ensure it accurately captures habitual dietary patterns in the target population.

The TDG-SFFQ was administered through face-to-face interviews. Validity was assessed by comparing it with a 24-h dietary recall, while reliability was evaluated using a test-retest method after 4 weeks with fifty-six participants in Ankara, Türkiye. Daily intake means for energy, macronutrients and micronutrients obtained from both the TDG-SFFQ and 24-h dietary recall were calculated. Concordance between the two methods was analysed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman plots.

Participants with adequate communication skills were recruited through digital announcements on social media and professional networks, followed by a snowball sampling method to expand the study reach. All eligibility screenings and subsequent data collection were conducted through face-to-face interviews.

The study group consisted of adults (n 420).

The agreement between the two methods demonstrated a statistically moderate or higher correlation for energy and macronutrients. Graphical representations for micronutrients also clustered around the mean, remaining within the 95 % CI. The reliability assessment of the TDG-SFFQ revealed strong linear correlations for energy and nutrients (p < 0·05), with intraclass correlation coefficients exceeding 0·666.

In summary, the TDG-SFFQ is a potentially valid and reliable tool for evaluating dietary intake in the Turkish adult population.

To examine changes in food insecurity among Syrian refugees after resettlement in Norway by length of stay.

A longitudinal cohort study surveying Syrian refugees 1- and 4-years post-resettlement to Norway as part of the CHART/Integration for Health study. Using the Seattle short form of the Household Food Security Survey Module, participants were asked if they had worried that food would run out or had experienced that food did not last over the recent year. Changes in food insecurity over time were examined. Additionally, the influence of socio-demographic, migration-related and health-related factors on these changes was assessed.

Community setting.

Adult Syrian refugees granted resettlement to Norway.

Totally, 353 Syrian refugees participated at baseline, and 132 completed the survey at both timepoints. The proportion reporting food insecurity was nearly unchanged from 1 to 4 years after arrival (from 18 % to 23 %; OR 1·3, 95 % CI 0·8–2·0). Individuals escaping Syria alone experienced increased food insecurity compared with those migrating with family. No modifying effect of gender, age, education, cohabiting with partner, number of children, work status prior to displacement, trauma exposure or poor mental health at baseline on change in food insecurity over time was identified.

One year after resettlement in Norway, slightly more than one in six Syrian refugees reported food insecurity, with prevalence remaining stable 3 years later. Solo migration increased the risk of food insecurity over time, suggesting the potential value of strategies that keep families together during migration to help safeguard nutritional security.

This scoping review aimed to explore and synthesise the literature on the traditional foods and foodways of the Kabi Kabi Peoples and highlight current gaps in the literature.

This review adhered to the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Academic and grey literature were systematically searched. Data were compiled in Excel, food terms were standardised and frequency of mention was assessed to guide selection for nutritional analysis and cultural mapping. Nutritional analysis and cultural mapping were undertaken for frequently mentioned foods, and a deductive thematic analysis was carried out using predefined themes.

The traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi Peoples of South East Queensland, Australia.

Eligible sources included academic and grey literature discussing the traditional diet or foodways of the Kabi Kabi Peoples.

Of 810 initial sources identified, forty-three met inclusion criteria. In total, 270 standardised food terms were identified. Thematic analysis revealed a complex food system, shaped by seasonality, environmental knowledge, cultural significance, taste and gender roles. Analysis of the frequently mentioned foods illustrates a diverse, nutrient-rich diet and cultural maps highlight the widespread distribution of foods still present across Kabi Kabi Country.

This review illustrates an environmentally attuned, resilient, sustainable and sophisticated food systems that challenges colonial portrayals and supports cultural revitalisation. Moreover, it highlights the contemporary relevance of traditional foods in maintaining health and well-being.