To examine and synthesise data on the environmental impact of diet in Latin America.

A systematic review was conducted in April 2024, using Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases, and updated in March 2025. We synthesised the evidence on the most reported environmental impact indicators. Meta-analysis was conducted to derive pooled estimates for individual countries of the mean dietary carbon and water footprints per person/per day; crude and energy-standardised (to 8368 kJ (2000 kcal)) values and stratified by dietary assessment method and sociodemographic variables.

Latin America.

Latin American populations.

Of the 2766 studies screened, 31 were included. Data on environmental impact of diet were reported for eight Latin American countries, with most coming from Brazil. Dietary water footprint ranged from 2078 in Chile to 3215 L/person/day/8368 kJ in Brazil. Dietary carbon footprint ranged from 2·1 to 7·3 kgCO2-equivalents/person/day/8368 kJ, in Peru and Argentina, respectively. The pooled standardised carbon footprint mean was 4·1 (95 % CI 2·6, 5·5, I2 = 100 %) kgCO2-equivalents/person/day/8368 kJ with no significant differences between dietary assessment method (P = 0·86). A higher carbon footprint was observed in individuals with higher education level and urban residence (P < 0·05).

The available evidence suggested a wide variation in dietary environmental impact between Latin American countries, but a paucity of studies conducted in countries other than Brazil. Standardised approach to estimate the environmental impact of diet across the region and analytical perspectives in further research would support the development of country-relevant evidence-based public policies for sustainable diets in Latin America.

Culinary education interventions may effectively improve cooking skills and dietary outcomes; however, interventions lack theoretical underpinning and rigorous evaluation. ‘Let’s Get Cooking’ (LGC) is a culinary education intervention operating a ‘school and community-based’ programme targeting children and ‘food waste reduction’ programme targeting adults. LGC is delivered through cookery clubs, operating a ‘train the trainer’ model, whereby club leaders are centrally trained and resourced. This study aims to understand initial assessments of LGC’s effectiveness, the content of resources provided for programme delivery and club leaders’ perceptions of the programme.

Three previous evaluations of the ‘school and community-based’ programme were synthesised and critically appraised. LGC resources were coded to identify behaviour change techniques (BCT), map the age-appropriateness of included cooking skills and to identify food waste reduction strategies. Qualitative one-on-one interviews with club leaders (n 7) were conducted online and thematically analysed.

UK

N/A

Previous evaluations suggest LGC’s ‘school and community-based’ programme may effectively disseminate cooking skills. However, reports lacked assessment of ‘fidelity’ or ‘dose delivered’. LGC resources primarily target behaviour change through describing how and when to perform cooking behaviour and contain age-appropriate cooking skills for participating children. ‘Food waste reduction’ resources primarily include appropriate food storage and preparation strategies to reduce waste. Club leaders perceive the intervention and training positively, however, adapt resources and sessions due to delivery challenges.

LGC may be an effective intervention; however, content improvement may support programme delivery. Rigorous process evaluation is needed to improve understanding of LGC’s effectiveness.

To examine whether different message frames increase public support for a community-identified policy solution to improve food security in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.

An online experimental study in which participants were randomly assigned to one of three message frames: human rights, fairness or community-identified solution or a control condition. Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between message frames and support for an electricity subsidy policy. Interaction analyses explored whether participant characteristics moderated these effects.

Australia.

A nationally representative sample of 1555 Australian adults recruited through an online panel.

Message framing had limited overall impact on policy support. The human rights frame generated the highest support for the proposed subsidy, while the fairness frame generated the lowest; however, these differences were modest. We found that regardless of frame used, Greens supporters, those with postgraduate degrees or those who watched the news more frequently, tended to have higher levels of agreement with the policy solution.

Although message framing is widely used in advocacy to increase policy support, its impact in this context appears constrained. These findings underscore the complexity of shifting public attitudes toward policies benefiting structurally disadvantaged communities and suggest that more targeted, audience-specific framing may be necessary. Further research should explore why certain frames underperform among particular groups and examine how agreement and emotional engagement jointly shape support for policy change.

This study aimed to adapt and validate the FOODLIT-Tool in Turkish to assess sustainable food literacy among Turkish adults. The adaptation addresses a lack of psychometrically validated instruments for measuring food literacy and sustainability-oriented eating behaviours in Turkey.

A psychometric evaluation was conducted, including forward-translation, back-translation and cultural adaptation steps, followed by expert review for content validation. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and internal consistency was evaluated to ensure reliability.

Data collection was conducted online via Google Forms between July and August 2024.

A total of 482 participants aged 18 to 65 years residing in Turkey voluntarily completed the Turkish version of the FOODLIT-Tool, along with a general information form and the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behavior Scale.

CFA results demonstrated an acceptable model fit (χ2/df = 3·67, CFI = 0·91, RMSEA = 0·07). Cronbach’s α values ranged from 0·60 to 0·91 across the sub-dimensions, indicating adequate to excellent internal consistency. Significant positive correlations were found between FOODLIT subscales and sustainable eating behaviours. Women scored significantly higher in culinary competence, production quality and environmental awareness.

The adapted Turkish version of the FOODLIT-Tool demonstrates satisfactory validity and reliability for evaluating food literacy and sustainable dietary practices among Turkish adults. The scale serves as a useful assessment tool for future research and intervention studies focusing on sustainable nutrition. Further validation using representative samples and longitudinal designs is warranted before its application in public health or policy-making contexts.

Rising levels of household food insecurity in England, and associated health and well-being impacts for children, have led to calls to expand access to free school meals (FSM). Policymakers have been hesitant to extend provision of FSM due to concerns surrounding acceptability, affordability and implementation challenges. The most effective strategies for expanding FSM are not yet fully understood. This work aims to fill this gap by examining school meal policy from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, to provide actionable recommendations for policies that could expand school meal provision.

A qualitative interview study design was used. The data were analysed using the Framework Method, underpinned by the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework. Themes were categorised into context-related and implementation-related factors. Detailed recommendations were discussed at the macro, meso and micro levels of the school food system.

The study was conducted in England, UK.

Seventeen stakeholders represented the views of local, regional and national government, policy, academia and schools.

Stakeholders indicated that policies should prioritise stigma reduction and integrate expansion of school meals with existing school policies where possible, including the monitoring of school food standards and ensuring maintenance of school food quality. Stakeholders also suggested improvement to the administrative process and communication with families and recommended a joined-up approach linking interventions with common goals across the whole food system.

Crucially, sufficient financial support is essential for successful implementation.

To assess the preliminary effectiveness of a food pantry-led, subsidised community-supported agriculture (CSA) program.

A quasi-experimental observational pilot study with 3-month follow-up. ‘Farm Share’ the subsidised CSA provided biweekly bags of approximately 25 pounds of fresh produce priced at $5 per bag. Control participants were recruited from a comparable food pantry without CSA. Outcomes included skin carotenoids, fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, diet quality and food security. Changes between groups were analysed using generalised estimating equations and mixed-effect regression models.

New York City, NY, United States.

Participants (Farm Share n 54, control n 69) were predominantly Hispanic/Latino, Black or African American, foreign-born, female and had a high school education or lower.

Retention rate was 65·0 % at follow-up (Farm Share n 33, control n 47). Compared with control, skin carotenoids increased (+12 points) in the Farm Share group, adjusted for smoking status, age, sex and birthplace (P = 0·005). Total healthy eating index (HEI) (–6·3 points) and saturated fats HEI (–1·1 point) declined in the Farm Share group (P = 0·031 and P = 0·027, respectively). Non-significant trends were observed for improvements in FV intake (P = 0·25) and food security (P = 0·16).

Findings from this pilot study suggested Farm Share’s preliminary effectiveness and study feasibility in urban food pantry settings, supporting integrating subsidised CSA within food pantries to enhance fresh produce access among communities experiencing food insecurity. However, fully powered trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Alcohol companies are increasingly marketing products with nutrition-related claims to appeal to consumers. There are concerns around the potential of such claims to mislead; however, there is limited research on consumers’ attitudes to claims, why they use them and how they influence product selection. The aim of this study was to explore these issues among Australian consumers.

Nine online focus groups were conducted with approximately nine individuals per group (n 83). Groups were stratified by age, sex and drinking status. Participants were asked about their alcohol purchasing behaviours and presented with a selection of alcohol products that displayed nutrition-related claims (e.g. zero sugar).

Australia.

Australian adults who consumed alcohol at least twice per month.

Three major themes emerged from the data. First, most participants appeared to trust on-pack claims, viewing them as tools for making healthier choices. Claims were cited as being particularly useful when placed on the front of packaging to assist the rapid identification of products perceived as ‘healthier’ options. Second, participants appeared to use claims primarily to identify nutrients or ingredients they wanted to avoid, especially sugar, calories and preservatives. Finally, most participants supported the use of claims, with few raising concerns about them being potentially misleading.

The results of this study add to growing evidence indicating that nutrition-related claims can mislead consumers about the healthiness of alcoholic beverages. Policymakers should seek to restrict the use of claims while also working to increase awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption.

To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical growth, nutritional intake and immune function in children aged 12–24 months.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted utilising data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Pre-pandemic (2017–2018) and pandemic (2021–2023) cohorts were compared.

Nationally representative data from the United States.

Children aged 12–24 months (pre-pandemic: n 3 904 863; pandemic: n 3 496 904).

No significant differences were observed in physical growth (weight, length and BMI) or macronutrient intake between cohorts. Pandemic-born children had lower vitamin A (437·0 v. 540·0 mcg/d, P = 0·006) and B12 (2·7 v. 3·4 mcg/d, P = 0·009) intake but higher vitamin C intake (87·0 v. 62·8 mg/d, P < 0·001). Inflammatory markers (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation index) showed minor age- and sex-specific variations but remained within normal ranges. Environmental toxin exposure (cadmium and mercury) was significantly reduced during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not substantially alter growth, nutrition or immune function in infants and toddlers, though micronutrient intakes and toxin exposure shifted. Long-term monitoring is warranted.

To explore the current provision of diet and well-being interventions in UK food manufacturing businesses and identify barriers and enablers to implementation.

A systematic scoping review and UK industry survey were conducted. Five databases were searched (2000–2025), alongside grey literature and open-access case studies. Screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Intervention components were mapped to the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy. An online survey (Mar–May 2025) supplemented the review by capturing current practices in UK food and beverage manufacturing. A narrative synthesis was undertaken.

Food and/or beverage manufacturing sites.

Nineteen peer-reviewed studies (UK n 6, 32 %) and twelve case studies met inclusion criteria. Common BCT included ‘association’ (e.g. prompts/cues, 52 %), ‘antecedents’ (e.g. food environment restructuring, 48 %) and ‘shaping knowledge’ (e.g. nutrition education, 37 %). Most evaluations focused on dietary intake (63 %), with 47 % reporting positive changes. Key barriers were at the employee level (e.g. engagement, language and resistance to change; 42 %) and organisational level (e.g. time, staffing, funding, space; 33 %), with 25 % citing both. Survey responses (n 11; 82 % from large organisations) indicated interventions most often targeted ‘antecedents’ (62 %), followed by ‘shaping knowledge’ and ‘association’ (both 21 %). Budget availability and senior management support (both 45 %) were the most cited enablers in the survey.

Evidence on nutrition and well-being interventions in UK food manufacturing is limited. Addressing implementation barriers may support wider adoption of effective behaviour change strategies.

Dietary diversity is associated with health benefits. However, food biodiversity has been understudied. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the associations between dietary species richness (DSR), i.e. the number of species consumed by individuals, and dietary sustainability dimensions, including environmental pressures, diet quality and monetary cost.

The study was carried out among the NutriNet-Santé cohort.

29 173 volunteers were included.

Participants completed a 264-item FFQ. Food items were linked to the corresponding species. ANCOVA models were fitted to evaluate the associations between total, plant, animal DSR and dietary sustainability dimensions. The dietary share of organic food was computed.

Higher DSR was associated with lower overall environment impact, captured by the pRecipe, an indicator including greenhouse gases emissions, land occupation and cumulative energy demand (pRecipe, Q5 v. Q1, −8·5 %), better diet quality, reflected by the level of adherence to the French dietary guidelines (sPNNS-GS2, Q5 v. Q1: +44·8 %) and stable dietary cost. Higher plant DSR was related to lower environmental impacts, better diet quality and higher monetary cost. Higher animal DSR was associated with higher environmental pressures, lower diet quality and monetary cost. The amount of organic food consumed was positively associated with plant DSR and negatively associated with animal DSR.

Overall, more biodiverse diets were related to better diet quality and lower environmental pressures. The associations seemed to be driven by plant biodiversity. Further studies are warranted to better understand the relationship between food biodiversity and sustainability dimensions across settings.

Strong social inequalities exist in chronic diseases related to diet and lifestyle. However, few studies have comprehensively examined the social determinants of children’s diet at the family level, including paternal characteristics and migration background. This study aimed to assess the associations between family-based socio-ecological factors and children’s dietary patterns (DP) during the first 2 years of life.

This longitudinal observational study applied a socio-ecological model to explore associations with children’s DP. We conducted multivariable linear regression analyses with DP – identified via principal component analysis – as outcomes, sequentially adjusting for maternal factors: immigrant status, education, older children in the household, single motherhood and age (block 1); occupation (block 2) and household income (block 3). Similar analyses were performed with paternal characteristics.

Nationwide French ELFE birth cohort.

We used data from an FFQ completed by parents of 12 696 2-year-old children.

Children born to mothers with a low socio-economic position (low education level; manual worker, unemployed or student or in the lowest household income quintile), with previous children, or who were living as a single parent had low scores on a DP defined as ‘Balanced and diversified’. These children also showed greater adherence to a ‘Discretionary consumption’ pattern, as did those born to immigrant mothers. Overall, consistent findings were observed with paternal socio-economic factors.

Early-life dietary inequalities are shaped by family-level social determinants, emphasising the need for early nutritional interventions tailored to disadvantaged families, particularly those with a migration background, low socio-economic status or single parenthood.

To examine the association between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in western China, which has not been previously reported.

A population based cross-sectional study design. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Principal component analysis identified dietary patterns and multivariate logistic regression evaluated their associations with MetS.

Population-based Cohort Study of Chronic Diseases in Xinjiang (PCCDX), conducted in 2022.

A total of 3208 individuals from PCCDX (mean age: 53·1 (sd 10·8) years; 49·1 % male).

MetS was diagnosed in 1762 participants (54·9 %). Four distinct dietary patterns were identified, with the refined grain–animal products dietary pattern being the dominant one. After adjusting for general demographic and lifestyle factors, a higher score in the refined grain–animal product pattern was associated with an increased risk of MetS. The OR for the second, third and fourth quartiles of the dietary score were 1·07 (95 % CI: 0·860, 1·322), 1·14 (0·923, 1·413) and 1·48 (1·189, 1·853), with a statistically significant trend (P = 0·003). Higher dietary scores in this pattern were also associated with increased risks of elevated waist circumference, high TAG and low HDL cholesterol (P < 0·05). Mediation analysis showed that visceral fat percentage partially mediated the association between the refined grain–animal product dietary pattern and low HDL-cholesterol, accounting for 17·2 % of the total effect (indirect effect = 0·005, P = 0·006). The other three dietary patterns showed no significant associations with MetS or its components.

This study highlights the high prevalence of MetS in western China and links a refined grains-animal products diet to poorer metabolic health, emphasising the need for region-specific dietary strategies.

This scoping review aimed to identify and map interventions and gaps in evidence that sought to enhance food literacy to support sustainable dietary behaviours among adults from ethnic-minority backgrounds.

A scoping review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they targeted food literacy in ethnic-minority adult populations. Nine databases were searched from inception to October 2024.

Developed economy countries.

Community-dwelling adult ethnic-minority populations.

Of 3128 records screened, two studies met the inclusion criteria. Both studies involved a retrospective evaluation of outcomes following participation in a community garden programme. Although some sustainability-related outcomes were recorded, none directly integrated food system sustainability education as a primary objective.

This review found very few food literacy interventions that integrate sustainability and are tailored for ethnic-minority communities, highlighting a critical evidence gap. Future health promotion efforts should identify strategies to effectively change food preferences towards nutritious and sustainable choices and how to tailor them for culturally diverse groups to address both health and environmental challenges.

We aimed to describe the development and evaluation of the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines Adherence Score (BraScore).

The process comprised multiple steps: defining guiding principles, identifying food components, setting scoring cut-off points and assessing validity and reliability.

Nationally representative sample of the Brazilian population.

46 164 Brazilians aged ≥ 10 years.

The BraScore has ten components: to be consumed (legumes; fruits; vegetables and diversity), to be limited (red meat; other animal-based foods; processed foods; table sugar and cooking salt) and to be avoided (ultra-processed foods). Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating greater adherence to the Dietary Guidelines. Analyses showed a weak correlation with energy intake (coefficient: –0·12) and substantial variability among individuals (1st percentile: 20·5; 99th: 77·7). Scree plot analysis revealed multidimensionality, indicating four distinct patterns. The scores differentiated population groups (older adults and rural residents had higher scores) and were high for diets developed by nutritionists (84·6–97·6 points). The reliability analysis yielded a coefficient of 0·6, suggesting acceptable internal consistency.

The BraScore is a valid and reliable tool to assess adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population.