International investments in Agriculture in Arab Countries: an overview and implications for policy

International investments in agriculture in the Arab region have increased considerably in recent years. This paper reviews foreign direct investment (FDI) in agriculture in the Arab region with an emphasis on Sudan, Egypt, and Morocco. The paper aims to (i) review past and current investment trends in the context of the unique characteristics of the region, including its food security challenges and resource constraints, and (ii) highlight some important policy issues to be addressed. Agriculture has traditionally received a very small share of international investments in the region (1–2% of total FDI), which largely focused on sectors other than primary agriculture. In the past few years, investments in agriculture have grown remarkably; particularly for resource-seeking investments, but information is incomplete as the changes are very rapid. Sudan is the primary destination for resource-seeking investments; Morocco and Egypt for market-seeking investments, mostly in food processing and fruit and vegetable production. Given the paucity of data, it is difficult to develop concrete policy recommendations. However, the analysis presented in this paper may be useful in guiding the development of FDI policies in the region, aimed at maximizing sustainable outcomes for both investors and host countries, with an emphasis on food security.     

The future of consumer neuroscience in food research

The use (and abuse) of neuroscience and psychological research methodologies has become a hot topic in consumer research, particularly in the area of food product research. Neuro- and psychological science can certainly help consumer and sensory researchers and product developers in the food industry better understand consumers’ unconscious motivators and/or reactions and even lend insights to claims and sensory perceptions. Commercial tools for leveraging these methodologies continue to get better, faster and cheaper. However, the field of consumer neuroscience has been plagued with pseudoscience and “neurohype,” and researchers have experienced some disappointments when trying to incorporate these measures into their research. From EEG headsets to facial coding, consumer neuroscience has never been so accessible (or confusing). We will discuss how to better evaluate potential methodologies for use as well as discuss best practices and the future of the field.     

Ensuring smokers are adequately informed: reflections on consumer rights, manufacturer responsibilities, and policy implications

The right to information is a fundamental consumer value. Following the advent of health warnings, the tobacco industry has repeatedly asserted that smokers are fully informed of the risks they take, while evidence demonstrates widespread superficial levels of awareness and understanding. There remains much that tobacco companies could do to fulfil their responsibilities to inform smokers. We explore issues involved in the meaning of "adequately informed" smoking and discuss some of the key policy and regulatory implications. We use the idea of a smoker licensing scheme-under which it would be illegal to sell to smokers who had not demonstrated an adequate level of awareness-as a device to explore some of these issues. We also explore some of the difficulties that addiction poses for the notion that smokers might ever voluntarily assume the risks of smoking.     

A pan EU survey of consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health: an overview

The objective of the study was to investigate attitudes to food, nutrition and health among nationally-representative samples of adults from each member state of the European Union. Overall, 14 331 subjects completed the face-to-face interviewer-assisted questionnaire. A majority of EU subjects believe they do not need to alter their diets, as they perceive them to be already healthly enough. Price may play a significant role in the choice of food for some groups in the population. Furthermore, a lack of knowledge about nutrition is not a commonly cited barrier to healthy eating. Among EU subjects there is general agreement about the sources of information on healthy eating which they use and trust, health professionals are the most trusted source across all member states. The problem facing healthy eating promoters in the EU may not, therefore, be a lack of knowledge, but rather how nutritional guidelines pertain to themselves. For nutrition education programmes to be effective, it is important that strategies be designed which take account of the cultural diversity, thereby reflecting the geographical variability of the EU population as well as being targeted or focused to specific sub-groups in the population.     

Occurrence of infected amoebae in cooling towers compared with natural aquatic environments: implications for emerging pathogens

Many species of bacteria pathogenic to humans, such as Legionella, are thought to have evolved in association with amoebal hosts. Several novel unculturable bacteria related to Legionella have also been found in amoebae, a few of which have been thought to be causes of nosocomial infections in humans. Because amoebae can be found in cooling towers, we wanted to know whether cooling tower environments might enhance the association between amoebae and bacterial pathogens of amoebae in order to identify potential "hot spots" for emerging human pathogens. To compare occurrence of infected amoebae in natural environments with those in cooling towers, 40 natural aquatic environments and 40 cooling tower samples were examined. Logistic regression analysis determined variables that were significant predictors of the occurrence of infected amoebae, which were found in 22 of 40 cooling tower samples but in only 3 of the 40 natural samples. An odds ratio showed that it is over 16 times more likely to encounter infected amoebae in cooling towers than in natural environments. Environmental data from cooling towers and natural habitats combined revealed dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and pH were predictors of the occurrence of the pathogens, however, when cooling tower data alone were analyzed, no variables accounted for the occurrence. Several bacteria have novel rRNA sequences, and most strains were not culturable outside of amoebae. Such pathogens of amoebae may spread to the environment via aerosols from cooling towers. Studies of emerging infectious diseases should strongly consider cooling towers as a source of amoeba-associated pathogens.     

The 2007/2008 food price acceleration in Namibia: an overview of impacts and policy responses

This paper provides an overview of the short-term household-level effects and the national policy responses in Namibia to the rapid acceleration in food prices in 2007/2008. Price increases are found to have disproportionately affected low-income households, who have higher relative shares of food expenditure and whose own-production was reduced due to crop failures, and urban households who rely relatively less on in-kind consumption and more on cash purchases. Drawing on the literature on tax incidence and welfare dominance the paper further assesses the potential distributional and poverty reduction effects of the ‘zero-rating’ of the VAT for basic food items that was introduced by the Namibian government to mitigate the impacts of the food crisis. The results show that the VAT reform only led to a small and statistically insignificant improvement in the highly unequal distribution of consumption expenditure in Namibia. An illustration is provided of how a more effective way to reduce poverty and shield the poor from the worst impact of the crisis is through the existing system of cash transfers.     

Sensitive skin: an overview

Sensitive skin is a condition of subjective cutaneous hyper‐reactivity to environmental factors. Subjects experiencing this condition report exaggerated reactions when their skin is in contact with cosmetics, soaps and sun screens, and they often report worsening after exposure to dry and cold climate. Although no sign of irritation is commonly detected, itching, burning, stinging and a tight sensation are constantly present. Generally substances that are not commonly considered irritants are involved in this abnormal response.Sensitive skin and subjective irritation are widespread but still far from being completely defined and understood. A correlation between sensitive skin and constitutional anomalies and/or other triggering factors such as occupational skin diseases or chronic exposure to irritants has been hypothesized. Recent findings suggest that higher sensitivity can be due to different mechanisms. Hyper‐reactors may have a thinner stratum corneum with a reduced corneocyte area causing a higher transcutaneous penetration of water‐soluble chemicals. Alterations in vanilloid receptors and changes in neuronal transmission have been described. Monitoring skin parameters such as barrier function, proclivity to irritation, corneocyte size and sensorial transmission can also be useful to identify regional differences in skin sensitivity.     

Consumer Value perceptions of food products from emerging processing technologies: A cross-cultural exploration

Through a qualitative research approach, the present paper aims to explore the range and type of ‘values’ and ‘costs’ in formulating overall Consumer Value (CV) perceptions, in association with two emerging processing technologies that at the outset are neither distinctly positive nor negative in the eyes of consumers, in two culturally variant contexts, namely a Western society where technology is often met with skepticism (i.e., the UK); and a non-Western society where technology plays a reassuring role regarding concerns about food safety and quality (i.e., China). Results reveal that the most important value and cost dimensions that define CV perceptions are reasoned and utility-related, in particular ‘functional (i.e., economic) value’ and ‘performance (i.e., taste-related) cost’. Moreover, additional value and cost types of affective nature play an important role, such as ‘emotional value’, ‘(dis)trust’ and ‘(un)familiarity’. Furthermore, a number of differences emerge when CV perceptions are related to participants’ differences in attitude to technological progress (i.e., pro- or counter-technology individuals), lending support to the assumption that consumers with different general attitudes towards technological progress would differ in the number and type of value–cost dimensions that define their CV trade-offs. Finally, a between-countries comparison revealed that counter-technology consumers in both cultural contexts share more value and cost perceptions than their pro-technology counterparts, who ‘allow’ more room for cultural discrepancies to impact on their CV perceptions. Overall, findings support the view that CV perceptions in the context of food produced by means of emerging processing technologies can be successfully analyzed using a multidimensional conceptualization, where CV is seen as the outcome of a trade-off among a number of ‘competing’ value and cost dimensions.     

Modelling consumer behavioural intentions towards food with implications for marketing quality low-input and organic food

The paper is based upon a study of European consumers’ behavioural intentions towards food purchase for four food products in six countries. The analytical method employs a structural equation model within the marketing framework of the quality-value-satisfaction-loyalty (QVSL) paradigm. The paper focuses on country-based versions of the model. The sample consists of 5072 regular consumers of the four products and includes consumers of conventional foods, quality low-input foods and organic foods. The model establishes the determinants of behavioural intentions towards foods that consumers purchase regularly. In addition, it provides the facility to examine the potential of quality low-input foods and organic foods. The results reveal the contribution of satisfaction, perceived value and perceived quality to improving behavioural intentions and how these constructs could contribute to the improved effectiveness of marketing conventional, quality low-input and organic foods to existing and potential consumers.     

Foodborne viruses: an emerging problem

Several groups of viruses may infect persons after ingestion and then are shed via stool. Of these, the norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are currently recognised as the most important human foodborne pathogens with regard to the number of outbreaks and people affected in the Western world. NoV and HAV are highly infectious and may lead to widespread outbreaks. The clinical manifestation of NoV infection, however, is relatively mild. Asymptomatic infections are common and may contribute to the spread of the infection. Introduction of NoV in a community or population (a seeding event) may be followed by additional spread because of the highly infectious nature of NoV, resulting in a great number of secondary infections (50% of contacts). Hepatitis A is an increasing problem because of the decrease in immunity of populations in countries with high standards of hygiene. Molecular-based methods can detect viruses in shellfish but are not yet available for other foods. The applicability of the methods currently available for monitoring foods for viral contamination is unknown. No consistent correlation has been found between the presence of indicator microorganisms (i.e. bacteriophages, E. coli) and viruses. NoV and HAV are highly infectious and exhibit variable levels of resistance to heat and disinfection agents. However, they are both inactivated at 100 degrees C. No validated model virus or model system is available for studies of inactivation of NoV, although investigations could make use of structurally similar viruses (i.e. canine and feline caliciviruses). In the absence of a model virus or model system, food safety guidelines need to be based on studies that have been performed with the most resistant enteric RNA viruses (i.e. HAV, for which a model system does exist) and also with bacteriophages (for water). Most documented foodborne viral outbreaks can be traced to food that has been manually handled by an infected foodhandler, rather than to industrially processed foods. The viral contamination of food can occur anywhere in the process from farm to fork, but most foodborne viral infections can be traced back to infected persons who handle food that is not heated or otherwise treated afterwards. Therefore, emphasis should be on stringent personal hygiene during preparation. If viruses are present in food preprocessing, residual viral infectivity may be present after some industrial processes. Therefore, it is key that sufficient attention be given to good agriculture practice (GAP) and good manufacturing practice (GMP) to avoid introduction of viruses onto the raw material and into the food-manufacturing environment, and to HACCP to assure adequate management of (control over) viruses present during the manufacturing process. If viruses are present in foods after processing, they remain infectious in most circumstances and in most foods for several days or weeks, especially if kept cooled (at 4 degrees C). Therefore, emphasis should be on stringent personal hygiene during preparation. For the control of foodborne viral infections, it is necessary to: Heighten awareness about the presence and spread of these viruses by foodhandlers; Optimise and standardise methods for the detection of foodborne viruses; Develop laboratory-based surveillance to detect large, common-source outbreaks at an early stage; and Emphasise consideration of viruses in setting up food safety quality control and management systems (GHP, GMP, HACCP).     

An overview of consumer attitudes and beliefs about plant food supplements

The use of dietary supplements is increasing globally and this includes the use of plant food supplements (PFS). A variety of factors may be influencing this increased consumption including the increasing number of older people in society, mistrust in conventional medicine and the perception that natural is healthy. Consumer studies in this area are limited, with a focus on dietary supplements in general, and complicated by the use of certain plant food supplements as herbal medicines. Research indicates that higher use of dietary supplements has been associated with being female, being more educated, having a higher income, being white and being older, however the drivers for consumption of supplements are complex, being influenced by both demographic and health-related factors. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of current knowledge about the users and the determinants of usage of plant food supplements. With growing consumption of these products, the need for effective risk-benefit assessment becomes ever more important and an insight into who uses these types of products and why is an important starting point for any future science-based decisions made by policy makers, PFS manufacturers and ultimately by consumers themselves.     

Persistent halogenated hydrocarbons in consumer fish of China: regional and global implications for human exposure

Concentrations of persistent halogenated hydrocarbons (PHHs) were determined in 13 consumer fish species (a total of 390 individuals) collected from a major fish-farming region of China. The potential health risks of PHHs associated with consumption of fish from China was also systematically assessed regionally and globally. In all fish samples, DDTs, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs were the predominant PHH residues, with the median levels (ranges) being 6.0 (0.14-698.9), 0.50 (0.13-24.06), 0.10 (< 0.02-7.65), and 0.15 (< 0.0012-3.85) ng/g wet weight, respectively. The upper-bound (90th percentile) values of estimated daily intakes of DDT, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs via fish consumption were 45.5, 1.35, 0.46, and 0.30 ng/kg bw/d (urban), and 15.9, 0.47, 0.16, and 0.10 ng/kg bw/d (rural). Globally, the upper-bound outflows via fishery exportation of DDT, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs were 185, 5.51, 1.86, and 1.22 kg, respectively, in 2005. Japan was the largest recipient of PHHs, followed by Korea and the United States. Fish consumption assessments indicated that consumption of freshwater farmed and wild marine fish generally does not subject consumers to significant health risk as far as PHHs are concerned, while limited consumption of seawater farmed fish is advised.     

Consumer perceptions of foods processed by innovative and emerging technologies: A conjoint analytic study

Conjoint analytic surveys were administered to 225 potential consumers of foods processed by innovative and emerging food technologies in order to assess the factors contributing to their interest in using such products. Respondents included 1) a consumer panel of civilian lab employees, 2) shoppers in a mall in the northeastern U.S., and 3) U.S. military troops on training exercises. Respondents rated their interest in 49 different food product concepts that varied in food type, processing or production technology, costs, benefits, risks, endorsing agencies, and product information. Results showed that the relative importance of factors did not vary greatly among the consumer groups. Perceived risks associated with the technologies were the most important factors influencing interest in use. Among the emerging technologies assessed, irradiation and genetic modification resulted in the greatest negative effect on likely use, while high pressure processing produced the most positive effect. The term “cold preservation” had positive associations for all groups, but “minimally processed” had negative associations. Implications of the data for the marketing of foods processed by innovative and emerging technologies are discussed.Industrial relevanceThe food industry is currently interested in a variety of novel production and processing technologies that may result in economical and improved quality products. However, consumer attitudes toward and conceptions of these new technologies can greatly influence their success in the marketplace. The results of this study show that “perceived risks” of the technologies are the most important determinant of interest in their use by consumers. This and other data uncovered in this study suggest that industry must be vigilant in their knowledge of consumer attitudes toward these processes in order to avoid unexpected failure of these products upon market introduction.     

The nutrition situation: an overview

Malnutrition remains a major problem in both developing and industrialized countries and is getting worse in selected settings. However, progress has been made in alleviating malnutrition, and the motivation and tools for tackling malnutrition and its consequences have never been more favorable than they are now. Indeed, the genomic developments spawned by the ongoing biological revolution are increasing the pressure to solve problems that lead to low birthweight, stunting, disorders stemming from micronutrient deficiencies, and other manifestations of undernutrition.     

Revising the machine smoking regime for cigarette emissions: implications for tobacco control policy

Background

The WHO Framework Convenion on Tobacco Control includes provisions for testing and regulating cigarette emissions. However, the current international standard for generating cigarette emissions—the ISO machine smoking regime—is widely acknowledged to be inappropriate for purposes of setting regulatory restrictions.

Objective

To review alternatives to the ISO machine smoking regime and the extent to which they: 1) Represent human smoking behaviour, 2) Reduce the potential for industry exploitation, particularly in the area of risk communication, and 3) Serve as suitable measures for product regulation.

Methods

Emissions data from 238 Canadian cigarette brands tested under the ISO and “Canadian Intense” machine smoking regimes.

Results

None of the alternative smoking regimes, including the Canadian Intense method, are more “representative” of human smoking behaviour and none provide better predictors of human exposure.

Conclusions

Given that alternatives such as the Canadian Intense regime are subject to the same fundamental limitations as the ISO regime, key questions need to be addressed before any smoking regime should be used to set regulatory limits on smoke emissions. In the meantime, regulators should remove quantitative emission values from cigarette packages and more work should be done on alternative machine smoking methods.The issue of how to test and regulate conventional cigarettes represents a critical challenge for tobacco control. To date, the primary means of testing cigarette toxicity has been to machine smoke the cigarettes according to a standard puffing regime and to measure the chemical emissions in the mainstream smoke. In many jurisdictions, these cigarette “yields” are printed on packages and represent the only source of information on constituents or toxicity available to consumers. Cigarette emissions also serve as a regulatory standard in several of jurisdictions, including the European Union, where brands that generate emissions >10 mg of tar, 1 mg of nicotine or 10 ppm of carbon monoxide are prohibited. The puffing regime used to machine smoke the cigarettes—the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regime¹—is widely recognised to be inadequate for the purposes of product regulation or consumer information. The ISO regime constitutes a set of puffing parameters that systematically underestimate smoking behaviour in humans.^2,3,4 Tobacco manufacturers have also designed cigarette brands to perform one way under the machine smoking conditions, but to deliver much greater smoke constituents to humans.^5,6 As a result, the emissions generated under the ISO smoking regime have little relationship with actual measures of human exposure, and exaggerate the differences between brands in a manner that has proved deceptive to both consumers and regulators.^7,8,9 Overall, the emissions from the ISO regime have served as more of an industry marketing tool to falsely reassure health‐concerned smokers, rather than as a valid measure of cigarette toxicity.^2,10,11,12There is a growing movement to develop a more meaningful machine testing method. The World Health Organization''s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)—the world''s first international public health treaty—includes provisions for testing and regulating cigarette emissions under Article 9.¹³ These provisions will need to be specified now that the FCTC has come into force. After discussions with the WHO, the ISO convened a working group (ISO TC 126 WG9) to develop recommendations for “…a robust and practical smoking regime that as far as possible is representative of smokers'' behaviour”. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization''s Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulations (WHO TobReg) has developed its own set of recommendations, which were under consideration by the ISO Working Group.¹⁴ There are also concerns that the ISO committee structure responsible for setting tobacco standards is dominated by the tobacco industry.¹²Before any new testing regime is implemented, it is critical to ensure that the new standards will serve the interests of public health rather than the tobacco industry. The purpose of this paper is to review the smoking regimes that are under consideration by the ISO Working Group, and to examine the implications for tobacco control policy and product regulation. In particular, we examine the extent to which the proposed regimes will: (1) succeed in “representing” smoking behaviour in humans and generate better predictors of human exposure; (2) reduce the potential for industry exploitation, particularly in the field of risk communication; and (3) help to establish more effective regulatory limits on cigarette toxicity.