Do increases in cigarette prices lead to increases in sales of cigarettes with high tar and nicotine yields?

We used scanner data on cigarette prices and sales collected from supermarkets across the United States from 1994 to 2004 to test the hypothesis that cigarette prices are positively correlated with sales of cigarettes with higher tar and nicotine content. During this period the average inflation-adjusted price for menthol cigarettes increased 55.8%. Price elasticities from multivariate regression models suggest that this price increase led to an increase of 1.73% in sales-weighted average tar yields and a 1.28% increase in sales-weighted average nicotine yields for menthol cigarettes. The 50.5% price increase of nonmenthol varieties over the same period yielded an estimated increase of 1% in tar per cigarette but no statistically significant increase in nicotine yields. An ordered probit model of the impact of cigarette prices on cigarette strength (ultra-light, light, full flavor, unfiltered) offers an explanation: As cigarette prices increase, the probability that stronger cigarette types will be sold increases. This effect is larger for menthol than for nonmenthol cigarettes. Our results are consistent with earlier population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showing that higher cigarette prices and taxes are associated with increasing consumption of higher-yield cigarettes by smokers.     

Effects of cigarette tax on cigarette consumption and the Chinese economy

OBJECTIVES: To analyse a policy dilemma in China on public health versus the tobacco economy through additional cigarette tax. METHODS: Using published statistics from 1980 through 1997 to estimate the impact of tobacco production and consumption on government revenue and the entire economy. These estimates relied on the results of estimated price elasticities of the demand for cigarettes in China. RESULTS: Given the estimated price elasticities (-0.54), by introducing an additional 10% increase in cigarette tax per pack (from the current 40% to 50% tax rate), the central government tax revenue would twice exceed total losses in industry revenue, tobacco farmers' income, and local tax revenue. In addition, between 1.44 and 2.16 million lives would be saved by this tax increase. CONCLUSIONS: Additional taxation on cigarettes in China would be a desirable public policy for the Chinese government to consider.     

进出口脱皮花生涉税归类鉴定快速检测方法

建立脱皮花生涉税归类鉴定的快速检测方法——过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶活性测定法。以pH 7.7的磷酸盐缓冲液提取花生中的过氧化氢酶,加入过氧化氢溶液后30℃水浴15 min,以0.1 mol/L高锰酸钾标准滴定溶液滴定剩余过氧化氢,通过高锰酸钾耗液量计算过氧化氢酶活动度;以pH 7.0的磷酸盐缓冲液提取花生中的过氧化物酶,25℃孵育30 min,加入愈创木酚和过氧化氢,在436 nm波长下,测定初始时和2 min后的吸光度值,计算两者之差ΔA,计算过氧化物酶活力。分别对鲜花生、出口生花生、干燥脱皮花生以及150℃烘烤30 min出口生花生和干燥脱皮花生进行过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶活性测定。对数据做方差分析,结果有显著性差异。鲜花生中2种酶活性最高,经干燥后活性降低,150℃烘烤30 min后,2种酶失去活性。     

Tempeh: A semicentennial review on its health benefits,fermentation, safety,processing, sustainability,and affordability

Tempeh is a fermented food made of mainly soybeans and is a nutritious, affordable, and sustainable functional source of protein. Globally, tempeh is a widely accepted fermented product. Although there is a growing body of literature on tempeh, most research has focused on unfermented soybeans, thus the impact of tempeh fermentation on biological properties of soybeans has been largely left scattered. The objective of this review is to summarize the literature of tempeh fermentation over the past 60 years. A search of articles on tempeh published from 1960 to 2020 was performed using the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCOhost FSTA database, and Google Scholar. References from identified articles were reviewed for additional sources. In total, 321 papers were selected for this review, of which 64 papers were related to the health benefits of tempeh. This review concluded that sufficient evidence exists in the literature supporting tempeh fermentation as a low-cost, health-promoting, and sustainable food processing technology to produce protein-rich foods using various beans, legumes, and grains. This comprehensive review suggests further studies are needed on tempeh fermentation and its impact on human health; research and standardization of nonsoy tempeh; assessment of food safety-improving modification in tempeh production system; and initiatives supporting the sourcing of local ingredients in tempeh production.     

Five in a row--reactions of smokers to tobacco tax increases: population-based cross-sectional studies in Germany 2001-2006

Objective

To assess reactions of smokers to five waves of tobacco tax increases in Germany.

Design

A 10‐wave cross‐sectional study, with assessments before and after the tax increases.

Setting

General population of Germany.

Participants and methods

10 representative samples from the general population with a total number of 27 608 people aged ⩾14 years, including 8548 smokers (31% of the total sample), were interviewed.

Outcome measures

Reflection on smoking behaviour, and smoking behaviour (quitting, reducing, switching to a cheaper brand or no change) before and after tobacco tax increases.

Results

Before the tax increases, one third to more than half of the smokers reflected on their smoking behaviour, 9.7–13.9% intended to quit, 23.4–34.7% intended to reduce smoking and 10.8–16.4% intended to switch to cheaper tobacco products, whereas 36.1–52.1% did not intend any change at all. After the tax increases, one fourth to more than one third reported to have reflected on their smoking behaviour, 4.0–7.9% quit smoking owing to the increase, 11.5–16.6% reduced consumption and 11.0–19.9% switched to cheaper products. Significant associations were found between the height of the price increase and the intentions and reactions of smokers.

Conclusions

Price increases lead to a substantial reflection on smoking and intended and realised behaviour changes such as reduced consumption and switching to cheaper tobacco products. These effects are more pronounced the more the price rises. Therefore, taxation policy will lead to quitting and reducing smoking. However, complementary measures should also be taken to prevent smokers switching to cheaper tobacco products, which would reduce the effectiveness of taxation policy.Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death worldwide.¹ Tax increases are regarded as the most effective single intervention to reduce demand for tobacco.² Studies on the relationship between cigarette taxes and consumption of cigarettes have shown that the higher the tax increase, the greater the reduction in sales.^3,4 This reduction may result from non‐smokers who do not initiate smoking and from smokers who reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke or who quit completely as a reaction to higher prices—that is, to limit consumption. Another way to compensate for the price increase reported by smokers is to switch to a cheaper brand, to cheaper tobacco products such as hand‐rolled tobacco or to cheaper sources for cigarettes to minimise expenditures.^5,6,7Complementary to analysis of sales data, population surveys help in getting a better insight into the various possible reactions of smokers: do price increases affect them? If yes, which reactions are intended and realised; do price increases motivate smokers to quit, to reduce smoking intensity or to compensate for the costs by switching to a cheaper brand? Although there are numerous studies on the relationship between use and price relying on individual data,^{8,9,10,11,12,13,14} these studies only assess current (and past) use and the intensity of smoking (usually smoking status and cigarettes per day). Until now, only Biener et al¹⁵ have studied perceptions of smokers on the effect of tobacco taxes in Massachusetts, USA, and their reactions to tax increases after the increase in more detail.¹⁵This study examines the reactions of smokers before and after five steps of tobacco tax increase from 2002 to 2005 in Germany. To our knowledge, this is the first study using the population survey approach to assess both intentions before a tobacco tax increase and reactions after the tax increase, using several indicators of smoking behaviour and not only smoking status and daily use. Further, the row of five steps of tobacco increase during a short period offered the unique opportunity to study the same question repeatedly with comparable methods. It was hypothesised that future tax increases would provoke a substantial proportion of smokers to reflect on their smoking and intent to behaviour changes, and that implemented tax increases would result in reactions such as quitting, reduced consumption and strategies to minimise expenditures at least in some smokers.     

Perceptions by Hispanics of channels and sources of health messages regarding cigarette smoking

OBJECTIVE: To identify the perceptions that two communities of urban Hispanics have of various sources and channels of information regarding cigarette smoking and to compare them with those of non-Hispanic whites. DESIGN: Random samples of subjects of both ethnic groups and of both genders were surveyed by telephone to determine the perceived credibility and motivating power of 13 different channels of information and of 14 different sources of cigarette smoking information. SUBJECTS: 544 Hispanics and 542 non-Hispanic whites from San Francisco, California and Houston, Texas, 18-65 years in age, of both genders. RESULTS: Differences in the proportion of respondents assigning various perceived qualities to sources and channels of information regarding cigarette smoking were found to exist across ethnic groups (Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites); the respondents' gender (particularly among Hispanics); and the acculturation level of the Hispanic respondents. Nevertheless, there was a cluster of channels (printed media and television news) and of sources (physicians, people with cancer, friends, and peers) that were positively evaluated by large proportions of the respondents in both ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hispanics differ from non-Hispanic whites in their evaluation of various possible sources and channels of information about tobacco control. Culturally appropriate interventions for Hispanics need to be designed so as to use those channels and sources of information that are more positively perceived by Hispanics.


     

Fermentation for tailoring the technological and health related functionality of food products

Abstract

Fermented foods are experiencing a resurgence due to the consumers’ growing interest in foods that are natural and health promoting. Microbial fermentation is a biotechnological process which transforms food raw materials into palatable, nutritious and healthy food products. Fermentation imparts unique aroma, flavor and texture to food, improves digestibility, degrades anti-nutritional factors, toxins and allergens, converts phytochemicals such as polyphenols into more bioactive and bioavailable forms, and enriches the nutritional quality of food. Fermentation also modifies the physical functional properties of food materials, rendering them differentiated ingredients for use in formulated foods. The science of fermentation and the technological and health functionality of fermented foods is reviewed considering the growing interest worldwide in fermented foods and beverages and the huge potential of the technology for reducing food loss and improving nutritional food security.     

Emotions for sale: cigarette advertising and women's psychosocial needs

Objective: To explore messages of psychosocial needs satisfaction in cigarette advertising targeting women and implications for tobacco control policy.

Methods: Analysis of internal tobacco industry documents and public advertising collections.

Results: Tobacco industry market research attempted to identify the psychosocial needs of different groups of women, and cigarette advertising campaigns for brands that women smoke explicitly aimed to position cigarettes as capable of satisfying these needs. Such positioning can be accomplished with advertising that downplays or excludes smoking imagery. As women's needs change with age and over time, advertisements were developed to reflect the needs encountered at different stages in women's lives. Cigarette brands for younger women stressed female camaraderie, self confidence, freedom, and independence; cigarette brands for older women addressed needs for pleasure, relaxation, social acceptability, and escape from daily stresses.

Conclusions: Psychosocial needs satisfaction can be communicated without reference to cigarettes or smoking. This may explain why partial advertising bans are ineffective and comprehensive bans on all forms of tobacco marketing are effective. Counter-advertising should attempt to expose and undermine the needs satisfaction messages of cigarette advertising campaigns directed at women.

     

The art of balancing food security: securing availability and affordability of food in Tanzania

Monitoring of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicates that a large number of countries are not on track to reach the hunger targets set out in Goal 1 (MDG1, Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger by 2015). The purpose of this paper is to assess the appropriateness of three underlying factors identified by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), misguided policies, failing markets and weak institutions, in explaining food insecurity in Tanzania. Our analysis basically supports UNDP’s emphasis on the importance of policy, institutions and market access when seeking to improve food security and reach MDG1, but underlining the importance of empowering people to hold the Government accountable for failing to deliver on their policies and plans. The main finding is that the Tanzanian Government is struggling with the difficulty of addressing the twin goals of balancing national food availability with affordable food prices for urban and rural consumers.     

卷烟厂卷接包设备柔性连接系统研究

针对卷烟厂异型包装机组因采用人工端盘而导致烟支的损伤程度较大、装盘机卸盘机故障多、维修量大、配件费用高等问题,设计了卷接包设备柔性连接系统.该系统以YF17一对三烟支存储系统,取代原使用的装盘机、卸盘机、手工作业方式,实现卷烟机和包装机的柔性连接,减少了手工操作环节,保障了烟支质量;同时利用存储器缓冲、调节流量解决因卷接、包装设备生产速度不匹配带来的问题,实现了连续速度跟踪.     

Wine features related to safety and consumer health: an integrated perspective

This review presents a global view of the current situation of the scientific knowledge about aspects of wine with possible repercussions (positive or negative) on consumer health and wine safety. The presence in wine of some potential harmful compounds such as phytosanitary products, trace metal compounds, sulfites, and some toxics of microbial origin, such as ochratoxin A, ethyl carbamate, and biogenic amines, is discussed. The different strategies and alternative methodologies that are being carried out to reduce or to avoid the presence of these substances in wines are also discussed. In recent years much work has focused on establishing the scientific explanations for the positive biological effects of some wine compounds. In this review, we also examine the latest knowledge regarding wine and health, focusing on two types of compounds that have been related to the positive effects of moderate wine consumption, such as phenolic compounds and bioactive peptides.     

传统卷烟和电子烟混合烟气的感官评价—基于模糊数学对跨界型电子烟的研究

以传统卷烟和电子烟的混合烟气为研究对象,确定了口味、香气、谐调、杂气、刺激性、余味、甜腻感、烟雾量为感官评价词,以非常好、很好、中等、较差作为四个评语等级,采用层次分析法确定混合烟气感官评价词的权重,对8款样品进行基于模糊数学的综合感官评价。重复性试验证明该方法可靠稳定,能够对传统卷烟和电子烟混合烟气比较科学、合理、贴近实际的精确量化评价。      

日本健康相关食品的分类与管理

为规范食品检验的表征和应用,促进食品检验信息的处理和交换,加快食品检验数据的融合和共享,提升食品检验综合效能,本文对食品检验核心技术要素信息进行结构重塑性整合,采用线分类法与面分类法相结合的混合分类法,创建食品检验项目分类体系和食品检验方法分类体系,采用顺序码、并置码和组合码的编码方法,研制食品检验项目编码方案和食品检验方法编码方案,设计6码段16码位的编码结构,构建具有稳定的逻辑结构特征和开放的数据扩展功能的食品检验分类编码通用系统。通用系统具有高度专业集成性和广泛行业通用性,能够为特定的食品检验事件赋予唯一的十进制阿拉伯数字代码,实现食品检验高效查询。还对运用计算机编程技术研发基于互联网云端的的食品检验分类编码通用信息系统公共技术服务产品提出设想和展望。