What are the potential strategies to achieve potentially more healthful meat products?

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the consumption of meat and processed meat, and their relationship with a healthy diet. This review provides an overview of the potential strategies, which can be used to provide the implications for producing healthy, wholesome and consistently high-quality meat products. Genetic selection, nutrition and feeding management, and gene manipulation techniques have been used as the main strategies to induce beneficial changes in meat and meat composition. Besides, the incorporation of ingredients that play a technological role and are potentially health-enhancing, such as fibre, fat substitutes, natural antioxidants and the reduction of sodium and nitrites, has a high potential in the development of healthier meat products. In this review, we have observed that many strategies have been successfully used to obtain products with low fat, reduced sodium and nitrite content, low cholesterol and absence of synthetic antioxidants. Another point to be highlighted is that some of these strategies also allow obtaining products with positive health effects that can be potential alternatives to improve consumer acceptance.     

Is Swedish snus associated with smoking initiation or smoking cessation?

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) are an effective treatment for tobacco dependence, yet most smokers do not quit or remain abstinent. We investigated whether Swedish snus (snuff) use was associated with smoking cessation among males participating in a large population based twin study in Sweden. Snus use was associated with smoking cessation but not initiation. Given that snus delivers comparable nicotine concentrations but carries lesser cancer risk than cigarettes, snus may be a widely used, non-medical form of NRT. Evaluation of the efficacy of snus for smoking cessation should be evaluated in randomised clinical trials.     

Public health measures to reduce smoking prevalence in the UK: how many lives could be saved?

Objective: To estimate the number of deaths that could be prevented in the UK by implementing population strategies to reduce smoking prevalence. Design: A prospective analysis of future mortality using recent national smoking prevalence data and relative risks of mortality in current smokers, ex-smokers, and never-smokers. Population: Smokers in the UK. Interventions: Population measures of proven effectiveness assumed to reduce smoking prevalence by 1 percentage point per year for 10 years, or alternatively by 13% over 19 years (1 percentage point per annum for seven years, 0.5 percentage point per annum for 12 years) as considered to be achievable in a recent report to the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer. Main outcome measure: Estimated deaths from smoking prevented in the 35–75 year age group. Results: Reducing the prevalence of smoking by 1 percentage point each year for 10 years would prevent 69 049 deaths at ages between 35 and 74 years during that period. The model of reduction by 13% over 19 years would prevent 54 308 and 194 493 deaths in 10 and 19 years, respectively. Continued prevalence reductions at the current rate of 0.4 percentage points each year will prevent 23 192 deaths over 10 years. Conclusions: Full implementation of simple population measures to encourage smoking cessation could prevent substantial numbers of deaths in the UK.     

What are meters measuring?

There is increasing pressure on manufacturers of cosmetic products to provide data to support claims. Data are available from many sources including historical (published literature), laboratory data, cell culture experiments and human studies. Undoubtedly, human studies are the most reliable, and there are a wide range of tests available. Many meters have been developed for measuring different aspects of skin physiology but an understanding of these devices is essential, otherwise the data generated is of little value. There is some confusion as to what exactly some meters measure, an example of which is transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and water content (hydration) of the stratum corneum. Measurement of TEWL is used mainly to support claims that a product may, in the short or long term, improve or repair the barrier function of skin. It is not an indicator of hydration of the stratum corneum. One way to measure hydration is to look for the changes in electrical properties of the stratum corneum that the increased water content produces, i.e. measure capacitance or conductance. It is important that we do not loose sight of the fact that meters may measure something that is imperceptible to the consumer or has no meaning to them. Reliance only on devices that give numbers may lead to problems. An example of a study where three facial cosmetic products were subjected to perceptual tests and to a standard volunteer test for moisturization will be discussed. The relationship between any measured parameter, and what it means to the consumer, needs to be understood. A moisturization claim may be technically supported by a study using a device such as the Corneometer. However, a 20% increase in water content almost certainly does not represent a 20% better moisturization as far as the consumer is concerned. The way forward is to relate the two approaches to product testing during product development. Hopefully, this will allow the product development process to be more systematic.     

If smoking increases absences,does quitting reduce them?

Objective: This study examined the impact of smoking, quitting, and time since quit on absences from work.

Methods: Data from the nationally representative Tobacco Use Supplements of the 1992/93, 1995/96, and 1998/99 Current Population Surveys were used. The study included full time workers aged between 18–64 years, yielding a sample size of 383 778 workers. A binary indicator of absence due to sickness in the last week was analysed as a function of smoking status including time since quit for former smokers. Extensive demographic variables were included as controls in all models.

Results: In initial comparisons between current and former smokers, smoking increased absences, but quitting did not reduce them. However, when length of time since quit was examined, it was discovered that those who quit within the last year, and especially the last three months, had a much greater probability of absences than did current smokers. As the time since quitting increased, absences returned to a rate somewhere between that of never and current smokers. Interactions between health and smoking status significantly improved the fit of the model.

Conclusions: Smokers who quit reduced their absences over time but increase their absences immediately after quitting. Quitting ill may account for some but not all of this short run impact.

     

Smoking,social class,and gender: what can public health learn from the tobacco industry about disparities in smoking?

Objective: To discover how the tobacco industry considers social class and gender in its efforts to market cigarettes in the USA, particularly to socially disadvantaged young women. Methods: A systematic on-line search of tobacco industry documents using selected keywords was conducted, and epidemiological data on smoking rates reviewed. Results: The two largest cigarette manufacturers in the USA consider "working class" young adults to be a critical market segment to promote growth of key brands. Through their own market research, these companies discovered that socially disadvantaged young women do not necessarily desire a "feminine" cigarette brand. Conclusions: Considering the tobacco industry''s efforts, alongside the persistent and growing disparities in cigarette smoking by social class, and the narrowing of differences in smoking by gender, it is concluded that additional tobacco control resources ought to be directed toward working class women.     

Are comprehensive environmental changes as effective as health education for smoking cessation?

Objectives

To compare the effectiveness of health education on smoking cessation for all smokers regardless of their willingness to quit smoking and cumulative environmental changes including designation of smoking places, legislation, and price rise.

Design

Comparison of smoking cessation rates over two time periods: the period of health education on smoking cessation (1997–1999), and the period of cumulative environmental changes (2002–2004).

Setting

An occupational setting in a radiator manufacturing factory in Japan.

Subjects

All habitual male smokers who remained in the worksite through the pertinent time period (n  =  202 in the period of health education and n  =  170 in the period of environmental changes).

Main outcome measurements

Smoking cessation rates at the end of each time period.

Results

The smoking cessation rates over the periods of health education and environmental changes were 8.9% and 7.1%, respectively. There was no difference between these two proportions in a χ² test (p  =  0.513). The age adjustment did not significantly alter the cessation rate.

Conclusions

Cumulative environmental changes are fairly effective in promoting smoking cessation, and may yield similar smoking cessation rates as a health education intervention reaching all smokers regardless of their willingness to quit smoking.     

What are the elements of the tobacco endgame?

The available literature on tobacco endgames tends to be limited to discussing means, targets and difficulties. This article offers additional ideas on the key elements of endgame strategies and the circumstances in which these are likely to be adopted and implemented. We suggest such strategies will include explicit plans, will define the nature of `the end of tobacco use/sale' and have target dates within 20 years. The likely circumstances for endgame strategy development include low (probably under 15% adult smoking) prevalence and/or rapid prevalence reductions, wide support and strong political leadership. Even with some or all these circumstances, opposition from business, internal government forces and international factors may influence results.     

Is acculturation a risk factor for early smoking initiation among Chinese American minors? A comparative perspective

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which Chinese American and white minors differ in age of smoking initiation, and to determine the effect of acculturation on smoking initiation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone surveys. SETTING: Stratified random samples of the state of California, United States. SUBJECTS: 347 Chinese American and 10 129 white adolescents aged 12 through 17 years, from the California Tobacco Survey (1990-93) and the California Youth Tobacco Survey (1994-96). OUTCOME MEASURES: Hazards (risk) of smoking initiation by age, smoking initiation rate, cumulative smoking rate, mean age of smoking initiation, and acculturation status. STATISTICAL METHODS: Life table methods, proportional hazards models, and chi(2) tests. RESULTS: The risk of smoking initiation by age among Chinese American minors was about a third of that among white minors. The risk for Chinese Americans continued to rise even in later adolescence, in contrast to that for whites, which slowed after 15 years of age. Acculturation was associated significantly with smoking onset among Chinese Americans. Acculturation, smoking among social network members, attitudes toward smoking, and perceived benefits of smoking were associated with the difference in hazards of smoking onset between Chinese American minors and their white counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese American adolescents had a lower level and a different pattern of smoking onset than white adolescents. Levels of acculturation and other known risk factors were associated with the hazards of smoking initiation among Chinese American minors and with the difference in smoking initiation between the Chinese and white adolescents. Tobacco prevention policies, strategies, and programmes for ethnically diverse populations should take acculturation factors into account.     

Improving public health?: The role of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetable beverages

Recent evaluations of diet quality in the UK reveal that two thirds of people still do not consume the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Fruit and vegetables contain high concentrations of bioactive compounds including antioxidants which may be beneficial to health. The precise nature of the health benefits which are to be gained from the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods is yet to be fully elucidated. There has been a visually evident increase in the number of beverages which use their antioxidant capacity as a marketing tool in recent years. This poses the question as to whether or not this is an entirely positive change. The aims of this review are to 1) summarise the current evidence supporting the health benefits of antioxidant-rich foods in CVD, cancer, neurological decline and diabetes, 2) summarise the antioxidant components of commonly consumed beverages, 3) investigate the emergence of new and novel beverage ingredients within the context of functional foods and 4) establish the potential role of antioxidant-rich beverages in human health. In conclusion, the evidence for specific health benefits which can be attributed to the antioxidant content of foods is still limited. However, antioxidant rich foods are most commonly from plant sources which contain a number of healthy components which make them a positive addition to the diet. Many compounds which display antioxidant activity (such as polyphenolic compounds) also have many other positive effects in the human system and therefore if consuming them on the basis of their antioxidant content increases consumption, then this can be viewed as a positive change in diet. Furthermore, the synergistic and interactive effects of antioxidant combinations from a mixed diet has not been adequately simulated in a research setting and the true nature of these interactions remains largely unknown.     

What are domestic apples worth? Hedonic responses and sensory information as drivers of willingness to pay

The effects of written information of key sensory characteristics of apple cultivars on hedonic ratings and willingness to pay (WTP) were measured in an experimental auction. Participants (n = 118, 95F, 23M, mean age 37 y.) rated, in three subsequent rounds, pleasantness and WTP based on (1) appearance only (n = 25), (2) appearance, written information and tasting (n = 44), or (3) appearance, tasting and written information (n = 49). Four domestic cultivars were described as medium sour and crispy (‘Amorosa’), sour and medium crispy (‘Konsta’), medium sweet and medium crispy (‘Lobo’) and sweet and medium crispy (‘Tobias’). The differences between the cultivars in pleasantness and WTP were minimal when the evaluation was based on appearance only. The effect of tasting after visual inspection was positive in three cultivars and negative in one (‘Konsta’). Written information after tasting did not affect pleasantness or WTP. For one cultivar (‘Tobias’), information given before tasting created expectations that were not fulfilled, thus tasting decreased hedonic ratings and WTP. Mean WTP was 2.36 euro/kg. When pleasantness increased by one point, WTP increased by 0.31–0.45 euro/kg. Regression models showed that pleasantness explained 38–55% of WTP. Respondents who reported consuming domestic apples more often than once a week had 0.52–0.74 euro/kg higher WTP than those who consumed them less frequently, suggesting that familiarity with the product increases WTP. Results indicate that both written information and tasting contribute to the ratings of pleasantness and WTP.     

What determines consumer attention to nutrition labels?

To identify the key determinants of consumer attention to nutrition labels, visual search tasks (present –absent; one – two targets) were used as an effective experimental tool. The main manipulation concerned: set size (number of labels on front of pack); label characteristics (display size, position of the label on front-of-pack, colour scheme); and familiarity with type of the label and its location on the front of pack.Attention capture was faster and more accurate when the label was present rather than absent, with doubled rather than standard display size, and with mono- rather than polychromatic colouring. There was performance benefit when the type of label and its location on the package did not change in two consecutive exposures, suggesting that nutrition logos should be printed in a consistent location on the package.The results confirm our hypotheses that display size, colour scheme, familiarity with the label and its location on the front of the pack are key determinants of consumer attention to labels. These findings are crucial to better understanding consumer attention to labels and thus the impact of nutrition information on healthy food choice.     

Migration of nitrosamines from rubber products – are balloons and condoms harmful to the human health?

Studies performed in 2001 and 2003 surveyed the release of carcinogenic nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances from rubber toy balloons by extraction with artificial saliva and gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis (GC-TEA). 81% of the 16 in 2001 sampled balloons and 93% of the 14 in 2003 sampled balloons released nitrosamines above the recommended level in Germany of 10 mug per kg material. Furthermore, 32 rubber condom samples collected in 2004 from the German market were surveyed for nitrosamines by determining the amount migrating into an artificial sweat test solution. The levels released from condoms varied from < 10 to 660 mug per kg material (i. e., up to 1.4 mug nitrosamines per condom). In a model calculation, not considering the differences that may exist in the resorption rate, we have calculated that the exposure from condoms may exceed the exposure from food 1.5-3 fold. To our knowledge so far no legal binding legislation exists worldwide concerning nitrosamine migration from toy balloons or condoms.