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BACKGROUND: Changes in food environments have the potential to affect consumption, nutritional status, and health, and understanding these changes is of utmost importance. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the fluctuation of food stores that sell fruits and vegetables over five years in the health promotion service area of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: This was an ecological study that used data from a food environment audit conducted in the realm of Brazilian PHC. Buffers of 1 mile (equivalent to 1600 m) were created around health promotion services to define food environments. All food stores and open-air food markets that sold fruits and vegetables (FV) within this buffer area were considered eligible. The data collection was performed during two periods: the baseline, in 2013, and after five years, in 2018. This study compares the fluctuation by the type of stores and according to the health vulnerability index (HVI). RESULTS: After 5 years, 35.2% of the stores were stable; 154 stores were closed, and 155 were opened. The stability was greater in low-vulnerability areas, and the fluctuation differed by type of store only for areas with high vulnerability. The number of supermarket decreased in high HVI territories; and local stores, showed greater stability when compared to specialized FV markets. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in store fluctuations according to the vulnerability of areas demonstrate the importance of food supply policies considering the local characteristics to reduce inequities of access to healthy foods.

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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound (US) on the drying acceleration of potentially probiotic guava, including its impact on drying kinetics, probiotic (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG) viability, and functional quality of the product during drying. To perform US pre-treatments, one group of samples were first pre-treated by US (38 W/L, 25 kHz) for 15 and 30 min and then immersed in the probiotic solution for 15 or 30 min, and another group of samples were submerged in the probiotic solution simultaneously applying US (US-assisted) for 15 and 30 min. After pre-treatments, the samples were convectively dried at 60 °C. Based on the results, all US pre-treatments improved the drying rate (up to 59%) and reduced the drying time (up to 31%) to reach 25% moisture compared to non-sonicated samples. The reduction in drying time (from ∼6 h to ∼4 h for US pre-treated samples) was crucial for maintaining the probiotic viability in the dehydrated guavas. These samples showed counts of 6.15 to 7.00 CFU∙g-1 after 4 h, while the control samples reached counts of 4.17 to 4.45 CFU∙g-1 after 6 h. US pre-treatment did not affect the color parameters of the samples before drying (p > 0.05). The functional compounds were reduced during drying (p < 0.05), however, all US pre-treated samples had lower reductions in vitamin C content (up to 20%), phenolic compounds (up to 41%) and antioxidant capacity (up to 47%) compared to control samples (up to 52%, 81% and 61%, respectively). Therefore, US pre-treatment (highlighting the US-assisted probiotic incorporation for 30 min) reduced the drying time for guava slices and minimized the thermal impact on probiotic viability and functional compounds, being a strategy to produce potentially probiotic dehydrated guava.

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Introducción: el consumo de frutas y verduras como proceso protector de la salud se ha analizado principalmente desde la perspectiva de los estilos de vida individuales; sin embargo, procesos de tipo estructural como los modelos de producción de alimentos y las políticas de alimentación determinan su producción, disponibilidad y acceso. Se planteó como objetivo analizar los procesos de determinación social del con- sumo de frutas y verduras en el municipio de Florida (Valle del Cauca, Colombia). Materiales y métodos: estudio cualitativo, tipo estudio de caso, con enfoque de determinación social. Incluyó revisión documental de políticas alimentarias y grupos de discusión con actores clave; el análisis de contenido permitió explicitar mensajes y discursos. Resultados: en la dimensión general, resaltan como procesos críticos de determinación, que limitan la producción y el acceso de frutas y verduras, el uso y tenencia inequitativa de la tierra y la explotación de las fuentes hídricas, y unas políticas que desde la lógica de libre mercado reducen cada vez más las estrategias locales de autosostenimiento y autoconsumo. En la dimensión particular, el conflicto armado (como proceso crítico adverso) y los ejercicios de soberanía alimentaria (como proceso crítico favorable al consumo de frutas y verduras). Conclusiones: la política alimentaria nacional y local reconoce, de manera discursiva, las determinaciones sociales de la seguridad alimentaria, pero en la práctica privilegia estrategias focalizadas y contingentes que no apuntan a la solución de condiciones estructurales que limitan la producción, disponibilidad, acceso y, por ende, el consumo de frutas y verduras

Introduction: Fruit and vegetable consumption as a preventive health measure depends mainly on the perspective of individual lifestyle. The structural processes such as food production models and food policies determine their production, availability, and access. This study aimed to analyze the social determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in the municipality of Florida, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative case study using a social determination approach. This study includes a documentary review of food policies and discussion groups among key stakeholders. A content analysis was conducted to allow an explicit analysis of the messages and speeches. Results: In the general dimension, deemed as critical processes of determination, the unequal use and possession of land and the exploitation of water sources and policies, from the logic of the free market, increasingly reduce the local strategies for self-support and self-consumption and limit the production and access of fruits and vegetables. In the particular dimension, a critical adverse process includes the armed conflict. However, the exercise of food sovereignty favors the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Food policy at the national and local level discursively recognizes the social determinants of food security; however, in practice, contingent strategies that do not aim at addressing the structural conditions that limit produc- tion, availability, access and, therefore, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, should be evaluated.

Introdução: o consumo de frutas e verduras como processo de proteção à saúde tem sido analisado principalmente na perspectiva dos estilos de vida individuais, porém processos estruturais como modelos de produção de alimentos e políticas alimentares determinam sua produção, disponibilidade e acesso; o objetivo do estudo foi analisar os processos de determinação social do consumo de frutas e verduras no município da Flórida, Valle del Cauca, Colômbia. Materiais e métodos: estudo qualitativo, do tipo estudo de caso, com enfoque na determinação social; incluiu uma revisão documental de políticas alimentares e grupos de discussão com atores-chave; a análise de conteúdo permitiu explicitar mensagens e discursos. Resultados: na dimensão geral, destacam-se o uso e posse desigual da terra e a exploração dos recursos hídricos como processos determinantes críticos que limitam a produção e o acesso a frutas e verduras; e políticas que, baseadas na lógica do livre mercado, reduzem cada vez mais as estratégias locais de autossustentabilidade e autoconsumo. Na dimensão particular, destaca-se o conflito armado como processo crítico adverso, e o exercício da soberania alimentar, como processo crítico favorável ao consumo de frutas e verduras. Conclusões: a política alimentar a nível nacional e local reconhece, de forma discursiva, as determinações sociais da segurança alimentar, mas na prática privilegia estratégias focalizadas e contingentes que não visam resolver condições estruturais que limitam a produção, a disponibilidade, o acesso e, portanto, o consumo de frutas e verduras.

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Contaminated irrigation water is among many potential vehicles of human pathogens to food plants, constituting significant public health risks especially for the fresh produce category. This review discusses some available guidelines or regulations for microbiological safety of irrigation water, and provides a summary of some common methods used for characterizing microbial contamination. The goal of such exploration is to understand some of the considerations that influence formulation of water testing guidelines, describe priority microbial parameters particularly with respect to food safety risks, and attempt to determine what methods are most suitable for their screening. Furthermore, the review discusses factors that influence the potential for microbiologically polluted irrigation water to pose substantial risks of pathogenic contamination to produce items. Some of these factors include type of water source exploited, irrigation methods, other agro ecosystem features/practices, as well as pathogen traits such as die-off rates. Additionally, the review examines factors such as food safety knowledge, other farmer attitudes or inclinations, level of social exposure and financial circumstances that influence adherence to water testing guidelines and other safe water application practices. A thorough understanding of relevant risk metrics for the application and management of irrigation water is necessary for the development of water testing criteria. To determine sampling and analytical approach for water testing, factors such as agricultural practices (which differ among farms and regionally), as well as environmental factors that modulate how water quality may affect the microbiological safety of produce should be considered. Research and technological advancements that can improve testing approach and the determination of target levels for hazard characterization or description for the many different pollution contexts as well as farmer adherence to testing requirements, are desirable.

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Consuming foods of vegetable origin has been shown to exert multiple health-related effects, many of them attributed to their phenolic compounds. These molecules are known for being bioactive across multiple cells and organs, with documented changes in gene expression being commonly reported. Nuclear receptors are signal transducers capable of regulating gene expression in response to endogenous and/or exogenous ligands. Liver X receptor (LXR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) are two important nuclear receptors that can be acted on by phenolic compounds, thereby modifying gene expression and potentially exerting numerous subsequent bioactivities. The present work summarizes recent evidence of the effects of the phenolic compounds that are exerted by targeting LXR and/or RXR. The data show that, when LXR is being targeted, changes in lipid metabolism are commonly observed, due to its ability to regulate genes relevant to this process. The effects vary widely when RXR is the target since it is involved in processes like cell proliferation, vitamin D metabolism, and multiple others by forming heterodimers with other transcription factors that regulate said processes. The evidence therefore shows that phenolic compounds can exert multiple bioactivities, with a mechanism of action based, at least in part, on their ability to modulate the cell at the molecular level by acting on nuclear receptors. The data point to a promising and novel area of study that links diet and health, although various unknowns justify further experimentation to reveal the precise way in which a given phenolic can interact with a nuclear receptor.

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Inflammation may negatively impact health, particularly that of the central nervous system. Phenolic compounds are bioactive molecules present in fruits and vegetables with potential anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of the present work is to review the immunomodulatory bioactivities of phenolic compounds in the periphery and in the central nervous system. Results show that various types of phenolics are able to counter diet- or pathogen-induced systemic inflammation (among others) in various models. In vitro data show significant effects of flavonoids and phenolic acids in particular; similar bioactivities were reported in vivo, when administering them as pure compounds or from fruit and vegetable extracts that contain them. In the central nervous system, phenolics counter chronic inflammation and aggressive acute inflammatory processes, such as ischemic events, when administered preemptively and even therapeutically. We therefore conclude that the immunomodulatory potential of phenolic compounds can maintain an adequate immune response; their regular consumption should therefore be prioritized in order to maintain health. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The immune response must be carefully regulated in order to avoid its deleterious effects. The present work highlights how phenolic compounds, dietary components ubiquitous in everyday diet, are able to maintain it within an adequate range. As humans are exposed to more proinflammatory stimuli (inadequate dietary pattern, mental stress, environmental pollution, chronic diseases, etc.), it becomes necessary to counter them, and consuming adequate amounts of foods that contain compounds with this ability is a rather simple strategy. Thus, the present work highlights how fruits and vegetables can help to maintain an adequate immune response that can preserve systemic health and that of the central nervous system. Furthermore, specific compounds contained in them can also be ideal candidates for additional in-depth studies, which can potentially lead to the development of potent, targeted, and safe anti-inflammatory molecules.

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There is a lack of region-adapted tools to evaluate diet as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adolescents. The study aim was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a paper-based and region-adapted food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to assess CVD-related food and nutrient intakes of adolescents from Northwest México. The study design was cross-sectional. The FFQ was developed in a two-step process: prototype designing and a pilot test, with re-tested in a 3-month period, along with two administrations of 24 h-recall (24 hR). Pearson's and intra-class correlation coefficients (PCC and ICC) were assessed. Bland-Altman plots, limits of agreement and quintile classifications were carried out. Participants (n 221) were 53·8 % male, 18·5 ± 0·4 years old. Reproducibility had a median PCC = 0·66 for processed meats, ranging from 0·40 (saturated fat) to 0·74 (fish & shellfish), P = 0·001. ICC ranged from 0·53 (saturated fat) to 0·80 (sodium; and nuts, seeds and legumes), P = 0·001. Validity comparing FFQ1 v. 24 hR mean, PCCs ranged from 0·12 (P = 0·06) to 0·95 (P = 0·001), and ICC from 0·20 (P = 0·048) to 0·88 (P = 0·001); comparing FFQ2 v. 24 hR mean, PCCs ranged from 0·07 (P = 0·25) to 0·46 (P = 0·001), and ICC from 0·15 (P = 0·106) to 0·58 (P = 0·001). The FFQ overestimated the intake of all food groups and nutrients (P < 0·05), while Cohen's κ showed coefficients lower than 0·20. The proposed FFQ represents a moderately validated tool to estimate CVD-related food and nutrient intakes as a risk factor, which can be used in combination with multiple administrations of 24 hRs, as a critical mean in future interventions intended to reduce cardiometabolic risk in adolescents.

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Fruits and vegetables wastes (e.g., peel fractions, pulps, pomace, and seeds) represent ~16% of total food waste and contribute ~6% to global greenhouse gas emissions. The diversity of the fruit-horticultural production in several developing countries and the excess of certain fruits or vegetables in the months of greatest production offer unique opportunities for adding value to these wastes (co-products). Within the scope of the Circular Economy, valorization of such wastes for the production of innovative bio-ingredients can open great market opportunities if efficiently exploited. In this context, this review deals with the current situation of wastes arising from fruits and vegetables (availability, characterization) as sources of valuable ingredients (fiber, polyphenols, pigments) suitable to be incorporated into food, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products. In addition, an integral and systematic approach including the sustainable technologies generally used at both lab and industrial scale for efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from fruits and vegetables wastes are addressed. Overall, this review provides a general updated overview regarding the situation of fruits and vegetables chain supplies in the post-pandemic era, offering an integrative perspective that goes beyond the recovery of fiber and phytochemicals from the previous mentioned wastes and focuses on whole processes and in their social and economic impacts.

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Peru has become one of the world's main agricultural hubs for a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Two of these products, avocado and green asparagus, have raised attention in recent years in the international scene from an environmental perspective due to the high amounts of water they require, as well as the long air and marine freighting distances to export these products to Europe, Asia or the US. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to perform an environmental assessment of these two products using two life-cycle methods: carbon and water footprint. For the latter, water scarcity, acidification, eco-toxicity and eutrophication impact categories have been selected for assessment. Inventory data were gathered from six different companies located in different regions of the hyper-arid Peruvian coast. The results report that the products are not carbon intensive and are in line with other similar plant-based products. Conversely, the hyper-arid conditions of the cultivation sites require a large volume of groundwater to fulfill the needs of the crops. Interestingly, even though this may lead to overexploitation of groundwater resources in the absence of appropriate management policies, the low mobility of pollutants, namely pesticides, constitutes a natural barrier to protect the degradation of natural water bodies. Similarly, highly technified irrigation systems have allowed minimizing the amounts of water used per hectare. In conclusion, results from this study may be useful in more concise environmental assessment studies on food products and diets, considering the consumption of these Peruvian products in many countries in the world. Furthermore, results are also important at regional level since they depict the carbon and water performance of these products and can also be accompanied by cross-cutting certification schemes, including Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules Guidance.

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En 2021 se conmemoró el Año Internacional de las Frutas y Verduras (FyV). Estos alimentos cumplen un rol indispensable en la dieta, sin embargo, un amplio sector de la población no las consume en la variedad y cantidad recomendadas. A esto se suma la problemática de las pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos, situación que trae consigo un impacto negativo a nivel social, ambiental y económico. El objetivo del presente artículo fue analizar el consumo, utilización y aprovechamiento de FyV desde las perspectivas de salud y sostenibilidad. Para esto, se realizaron cuatro encuestas entre 2019 y 2021 que evaluaron diferentes dimensiones relacionadas con estos alimentos: adecuación del consumo, variedades consumidas, criterios de calidad de FyV apreciados por los consumidores y prácticas de sostenibilidad y consumo responsable. Sólo el 19% de los encuestados presentó consumos adecuados de FyV (5 o más porciones diarias). La variedad de frutas consumidas es menor que la de hortalizas, concentrándose en tres de ellas: manzana, banana y naranja. Los principales factores identificados como limitantes del consumo de FyV fueron el precio, la elevada perecibilidad de estos alimentos y la preferencia hacia otros productos. En relación a las prácticas de alimentación sostenible y los principales criterios de calidad valorados por los consumidores se observó un bajo aprovechamiento de partes comestibles de frutas o verduras, menos del 27% de los encuestados consume la fruta con cáscara, y un mayor desaprovechamiento de partes comestibles de verduras, dónde el 64% de los encuestados tira partes como tallos u hojas, aún cuando existen vías de aprovechamiento con fines no alimenticios. Por último, el factor de calidad más apreciado por los consumidores es la apariencia (30%), el valor nutricional no fue un parámetro de gran valoración (6%)(AU).

In 2021, the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (FyV) was commemorated. These foods play an essential role in the diet; however, a large sector of the population does not consume them in the recommended variety and quantity. Added to this is the problem of food losses and waste, a situation that brings about a negative impact at a social, environmental and economic level. The objective of this article was to analyze the consumption, use and utilization of F&V from the perspectives of health and sustainability. For achiving this, four surveys were carried out between 2019 and 2021 that evaluated different dimensions: adequacy of consumption, varieties consumed, F&V quality criteria appreciated by consumers, and sustainability practices and responsible consumption. Only 19% of those surveyed presented adequate consumption of F&V (5 or more daily servings). The variety of fruits consumed is less than that of vegetables, concentrating on three of them: apple, banana and orange. The main factors limiting the consumption of F&V were the price, the high perishability of these foods and the preference for other products. In relation to sustainable eating practices and the main quality criteria valued by consumers, a low use of edible parts of fruits or vegetables was observed, less than 27% of respondents consume fruit with peel, and a greater waste of edible parts of vegetables, where 64% of respondents throw away parts such as stems or leaves, even when there are ways of using them for non-food purposes. Finally, the quality factor most appreciated by consumers is appearance (30%), nutritional value was not a highly valued parameter (6%)(AU).

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