ABSTRACT The popularity of the out‐of‐home (OOH) food sector has increased substantially in the United Kingdom (UK), while the nutritional quality of best‐selling menu items and the most appropriate methods for assessing their healthiness remain unclear. This study assessed compliance of best‐selling OOH menu items with UK reformulation policies (calorie, salt and sugar reduction targets/guidelines), and compared multiple UK government approaches to healthiness assessments. In 2023/24, a cross‐sectional survey of best‐selling menu items was conducted across the 20 largest UK OOH companies. Nutritional information for 189 best‐selling menu items was collected and analysed. Overall, 41% of items exceeded at least one applicable reformulation guideline, while between 46% and 78% were classified as ‘less healthy’, depending on the assessment approach used. The 2004/5 Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) yielded the least stringent assessment, reflecting its reliance on nutrient composition per 100 g and lack of consideration for portion size. The Multiple Traffic Light thresholds applied alone or combined with either the NPM or the reformulation policies (75%, 78% and 77% ‘less healthy’ respectively) resulted in more stringent assessments. These findings underscore persistent gaps in nutritional data transparency within this sector. They highlight the generally poor nutritional quality of best‐selling menu items in large UK businesses, the limitations of the 2004/5 NPM for OOH application and the inadequacy of current voluntary reformulation programmes. To improve the nutritional quality of the OOH food, there is an urgent need for healthiness assessment approaches that explicitly account for portion size and total nutrients supplied at the point of purchase.
ABSTRACT The global demand for sustainable protein sources is increasing in response to population growth, climate change and food insecurity. Edible insects are a promising alternative, offering nutritional, environmental and socio‐economic advantages. Currently consumed by approximately two billion people worldwide, insects are rich in protein, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, usually making them nutritionally comparable to or potentially superior to conventional protein sources. Their farming systems require minimal land, water and feed inputs while generating substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions. Despite these advantages, several challenges hinder mainstream adoption. Consumer acceptance in Western markets remains low due to cultural neophobia, while regulatory frameworks, safety standards and welfare guidelines remain underdeveloped. Technical barriers, including variable nutritional composition, contamination risks and the great influence of rearing substrates, also limit scalability, while ethical debates on insect sentience and welfare further complicate industry development. This review provides an updated, stand‐alone review to that of Doberman et al. This review highlights the current opportunities and challenges in insects as food and feed by evaluating key factors which support and hinder its wider integration.
Information about the dietary intake of the Australian population is vital for informing nutrition policies; however, national dietary surveys are not frequently conducted, with the most recent data for Australia, at the time of analysis, collected in 2011-2013. Food supply data, from Food Balance Sheets (FBS), is updated annually, with data for Australia available for 2010 to 2022. This study compared nutrient intake data from the 2011-2013 Australian Health Survey with nutrient supply data (2011-2013) calculated from FBS, to determine whether nutrient supply data may be used as a surrogate measure of population nutrient intake to complement infrequent nationally representative dietary surveys. Relative nutrient intake and relative nutrient supply were calculated as a percentage of the target nutrient intake value per person, per day. The nutrient supply data were adjusted for consumer food waste, which is not taken into consideration in the FBS. Relative nutrient intake and unadjusted relative nutrient supply were statistically comparable (p > 0.002) for 10 out of 23 nutrients. This increased to 12 out of 23 nutrients when the supply data was adjusted for consumer food waste. Nutrient supply and nutrient intake were comparable for some, but not all, nutrients, and adjusting the supply data for consumer food waste increased the number of nutrients for which supply was comparable with intake. Therefore, national nutrient supply data may be a useful surrogate measure for national nutrient intake for some, but not all, nutrients. These two datasets can complement one another but should not be used interchangeably.
To assess whether a low-protein vegan diet is associated with differences in recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in physically active individuals. Physically active vegans (n = 7) and omnivores (n = 7) underwent a lower-body muscle damage protocol consisting of five sets of repetitions to failure using the Smith machine squat and leg press at 85% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Muscle damage and recovery were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 24, 48, and 72 h post-EIMD. Outcomes included serum concentrations of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, and range of motion (ROM). Habitual dietary intake was assessed using four 24-h dietary recalls analysed via the Multiple Source Method (MSM) software. Participants demonstrated similar training volume across exercises and comparable hydration status. Protein intake was significantly lower in vegans (0.98 g/kg) compared to omnivores (2.14 g/kg), along with reduced intake of essential amino acids and, specifically, branched-chain amino acids (p ≤ 0.05). CK levels increased immediately after EIMD and peaked at 24 h, remaining elevated relative to baseline in both groups (p ≤ 0.05). LDH levels rose immediately post-exercise in both groups and were still elevated at 24 h (p ≤ 0.05). DOMS was markedly greater in vegans (+2.7 at 24 h; +2.6 at 72 h on VAS) than in omnivores at 24 and 72 h post-exercise (p ≤ 0.05). While habitually active vegans and omnivores exhibited similar overall responses in muscle damage and recovery following intense resistance exercise, vegans experienced clinically meaningful increases in DOMS. These findings suggest that a low-protein vegan diet may be associated with increased perceived muscle damage, without impairing acute functional recovery. For individuals following a vegan diet, these results highlight the importance of ensuring adequate protein intake and protein quality, including sufficient essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids, to potentially mitigate exercise-induced muscle soreness and optimise recovery comfort.
