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Background: Dutch adolescents predominantly purchase unhealthy snacks in supermarkets, which negatively influence their health. The aim of this study was to investigate the short- and longer-term effects of a nutrition peer-education intervention in supermarkets on food purchases and determinants of food purchase behaviour among adolescents of different education levels. Methods: We performed a quasi-experimental study in three supermarkets (two intervention and one comparison school) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The intervention schools received a 45-min peer-education workshop in the supermarket near their school, and the comparison school received no intervention. The workshops also included a 2-week 'healthy snacking challenge' and were led by two young supermarket employees. Measurements were performed 2 weeks before the intervention (T0) 2 weeks after (T1) and 3 months (T2) after the intervention. Cash receipts were used to examine food purchases (n = 458) and questionnaires to examine determinants of food purchase behaviour (n = 463). Results: The nutrition peer-education intervention did not improve food purchases but did improve several determinants of food purchase behaviour. Adolescents from the intervention schools reported improved nutritional knowledge (β = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.04–0.72) at T1, more favourable attitudes (β = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.00–0.42) and stronger social support (β = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.02–0.53) for healthy food purchases at T2 compared to those from the comparison schools. Adolescents with a low level of education reported more short- and longer-term improvements of determinants of food purchase behaviour compared to those with a higher level of education. Conclusions: While nutrition peer education in supermarkets did not improve adolescents' food purchases in the supermarket, determinants of food purchase behaviour did improve. The intervention was especially effective among adolescents with a low level of education. Nevertheless, to promote healthy food purchases of adolescents in supermarkets, more efforts are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in seafood from supermarkets and fish markets in Berlin, Germany. A total of 306 seafood samples, including shrimp and mussels, were bought from supermarkets between March 2023 and January 2024. Samples were analysed using the ISO standard method and multiplex PCR to identify V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, V. cholerae and V. vulnificus. The results indicated an overall Vibrio spp. prevalence of 56%. Among the positive samples, the most prevalent species found was V. parahaemolyticus (58%), followed by V. alginolyticus (42%), V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 (25%), and V. vulnificus (4%). Samples obtained from supermarkets exhibited a lower prevalence (50%) than those received from fish markets (91%). Virulence genes such as ctxA, tdh, or trh were not detected in the respective Vibrio species. Nevertheless, the high prevalence underscores the need and urgency of continuous seafood surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy food retail environments are the result of systemic factors responsible for historical successes in food retail. Through historical literature and interviews with present-day stakeholders in the Dutch food retail system, four important dynamics were identified: The self-reinforcing consumer landscape that prioritises low prices and convenience; the prioritisation of commercial interests in the food retail regime and its perversion of health promotion efforts; the gridlocked food retail market maintained by neoliberal thinking; and the role of major food industry brands in creating consumer demand for and in-store availability of unhealthy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storage is important for virgin olive oil, a product obtained only during the harvest period, which requires a year-round storage until its best-before date. Low temperatures slow undesirable reactions, though this method is not widely applied. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of frozen storage on the volatile composition and sensory properties of virgin olive oils. The quality parameters, volatile composition, and sensory profiles were analyzed for samples stored under different conditions (time 0, sixth month supermarket and frozen storage, and long-term-frozen). The physicochemical parameters of the samples stored under supermarket conditions showed significant differences (p < 0.05), with the frozen-storage sample after three months of storage. Additionally, the samples stored under supermarket conditions showed higher volatile concentrations than frozen ones, with increased concentrations of aldehydes and acids producing sensory defects. Thirty-two samples, considered as the long-term-frozen, were divided into three groups depending on the frozen-storage time (1, 6 or 10 years). These long-term-frozen storage samples confirmed the suitability of the proposed oxidation markers (pentanal, hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, acetic, propanoic, butanoic, and hexanoic acids) for differentiating storage conditions and times. This work highlights the oxidation process under different storage conditions and suggests oxidation markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers perceive the level of organic food prices as the major obstacle to increasing purchases. The main objective of the presented study is to recognize the differences between the prices of organic and non-organic food (so-called price premiums) in the Polish organic food market. Consequently, in order to determine these differences, prices of organic and non-organic food were noted in 45 retail outlets providing both types of food products. The investigation was performed within the Poznań agglomeration for nine months, from October 2022 to June 2023. The research showed that organic food price premiums ranged between 35% and over 270%. The lowest premiums were observed in tomato passata, cereal and dairy products, and eggs and olive oil. The highest occurred in chocolate, tea, juices, rapeseed oil, and chicken. Compared to previous studies, premiums observed in the conducted research, although high, have decreased for most investigated products. Moreover, the differences in price premiums were noted depending on the outlet type—they were lower in supermarket and hypermarket chains than in small retail shops. It should be highlighted that measures to maintain organic market development should be carried out with particular emphasis on the continued participation of retail chains in the distribution of organic food and the increased participation of large companies in processing organic food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Integrating rural populations into formal food markets is widely recognized as a key strategy for enhancing dietary diversity. However, there is limited research on the impact of e-marketing on improving household dietary diversity. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating how food retailers’ use of text messaging to communicate food offerings affects dietary diversity. Specifically, the study compares the influence of e-marketing, enabled by mobile phone ownership, with the impact of assets such as financial, human, physical, and agricultural capital. Using a multinomial regression model, data from 166 households in the Moretele Local Municipality in South Africa were analyzed. The results indicate that receiving marketing messages from retailers, as well as asset ownership, positively influenced household dietary diversity. This finding underscores the potential of targeted e-marketing in improving diet quality and suggests that text messaging can be an effective tool for promoting healthier food choices. The study also highlights key assets that development programs should prioritize to help rural communities transition to more nutritious diets.

This study investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Nile tilapia from fresh markets and supermarkets. A total of samples (n = 828) were collected from Nile tilapia including fish flesh (n = 276), liver and kidney (n = 276), and intestine (n = 276). Overall prevalence of fecal coliforms (61.6%) and E. coli (53.0%) were observed. High prevalence of E. coli was found in the intestine (71.4%), followed by the liver and kidney (45.7%). The highest prevalence of resistance was commonly found against tetracycline (78.5%), ampicillin (72.8%), and sulfamethoxazole (45.6%) with resistance to only tetracycline (15.2%) as the most common antibiogram. The prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) (54.4%) and Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) (5.7%) were examined. The predominant virulence genes (n = 158) were st (14.6%), followed by eaeA (0.6%). The blaTEM (73.4%), tetA (65.2%), and qnrS (57.6%). There is statistical significance between Nile tilapia from fresh markets and supermarkets. Based on logistic regression analysis, ampicillin-resistant E. coli was statistically associated with the phenotypic resistance to tetracycline and trimethoprim, and the presence of blaTEM and tetA (p < 0.05). Further investigation of AMR transference and their mechanisms is needed for AMR control.

Abstract Background Placement interventions, characterised by greater availability and more prominent positioning of healthy food products in supermarkets and other food stores, are associated with healthier patterns of purchasing and diet. The WRAPPED intervention study is a natural experiment that aims to evaluate a supermarket placement intervention to improve fruit and vegetable sales, household purchasing and the dietary quality of women and their children. Process evaluation, alongside the evaluation of outcomes, is essential to understand how interventions are implemented, under what circumstances they are effective, and their mechanisms of impact. This study aimed to assess the implementation of the WRAPPED placement intervention. Methods The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data extracted from study store planograms (visual representation of stores and product placement) before and after intervention implementation were used to assess the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables in the first aisle from the front entrance (intervention dose). The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables in each study store was examined from stock-keeping unit (SKU) figures before and after intervention implementation. An intervention implementation survey (IIS) completed with store managers and senior supervisors before and 1- and 6-months post-intervention implementation enabled examination of the context across study stores. Semi-structured interviews with store managers and senior supervisors provided qualitative data about store staff experiences and perceptions of the intervention between 6-months post-intervention implementation. Results The placement intervention was implemented with close adherence to the study protocol. There were marked differences, post-intervention implementation, in the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables in intervention stores compared with control stores: median distance in intervention stores was 8.0 m (IQR 5.0 to 10.0) compared with 23.8 m (IQR 21.0 to 30.0) in control stores (P

Abstract Background Improving food environments like supermarkets has the potential to affect customers’ health positively. Scholars suggest researchers and retailers collaborate closely on implementing and testing such health-promoting interventions, but knowledge of the implementation of such interventions is limited. We explore the implementation of four health-promoting food retail initiatives selected and developed by a partnership between a research institution, a large retail group, and a non-governmental organisation. Methods The four initiatives included downsizing of bags for pick’n’ mix sweets and soda bottles at the check-out registers, shelf tags promoting healthier breakfast cereal options, and replacing a complimentary bun with a banana offered to children. The initiatives were implemented for 6 weeks (or longer if the store manager allowed it) in one store in Copenhagen, Denmark. Data were collected through observations, informal interviews with customers, and semi-structured interviews with retailers. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcripts and field notes inspired by process evaluation concepts and included quantitative summaries of selected data. Results Two out of four initiatives were not implemented as intended. The implementation was delayed due to delivery issues, which also resulted in soda bottles not being downsized as intended. The maintenance of the shelf tags decreased over time. Retailers expressed different levels of acceptability towards the initiatives, with a preference for the complimentary banana for children. This was also the only initiative noticed by customers with both positive and negative responses. Barriers and facilitators of implementation fell into three themes: Health is not the number one priority, general capacity of retailers, and influence of customers and other stakeholders on store operation. Conclusions The retailers’ interests, priorities, and general capacity influenced the initiative implementation. Retailers’ acceptability of the initiatives was mixed despite their involvement in the pre-intervention phase. Our study also suggests that customer responses towards health-promoting initiatives, as well as cooperation with suppliers and manufacturers in the development phase, may be determining to successful implementation. Future studies should explore strategies to facilitate implementation, which can be applied prior to and during the intervention.

Background: Placement interventions, characterised by greater availability and more prominent positioning of healthy food products in supermarkets and other food stores, are associated with healthier patterns of purchasing and diet. The WRAPPED intervention study is a natural experiment that aims to evaluate a supermarket placement intervention to improve fruit and vegetable sales, household purchasing and the dietary quality of women and their children. Process evaluation, alongside the evaluation of outcomes, is essential to understand how interventions are implemented, under what circumstances they are effective, and their mechanisms of impact. This study aimed to assess the implementation of the WRAPPED placement intervention. Methods: The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data extracted from study store planograms (visual representation of stores and product placement) before and after intervention implementation were used to assess the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables in the first aisle from the front entrance (intervention dose). The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables in each study store was examined from stock-keeping unit (SKU) figures before and after intervention implementation. An intervention implementation survey (IIS) completed with store managers and senior supervisors before and 1- and 6-months post-intervention implementation enabled examination of the context across study stores. Semi-structured interviews with store managers and senior supervisors provided qualitative data about store staff experiences and perceptions of the intervention between 6-months post-intervention implementation. Results: The placement intervention was implemented with close adherence to the study protocol. There were marked differences, post-intervention implementation, in the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables in intervention stores compared with control stores: median distance in intervention stores was 8.0 m (IQR 5.0 to 10.0) compared with 23.8 m (IQR 21.0 to 30.0) in control stores (P < 0.0001). The availability of varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables increased in intervention stores post-intervention compared with control stores: median (IQR) among intervention stores was 72 (51, 84) compared with 56.5 (50, 62) in control stores (P = 0.03). The mean change from baseline to post-implementation in number of different fruit and vegetables available in intervention stores was 15.3 (SD 16.7) (P = 0.01). IIS and interview data demonstrated little difference between intervention and store contexts over time. Reinforcing factors for intervention implementation included: head-office leadership, store staff views and attitudes and increased awareness of the importance of offering healthy food in prominent locations within stores. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that placement interventions which promote fresh fruit and vegetables to customers in discount supermarkets can be implemented effectively. These findings are encouraging for the implementation of national food policies which modify retail environments to improve population purchasing and dietary patterns. Trial registration: NCT03573973; Pre-results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The capability of large food retail chains to respond quickly to changes in consumer behaviour and their dominant market position affects all food market players and often conflicts with the interests of national food producers, which can reduce the presence of locally sourced products in the food product mix in the country. Accordingly, the present research aims to identify the impacts of the diversification of opening hours of food supermarkets on consumer shopping habits and the implications for creating an advantage for small and medium agri-food producers in selling their products. The research applied a quantitative approach to identify the main trends in society (n = 2738), with a survey including 31 variables to quantify consumer behaviour, values, and opinions and seven socio-demographic variables. If a decision was made in Latvia to close grocery shops on Sundays or reduce their opening hours on weekends, 85% of consumers indicated that they would be unlikely to change their usual shopping location and would plan to shop at a supermarket on other days. The choice between farmers' markets and local food shops on Sundays would be made by 45% of consumers, with more than half (53%) of them shopping at local food shops at least a few times a month. The research uniquely investigated the impact of reducing supermarket opening hours on the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized agri-food producers. The findings revealed that reducing supermarket opening hours does not confer a competitive advantage to the producers or significantly shift consumer preferences towards their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of rural e-commerce, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven agricultural development, resulting in a dual-channel model that combines offline supermarket docking with online e-commerce direct sales. Furthermore, given the perishable nature of most agricultural products, consumers exhibit a preference for high-quality logistics services. This paper analyses the dynamics of the agricultural supply chain, beginning with the "leading enterprises + farmers" production mode, and establishes two optimal decision-making models for online and offline dual-channel agricultural supply chains, incorporating logistics service levels. The first model considers centralised decision-making, where leading agricultural producers and community superstores make decisions simultaneously, aiming to maximise the overall profit of the supply chain. The second model addresses decentralised decision-making in which the producer, as the dominant player in a Stackelberg game, anticipates the reactions of retailers and sets the wholesale price, online sales price, and online logistics service level accordingly. Retailers, as followers, then determine the offline sales price and offline logistics service level based on the producer's decisions. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the proposed models. Our findings reveal that as consumer focus on logistics service levels increases, the overall profit of the supply chain improves, and as the unit logistics cost corresponding to the level of logistics service increases, the marginal benefits of decreasing profit brought about by the increase in unit logistics cost also decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of accounting information systems (AIS) on the performance of retail stores, with Ok Gweru supermarket as the case study. The traditional manual accounting systems used by supermarkets have been replaced by computerized accounting systems due to globalization. However, these systems sometimes fail to process transactions quickly and are also vulnerable to criminal attacks. The study aimed to identify the reasons for these problems and provide solutions to address them in the retail industry. The research design involved a sample of 36 respondents, stratified according to their job roles. Data was collected using questionnaires. The study found a positive relationship between AIS and performance, as integrated systems that meet the basic reporting requirements of IFRS and GAAP can produce relevant information for sound economic decisions. Staff training to ensure user competency was found to be necessary, and supermarkets were identified as being at risk of cyber-attacks due to a lack of resources to protect their systems. It was recommended that these issues be continually discussed with employees to increase awareness of these malicious activities and how to counter them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving food environments like supermarkets has the potential to affect customers' health positively. Scholars suggest researchers and retailers collaborate closely on implementing and testing such health-promoting interventions, but knowledge of the implementation of such interventions is limited. We explore the implementation of four health-promoting food retail initiatives selected and developed by a partnership between a research institution, a large retail group, and a non-governmental organisation. Methods: The four initiatives included downsizing of bags for pick'n' mix sweets and soda bottles at the check-out registers, shelf tags promoting healthier breakfast cereal options, and replacing a complimentary bun with a banana offered to children. The initiatives were implemented for 6 weeks (or longer if the store manager allowed it) in one store in Copenhagen, Denmark. Data were collected through observations, informal interviews with customers, and semi-structured interviews with retailers. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcripts and field notes inspired by process evaluation concepts and included quantitative summaries of selected data. Results: Two out of four initiatives were not implemented as intended. The implementation was delayed due to delivery issues, which also resulted in soda bottles not being downsized as intended. The maintenance of the shelf tags decreased over time. Retailers expressed different levels of acceptability towards the initiatives, with a preference for the complimentary banana for children. This was also the only initiative noticed by customers with both positive and negative responses. Barriers and facilitators of implementation fell into three themes: Health is not the number one priority, general capacity of retailers, and influence of customers and other stakeholders on store operation. Conclusions: The retailers' interests, priorities, and general capacity influenced the initiative implementation. Retailers' acceptability of the initiatives was mixed despite their involvement in the pre-intervention phase. Our study also suggests that customer responses towards health-promoting initiatives, as well as cooperation with suppliers and manufacturers in the development phase, may be determining to successful implementation. Future studies should explore strategies to facilitate implementation, which can be applied prior to and during the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAs the only place in a store where customers must pass through, checkouts may be especially influential over purchases. Research is needed to understand the healthfulness of checkout environments.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to classify checkout product facings in California food stores.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, 102 stores, including chains (dollar stores, drugstores, specialty food stores, supermarkets, and mass merchandisers) and independent supermarkets and grocery stores were sampled from 4 northern California cities. Observational assessments of each checkout product facing were conducted in February 2021 using the Store CheckOUt Tool. Facings were classified by category and healthfulness, defined by meeting Berkeley's Healthy Checkout Ordinance's healthy checkout standards: unsweetened beverages and specific foods containing ≤5 g added sugar and ≤200 mg sodium per serving. Log binomial regressions compared healthfulness by store and checkout characteristics.ResultsOf 26,758 food and beverage checkout facings, the most common categories were candy (31%), gum (18%), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; 11%), salty snacks (9%), mints (7%), and sweets (6%). Water represented only 3% and fruits and vegetables 1% of these facings. Only 30% of food and beverage facings met Berkeley's healthy checkout standards, with 70% not meeting the standards. The percentage of food and beverage facings not meeting the standards was even higher (89%) among snack-sized packages (≤2 servings/package). Compared with chain supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and specialty food stores (34%-36%), dollar and independent grocery stores had a lower percentage of food and beverage facings that met the healthy checkout standards (18%-20%; P < 0.05). Compared with lane and register areas (35%), endcaps and snaking sections within checkouts had fewer food and beverage facings that met the standards (21%-23%; P < 0.001).ConclusionsMost foods and beverages at checkout consisted of candy, SSBs, salty snacks, and sweets and failed to meet the healthy checkout standards.Curr Dev Nutr 2023;xx:xx.

The cold chain represents an important opportunity for the food industry to offer food safety and quality of perishable foodstuffs, mainly by maximizing shelf life through limiting bacterial growth. Especially meat products have a short shelf life due to their cold chain requirements. Refrigeration equipment must always be appropriately calibrated and monitored to provide the right temperature and ensure its correct performance. This study aimed to evaluate the cold chain at the retail link in supermarkets of the major commercial chains in Mexico during 2021 and 2022 by recording the surface temperature of pork, poultry, and beef cuts in open coolers. A general linear model was used for the statistical analysis in a completely randomized design. The study considered several factors, such as supermarket, season of the year, position inside the refrigerator, type of meat and environmental temperature. Cold chain breaks were detected in certain seasons of the year, in supermarkets, and even within the refrigerator; there were differences between positions where products were placed. The persistence of these variations in the cold chain represents a public health risk caused by the consumption of foods because a temperature increase can lead to a rise in the microbial load of meat products. Thus, meat cold chain requires integrated logistics management in order to maintain high quality of foods.