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Engaging undergraduate students in research has become increasingly important due to its potential benefits (for example, increased intention to pursue postgraduate study and enhanced understanding of theoretical knowledge). This study investigated whether a comprehensive food science research project that was incorporated into the laboratory component of an Experimental Study of Foods course would enhance student knowledge, confidence, and interest in research. A total of 84 students participated in two sections of the laboratory (2016, n = 39; 2017, n = 45). Scores for pre and posttests and questionnaires were used to determine if the differences in knowledge scores and ratings for confidence in doing research were significant. Knowledge scores indicated that participants were knowledgeable about research at baseline (2016, 7.31 ± 1.15; 2017, 6.89 ± 0.1.21; maximum of 10 points). Results of the t‐tests showed that the change in knowledge scores before and after the project was not statistically significant; however, the level of confidence in performing various research skills (for example, identify research questions, formulate hypotheses, design an experiment) significantly increased upon project completion. In general, students demonstrated favorable attitudes toward the research project at the end of this project. Qualitative responses were organized into three themes that related to the "input" (elements that made the project successful), "process" (how the project was conducted), and "outcomes" (reported gains or benefits) of the project. Recommendations were made in terms of mentorship, research guidelines and topics, and group culture to improve future projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: to gain a better understanding about consumers in order to be able to inform them, improve their protection and promote their responsibility, emphasizing the role of consumer organizations in improving the food literacy of the Spanish population.Methods: more than 2,000 families from all the Autonomous Regions of Spain participated in the "Survey on consumer habits 2016", which aimed to better understand the profile of the new Spanish consumer and encourage responsible consumption. We analysed consumer habits, factors that influence purchase and level of information of consumers.Results: some 65% of consumers choose supermarkets as their usual place of purchase; the purchase of fresh products is imposed on the rest. The data reflect dietary habits of citizens are less healthy than recommended and little knowledge about food allergen-free, ecological or transgenic foods. About 75% acknowledge that the economic situation forced them to change partially consumption and food habits. When selecting a product, people value the most quality and price, factors that together with the proximity of the point-of-purchase influence the choice of place of purchase. 71% of consumers say they look for information about products before buying them and find it on labels. They value information on expiration date, ingredients, price, place of origin and nutritional information. Only 71% difference between expiration date and preferential consumption.Conclusions: for a consumer association, nutrition education should not only contemplate the dissemination of information about food and nutrients, but also provide tools to know what to do and how to act to improve nutrition, creating environments that provide good food options and capabilities that allow to individuals, institutions and companies to commit to adopting healthier practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether or not there is an identifiably Vietnamese national cuisine, one in which the ingredients, recipes, and/or dishes socially, culturally, and politically unite Vietnamese people. It contends that Vietnam, with its long history of foreign invaders, its own appropriation of the middle and southern regions, and its varied regional geographies, provides a critical example for Food Studies of the need to interrogate the idea of a national cuisine and to differentiate it from regional and local cuisines. The paper examines how cookbook authors and cooking schools have more generally sought to represent Vietnamese dishes as national, but that there is a strong argument against the claim of a Vietnamese national cuisine. We advocate a Food Studies methodology that creates an effective pedagogy that explores whether or not national populations are unified as single gastro-states or atomized by a plurality of regional cuisines. Through experiential assignments and student work we illustrate how Food Studies presents the pedagogical opportunity for students to study and learn at the intersection of national politics and the everyday lives of people, providing a framework for understanding connections of labor, gender, class, and, essentially, taste, among many other values. In the case of Vietnamese food, the critical details of ingredients, preparation, and consumption both reveal and conceal truths about the Vietnamese people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional care contributes to the individual being an agent of his food choices, aware of the benefits of healthy eating. It should be guided by documents such as the Marco de Referência de Educação Alimentar e Nutricional para Políticas Públicas [Food and Nutrition Education Framework for Public Policies]. This article aims to reflect on nutritional care, discussing relevant concepts such as food and nutrition education, the determinants of dietary pattern, counseling, and how the Framework can contribute with this process. The main interface points between this document and nutritional care are the need to understand the interactions and meanings that determine feeding behavior, and care should not focus only on biological aspects of nutrition. Emphasis is placed on the professional's proper posture as an educator, which favors the opening of dialogue and contributes to empowerment, promotion of self-care and generation of autonomy concerning eating behavior. Considering the complexity of food choices, instruments that collaborate with counseling and food and nutrition education can significantly contribute to democratic access to healthy food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Food and nutrition surveillance is an essential action within the Unified Health System, because health policies can be created while taking into account the nutrition diagnosis of the population. Objectives: To discuss limits and possibilities of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System based on reports from health professionalswho work in Primary Health Care. Methodology: This is an exploratory and descriptive study in the municipality of Montes Claros, MG, with interviews conducted with health professionals. Results and Discussion: It was found that the health professionals recognize the importance of SISVAN, but its functioning is hampered by infrastructure conditions (difficulty in computerization and connection), human resources (workload of the nursing team and professionals specialized in the field) and logistics (information system handling and lack of user adherence). Conclusion: The operational problems are reflected in the functioning of SISVAN; therefore the management system has to invest in strategies in order to expand and qualify food and nutrition surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discuss the role of school's cooks within the Brazilian National School Feeding Program, as well as its possibilities and challenges in the actions of Food and Nutrition Education. Methods: Qualitative research, using the techniques of participant observation and Choice Work Dialogue. The studied group consisted of 23 school's cooks from a city in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro state. Results and Discussion: The educational potential of school's cooks is based on the relationships of affection they develop with students and on the qualifications they perform in order to develop new skills. However, the lack of time and of integration with the school staff are challenges for the fulfillment of the educational function of these professionals. Conclusion: The educational function of school's cooks is permeated by possibilities and challenges; hence, it is interesting to value its potential aspects for Food and Nutrition Education and to contribute to overcome its challenges. Thus, it will be possible to enjoy even more the educational potential of this program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The National School Feeding Program, one of the oldest among Brazilian public policies for food supplementation, has, among its goals, keeping children fed in school and promoting food and nutrition education. The students' adhesion to school feeding, however, does not meet the goals of the Program. Objective: This study aimed to assess whether specific food education activities in public schools could improve food knowledge and promote the acceptance of meals planned by the National School Feeding Program. Methods: Interventional study in which three schools with classes of grades 3rd through 5th of elementary school were selected, due to their low performance in games, to have their knowledge about healthy eating and low acceptance of school feeding assessed through the leftovers/ingestion index and through the hedonic scale, totaling 243 students of ages 8 to 13. Data regarding anthropometric measurements, adherence to and acceptance of school feeding were obtained. Educational practices included cooking workshops and classroom activities. Results: Nutritional assessment showed obesity in 10% of the students, most of whom consumed school meals, even though they purchased unhealthy foods to eat during mealtime in school. The performance in the games, after the intervention, showed significant improvement through the results obtained with the leftovers/ingestion and the hedonic scale. Conclusion: Educational activities promoted an improvement in the students' knowledge about healthy eating and their acceptance of school meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality management and quality control of food products are critical to producing food that is safe to consume and has consistent quality and sensory attributes. The extent to which undergraduate students are equipped with competencies in quality management/control, in theory, has a direct connection with their career potential to ensure food products and/or services meet the expectations of consumers and society. However, the most important quality management/control competencies for undergraduate food science students have yet to be identified. The objective of this study was to determine key knowledge and skills in quality management/control needed by food science graduates. A modified Delphi method was used to gather consensus on these knowledge and skills from experts in food quality management/control. Surveys were used to establish a framework of the most relevant quality management/control concepts for undergraduate food science students to learn and organize these concepts into core domains according to their relative importance. A course outline for teaching an undergraduate course on food quality management/control was developed that detailed relevant topics and depth of coverage for each of these topics. The needs assessment method used in this study to align course content with food industry's needs may be used for a wide variety of course topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on Josefa Perez, a veteran community nutrition educator for Cornell University Cooperative Extension-New York City (CUCE-NYC). Information about her effort in encouraging caregivers to make healthy and active lifestyles enjoyable and affordable for their families, is provided. Also mentioned is role in teaching the curriculum Eating Smart Being Active (ESBA) which includes expounding product labels, measuring serving sizes, and expanding food dollars.

For the past 15 years, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has mandated assessment of undergraduate student learning outcomes as the basis for approving food science (FS) programs. No longer is a check-off course system sufficient to be an IFT-approved program. The 4 steps to gaining IFT approval include developing learning outcomes for all required FS courses, developing outcomes for the program as a whole, assessing student learning through a comprehensive series of assessment tools, and developing and reporting a plan to use the assessment data collected for continuous program improvement. This article reviews these steps in some detail, providing guidance on possible approaches that may be used. In the end, the aim of the IFT requirements is to improve student learning in FS to advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed in the Basic Microbiology Subject for food science and nutrition students, a 'hands-on' activity consisting on sampling student's hands for bacterial presence and identification. This is a project to be implemented in multiple laboratory classes throughout the semester, allowing students to learn, and apply general microbiology techniques in mixed or isolated cultures obtained from their own samples in parallel with those from the laboratory collection proposed in the microbiology syllabus (as aseptic technique, hands sampling, streaking for single-colony isolation, culture medium analysis, bacterial morphology, and biochemical study, employ of dichotomous keys) This activity will allow them to understand the association between humans and microorganisms, to recognize the importance of personal hygiene (for example, hand-washing), and to know how hands can be an important vehicle for bacterial spreading in surrounding environments (for example, kitchen, health-care setting). The fact that the isolates for practical work were not only from laboratory collections, but also from the personal student's hands, keeps them interested in discover and study their own bacteria to know their main characteristics and the potential importance to human health, through spread of hazardous isolates. This project also potentially contributed for student's development of other skills such as autonomy and teamwork, planning and write, communication, and debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of type 2 diabetics in Yakeshi City and to assess the effect of implementation of nutritional and eating education in enhancing knowledge and practices regarding a healthy diet.DesignA questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 162 diabetics to determine their nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices; fifty-four participants received nutritional and eating education for 6 months. Diabetes-related nutrition knowledge, awareness, practice accuracy, dietary intake and glycaemic control were assessed before and after education.SettingYakeshi, a remote city in northern China.SubjectsA total of 162 type 2 diabetics recruited from three hospitals, fifty-four of whom were selected randomly to receive education.ResultsAmong the 162 respondents, most diabetics (75 %) considered that controlling diet was important in the methods of controlling blood glucose. Scores for knowledge, practices and overall KAP (knowledge–attitude–practice) were low, but scores for attitude were high. Participants with diabetes education experiences, practice duration over 1 year or high education level all had higher scores for KAP (P < 0·001, P < 0·05 and P < 0·001, respectively) than their counterparts. After education, patients’ nutrition knowledge, awareness and practice accuracy improved significantly (P < 0·05). The rates of patients with recommended daily intake of vegetables, grains and dairy were boosted (P < 0·05). Various nutrient intakes increased (P < 0·05) but not protein, Fe, Zn and Se. Significant improvements were also found in glycaemic control (P < 0·05).ConclusionsDiabetics in Yakeshi had positive attitudes, but relatively poor nutrition knowledge and practices. Nutritional and eating education was effective in improving diabetics’ nutrition knowledge and practices, and this optimal practice helped them control blood glucose effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the perceptions of elementary school children of public schools in Guarulhos, São Paulo, relating to school feeding. Method: a descriptive type study with a qualitative approach. Eighty-two children of 4 schools selected for engaging in educational activities related to eating and nutrition, drawn from the 63 institutions within the municipality were investigated. The drawing technique was the option selected for data collection. Thirteen drawings - those representing the content expressed by a group of children -- were presented. The children's verbalization describing the drawings was recorded and transcribed, along with the content resulting from the analysis of the graphic material, submitted to content analysis. Results: According to the children's drawings and their respective verbalization, school feeding was associated: with the foods served and those that satisfied their hunger, providing moments of pleasure; within the setting the highlight was the physical structure in which the meals were served and the organization of the line of those waiting to be served and the personal relationships created, representing eating as a moment of companionship, for talking and socializing with friends. Final Considerations: For the children, school feeding acquires a representation that goes beyond the mere act of eating, it is a moment that includes the food but also the school setting and relationships with peers. Thus one of the challenges for the administrators and the entire community involved is how to incorporate these dimensions that permeate the meal-time experience and that were observed to be a fundamental and integrating aspect of the school scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand-on, food-based activities may strengthen students' understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: (1) assess 4th graders food-related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and (2) compare gains in food-related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food-based curriculum. During the 2009-2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands-on, food-based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio ( n = 9) and North Carolina ( n = 9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio ( n = 8) and North Carolina ( n = 8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher-developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple-choice questions administered pre- and post-test. Only subjects with pre- and post-test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n = 343; Control n = 237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre-test. At post-test, the intervention group scored (9.95 ± 2.00) significantly higher ( p = 0.000) than the control group (8.84 ± 2.37) on a 13-point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students' multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on teaching the economic and political aspects of food. She says that using food as the central of the study would be motivating to teenagers and can be used in exposing students on rhetoric and argumentation. The author mentions that incorporating food unit in a classroom was inspired by Trevor Corson's book "The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fisherman and Scientists are Unraveling the Mysteries of our Favorite Crustacean."

A reflection on the causes of the alarming increase in sugar consumption and its harmful consequences in young peaple becomes very relevant as it is a way to instill the need for new and good eating habits, developing the opportunity of choice, enabling them to be multipliers of a food education. The objectives of this study were to broaden the understanding of the sugar, their attributes and chemical consequences of his excessive and continuous use as tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease and a critical analysis within the principles of education environmental and nutritional intertwining different areas of knowledge, understanding the dynamics of food in the body. To overcome the defects of nutritional knowledge are necessary, among other nutrition education programs involving health professionals, students, educators and their families from lectures given by professionals to the school community. The school is the appropriate place to discuss the issues of nutrition and health, where initiatives for clarification on the subject should be incorporated into the dynamic transdisciplinarity. A extra-curricular projects offered to schoolchildren and sensitizes people form able to multiply the efficiency of knowledge about good nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of late 16th/early 17th century Peruvian author Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's work is presented with respect to the idea of the stomach as a symbol for otherness, beginning with the mouth and representing the assimilation and incorporation of external factors into one's body. Spanish conquistadors' use of the coca plant within Garcilaso's book "Comentarios reales" is discussed as well as within the work of Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala, both as representations of heterogeneity and incorporation of the foreign into the original. The author asserts that the resulting mestizaje represents the assimilation of cultures occurring after the conquest of Peru by Spain.

This analysis documents the outcomes and impacts from a series of food protection and defense educational programs conducted over a 3-y period for private and public sector food system professionals. Several measures were used to determine the professions of participants; their improvements in skills and abilities that resulted from workshops; the audiences' most valued program content; practice changes resulting from educational program participation; abilities to recognize and change food system vulnerabilities; and changes in knowledge levels. Findings indicate that the knowledge level and interest within the target audience progressed over the 3-y period from basic awareness level through more complex and higher order skills and competencies such as being able to walk through a food production, processing, distribution, or retail facility and identify specific vulnerabilities and make specific risk control recommendations. Pre- and posttest scores from the 3rd y of educational activities indicate that baseline awareness levels of core content on food protection and defense is now high among those most likely to attend these types of events, and that participants need to be challenged with additional higher-level education to promote specific skills. This program series proved successful in building important relationships among food industry and regulatory partners. Analysis of the food security investigation (FSI) series will be useful in the development and delivery of new education and outreach efforts. It is hoped that the analysis and discussion will provide the motivation to further develop a set of competencies that can be used to ground educational efforts that focus on securing and defending our food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers information on "Books That Cook," teaching food and food literature in the English classroom. It states that to teach food as a written art form is to teach a part of what it means to be human through the record of food traditions, culture and history are transmitted as well as transformed with practices of sharing, preparing and eating recipes both create and convey human interactions. Moreover, "Books That Cook" are rooted in collaboration with sections discussed including a section that focuses on food and the environment.

Two bodies of secondary literature -- literary criticism about the appeal of imagined food and food studies analyses of breakfast -- identify the potential of this morning meal to establish an aspirational standard. For literary critics, this aspirational standard involves the norms and conventions of the narrative world being staged, which will inevitably come under pressure as the narrative develops. For food writers, this aspirational standard involves nutritional value. Drawing from specific examples in Canadian literature, we argue that it is precisely this aspect of breakfast -- as benchmark or standard of measurement -- that makes it such a fruitful meal in the writer's narrative toolbox. Literary breakfasts either embody tension and conflict, or set up and therefore contain the germs of tension and conflict that will drive the plot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article previews several publications that discuss topics related to food science education, including experiential learning in courses on food and hunger, fifth-graders' knowledge about calcium-rich food, and consumption of processed foods.

An introduction is provided in which the editors discusses articles featured in the issue on topics such as school lunch programs, a third-grade community garden and urban farming curriculum, and the significance of food to a language arts education program.

The article discusses liverfluke infections that affect millions of people in Asia and resulting diseases including chlonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, and cancer of the bile duct. The authors call for increased attention to these diseases through food safety education given to school children rather than through intervention by global organizations.

An essay is presented on the excellence in teaching food science and technology. It highlights on the author's gratitude for having been awarded the William V. Cruess Award from the Institute of Food Technologists, recognizing her achievements in teaching profession. In addition, it discusses on the role of teaching and learning, as well as learning and teaching. Furthermore, it deals on the objectives and outcomes of teaching, regarding its benefits to the students.

The article offers information on the journal "Journal Food Science Education."

The article reports that the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium, in collaboration with the Centre International de Recherche sur les Pratiques de Création annouced a new Master's degree in Food Designing.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Cruess Award winner Stephanie Doores in an essay on the significance of food teaching profession, another headed by Amanda R. Scott on the effectiveness of a consumer education program, and one by Jim Bird related to food science education.

Reports on the work of Herve This, a French chemist, and his ambitions for creating a laboratory of molecular gastronomy at the College de France in Paris. Background on Herve This and his work in exploring souffle thermodynamics; Details regarding molecular gastronomy and its main goal to test scientifically the cooking practices enshrined in culinary wisdom; How the laboratory will serve as a place to analyse the factors involved in many cooking activities and invent new methods for preparing food.