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Education in food safety is a well-recognized health intervention, which allows the prevention of a wide range of diseases. Among the strategies of control and prevention of foodborne diseases, it is indicated that food safety education has the double advantage of having low costs and high potential effectiveness, as long as it is carried out with the active participation of food handling workers. In many countries, the Food Code has made compulsory the sanitary training of food workers. However, like in many other disciplines, food science educators receive minimal training on instructional techniques before becoming teachers. One of the important questions of the problem here presented is the issue related to the methodologies of pre-evaluation and final evaluation. We describe two indices to validate the training in food safety, which could be used for the quantification of educational intervention. The results show that a better learning process involves the active participation of both the students and the educators. We concluded that the evaluation process is more complex than the single instance of accreditation though a final evaluation.

The study explored the experiences of ECD centres in Masvingo district in terms of the quality of meals with regards to diversity and size of portions and WASH provisions. One school was purposively sampled. The research adopted a qualitative paradigm and used one ECD centre in Masvingo district as a case study. Data were gathered through observations, interviews and document analysis. There is a growing realisation globally that pre-schooling is critical to the future educational achievements of children. Abundant evidence is available that the first five years of life to a child are crucial to a good start in life. Even though pre-school education has been a feature of Zimbabwe's education system, the concept of Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) which cater for the 0-5 year olds is relatively new. From a nutritional perspective, the feeding patterns of infants and toddlers are an avenue worth unlocking. The study explored the extent to which ECD centres adhere to meal diversity, size of portions and frequency, hygiene practices and the regulatory framework governing the provision of correct quantities and quality of food for preschool children. Major research findings were that ECD centres provided meals which had nutrient inadequacy, all ECD centres did not meet expected nutritional and health standards and they all faced challenges in providing balanced meals. The research recommends the mounting of massive awareness drives for the programme as well as the investment of critical resources in the programme for the benefit of society today and tomorrow.

High school students are a critical audience for food safety. Students may enter the foodservice industry or become primary meal preparers for their families. The positive deviance food safety curriculum was developed based on the messages from the Fight BAC! Campaign. The curriculum is designed for high school students to overcome barriers to safe food handling practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the positive deviance approach to change food safety knowledge and behaviors among high school students. Students (n = 218) from two high schools participated in this study. The positive deviance method uses group discussions lead by the teacher who reinforces and praises behaviors, which reflect recommended food handling practices. Measurements included pre- and postsurveys, preobservations and postobservation cooking classes, take-home tasks, and in-class activities. Results indicated that the curriculum significantly increased students' food safety knowledge. Specifically, the percentage of students believing that color was a good indicator of meat doneness dropped from 52% to 17% after exposure to the curriculum. When observed, the students' compliance with recommended behaviors increased. Prior to instruction, most ground beef burgers students cooked did not reach 160°F, while after the intervention, almost all of the burgers reached 160°F or higher. The curriculum will benefit from a revision that emphasizes areas such as how to use, calibrate, and to clean food thermometers.

This laboratory activity was designed to strengthen our Food and Nutritional Science students' knowledge of biochemistry concepts and the relationship between these concepts and food science. The result was a laboratory experience in which biochemistry concepts are taught using yogurt as a model, in order to link those concepts to food safety, an important area of food science. The students employed a colorimetric method to measure the lactase activity of bacterial strains found in commercial yogurts and were encouraged to relate the activity to bacterial lactic acid production, fermentation, and food safety. Students were assessed with pre- and post-test exams, laboratory reports, class performance rubrics, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The result demonstrated that the students successfully completed the learning objectives and were motivated during the activity. This exercise could be used as a template for a simplified and engaging way to introduce food science majors, as well as other students, to complex biochemistry and molecular biology concepts using food, particularly yogurt, as a model.

Extension educators have been enlisted to assist farmers in meeting requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Although food safety is a familiar topic for Extension educators, helping farmers learn how to prepare for PSR regulations is new. In this article, we describe a needs assessment conducted in the north central United States according to a modified Delphi approach. Results revealed unique characteristics of farmers in the region, least understood components of the PSR, preferences regarding educational tools, and the need for materials for varied audiences. Our process can be adapted for the purpose of determining how to assist growers in other regions in complying with the PSR.

Introduction: Systematic review methods are now being used for reviews of food production, food safety and security, plant health, and animal health and welfare. Information retrieval methods in this context have been informed by human health-care approaches and ideally should be based on relevant research and experience. Objective: This narrative review seeks to identify and summarize current research-based evidence and experience on information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics. Methods: MEDLINE (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) were searched in 2012 and 2016. We also contacted topic experts and undertook citation searches. We selected and summarized studies reporting research on information retrieval, as well as published guidance and experience. Results: There is little published evidence on the most efficient way to conduct searches for food and feed topics. There are few available study design search filters, and their use may be problematic given poor or inconsistent reporting of study methods. Food and feed research makes use of a wide range of study designs so it might be best to focus strategy development on capturing study populations, although this also has challenges. There is limited guidance on which resources should be searched and whether publication bias in disciplines relevant to food and feed necessitates extensive searching of the gray literature. Conclusions: There is some limited evidence on information retrieval approaches, but more research is required to inform effective and efficient approaches to searching to populate food and feed reviews.

Understanding the role of food science education in developing undergraduate students' intentions to implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) may be a key strategy in developing the workforce's implementation of GMPs and other food safety programs. Previous research has demonstrated the effects of educational interventions on planned food safety behaviors in various settings; however, none have studied GMPs interventions and college students. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate the effects of a game-based e-learning module on undergraduate students' planned behaviors concerning GMPs. Forty-four participants were recruited from 42 food science clubs across the United States to complete a game-based e-learning module and pre- and posttest survey instruments. We compared changes in pre- and posttest scores using paired Wilcoxon signed rank tests and explored the role of GMP-related knowledge and TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls) in predicting students' intentions to implement GMPs using multiple linear regression. We modeled pretest scores, posttest scores, and changes in scores while controlling for student demographic factors (for example, year in college, gender, and so on). Only participants' knowledge and perceived behavioral controls significantly increased (P < 0.05) after completing the game-based e-learning module. Posttest regression models explained twice as much variance than pretest models (up to 54% total). Changes in intentions to implement GMPs were predicted by changes in subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and knowledge, as well as previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry. The only predictive variables for both pre- and posttest scores were subjective norms, previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry (P < 0.05). A discussion of how these results provide insights for food safety educators to optimize their teaching impacts was presented.

In the last several years, a variety of approaches and tools have been developed for giving access to open educational resources (OER) related to food safety, security, and food standards, as well to various targeted audiences (e.g., farmers, agronomists). The aim of this paper is to present a technology infrastructure currently in demonstration mode at Michigan State University that will collect various agricultural education content (training descriptions, open educational content, competencies, and standards) and provide them through various interfaces, based on the needs of the targeted audience. The overall architecture of the infrastructure for the food safety sector and the needed components are presented, as well as the main usage scenarios that explain how the infrastructure can enhance existing platforms and services in the area of food safety and food security.

The incorporation of hot and cold food bars into grocery stores in an effort to capture a portion of the home meal replacement industry is presenting new challenges for retail food establishments. To ensure retail success and customer safety, employees need to be educated in food safety practices. Traditional methods of training are not meeting the needs of the retail food industry. Although many food safety training programs exist, few meet the educational needs of hot and cold food bar employees. In an effort to determine the effectiveness of traditional training methods for employees, a quasi-experimental study was performed. Data was collected from three separate chains within the retail food industry from six geographical locations. The pre-post assessment study utilized an interventional training and included collecting questionnaires from 300 employees. Findings of the study described characteristics of employees within each chain individually and collectively. Food safety knowledge was assessed by comparing pre-training and post-training assessments for managerial and non-managerial employees. The most important finding for this study was determining the change in essential food safety knowledge of employees after traditional food safety training was conducted for managerial employees within the treatment stores and comparing that change to the change that occurred in the control groups.

Japan's Basic Law on Food Education (Shokuiku kihonho) was enacted in June 2005 as a response to various concerns related to food and nutrition, such as food scandals, an increase in obesity and lifestyle-related diseases and an assumed loss of traditional food culture. The Law defines food education (shokuiku) rather vaguely as the acquisition of knowledge about food and the ability to make appropriate food choices. In this paper, my focus is the impact of shokuiku on discourses about food safety in relation to the nuclear disaster. I will address the following problems: Firstly, the assumption that "domestic food products are the safest in the world"; secondly, the power relations between municipal authorities, producers and consumers in Japan; and thirdly, the question of whether food pedagogies can adequately address food safety concerns after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I argue that, although the Basic Law offers a holistic approach to food in theory, with its focus on nutrition and the emphasis on domestic food, food pedagogies, practiced according to the Basic Law cannot adequately deal with the food safety problems that Japanese consumers face after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Because of the ignorance regarding food safety issues from official sides, Japanese consumers are left with a lack of awareness for these issues. Therefore, stakeholders who are not included in the state's shokuiku campaign, such as consumer co-ops and Civil Radioactivity Measurement Stations try to provide knowledge about food to enable Japanese consumers to make appropriate food choices.

While Americans are as eager as ever to beautify their homes and yards with attractive landscaping, more and more gardeners are looking to the practical aspects of gardening--raising plants for food and choosing easy-care ornamental plants that are friendly to the environment. For some gardeners, raising their own food is a lifestyle choice. With doctors and the government urging consumption of fruits and vegetables to combat obesity and lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, some people see the backyard garden as a short route to healthier eating. An added advantage is that homegrown food is of superior quality. Fruits and vegetables that ripen on the vine taste better than those that are artificially ripened and spend weeks in shipment before they reach the table. While commercially grown produce is often contaminated with unknown amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, gardeners can guarantee the safety of what they grow themselves. Gardeners today are eager to work with nature instead of trying to master it. As they pursue their hobby, they seek practices and products that leave a minimal imprint upon the environment. Eco-friendly gardeners are especially interested in: (1) Less lawn; (2) Native plants; (3) Water conservation; (4) Chemical-free gardening; and (5) Attracting wildlife.

The Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) is a collaboration between Michigan State University, the Global Food Safety Initiative of the Consumer Goods Forum, and other food industry and public sector partners. FSKN's goal is to help strengthen the food industry's response to the complex food safety knowledge and training challenges that affect emerging markets by providing free access to high-quality, standardized learning resources. The resources were designed to be available on demand and as a structured learning experience which can support face-to-face training and fully online training. The pilots thus far have shown that participants in FSKN training demonstrate a significant increase in knowledge. The paper will share the processes used to set up an efficient open educational resources initiative including understanding licensing, using open software, establishing competencies and working with corporate and other international partners. (Contains 2 figures.)

Foodborne illness and food safety risks pose health threats to everyone, including international college students who live in the United States and encounter new or unfamiliar foods. This study assessed the prevalence of self-reported foodborne illness among international college students by cultural regions and length of time in the United States. Eight land grant institutions were contacted for participation. Directors of international students and scholars (ISS) programs at participating institutions agreed to forward a link containing an online survey to international students enrolled at their respective universities. Cross-tabulations were used to determine percentages of self-reported foodborne illness and other food safety risks among respondents by cultural regions and length of time lived in the U.S. Results indicated that 28.6% respondents self-reported they have been sick due to foodborne illness within the past year in the U.S., 10.1% have sought medical attention, and 3.2% have reported a suspected foodborne illness, 30.8% and 29.8%, respectively, have avoided particular restaurants or foods for fear of foodborne illness. Foodborne illness may be a concern among international college students in the U.S. International students in cultural regions with high percentages of self-reported foodborne illness such as Latin America, Africa, Ex-Communist, Catholic Europe, Confucian, and South Asia were more at risk of foodborne illness than other population groups. The self-reported percentage of foodborne illness was higher among international students who had lived in the U.S. for 3 years or more, than those who had lived in the U.S. for 2 years or less. Health educators could focus efforts on reaching international college students with appropriate food safety messages during their early stages of acculturation to mitigate risks of foodborne illness. (Contains 4 tables.)

The prevention of foodborne illness in childcare centers is a major public health concern. One prevention mechanism is the education of childcare providers. Because of the very diverse population in the childcare profession, the constant turnover rate and the need for high-quality, accessible training, providing this training proves to be an ongoing challenge for many state Extension programs. TummySafe[C] met this challenge by offering food safety training via two methods. Participants either attended a traditional Extension workshop or experienced the curriculum on a computer of their choosing via CD-ROM. The Mississippi State University Extension Service's 82 county offices coordinated training for childcare providers from April 2005 to June 2006. Traditional participants (n = 829) had higher posttest score means, after adjusting for pretest knowledge, than participants in the self paced group (n = 796). An ANCOVA revealed a statistically significant difference (F = 268.00, p less than 0.05) favoring the traditional delivery method. Nonetheless, the participants of the self-paced group were highly satisfied with the training and the convenience it offered. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Despite the increasing attendance of children with food allergy in schools in Australia and globally, little is known about how affected families manage their children's transition to school. This paper discusses the experiences and support needs of ten mothers during their child's transition to school in Sydney, Australia, drawn from the thematic analysis of Photo Elicitation Interviews in homes. One of the significant findings of this study was that most mothers found their child's transition to school both emotionally and practically challenging, even though their children previously attended a long day care or preschool setting. While the school's pro-active transitional planning, procedures of food allergy management and psychological support provided to families facilitated a smooth start to school, a lack of these, together with poor or no communication and non-involvement of families in the management of children's food allergy hindered it. Correspondingly, mothers highlighted the need for schools to keep children's food allergy at the forefront of their transitional planning and support them holistically by pro-actively communicating, collaborating and involving families in the discussions about food allergy, empowering them with information on the school's policies and procedures, and acknowledging their concerns of safety. Mothers considered these things to be essential. Additionally, mothers provided advice to other parents on how to achieve a positive start to school. The implications of this study's findings for schools and families are discussed. Considering the small sample size and generalisability of the findings to other contexts and countries, further research is recommended both nationally and internationally.

A large-scale cross-sectional study (N = 4002) was set up to determine Flemish secondary school students' willingness to eat genetically modified food (WTE) and to link students' WTE to previously identified key variables from research on the acceptance of genetic modification (GM). These variables include subjective and objective knowledge about genetics and biotechnology, perceived risks and benefits of GM food crops, trust in information from different sources about GM, and food neophobia. Differences between WTE-related variables based on students' grade level, educational track, and gender were analyzed. The students displayed a rather indecisive position toward GM food and scored weakly on a genetics and biotechnology knowledge test. WTE correlated most strongly with perceived benefits and subjective and objective knowledge. The results have clear implications for education, as they reiterate the need to strengthen students' scientific knowledge base and to introduce a GM-related debate at a much earlier stage in their school career.

Background: Salad bars are placed in schools to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among students. This study assessed differences in school nutrition practices and perceptions in schools with and without salad bars. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were completed by school nutrition managers (N = 648) in Arizona schools participating in the National School Lunch Program during 2013-2014. Mixed general estimating equation binomial regressions assessed factors related to having a salad bar after mutually adjusting for clustering within districts, school level, free/reduced rate, and respondents' time in current position. Results: On average, 61% of schools reported having a salad bar. After adjustment, school nutrition managers were significantly more likely to report having a salad bar if they served lunch by grade level (vs mixed grades), had a full-service kitchen, and their personal perception of salad bars was positive; schools were less likely to have a salad bar if menu and food service decisions were made at the school level. Conclusions: Several school-level nutrition practices and perceptions were associated with having a salad bar in schools. Enhancement of these factors may facilitate having salad bars in schools.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore and elucidate adolescents' reasoning about risks related to food and eating. Design/methodology/approach: Boys and girls aged 15-16 years participated in a focus group interview with role-playing as a stimulus for discussion and reflection. In all, 31 participants took part, divided into five groups. In the role-playing, the participants portrayed agents who they perceived to give messages about food. In the focus group they discussed their experience of carrying out the role-play, and how they usually cope with conflicting messages, preferences and needs regarding food and eating. Findings: The findings suggested that there were two main themes of risk profiling related to eating. One concerned bodily risk related to the food ingested and included concerns both about not reaching health and performance due to the unfavourable intake of calories, nutrients, additives, bacteria, viruses and parasites, and threats to immediate well-being following consumption. The second main category concerned the risk of being conspicuous, or "sticking out", which incorporated food-based gender norms and norms related to table manners. In practice, the risk of not displaying an appropriate image of themselves through their food and eating choices was more prominent than risk perceptions related to impacts of food choices on well-being and performance. Difficulties in classifying foods as "good" or "bad" enhanced their uncertainty. Originality/value: The results suggest that health-promotion activities for young people should focus not only on how to feed their bodies but also on how to avoid feeding their anxieties.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences between how mothers and fathers monitor their children's sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; 7-12 years) using constructs from the integrated behavioral model (IBM). Mothers (n = 167) and fathers (n = 117) completed a valid and reliable survey evaluating the extent that they monitored their child's SSB intake and constructs of the IBM. Results showed significant differences between groups, with mothers consistently having higher levels of monitoring SSBs and IBM constructs. Regression models also showed that the core constructs of the IBM predicted a significant amount of the variance for monitoring SSBs for both mothers and fathers (39.4% and 18.3%, respectively), with intentions being the primary predictor for mothers and skillfulness the primary predictor for fathers. This study provides preliminary evidence that mothers and fathers monitor their children's SSB intake differently, and factors that determine monitoring SSB intake of children differ between mothers and fathers.

Background: College students report high levels of stress, which may be exacerbated by the psychoactive ingredients in energy drinks. Little is understood about the relationship between daily hassles and energy drink consumption. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between energy drink consumption patterns and daily hassles among college students. Methods: College students (n = 449) completed an online survey evaluating energy drink consumption and daily hassles using the Revised University Student Hassles Scale (RUSHS). Results: The most common reasons reported for consuming energy drinks were lack of energy (90.3%), lack of sleep (87.0%), and feeling tired (85.4%). No significant differences in daily hassles were found between energy drink consumers and nonconsumers. Energy drink consumption and daily hassles subscores varied based on demographic characteristics. Discussion: Results of this study did not support a relationship between energy drink consumption and perceived daily hassles. Further research is needed to understand the potential association between energy drink consumption and other determinants of mental health. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health Education interventions should rectify misperceptions that energy drinks are effective when students miss sleep, need energy, and need to study for exams.

Background: College students are at risk of the "freshman 15," consisting of weight gain during their university studies. Stress has been linked with unhealthy dietary intake and weight in adults in the general literature. Little is known about the key patterns of dietary intake, eating behaviors, and physical activity in relation to stress in university students because this has not been previously thoroughly reviewed. Purpose: The aims of this review were to assess these relationships along with weight gain in order to inform future targeted interventions. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted in December 2016 for relevant studies meeting inclusion criteria. Results: There was a positive association between stress and maladaptive weight-related behaviors, in particular, emotional eating and binge eating. There was also support for a positive association between stress and unhealthy dietary intake as well as an inverse association with healthy dietary intake in college students. Increases in these maladaptive behaviors and food intake were also observed before examinations. Evidence was weaker for physical activity because there were few studies. Evidence was also mixed for an association between stress and weight in college students. Discussion: Interventions should be developed and tested that target stress in order to promote adequate dietary intake and healthy eating behaviors in students. Future studies could also longitudinally follow students to assess weight changes over longer periods of time. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health Educators should raise awareness of the potential detrimental effects of stress in college on weight-related lifestyle behaviors in students. Ideally this should be done when students commence college to prevent weight gain. Offering support on campus for stress and lifestyle coaching is also desirable.

Objective: To determine what factors influenced dietary fat intake (DFI) among black emerging adults. Participants: Sample included 251 black emerging adults, ages 18-25 years, living in the US. Methods: This was a nonexperimental cross-sectional study based on self-report data. Results: The sample had high DFI. Factors related to DFI were gender (r[subscript pb] = -0.22, p < 0.001), perceived barriers for healthy eating (r = .32, p < 0.001), and perceived self-efficacy (r = -0.33, p < .001). These variables were also significant predictors for DFI. Gender was significantly related to DFI (b = -5.894, p = 0.000). Religious commitment moderated the effect of stress on DFI. Conclusions: Gender, perceived barriers for healthy eating, and perceived self-efficacy were significant predictors for DFI. Religious commitment influenced the relationship of perceived stress and DFI. These findings may lead to interventions designed to reduce DFI and cardiovascular risks among black emerging adults.

Purpose: Food education in secondary schools can provide adolescents with essential food knowledge and skills required for healthy, independent living. The purpose of this paper is to identify food-related knowledge and skills that Australian consumers believe are required for all consumers, and to identify their demographic and psychographic associations based on two studies. Design/methodology/approach: Two online surveys were conducted in 2012 and 2014 in different samples of Australian consumers (n = 2,146 and 770, respectively), both drawn from a commercial research panel. Respondents rated their views on the importance of food knowledge and skills items as "essential" or "not essential" in the 2012 survey, or by rating their importance in the 2014 using five-point scales. Principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to group the different types of food knowledge and skills and identify their associations. Findings: In both surveys, "the effects of food on people's health" and "how to prepare food safely" were viewed as the most important knowledge and skills, and food production, food system and environmental items were the least important. Food knowledge and equality values were positively associated with the importance of Nutrition Knowledge and Practical Skills in both surveys. In addition, food mavenism was a positive predictor of Nutrition and Health Knowledge and The Food System in 2012 and female sex was positively associated with Practical Food Skills. Research limitations/implications: Most respondents believed that nutrition and health knowledge and practical food skills were more important than knowledge of food production, the food system or the environment. The findings suggest that psychological factors such as personal values, food knowledge and food mavenism may be more important influences over these perceptions than respondents' demographic characteristics. Originality/value: This research is novel as it explores consumers' views about the food knowledge and skills that all consumers need to be healthy and independent, and has important implications for food education, particularly in secondary schools. In addition, it assessed consumers' views at two different time points, two years apart and, thus, provides evidence for stability of these views.

This study examined the effects of an intuitive eating (IE) text messaging intervention on the IE habits, perceived stress, and perceived self-efficacy of college students in comparison to an electronically emailed handout with the same information. Undergraduate students at a Midwestern university (n = 300) completed a pre-intervention survey online which assessed IE practice (Intuitive Eating Scale), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale and Eating Habits Confidence Survey). Participants were randomly divided into a control (n = 150) and intervention (n = 150) group. The intervention group received five weeks of intervention with weekly IE texts, and the control received the same IE information in one emailed handout. Following the intervention, all participants completed the post-intervention survey with the same measures. A total of 146 (n = 99 intervention, n = 47 control) participants completed the pre-and post-intervention surveys. Paired t-tests and linear regressions were used for analyses. The results showed the IE texting intervention significantly increased total IE habits. Additionally, IE texting was found to increase GSE scores and to limit increases in PSS levels. The results of this study provide evidence that texting can be a successful platform for increasing IE behaviors among college students.

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of teacher encouragement on elementary school student vegetable snack consumption. Methods: Twelve Wisconsin elementary school teachers were randomly assigned different levels of encouragement procedures during vegetable snack time. The consumption levels of 218 students were measured for three different vegetables over an eight week period (September 19-November 18, 2016). All vegetables were served eight times with teachers providing varying levels of assigned encouragement for the first six servings and refraining from any form of encouragement during the seventh and eighth servings. Consumption outcomes were measured by weighing individual snack cups pre and post snack time. This study reports on the first, seventh, and eighth servings of each vegetable. Results: Independent-samples t-tests showed statistically significant higher proportions consumed for day one vegetable servings for the highest level of teacher encouragement vs. no encouragement across all vegetables (tomatoes 0.563>0.265, p<0.01; carrots 0.845>0.618, p<0.01); peppers 0.507>0.274, p<0.01). Statistically significant higher consumption remained for the high level encouragement group compared to no encouragement at the seventh (tomatoes 0.502>0.173, p<0.01; carrots 0.787>0.543, p<0.01; peppers 0.514>0.305, p<0.01) and eighth (tomatoes 0.506>0.184, p<0.01; carrots 0.800>0.590, p<0.01; peppers 0.443>0.288, p=0.05) serving for each vegetable even though all encouragement had ceased. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals: Teacher encouragement is essential when initially implementing elementary school vegetable snack programs because of the strong positive and potentially lasting impact on student consumption.

Background: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) directed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise school meal standards. Students are most affected by efforts to improve the school food environment; yet, few studies directly include students. This study examined high school students' experiences of school meal reform to gain insight into implementation recommendations. Methods: We conducted 5 focus groups with high school students (N = 15) from high schools across 9 states. We also conducted follow-up interviews to further explore personal experiences. Focus groups and interview transcripts were coded and organized in Atlas.ti v7 by analysts, following principles of constant comparative analysis. Results: Students reported overall positive perceptions of the revised school meal standards and supported continued efforts to improve the food environment. Recommendations to improve the food environment included engaging students, focusing on the quality and palatability of meal items, moving toward scratch-cooking, and addressing cafeteria infrastructure. Conclusions: Students' recommendations point to opportunities where school districts, as well as local, state, and federal organizations can work to improve the school food environment. Their insights are directly relevant to USDA's recently released Local School Wellness Policy final rule, of which school meal standards are one provision.

Background: Little is known about adolescents' food purchasing behaviors in rural areas. This study examined whether purchasing food at stores/restaurants around schools was related to adolescents' participation in school breakfast programs and overall diet in rural Minnesota. Methods: Breakfast-skippers enrolled in a group-randomized intervention in 2014 to 2015 (N = 404 from 8 schools) completed 24-hour dietary recalls and pre/post surveys assessing food establishment purchase frequency. Healthy Eating Index Scores (HEI-2010) were calculated for each student. Student-level school breakfast participation (SBP) was obtained from school food service records. Mixed-effects regression models estimated: (1) whether SBP was associated with store/restaurant use at baseline, (2) whether an increase in SBP was associated with a decrease in store/restaurant use, and (3) whether stores/restaurant use was associated with HEI-2010 scores at baseline. Results: Students with increased SBP were more likely to decrease fast-food restaurant purchases on the way home from school (OR 1.017, 95% CI 1.005, 1.029), but were less likely to decrease purchases at food stores for breakfast (OR 0.979, 95% CI 0.959, 0.999). Food establishment use was associated with lower HEI-2010 dairy component scores (p = 0.017). Conclusions: Increasing participation in school breakfast may result in modest changes in purchases at food establishments.

The authors of this article discuss wellness policies in relation to nutrition education. The article describes some of the most interesting national initiatives for engaging students in nutrition education and encouraging healthy eating. For example, programs such as the Vermont FEED program and the Burlington School Food Project involve students in the selection, growth, preparation, and service of the foods offered in their school meals. This article also provides suggestions for how the physical educator can contribute to developing students who are committed to eating a well-balanced diet.

The theme of health offers a variety of language-learning possibilities. This three-part lesson plan for young learners can be adapted to other audiences. It includes a reading, a dialogue, and a listening script. The first lesson asks learners to analyze lifestyle choices and give advice. The second lesson takes students to a sporting goods store, where they consider the language they need to talk with a sales clerk. The third lesson is about food choices, including ways to prepare foods. A follow-up activity researches how a famous athlete stays healthy.