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Social situations can present challenges for those looking to reduce or avoid eating meat. In an experimental vignette study with a large representative sample of 1,117 UK-based meat eaters, we explore affective responses to requests for vegetarian meals and perceptions of those making the request across four social situations: a BBQ, a pub, a restaurant dinner, and a dinner party. We examine moderators of these perceptions including whether the requester presents themselves as vegetarian or a meat restrictor and whether they cite health, environmental or no motives for their request. Overall, we find that these moderators have a greater impact on meat eaters' perceptions of the requester than on their affective responses to the request. We also find that these outcomes are more impacted by the mention of motives than they are diet type. Standout findings include evidence that people citing environmental motives for their vegetarian meal request are perceived more negatively, while those with health motives are perceived more positively. We also identify substantial heterogeneity across the respondents' levels of meat attachment: those who are more attached to meat have more negative perceptions of vegetarian meal requesters and experience higher negative affect and lower positive affect in response to the request. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging restaurant guests to order vegetarian dishes plays a key role in creating a more environmentally sustainable tourism sector. However, for many consumers eating a meat dish is an important aspect of their enjoyment-focused restaurant experience. Identifying new approaches that support restaurants in selling more vegetarian dishes are urgently needed. Drawing from hedonic psychology and affective forecasting theory, this study tests two interventions aimed at directing ordering towards specific vegetarian dishes in a scenario-based survey experiment with 742 consumers. Results show the potential of affective forecasting as a promising psychological mechanism. Displaying an appetising picture of a vegetarian dish on a menu increases stated ordering of the dish because the picture directs consumer attention to the dish and triggers them to imagine eating the dish. Consumers who imagine eating the dish feel stronger anticipated enjoyment of eating it. Adding to the picture an invitation to imagine eating the dish does not further increase the effect. This study explains the psychological mechanism of how a picture of an appetising vegetarian dish changes food choices and provides restaurants with a cost-effective measure to direct ordering towards more environmentally sustainable dishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: This study investigated collegians’ (N = 466) vegetable consumption as a function of their food choice motivations, gender, and dietary habits. Method: Vegetarians and vegans (veg*ns, n = 94, 60% women), occasional meat eaters (n = 90, 66% women), and omnivores (n = 282, 43% women) completed the Food Choice Questionnaire and reported frequency of vegetable consumption. Results: Veg*ns consumed vegetables more frequently than omnivores and occasional meat eaters. Veg*ns’ and occasional meat eaters’ food choices were more motivated by natural content, health, and ethics, and less motivated by familiarity compared to omnivores. Women were more motivated than men by weight control. Health concerns predicted vegetable consumption for all dietary groups. Additionally, familiarity predicted veg*ns vegetable consumption, whereas mood, natural content, and convenience predicted omnivores’ vegetable consumption. Conclusions: Individual differences in dietary habits and food choice motivations should be considered when designing strategies to promote healthful diets for university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging field of prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA) offers opportunities for evaluating the environmental impacts of possible future consumption shifts. One such shift involves a transition from meat‐based to plant‐forward diets, acknowledged to mitigate environmental impacts of the food system under present day conditions. Current diets are often meat intensive (“meat‐based”), whilst “plant‐forward” diets include mainly plant‐based foods, encompassing flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Here we illustrate the application of pLCA in a case study of meal options, implementing shared socio‐economic pathway scenarios in the LCA background system to represent future production conditions. We assess the climate footprints and land‐based biodiversity footprints of a typical meat‐based meal in Germany and Indonesia compared to a plant‐forward meal in both countries (i.e., four meals), now and in 2050. Our findings show that the plant‐forward alternative maintains a lower impact per serving in all future scenarios. At the same time, the reduction in impact for the meat‐based meals is more pronounced in future scenarios due to shifts in the agricultural system. Our findings highlight the importance of supply‐side measures to produce lower‐impact ingredients, complementing demand‐side interventions to reshape food consumption. Results are further evaluated in cultural and nutritional contexts, highlighting the practical decision‐making constraints faced by consumers. We find potential “leakage” effects in calories and nutrition when choosing a lower‐impact, plant‐forward meal. These leakage effects should be considered in future studies seeking to evaluate the environmental implications of meal substitutions in the context of broader dietary requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing concerns about health, animal welfare, and the environment, changes in dietary patterns are emerging, as evidenced by the gradual shift toward plant‐rich diets. To appropriately plan vegetarian meals with high consumer satisfaction that would help promote this dietary pattern and ultimately improve the sustainability of food systems, meal acceptability testing would be crucial. The present work aims to investigate the influence of individual food components' acceptability on the overall meal acceptability in vegetarian diets. Over four taste‐testing periods, 94 panelists of US nationality recruited from Cornell University staff (47 males and 47 females; 30–50 years of age) were asked to rate the acceptability of 41 vegetarian meals containing various food category items, including a main dish, side dish, appetizer, salad, soup, bread, dessert, beverage, and a control food. Each meal included six menu items to ensure the tested foods resembled a typical meal. Consequently, some meals lacked one or more of the nine total food categories. Participants were asked to rate the acceptability of the six meal items and the overall meal acceptability on a 9‐point hedonic scale. Multiple imputation was used to fill in any missing data, and multiple linear regression analysis was then performed. Through this study, a model that predicts the overall meal acceptability of vegetarian diets based on individual meal category components was developed with an R‐squared value of .7033, suggesting that around 70.33% of the variation in overall meal acceptability could be explained by the nine food category predictors. The findings also suggested that the most influential food item on overall meal acceptability was the main dish followed by the side dish. For every unit increase in the acceptability score of the main dish on a 9‐point hedonic scale, the overall meal acceptability increased by 0.324 points. The positive findings would be beneficial to food service providers in designing a vegetarian meal with high meal acceptability. By focusing on optimizing the acceptability of these two key categories, menu planners can effectively elevate customers' satisfaction of their meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetarian diets are plant-based diets including all the edible foods from the Plant Kingdom, such as grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Dairy and eggs can be added in small amounts in the lacto-ovo-vegetarian subtype, or not at all in the vegan subtype. The abundance of non-processed plant foods—typical of all well-planned diets, including vegetarian ones—can provide the body with numerous protective factors (fiber, phytocompounds), while limiting the intake of harmful nutrients like saturated fats, heme-iron, and cholesterol. The beneficial effects on health of this balance have been reported for many main chronic diseases, in both observational and intervention studies. The scientific literature indicates that vegetarians have a lower risk of certain types of cancer, overall cancer, overweight-obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and vascular diseases. Since the trend of following a vegetarian diet is increasing among citizens of developed countries, the knowledge in the field will benefit from further studies confirming the consistency of these findings and clarifying the effects of vegetarian diets on other controversial topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the lack of resources required to meet the demands of a growing population is increasingly evident, plant-based diets can be seen as part of the solution, also addressing ethical, environmental, and health concerns. The rise of vegetarian and vegan food regimes is a powerful catalyzer of a transition from animal-based diets to plant-based diets, which foments the need for innovation within the food industry. Vegetables and fruits are a rich source of protein, and bioactive compounds such as dietary fibres and polyphenols and can be used as technological ingredients (e.g., thickening agents, emulsifiers, or colouring agents), while providing health benefits. This review provides insight on the potential of plant-based ingredients as a source of alternative proteins, dietary fibres and antioxidant compounds, and their use for the development of food- and alternative plant-based products. The application of these ingredients on meat analogues and their impact on health, the environment and consumers' acceptance are discussed. Given the current knowledge on meat analogue production, factors like cost, production and texturization techniques, upscaling conditions, sensory attributes and nutritional safety are factors that require further development to fully achieve the full potential of plant-based meat analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the need for a qualification in the training occupation of chef for vegetarian and vegan food production, which is increasingly being offered due to high demand and economic attractiveness. It compares existing offers and shows the necessity of adapting dual training. Market analyses and statistical data underline the demand for a readjustment of the recently reorganized/modernized training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although vegetarian and vegan (veg*an) diets can have various health, environmental and animal welfare benefits, they remain socially contentious. Despite the fundamentally social nature of eating, in situ investigations of the social-interactional elements of dietary identities have so far been lacking. Using a recently developed remotely moderated focus group design, we explore (across 25 discussions involving 122 participants) the discursive management of veg*an ‘identity flashpoints’ during discussion with meat-eaters. Our discursive analyses explore how these moments in conversation arise and are handled in real-time within the unfolding interaction. We demonstrate how two particularly interactionally consequential features of veg*an accounts of their practice become constructed within these encounters. Firstly, personal accounts of veg*anism are interactionally preferred to moral accounts. Secondly, demonstrating continued liking of meat was necessary to be met with group acceptance among majority meat-eating groups. These features shed light on the social interactional perils of veg*an attempts to engage in persuasion with meat-eaters, particularly those based on moral grounds. Our novel methodology affords detailed analyses of how veg*ans navigate the performance of their identities in their daily interactions with dietary outgroups, providing insight into micro-level processes that might underpin, or hamper, processes of societal change in the dietary domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite the fact that China amounts to one-fifth of the world’s population, has a higher proportion of the elderly, and has a higher prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture, limited studies have investigated the association between dietary patterns and bone mineral density (BMD) as well as fracture risk among the elderly Chinese population. We aimed to investigate the association between different dietary patterns and BMD as well as the risk of fractures, and this association may vary between elderly women and men. Methods: Building upon the China Osteoporosis Prevalence Study, we included 17,489 subjects aged ≥40 years old randomly sampled across 44 counties/ districts of 11 provinces or municipalities in China who completed a food frequency questionnaire. BMD was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Vertebral fracture was defined based on lateral spine radiographs using the semi-quantitative technique of Genant. Results: A diet rich in “carnivorous”, “vegetarian”, “dairy, fruit, and egg” was significantly associated with higher BMD at total hip (TH), femoral neck (FN), and lumbar spine 1–4 (L1–4). Yet, a diet rich in “beverage and fried food” was associated with a lower BMD at the FN and L1–4. High quartiles of the carnivorous diet were associated with 34%–39% reduced risk of clinical fracture in the past 5 years and vertebral fracture. Stronger associations were observed among women. Sensitivity analysis among postmenopausal women presented even stronger positive associations between carnivorous and vegetarian diets and high BMD, as well as between carnivorous diet and reduced risk of fractures. Conclusions: Our study suggested that a diet rich in meat, vegetables, and dairy, fruit, and eggs might be associated with greater BMD and a lower fracture risk, while beverage and fried foods may be associated with a lower BMD at L1–4, especially among elderly women. These findings are relevant to provide recommendations on dietary nutrition regarding the elderly population at high risk of osteoporosis and fractures, especially postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIndia, a global leader in agriculture, faces sustainability challenges in feeding its population. Although primarily a vegetarian population, the consumption of animal derived proteins has tremendously increased in recent years. Excessive dependency on animal proteins is not environmentally sustainable, necessitating the identification of alternative smart proteins. Smart proteins are environmentally benign and mimic the properties of animal proteins (dairy, egg and meat) and are derived from plant proteins, microbial fermentation, insects and cell culture meat (CCM) processes. This review critically evaluates the technological, safety, and sustainability challenges involved in production of smart proteins and their consumer acceptance from Indian context. Under current circumstances, plant-based proteins are most favorable; however, limited land availability and impending climate change makes them unsustainable in the long run. CCM is unaffordable with high input costs limiting its commercialization in near future. Microbial-derived proteins could be the most sustainable option for future owing to higher productivity and ability to grow on low-cost substrates. A circular economy approach integrating agri-horti waste valorization and C1 substrate synthesis with microbial biomass production offer economic viability. Considering the use of novel additives and processing techniques, evaluation of safety, allergenicity, and bioavailability of smart protein products is necessary before large-scale adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancer are the two main leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Suboptimal diet, poor in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grain, and rich in processed and red meat, refined grains, and added sugars, is a primary modifiable risk factor. Based on health, economic and ethical concerns, plant-based diets have progressively widespread worldwide. Objective: This umbrella review aims at assessing the impact of animal-free and animal-products-free diets (A/APFDs) on the risk factors associated with the development of cardiometabolic diseases, cancer and their related mortalities. Data sources: PubMed and Scopus were searched for reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published from 1st January 2000 to 31st June 2023, written in English and involving human subjects of all ages. Primary studies and reviews/meta-analyses based on interventional trials which used A/APFDs as a therapy for people with metabolic diseases were excluded. Data extraction: The umbrella review approach was applied for data extraction and analysis. The revised AMSTAR-R 11-item tool was applied to assess the quality of reviews/meta-analyses. Results: Overall, vegetarian and vegan diets are significantly associated with better lipid profile, glycemic control, body weight/BMI, inflammation, and lower risk of ischemic heart disease and cancer. Vegetarian diet is also associated with lower mortality from CVDs. On the other hand, no difference in the risk of developing gestational diabetes and hypertension were reported in pregnant women following vegetarian diets. Study quality was average. A key limitation is represented by the high heterogeneity of the study population in terms of sample size, demography, geographical origin, dietary patterns, and other lifestyle confounders. Conclusions: Plant-based diets appear beneficial in reducing cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as CVDs, cancer risk and mortality. However, caution should be paid before broadly suggesting the adoption of A/AFPDs since the strength-of-evidence of study results is significantly limited by the large study heterogeneity alongside the potential risks associated with potentially restrictive regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected independently owned restaurants with implications for food access and health equity. Changes in healthy food availability (HFA) were examined in a randomly selected sample of Hispanic Caribbean restaurants in New York City, before and after the COVID-19 onset (n = 76), using an adapted Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Restaurants. An overall decrease in HFA scores was found and changes HFA components (fried foods and vegetarian options increased, 100% fruit juice decreased, p < 0.10). Changes were examined against restaurant characteristics. This work augments our understanding of ethnic restaurants and the nutrition implications of business adaptations when responding to emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to provide an ex-post assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in the EU-27 countries expressed by physical and economic food access. We analysed trade and price effects, together with food insecurity and malnutrition indicators. Actual levels of the indicators were compared with their pre-pandemic magnitudes and/or with counterfactual levels derived from predictive models. We also aimed to compare the objective statistics with the subjective consumers' perception of their households' food security. Our research indicates that the EU food trade was more resilient to COVID-19 impacts than the trade in non-food products, while food trade decreases were of a temporary nature. This did not affect the trade balance significantly; however, the import reduction threatened the physical food access in most EU countries. Regarding economic food access, the results indicate that the increase in food prices was offset by the increase in disposable income. It may suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the deterioration of economic access to food in the EU countries. However, the prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population or the proportion of households reporting inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent increased in 2020–2021 compared to 2019. This means that the comparative analysis of the real data on prices and households' income, as well as consumer financial situation and food consumption affordability, does not offer a clear answer concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food security of EU households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cefaclor is a bactericidal antibiotic recommended for treating diverse types of infections. This review aims to comprehensively assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) data on cefaclor in humans. Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EBSCO databases were systematically performed to identify all the relevant studies containing at least one reported PK parameter of cefaclor. Cefaclor shows the linear PK profile as the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to t (AUC0-t) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) increase in a dose-dependent manner. The AUC0-t of cefaclor in the rice diet was found to be higher than that of bread food, i.e. 19.9 ± 2.6 ug/ml.hr vs 15.4 ± 4 ug/ml.hr. The AUC in paediatrics during the fed state was significantly higher compared to that in adults. Patients with renal impairments showed a Cmax 2.2 times higher than that of normal subjects. A significant increase in Cmax was depicted among individuals following a vegetarian diet in comparison with the non-vegetarian diet. Moreover, cefaclor exhibits time-dependent killing above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC < 2 ug), favouring its use in treating infections caused by specific pathogens. This systematic review summarises all the reported PK parameters of cefaclor in healthy and diseased subjects in the literature. This data can help practitioners in adjusting cefaclor doses among different diseases and populations to avoid drug interactions and adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyse the frequency of orange-fleshed sweet potato and pumpkin consumption, the social representations of sous-vide cooked vegetarian ready-to-eat meals (vegetable millefeuille, vegetable mixture and sweet potato provencal), and the correlation between the three meals mentioned, food neophobia and willingness to buy and try. The study involved 1 034 individuals aged 18 and above from Argentina. A correspondence analysis was performed to visualize the attributes of three stimuli evaluated through word association. The results reflect a high frequency of words related to hedonic terms. A negative correlation between the participants' levels of food neophobia and their willingness to buy and try each product was found. Participants with lower levels of neophobia showed a greater intention to consume and purchase the vegetable millefeuille and the vegetable mix. Participants with higher neophobia scores demonstrated less willingness to buy sweet potatoes provencal. Using pumpkin and sweet potato as ingredients of prepared dishes presents an opportunity to increase the demand and added value of widely available vegetables that are part of the world gastronomy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the association of individual foods and nutrients with glioma have been investigated, studies on the association of major dietary patterns and glioma are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the association between major dietary patterns and risk of glioma in a group of Iranian adults. In this hospital-based case–control design, we recruited 128 newly diagnosed glioma cases and 256 controls in Tehran from 2009 to 2011. A Willett-format-validated 126-item semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess participants' dietary intake. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. We identified 3 major dietary patterns using factor analysis: high protein, vegetarian and western dietary pattern. After several adjustments for potential confounders, adherence to the high protein dietary pattern was inversely associated with risk of glioma (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95). Consumption of vegetarian dietary pattern was also associated with a reduced risk of glioma (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.34). Greater adherence to the western dietary pattern was associated with a greater chance of glioma (OR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.52, 7.17). We found that high protein, vegetarian and western dietary pattern were significantly associated with glioma risk. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The MIP bi-objective model can reduce food waste by 19.70 % and cost by 32.66 %. • On average, children waste 35.43 % of their meals, and eat 41.32 g less than adults. • The pediatric ward has the most food waste per meal, leading to a 20 % reduction. • The vegetarian diet exhibits the highest food waste and meal-building cost. • In areas of greatest waste and cost, the models achieved the greatest improvements. Food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions and represents a substantial portion of overall waste within hospital facilities. Furthermore, uneaten food leads to a diminished nutritional intake for patients, that typically are vulnerable and ill. Therefore, this study developed mathematical models for constructing patient meals in a 1000-bed hospital located in Florida. The objective is to minimize food waste and meal-building costs while ensuring that the prepared meals meet the required nutrients and caloric content for patients. To accomplish these objectives, four mixed-integer programming models were employed, incorporating binary and continuous variables. The first model establishes a baseline for how the system currently works. This model generates the meals without minimizing waste or cost. The second model minimizes food waste, reducing waste up to 22.53 % compared to the baseline. The third model focuses on minimizing meal-building costs and achieves a substantial reduction of 37 %. Finally, a multi-objective optimization model was employed to simultaneously reduce both food waste and cost, resulting in reductions of 19.70 % in food waste and 32.66 % in meal-building costs. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of multi-objective optimization in reducing waste and costs within large-scale food service operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the life and work of Fania Lewando, a vegetarian author and restaurateur in Poland during the early 20th century. Lewando's cookbook, "Vegetarish-Dietisher Kokhbukh," contains 408 vegetarian recipes that draw from traditional Ashkenazic cookery as well as Polish and Lithuanian cuisines. The article highlights the authoritative nature of Lewando's voice and the challenges she faced as a Yiddish writer in a time when the Polish language was finding a new voice. The article also emphasizes the importance of seasonal vegetables in Jewish cooking and the lasting impact of Lewando's recipes. [Extracted from the article]

• This review supports a non-inferiority of vegetarian plus creatine and ovolactovegetarian diets compared omnivorous diet when both have adequate supply of nutrients. • In randomized clinical trials testing creatine supplementation for mixed and vegetarian diets, different than expected, both had similar benefits from supplementation, even though the vegetarians possibly had a previous muscle creatine deficit. • There is a significant lack of studies with women in this area. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the scientific evidence in relation to neuromuscular adaptations to physical exercise in vegetarians versus omnivores. A thorough literature search of randomized clinical trials was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane), CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science without limitation of the starting date until June of 2021. Trials were eligible for inclusion if they measured the effect of diet (vegetarian or vegan versus omnivorous) of physical activity practitioners on neuromuscular adaptations, such as strength, power, endurance, and muscle hypertrophy. Eleven studies were selected, most performed with males. The intervention period ranged from one 1 to 12 weeks, and four studies supplement creatine. No statistically significant difference was observed for most parameters, only one study found difference in the strength where it was significantly higher for the vegetarian diet group. Of the studies that had creatine supplementation in one, the peak power output was greater for the mixed diet than for vegetarians, and in the other, vegetarians had total work performance greater than omnivores. Vegetarian plus creatine and ovolactovegetarian diets seem to have no inferiority compared to the omnivorous diet in relation to neuromuscular adaptations to exercise, but caution still required for other vegetarian diets which that may not provide adequate amounts of protein and micronutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence shows that a healthy lifestyle can promote physical and mental well-being in the general population. However, there are few studies that assess the adherence to a healthy lifestyle in vegetarian and non-vegetarian university students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in adherence to a healthy lifestyle between vegetarian and non-vegetarian university students in Peru. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out considering data from 6,846 students selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS), the Peruvian validation of the Vegetarian Lifestyle Index (VLI), was used. In addition, sociodemographic and anthropometric data such as weight and height were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. Results: Semi-vegetarian and vegetarian students had a high healthy lifestyle score compared to non-vegetarians. In addition, vegetarian diets showed a significantly higher proportion among students with a lower BMI (normal and underweight). Students with excess body weight (overweight and obesity) were less likely to report healthy lifestyle. In the overall population analyzed, it was observed that the levels of health and lifestyle behaviors, such as daily exercise and sunlight exposure, were mostly moderate and low. Additionally, sweets intake was high, while healthy food consumption such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains was low. Conclusion: The current findings show that although vegetarians had better adherence to a healthy lifestyle, interventions in the university setting are needed to improve healthy lifestyle in university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss for food production is a key threat to global biodiversity. Despite the importance of dietary choices on our capacity to mitigate the on-going biodiversity crisis, unlike with specific ingredients or products, consumers have limited information on the biodiversity implications of choosing to eat a certain popular dish. Here we estimated the biodiversity footprints of 151 popular local dishes from around the world when globally and locally produced and after calorical content standardization. We find that specific ingredients (beef, legumes, rice) encroaching on biodiversity hotspots with already very high agricultural pressure (e.g. India) lead to high biodiversity footprint in the dishes. Examples of high-biodiversity-footprint popular dishes were beef dishes such as fraldinha (beef cut dish) originating from Brazil and legume dishes such as chana masala (chickpea curry) from India. Regardless of assuming locally or globally produced, feedlot or pasture livestock production, vegan and vegetarian dishes presented lower biodiversity footprints than dishes containing meat. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of analysing biodiversity footprint at the dish level across multiple countries, making sustainable eating decisions more accessible to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption market research was conducted on gradually increasing vegetarians using various selection attributes. Factors were extracted to identify vegetarian selection attributes and to divide the study cohort into groups, continuous variables (health, animal welfare, eco-friendliness, religion, familiarity, convenience, stability, and cost) and categorical variables (age, marital status, vegetarian duration, and vegetarian frequency) were simultaneously subjected to two-step cluster analysis. Cluster 1 contained high proportions of 20-29 and 30-39 year-olds, which are MZ-generation age groups. A high proportion had a vegetarian duration of 1-3 years, and the popular reasons for vegetarian selection were animal welfare and eco-friendliness. Cluster 2 contained high proportions of 50-59 and 40-49 year-olds, and many in this cluster were married, and mean vegetarian duration was ≥15 years. In addition, significant differences were observed between Clusters 1 and 2 in terms of religion, health, familiarity, cost, stability, and convenience. This study should contribute significantly to predicting vegetarian consumers’ selection decisions and consumption behaviors and provide reliable marketing data for foodservice companies that develop vegetarian foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Food Anthropology in India" by Partho Pratim Seal provides an overview of the development of food culture in India and its historical roots. The author explores topics such as the relationship between Indian food and religion, the influence of rituals and festivals on food practices, and the impact of the environment on Indian cuisine. The book also discusses the political and socio-cultural aspects of food, as well as the globalization of food culture. While the book covers a wide range of topics, some readers may find that it lacks in-depth descriptions. [Extracted from the article]

Considering the lack of an in-depth and comprehensive study on slaughter waste quantification and its management, despite the growing demand for meat this study aims to quantify the slaughter waste generated in Mumbra, Thane, India, from the meat retail stores. The study also endeavors to find the composition of slaughter waste in municipal solid waste by employing the questionnaire survey method. The literature reviewed the published studies on the life cycle analysis of food products for global warming potential values for meat and vegetable products along with the vegetarian and non-vegetarian dietary patterns. In this study, it was observed that 55.93% of the population were non-vegetarian consumers and the composition of slaughter waste was 7% of total municipal solid waste disposed of in disposal sites resulting in greenhouse gas emission of 0.11 Gg CO2 Eq./year. The study presents the implementation of a biomethanation plant as a mitigation measure, along with an evaluation of the theoretical biogas potential and electricity generation capacity derived from slaughter waste, considering it as a potential feedstock. The outcomes of this study also highlight the necessity for further focused research in this specific area, aiming to increase consumer knowledge regarding the environmental impacts of meat-based diets. The finding of this study will help researchers and assists policymakers in facilitating effective management and understanding the scale of the emissions resulting from meat products and slaughter waste and identifying suitable mitigation approaches, and actively contributing to reducing the environmental footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to a plant-based diet presents a number of complex ethical, environmental, and health-related considerations. This trend is not only reshaping consumer diets, but also steering the food industry towards the development of new plant-based products. The primary aim of this study was to examine and identify the sensory similarities and differences in soybean spreads consisting of vegetable purées—specifically, beetroot, pumpkin, broccoli, and carrot—with the addition of spices such as marjoram and cumin. The sensory assessment was conducted using the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). Twenty-three descriptors were selected and defined following the profiling procedure. The sensory properties of soy-based spreads have been significantly altered by the addition of vegetable purées and spices. Adding vegetable purées reduced the intensity of soybean odour and flavour, lowered fatty notes, and resulted in a less dense texture, while enhancing vegetable odour and flavour. This also improved the moisture content and overall sensory quality of the spreads. Although spices did not notably enhance these sensory attributes, soy-based vegetable spreads remain an attractive option for unique vegetarian finger foods and lunch dishes, catering to diverse consumer preferences. The addition of vegetable purées and spices to spreads creates opportunities for innovative and flavourful plant-based options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (Huang hua cai in Chinese) is a perennial herbaceous plant grown for its flower buds that are eaten fresh or dried and is known as the vegetarian three treasures. The nuclear genome of H. citrina has been reported, but the intraspecific variation of the plastome (plastid genome) has not yet been studied. Therefore, the panplastome of this species collected from diverse locations is reported here for the first time. Results: In this study, 65 H. citrina samples were resequenced, de novo assembled, and aligned with the published plastome of H. citrina to resolve the H. citrina panplastome. The sizes of the 65 newly assembled complete plastomes of H. citrina ranged from 156,048 bp to 156,263 bp, and the total GC content ranged from 37.31 to 37.34%. The structure of the complete plastomes showed a typical tetrameric structure, including a large single copy (LSC), a small single copy (SSC), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRA and IRB). Many nucleotide variants were identified between plastomes, among which the variants in the intergenic spacer region were the most abundant, with the highest number of variants concentrated in the LSC region. Based on the phylogenetic tree constructed using the ML method, population structure analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA), the panplastome data were subdivided into five genetic clusters. The C5 genetic cluster was mostly represented by samples from Qidong, Hunan Province, while samples from Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces were classified into the C4 genetic cluster. The greatest genetic diversity was found in the C1 genetic cluster, and the greatest genetic distance between any two clusters was found between the C4 and C5 clusters. Conclusion: The resolution of the panplastome and the analysis of the population structure of H. citrina plastomes provide important data for future breeding projects and germplasm preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Dietary habits depend on the environment, the country, and the community. Changes have the potential to endanger people's health. There will be some dietary-related health issues when traveling. Many Indian students pursue medical studies overseas. A student begins to acclimate to the climate after moving to a new place. In an unfamiliar culture, they alter their way of life, particularly their eating patterns. Understanding the relationship between eating habits and appendicitis in Indian medical students at Jiamusi University in China was the primary goal of the study. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was prepared in consultation with students who have undergone appendectomy within the past 6 months which included students' infographic details, dietary habits in their home, lifestyles, exercise, past illness regarding appendicitis, and adoption of the new lifestyle. Results: In all, 627 medical students from India were included in the study. About 36% of the pupils were female, while 64% of the students were male. In China, just 36% of students continued to follow a vegetarian diet, despite 58% of students being vegetarians at home. Just 61% of students were happy with the food that they were eating, and 82% of students were preparing meals for themselves. Although just 6% of students required hospitalization, over 26% of students experienced difficulties as a result of stomach issues. Conclusion: A rapid shift in diet from vegetarian to non-vegetarian foods can result in appendicitis or other serious gastrointestinal illnesses. Students may prevent appendicitis and other illnesses by continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in world population has led to an increase in global food demand, which is estimated to grow by 35–56% from 2010 to 2050. As a result, the risk of hunger is also expected to rise. Protein consumption between 2000 and 2018 rose by 40% worldwide and is expected to increase at 9.3% cumulative annual growth rate in the near future. Hence, there is a huge demand and potential market available for human and animal protein. Therefore, newer and more protein sources will be required to meet the longer food value chains. Hence, a microbial protein produced using waste biomass could offer socio‐economic benefits and consumer acceptance owing to its vegetarian nature. Moreover, waste biomass‐based proteins are environmentally benign and very good ingredients in food and feed. Dry microbial protein, described as single‐cell protein, grown on agricultural residue, has been considered as a potent source of protein for both humans and animals. Thus, single‐cell protein will open up new opportunities to meet the growing protein demands for humans and animals. Microbially produced beer, cheese and yogurt are all examples of microbial protein sources for humans and animals. The feedstock, like agriculture residue, is relatively cheap and could be a potential source for large‐scale protein production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]