Tag Archives: health

New fashioned shopping values emerging in Britain

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‘New fashioned values’ are emerging in British shoppers in these difficult economic times, according to new research from leading retailer Sainsbury’s.

Having to think more carefully and thoughtfully about household spending, especially on food has triggered a set of new, positive shopping behaviours across all socio-economic groups, says a blog on the retailer’s website.

“Our research shows a deep and widespread change has taken place with 83 percent of Sainsbury’s shoppers having changed their shopping habits in the last year.”

Shoppers are “rediscovering habits of previous generations” – making shopping lists, planning weekly meals, being creative with leftovers and preparing packed lunches. More people are choosing bargains and basic products for everyday needs, but are “enjoying the sense of deferred indulgence that comes from saving up and splashing out on special occasions.”

Sainsbury’s research has also shown that while consumers have reduced their spending, “they actually care more” with quality, integrity and sustainability increasingly becoming the drivers that shape shopping choices, as well as prudence.

“These ‘new fashioned values’ are not a passing phase but represent a fundamental change that is here to stay,” says Sainsbury’s, adding that it launched its 20×20 Sustainability Plan a year ago. The retailer believes its commercial success will continue to depend on continuing to meet and anticipate its customers’ changing needs.

“We can’t do this alone and need the industry, our suppliers and other experts to radically re-examine our ways of doing things, to help meet some of our targets such as doubling the amount of British food we sell and increasing the sales of fairly traded products to £1 billion.”

Market researchers Mintel had analysed Sainsbury’s customer behaviour and reported the findings. The result, a factsheet  ‘The rise of new fashioned values’,  shows that the results span all socio-economic demographics. The research showed that 83 percent of people have changed their shopping habits in response to squeezed family budgets and that fairness to employees, waste and Britain remain similar to last year.

The factsheet shows Sainsbury’s has identified five characteristics of ‘new-fashioned’ values:

  • Savvy sustainability – customers are showing a growing tendency to save and splash out and they also still want to live well.
  • Values re-evaluated – evidence suggests a genuine deepening of values. The economic downturn is not an excuse to abandon issues such as animal welfare, fair-trade or sustainability, even in economy products.
  • Act for me – People have greater, more exacting expectations of companies. “They probe deeper for answers and, largely through digital media, they are far better informed than ever before,” says the report.
  • Health – is now a mainstream consumer issue, “although people are still seeking healthier rather than the healthiest options.”
  • Close to me – While global issues have become increasingly complex and difficult, people are placing greater importance on local matters, “because doing so gives them a greater sense of control and trust.” Customers are also showing more interest than ever in supporting charities and community causes. They are putting more importance on ‘being a good neighbour’ and expect businesses with which they deal to do the same, both locally and nationally.

It also covers how Sainsbury’s is meeting the needs of the new-fashioned shopper, through helping consumers to live the way they want to live and making it easier for them to buy what they need. Making sure customers can be confident about the quality, value and integrity of the products, irrespective of price or range.

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Organic foods not more nutritious, says study

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The argument that organic food, including meat, is more nutritious than conventionally grown food has been cast doubt on by new research, based on an analysis of several hundred studies.

The study by Dr Crystal Smith Spangler and others, published in Annals of Internal Medicine (4 Sept), is the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. Researchers analysed 237 separate studies which compared the organic foods to conventionally grown foods. They did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

As for what the findings mean for consumers, the researchers said their aim is to educate people, not to discourage them from making organic purchases. “If you look beyond health effects, there are plenty of other reasons to buy organic instead of conventional,” noted lead researcher Dena Bravata, from Standford University. She listed taste preferences and concerns about the effects of conventional farming practices on the environment and animal welfare as some of the reasons people choose organic products.

Professor Alan Dangour of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says like a review he and others conducted in 2009, this latest study “again demonstrates there are no important differences in nutrient content between organic and conventionally produced foods.” It also finds no evidence that organic foods are healthier than conventionally produced foods, he adds.

Organic driven by risk aversion

The majority of people who eat organic food are driven by risk aversion not nutritional superiority, believes Liza Oates, a PhD researcher into the health effects of organic diets and course coordinator of Food as Medicine, Wellness and Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Master of Wellness Programme at RMIT University in Melbourne.

“Our research shows organic consumers are more interested in what’s not in their food – such as pesticides and antibiotics – than what is. Most also say that the environmental and social benefits of organic food play a key role in their decision to go organic.”

She points to US research that has shown that eating organic food has a dramatic effect on pesticide residues in children. “Substituting non-organic fruits and vegetables with organics for five days resulted in an almost complete reduction in organophosphate pesticide residues. It is this kind of benefit that many organic consumers are looking for when choosing to buy organic food,” says Oates.

 

Strengthening the nutrition platform

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Fiona Carruthers.

The meat industry, from food technologists to promoters, now has a credible technical resource for nutritional data on beef and lamb, thanks to a bank of recently completed assessments by Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) Inc, writes nutrition manager Fiona Carruthers.

Being able to provide nutritional information is becoming increasingly important. In the United States, for example, there is now a requirement that nutritional information must be shown on package labels for certain whole cuts of meat, such as steak, or displayed on charts at the store. Previously, this information was required only for processed foods or for meat products with added ingredients such as marinades or stuffing.

B+LNZ has recently undertaken a project to assess the nutritional attributes of over 50 cuts of beef and lamb. It is the largest analysis ever done on New Zealand’s red meat. Updating and expanding the nutrition composition database strengthens the platform on which all activities and communications are based. Sound science is an integral part of B+LNZ’s nutrition portfolio and this new analysis provides a credible technical resource accessible to everyone inside and outside the industry.

In this issue, details of the sampling and methodology used in the project are explained, as well as some top line results.

Sampling

Several criteria relating to sampling and methodology had to be fulfilled in order for the new data to be eligible for inclusion in databases globally.

Samples of beef and sheep meat for analysis were derived from meat processors across the country over a six month period. The need to obtain a representative number of samples from each region was deemed unnecessary as regional variation was thought to be minimal given New Zealand’s small geographical area. The same was true for the potential influence of breed or feed on composition; it was requested all samples came from New Zealand cattle and sheep raised and finished on pasture. All of the sheep meat analysed was ‘lamb’, that is under 12 months of age without any permanent incisor teeth ‘in wear’. An ‘average’ lamb carcase was determined by selecting from carcase grades in proportion to the national slaughter statistics. Beef samples came from P2 steer carcases – those classified as having light to medium fat cover with good muscle development – weighing between 270-320kg.

Lean and fat samples were analysed separately, giving the ability to provide compositional data for cuts with varying degrees of fat trim, or fully lean, as appropriate. The need for this flexibility is underlined by evidence showing many consumers trim fat after purchasing meat, either before or after cooking.

Methodology

For each of the 23 beef and 25 lamb cuts analysed, an average of 10 samples was collected to give a total combined sample of 3kg lean tissue for both cooked and uncooked product. Sample tissue was prepared by separating bone, fat and lean muscle by boning knife. Analysis was carried out on both raw and cooked samples, using appropriate cooking methods advised by B+LNZ’s food specialist. The diagram below  summarises the procedure followed up to the stage of freeze-drying.

Nutrition methodology flow-chart.

Widely-accepted laboratory procedures were used, in line with the requirements of international nutrient databases. A total of 25 nutrients, including proximate analysis, and 40 fatty acids were analysed in the lean and fat samples. Additional data in this new data set includes figures for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D. Full amino-acid profiles were determined for four uncooked, lean cuts of both beef and lamb.

Results

Fat

The new data shows New Zealand beef and lamb continue to be low fat protein options for consumers, particularly when eaten trimmed of visible fat. Many cuts remain eligible for the Heart Foundation ‘Tick’.

  • Average total fat content across all lean cuts (uncooked) = 4.66g/100g for beef, 4.65g/100g for lamb
  • Average saturated fat content across all lean cuts (uncooked) = 2.17g/100g for beef, 2.45g/100g for lamb
  • Average cholesterol content across all lean cuts (uncooked) = 43.5mg/100g for beef, 63.5mg/100g for lamb

Omega 3s

Oily fish and other seafood are undoubtedly the richest sources of omega 3s. Lean red meat provides smaller amounts but contribution to the diet may be significant when relative amounts eaten are considered.

  • Average long chain omega 3s across all lean cuts (uncooked) = 41mg/100g for beef, 48mg/100g for lamb.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is gaining an increasing amount of scientific ‘air-time’, both due to its importance in the diet and increasing levels of insufficiency seen in the New Zealand population and other developed countries. Meat has been viewed historically as a poor source of vitamin D, but 25-OH vitamin D3 is now being recognised as a more ‘potent’ form, with a potency factor of 1.5 – 5 suggested by researchers working in this area. Initial analysis of the vitamin D data shows 100g of beef or lamb can provide about 10% of the daily vitamin D requirement (NZ/Aus = 5μg).

Nutrient claims

Data suggests eligibility for a range of nutrient claims, for example ,g iron, zinc, protein and vitamin B12, according to the trans Tasman Food Standards Code, both as a ‘source’ (≥10% RDI) and ‘good source’ (≥25% RDI), as well as being low in sodium.

This new data confirms lean New Zealand beef and lamb can be promoted on its nutritional attributes. As a nutrient-dense food, a small serving of lean red meat gives large amounts of important nutrients for good health.

Further information is available from Fiona Carruthers, nutrition manager, B+LNZ. Email: [email protected].

Published in Food NZ (June/July 2012).

 

Red meat mortality claims rebuffed

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Courtesy: B+LNZ Ltd

A recent American study of 121,432 US health professionals has come to the conclusion that consumption of red and processed meats is associated with an increased risk of early deaths from cancer and heart-disease. However, nothing could be further from the truth say nutritional experts.

The Harvard University paper ‘Red Meat Consumption and Mortality’ authored by An Pan and Qi Sun, plus associates, appeared in Archives of Internal Medicine. It dealt with two long-term studies that ran between 1980 and 2008 of two cohorts of professionals and documented 23,926 deaths. The researchers quizzed participants on their eating and lifestyle factors.

The boldly-stated conclusion of the authors was that: “Red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of total, cardio-vascular disease and cancer mortality. Substitution of other healthy protein sources for red meat is associated with a lower mortality risk.”

British qualified nutritionist and obesity researcher Zoe Harcombe, who has analysed the data, suggests there are numerous key problems with the study and says that “the study can at best suggest an observed relationship, or association. To make accusations about causation and risk is ignorant and erroneous.”

She also notes that the numbers are very small. “The overall risk of dying was not even one person in a hundred over a 28 year study. “If the death-rate is very small, a possible slightly higher death rate in certain circumstances is still very small. It does not warrant a scare-tactic ’13 percent greater risk of dying [from unprocessed red meat]’ headline – this is science at it’s worst,” she asserts.

Fiona Carruthers, nutrition manager for Beef + Lamb NZ agrees, pointing out that the methods used to try and predict risk of death from cancer and heart disease in this study are known to be inaccurate and unreliable. “The researchers themselves acknowledge the limitations of how they measured the amount of specific foods eaten, including red meat.”

Other similar studies have shown no risk at all, she says. “There are a number of risk factors for cancer and heart disease; obesity remains the most prevalent. Singling out one food in a condition influenced by such a wide range of factors is misleading.”

The scientific and medical communities agree eating lean red meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet is beneficial to health. It is an excellent source of protein, readily available iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin D and a range of B vitamins, as well as being a low-fat food.

“The results of a single study never change dietary advice or recommendations and this is no exception,” Carruthers says. “New Zealand beef and lamb contribute significant amounts of several nutrients to the diets of New Zealanders. Consumers should therefore be advised to continue to enjoy red meat three to four times a week as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.”

Published in from Food NZ magazine (April/May 2012).