Introduction to the special issue on Balanced diets in food systems: emerging trends and challenges for human health and wellbeing

MUCHENJE, VOSTER; MUKUMBO, FELICITAS E.; DESCALZO, ADRIANA M.; SCHÖNFELDT, HETTIE C.

FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2018 vol. 104 p. 1 - 3

0963-9969

Diets are constantly changing, creating new challenges to existing food systems to deliver the food to meet these requirements. With a new focus on the outcomes of food systems in terms of human health and well-being, the question arises: what are the emerging trends and challenges that are critical to be considered in order to meet these needs.Dietary consumption patterns differ significantly amongst consumers from different regions of the world as well as between societies amongst people with different socio-demographic backgrounds. However for several decades, the amount of energy in the food supply has increased, and inexpensive, processed, energy dense foods have become widely marketed and available (Drewnowski & Darmon, 2005). Consumption of inadequate nutrients is associated with the double burden of malnutrition and disease; as poor quality diets are associated with increasing rates of overweight, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases on one hand, while micronutrient deficiencies lower immunity leading to infectious diseases on the other (Hawks, 2006). Global changes in dietary patterns throughout human history have been influenced by an array of factors including income levels, technological advances, culture and urbanisation. The nutrition transition refers to the emergent trend where the level of income rises and as populations become more urban, diets which are higher in complex carbohydrates and fiber are replaced by more energy dense diets that are higher in sugar and fats (Drewnowski, 2000). Particularly, a paradoxical shift has been reported over the years with developed countries moving towards a more grain, fruit and vegetable-based diet, versus a shift towards replacing fibre and grain-rich traditional diets with a greater proportion of processed foods high in fat and sugar in developing countries (Drewnowski & Popkin, 1997; Drewnowski, 2000; Mathijs, 2015). For example, there was a significant increase in the proportion of energy derived from meat and vegetable oils and a decrease in energy derived from cereals in the Middle East and North Africa over 47 years (1961-2007) (Golzarand et al., 2012). On a global level, evidence suggests that with rising household income levels, a more varied diet is likely to be consumed; with more non-staple food items including animal-sourced food (meat, fish and dairy), vegetable oils, fruits and vegetables; as well as processed foods high in fat, sugar and salt (FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2017) with associated overconsumption of energy due to portion size distortion.