Switching regular salt (sodium chloride) to salt enriched with potassium chloride (25 % potassium chloride, 75 % sodium chloride) has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to define the potential for the current production of sodium chloride and potassium chloride to support a global switch to the use of potassium-enriched salt.

We summarised data from geological surveys, government reports and trade organisations describing the global production and supply of sodium chloride and potash (the primary source of potassium chloride) and compared this to potential requirements for potassium-enriched salt.

Global.

Not applicable.

Approximately 280 million tonnes of sodium chloride were produced in 2020 with China and the USA the main producers. Global production of potash from which potassium chloride is extracted was about forty-four million tonnes with Canada, Belarus, Russia and China providing 77 % of the world’s supply. There were forty-eight countries in which potassium-enriched salt is currently marketed with seventy-nine different brands identified. Allowing for loss of salt between manufacture and consumption, a full global switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt would require about 9·7 million tonnes of sodium chloride to be replaced with 9·7 million tonnes of potassium chloride annually.

Significant upscaling of the production of potassium chloride and the capacity of companies able to manufacture potassium-enriched salt, as well as a robust business case for the switch to potassium chloride, would be required.

To explore what Australian primary school parents want to learn about food and nutrition to improve their children’s eating behaviours, as well as the associations between parents’ personal and demographic characteristics and their views regarding their food and nutrition knowledge needs.

An online nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021 using a mixed-methods approach. Logistic regression analysis was utilised to examine the relationship between parents’ demographics, personal values and their views. Content analysis was performed using Leximancer.

Australia.

Seven hundred and eighty-seven parents.

Fifty-one per cent wanted to learn more about food and nutrition to improve their children's healthy eating habits, and 77% of those preferred schools to provide that information. Online/printed newsletters and YouTube were the most preferred methods for receiving food and nutrition related information. Higher universalism-concern value (concern for the welfare of those in the larger society and world) scores were positively associated parents’ preference for schools to provide food and nutrition-related information. Parents with non-English-speaking backgrounds and younger parents were more likely to want to learn about food and nutrition. Parents wanted to learn more about encouraging healthy eating, ideas for the lunchbox, food labels and age-specific portion sizes and recommendations.

Findings can inform public health educators and assist them in designing future food and nutrition education programmes and resources targeting primary school parents.

This study explored social and behavioural factors associated with a home fortification of complementary foods program among families of undernourished children in 14 rural communities in Honduras.

We collected and analysed survey data from a convenience sample of 196 households participating in a nutritional program using home fortification of complementary foods in 2017. The program supplied families with a soy-based atole powder fortified with micronutrients. A research team completed a face-to-face survey exploring social and behavioural factors associated with nutritional supplement use. Anthropometric measurements for participating children were abstracted from health clinic records of previous quarterly appointments.

The study took place in San Jose del Negrito, Honduras.

Participants were parents or guardians of children enrolled in the nutrition program.

Nearly half of participant families shared the nutritional supplement with other family members besides the index child, while 10 % reported using the supplement as a meal replacement for the child. Low education level of mothers was associated with improper use of the supplement (P = 0·005). Poorer families were more likely to share the supplement (P = 0·013).

These results highlight the challenges of programs using home fortification of complementary foods in the context of food scarcity. Findings highlight the importance of increasing rural children’s overall caloric intake, perhaps by increasing access to locally available protein sources. Results also suggest transitioning nutritional programs to family-based interventions to increase overall intended compliance to nutrition programming.

Increasing prevalence of overweight and obese people in England has led policymakers to consider regulating the use of price promotions on foods high in fat, sugar and salt content. In January 2019, the government opened a consultation programme for a policy proposal that significantly restricts the use of price promotions that can induce consumers to buy higher volumes of unhealthy foods and beverages. These proposed policies are the first of their kind in public health and are believed to reduce excess purchasing and, therefore, overconsumption of unhealthy products. This study summarises evidence relating price promotions to the purchasing of food and drink for home consumption and places it in the context of the proposed policy.

Non-systematic review of quantitative analyses of price promotions in food and drink published in peer-reviewed journals and sighted by PubMed, ScienceDirect & EBSCOhost between 1980 and January 2018.

While the impact of price promotions on sales has been of interest to marketing academics for a long time with modelling studies showing that its use has increased food and drink sales by 12–43 %, it is only now being picked up in the public health sphere. However, existing evidence does not consider the effects of removing or restricting the use of price promotions across the food sector. In this commentary, we discuss existing evidence, how it deals with the complexity of shoppers’ behaviour in reacting to price promotions on foods and, importantly, what can be learned from it in this policy context.

The current evidence base supports the notion that price promotions increase purchasing of unhealthy food, and while the proposed restriction policy is yet to be evaluated for consumption and health effects, there is arguably sufficient evidence to proceed. This evidence is not restricted to volume-based promotions. Close monitoring and proper evaluation should follow to provide empirical evidence of its intended and unintended effects.

To evaluate awareness of the Eat Well Campaign (EWC) among parents and assess perceptions about its effectiveness.

Post-campaign evaluation study with a cross-section of parents recruited through random digit dialling. Participants completed an online survey about EWC awareness, its perceived effectiveness among parents and their meal planning practices (attitudes, behaviours and self-efficacy).

A federal mass-media campaign disseminated by Health Canada (2013–2014) to promote meal planning to Canadian parents.

Parents (n 964) of children aged 2–12 years from all Provinces and Territories.

Of respondents, 41 % (390/964) were aware of the campaign; Quebec City and rural Quebec had the highest rates of awareness, whereas Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto had the lowest. Awareness was greater among parents with lower income, basic education and French-speakers. Campaign intensity was significantly associated with greater odds of reporting positive attitudes towards the EWC and meal planning (P < 0·05). Campaign awareness was significantly associated with greater odds of believing that meal planning helps maintain a healthy diet (OR = 1·68, 95 % CI 1·03, 2·74) and planning meals (OR = 1·66, 95 % CI 1·03, 2·54), but not self-efficacy, in adjusted models.

The present study is the first to evaluate an initiative that promoted meal planning with mass media. The EWC demonstrated evidence of success in terms of equitable access to a nutrition initiative by reaching lower-income and less-educated parents. Understanding behavioural factors among different segments of the population will be important to target appropriate audiences and develop tailored interventions that support healthy eating practices.

Nutritional information panels are required on all packaged food products in the USA, yet are perceived as difficult to use by consumers. Nutritional symbols have been developed by various groups to assist consumers in making healthier food purchases. Different nutritional criteria are used depending on the authorizing body of these symbols. The present study assesses the nutrient profile of baby and toddler foods in light of their accompanying nutritional symbols.

Kruskal–Wallis and χ2 tests were used to assess differences in the nutritional content of products based on the presence and issuing body of nutritional symbols.

Nine grocery, drug and department stores in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Two hundred and forty packaged baby and toddler foods.

Products whose nutritional symbol was issued by government/health professionals contained significantly more Ca (P = 0·002), fibre (P = 0·001), protein (P = 0·005), vitamin A (P = 0·011), vitamin C (P < 0·001) and Zn (P < 0·001) and less sugar (P = 0·004) per serving than products without a nutritional symbol and products whose nutritional symbol was issued by the manufacturer.

Products with a nutritional symbol issued by government/health professionals were healthier than foods with nutritional symbols issued by the manufacturer directly and foods with no nutritional symbols.

To determine the current level of activity of Australian local governments in twenty-nine food and nutrition action areas and whether the level of activity had changed between 1995 and 2007.

A cross-sectional study utilising a postal survey was undertaken of all local governments in Australia. The same instrument and protocol were used in 1995 and 2007.

Australian local governments.

Local governments in Australia continue to be engaged in food and nutrition activities. This involvement has constricted in range in the last 12 years but higher levels of engagement are reported for several areas. The levels of involvement of local governments in the different states varied significantly, with Victoria reporting higher levels of involvement in several areas, particularly in food and nutrition activities related to community services. Local governments in New South Wales and Western Australia reported significantly lower levels of involvement in food and nutrition activities. Several factors may have contributed to these differences, including availability of resources and support, mandatory requirements by state governments, different attitudes of General Managers and staff and availability of funds for special projects.

If Australian local governments are to be recognised and supported for their involvements in food and nutrition activities, more in-depth research is required to elucidate the factors that act as barriers or facilitate their on-going involvement in this important area. Support for local governments in rural areas to become or remain engaged in food matters should receive special consideration.