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This book is a broad-ranging and provocative study of the human passion for meat. It will intrigue anyone who has ever wondered why meat is important to us; why we eat some animals but not others; why vegetarianism is increasing; why we aren't cannibals; and how meat is associated with environmental destruction. Part I: Background 1. Food = Meat 2. A Brief History of Meat Eating 3. A Matter of Taste 4. More than a Meal Part II: Meat is Muscle 5. Evolution and Elevation 6. The Power of Meat 7. The Barbarity of Meat Part III: Mixed Meataphors 8. The Reluctant Cannibal 9. Pets and Other Grey Animals 10. The Joy of Sex Part IV: Modern Meatologies 11. Economics 12. Health 13. Ethics 14. Ecology 15. Conclusions

Two independent cross-sectional dietary surveys (the Individual and National Food Consumption Surveys, INCA), performed in 1998–99 (INCA1) and in 2006–07 (INCA2) on nationally representative samples of French people, were used to analyse trends in the dietary habits and nutritional intake of French adults. Food consumption was recorded through 7-d dietary records, and nutritional intakes were assessed using the French food composition database. After exclusion of under-reporters, analyses were performed on 3267 adults, aged 18–79 years: 1345 from INCA1 and 1922 from INCA2. The trends highlighted over the 8-year period showed a decrease in consumption of dairy products, meat, bread, potatoes, pastries/croissant-like pastries/cakes/biscuits and sugar/confectionery. In contrast, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, rice, ice cream and chocolate increased. Other food groups, like fish and snacking foods, remained stable. Food choices were mostly age specific. These age differences remained consistent over the years and underlined two opposite dietary trends: a ‘traditional’ one mainly followed by the elderly, and a ‘snacking and convenience’ one mainly adopted by young adults. The overall trends in food consumption did not influence the mean energy intake, but did slightly modify the contribution of each macronutrient to energy intake. These repeated surveys highlighted the fact that trends in French food habits have moved towards an average European diet at the crossroads between Mediterranean and Northern diets, and that food consumption changes impacted, to a lesser extent, nutritional intake.

Glucocorticoid hormones, acting via nuclear receptors, regulate many metabolic processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. It recently has been recognized that intracellular glucocorticoid concentrations are determined not only by plasma hormone levels, but also by intracellular 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11 beta-HSDs), which interconvert active corticosterone (cortisol in humans) and inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone (cortisone in humans). 11 beta-HSD type 2, a dehydrogenase, thus excludes glucocorticoids from otherwise nonselective mineralocorticoid receptors in the kidney. Recent data suggest the type 1 isozyme (11 beta-HSD-1) may function as an 11 beta-reductase, regenerating active glucocorticoids from circulating inert 11-keto forms in specific tissues, notably the liver. To examine the importance of this enzyme isoform in vivo, mice were produced with targeted disruption of the 11 beta-HSD-1 gene. These mice were unable to convert inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone to corticosterone in vivo. Despite compensatory adrenal hyperplasia and increased adrenal secretion of corticosterone, on starvation homozygous mutants had attenuated activation of the key hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, presumably, because of relative intrahepatic glucocorticoid deficiency. The 11 beta-HSD-1 -/- mice were found to resist hyperglycemia provoked by obesity or stress. Attenuation of hepatic 11 beta-HSD-1 may provide a novel approach to the regulation of gluconeogenesis

The objectives of the present study were to assess the intake of different food groups in French children aged 3–17 years (n 1455), and to analyse trends since a dietary survey undertaken 8 years ago. Dietary intake was evaluated using data from the 2006–7 cross-sectional INCA2 national dietary survey (étude Individuelle Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires), based on a 7 d food record. Dietary intake (percentage of subjects consuming the food group and amount eaten) was assessed for thirty-nine food categories. We observed variations in food consumption by age, sex, North–South regional gradient, seasonal period and educational level of the responding parent. Trends in dietary intake between 1999 and 2007 were determined by comparing the INCA1 (n 1126) and the INCA2 surveys. Both surveys had been carried out using the same methodology. The findings showed a decrease in energy intake in children aged 3–14 years, due to a reduction in the consumption of foods of animal origin and sweetened products. In adolescents aged 15–17 years, energy intake remained rather stable; during this 8-year period, the consumption of meat decreased, whereas the consumption of savoury snacks such as sandwiches and hamburgers significantly increased. These trends occurred during a time of growing concern about overweight and the associated co-morbidities in France. A number of public health measures were implemented over this period to improve dietary habits and physical activity patterns in children and adults. The periodic monitoring of dietary patterns through the INCA surveys is an essential part of the surveillance network in France.

En Guadeloupe, un tiers des sols a été durablement contaminé par un pesticide organochloré, le chlordécone, suite à son utilisation contre le charançon noir du bananier ( Cosmopolite sordidus ) jusqu’au début des années 1990. Cette contamination des sols a en retour impacté différents maillons de la chaîne alimentaire et notamment les animaux d’élevage qui se contaminent en ingérant des particules de sol ou du fourrage contaminé lors du pâturage, mais aussi en ingérant de l’eau contaminée ; ils ne sont alors plus commercialisables si la limite maximale de résidu en chlordécone est atteinte. Les possibilités de diversification des systèmes de production via l’élevage ou plus récemment de contrôle de l’enherbement par les ovins, notamment dans les bananeraies, sont alors fortement contraintes. Des travaux ont démontré qu’il était possible de décontaminer les animaux via une production hors sol. Mais la perception du consommateur vis-à-vis de cette viande issue de la décontamination reste inconnue et soulève la question de l’acceptation dans le cas où ce type de filière viendrait à se développer. Pour répondre à cette problématique, un questionnaire auprès de 309 consommateurs a été réalisé. Les résultats montrent que les consommateurs seraient prêts à consommer une viande ovine décontaminée, mais qu’il existe une défiance vis à vis des structures en charge du contrôle à l’abattoir. In Guadeloupe, a third of the soil has been permanently contaminated by an organochlorine pesticide, chlordecone, following its use against the black banana weevil ( Cosmopolite sordidus ) until the early 1990s. This soil contamination has in turn had an impact on various links in the food chain, particularly livestock, which become contaminated by ingesting soil particles or contaminated fodder when grazing, but also by ingesting contaminated water; they can no longer be marketed if the maximum chlordecone residue limit is reached. This severely limits the scope for diversifying production systems by raising livestock or, more recently, controlling weed growth by sheep, particularly in banana plantations. Research has shown that it is possible to decontaminate animals through off-ground production. However, consumer perception of this decontaminated meat remains unknown, and raises the question of acceptance should this type of industry develop. To address this issue, a questionnaire was sent out to 309 consumers. The results show that consumers would be prepared to eat decontaminated sheep meat, but that there is mistrust of the structures responsible for inspection at the abattoir.

This edited volume presents and reflects upon empirical evidence of 'sustainability'-induced and -related transition in food practices. The material collected in the various chapters contributes to our understanding of the ways in which ideas and preferences, sociotechnological developments and changes in the governance of food interact and become visible in practices of consumption, retail and production.

The total content of fat soluble vitamins and their percentages in the recommended daily intake for humans per 100 g portion, fatty acids composition, the atherogenic (IA) and thrombogenicity (IT) indices in two freshwater fish species - Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European catfish (Sillurus glanis) were investigated. Retinol contents in fresh edible tissues of the Common carp and European catfish were found to be 30.8 +/- 3.4 mg/100 g wet weight (ww) for the Common carp 30.8 +/- 3.4 microg/100 g ww and 1.9 +/- 0.1 microg/100 g ww for the European catfish, cholecalciferol contents 14.8 +/- 1.0 and 3.1 +/- 0.1 microg/100 g ww, and alpha-tocopherol contents 2764.5 +/- 44.0 and 2182.5 +/- 31.5 microg/100 g ww, resp. The sum of monounsaturated FA accounted for 50.02% (catfish) and 23.15% (carp). Polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) showed a higher level in the carp (36.75%) and a lower one in the catfish (21.64%). Both fishes are good sources of cholecalciferol in terms of the recommended daily intake of vitamins established in Bulgaria. Three fat soluble vitamins, n-3 PUFAs content, and IA value were higher in carp. IT values were similar for both species.

Food is increasingly traded internationally, thereby transforming the organization of food production and consumption globally and influencing most food-related practices. This transition is generating unfamiliar challenges related to sustainability of food provision, the social impacts of international trade and global food governance. Distance in time and space between food producers and consumers is increasing and new concerns are arising. These include the environmental impact of food production and trade, animal welfare, the health and safety of food and the social and economic impact of international food trade. This book provides an overview of the principal conceptual frameworks that have been developed for understanding these changes. It shows how conventional regulation of food provision through sovereign national governments is becoming elusive, as the distinctions between domestic and international, and between public and private spheres, disappear. At the same time multi-national companies and supranational institutions put serious limits to governmental interventions. In this context, other social actors including food retailers and NGOs are shown to take up innovative roles in governing food provision, but their contribution to agro-food sustainability is under continuous scrutiny. The authors apply these themes in several detailed case studies, including organic, fair trade, local food and fish. On the basis of these cases, future developments are explored, with a focus on the respective roles of agricultural producers, retailers and consumers.

Dietary Guidelines have emerged over the past 30 years recommending that Americans limit their consumption of total fat and saturated fat as one way to reduce the risk of a range of chronic diseases. However, a low-fat diet is not a no-fat diet. Dietary fat clearly serves a number of essential functions. For example, maternal energy deficiency, possible exacerbated by very low-fat intakes (< 15% of energy), is one key determinant in the etiology of low birth weight. The debate continues over recommendations for limiting total fat and saturated fatty acid intake in children. Recent evidence indicates that diets with adequate energy providing less than 30% of energy from fat are sufficient to promote normal growth and normal sexual maturation. More attention needs to be devoted to the effect of dietary fat reduction on the nutrient density of children's diets. The association between dietary fat and CHD has been extensively studied. Diets high in saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids increase LDL cholesterol levels, and in turn, the risk of heart disease. The relationship between high-carbohydrate/low-fat diets and CHD is more ambiguous because high-carbohydrate diets induce dyslipidemia in certain individuals. Obesity among adults and children is now of epidemic proportions in the United States. High-fat diets leading to excessive energy intakes are strongly linked to the increasing obesity in the United States. However, the prevalence of obesity has increased during the same time period that dietary fat intake (both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total dietary energy) has decreased. These trends suggest that a concomitant decrease in total dietary energy and modifications of other lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, also need to be emphasized. Obesity is also an independent risk factor for the development of diabetes. The current availability of fat-modified foods offers the potential for dietary fat reduction and treatment of the comorbidities associated with diabetes. However, to date, few studies have documented the effectiveness of fat-modified foods as part of a weight loss regimen or in reduction in CHD risks among individuals with diabetes mellitus. The association between total dietary fat and cancer is still under debate. While there is some evidence demonstrating associations between dietary fat intake and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon, there are serious methodologic issues, including the difficulty in differentiating the effects of dietary fat independent of total energy intake. Reported total fat and saturated fatty acid intakes as a percentage of total energy have been declining over the past 30 years in the United States. Despite this encouraging trend, the majority of individuals--regardless of age--do not report consuming a diet that meets the levels of fat and saturated fatty acids recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. On a relative basis, saturated fat intake has gone down less than has total fat intake. Individuals of all ages who report consuming a diet with < or = 30% of energy from fat consistently have lower energy intakes. Given the increasing rates of obesity in the United States at an earlier and earlier age, dietary fat reduction may be an effective part of an overall strategy to balance energy consumption with energy needs. In each of the age/gender groups reporting consumption of < or = 30% of energy from fat and less than 10% of energy from saturated fatty acids, fat-modified foods play a more important role in their diets than for people who are consuming higher levels of fat and saturated fat. The data are clear than fat-modified foods make a more significant contribution to diets of consumers with low-fat intakes. While one cannot argue cause and effect from the results presented, the patterns of fat-modified foods/low-fat intakes are consistent. The focus on overall diet quality is often lost in the national obsession with lowering fat inta

Le surpoids et l’obésité, problèmes nutritionnels planétaires, n’épargnent pas les populations des pays en développement. En Argentine, comme dans la majorité des pays d’Amérique latine et des Caraïbes, les problèmes de surcharge pondérale affectent plus de la moitié de la population adulte1 (FAO, OPS, OMS. 2017. 2016 América Latina y el Caribe. Panorama de la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, Sistemas alimentarios sostenible para poner fin al hambre y a la malnutrición. Santiago de Chile (Chile): Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura y la Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Disponible sur http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6747s.pdf) et, plus grave encore, coexistent avec des situations de carences nutritionnelles. Ce travail se penche sur les évolutions de l’alimentation et de l’action publique en Argentine à la lumière des changements mondiaux, mais aussi de l’instabilité économique et sociale locale. Cette analyse est replacée dans le contexte latino-américain et offre une place spécifique à la question des lipides. La première partie est dédiée à l’évolution des consommations alimentaires en Argentine, dont celle des lipides, et de la situation nutritionnelle de la population locale. La deuxième partie présente les évolutions des actions de politique alimentaire et nutritionnelle développées en Argentine et s’intéresse tout particulièrement à une action publique pionnière et réussie pour réduire le contenu en acides gras trans d’origine industrielle des aliments. La troisième partie dresse un panorama général et non exhaustif de la situation nutritionnelle de l’Amérique latine, de l’évolution des modèles de consommation alimentaire et des politiques alimentaires et nutritionnelles mises en place dans la région, dont celles pour lutter contre les acides gras trans.