THE DEMAND FOR SCHOOL MEAL SERVICES BY SWISS HOUSEHOLDS*

In this paper we investigate the household demand for childcare during lunchtime at school using a stated preferences approach. Data are collected through phone‐structured interviews to 905 residents with children in the German‐speaking region of Switzerland during 2007. Poisson models with random and fixed effects are used to explore factors affecting the demand. Ordinal probit models are also considered as an alternative to count data models. The results show that price, household income, satisfaction with the current childcare service, family composition, and the area of residence significantly affect the number of weekly services demanded. We estimate that the willingness to pay for childcare during lunchtime is between 7.90 and 11.70 Swiss francs per day and does not depend on household income.     

Fragmented Food Habits and the Disintegration of Traditional Meal Patterns: A Challenge to Public Health Nutrition in Canada?

Abstract

This study examines the shifting patterns in meal consumption practices among Canadians and the sources of disruption of meal habits. It analyses the notion of breakfast, lunch, dinner, out-of-household consumption of food, cooking, and snacking which could be considered as disrupting eating habits. Meal skipping, primarily breakfast and lunch was common, particularly among women, as was consumption of food outside the home, particularly among lower income earners and respondents with lower education attainment. The findings of this survey suggest that contemporary Canadians are experiencing a disruption of meal times, a rise in the frequency of snacking and an erosion of the will or ability to prepare or cook meals at home. For many Canadians, the traditional notion of three-meals a day is becoming an ideal, rather than a daily reality. Fragmented food habits and the disintegration of traditional meal patterns represent a challenge to public health nutrition in Canada.     

Factors related to food safety culture among school food handlers in Tokyo,Japan: a qualitative study

The purpose of this research was to qualitatively explore factors influencing the food safety culture in school meal services from the perspective of school food handlers (i.e., cooks, dietitians). Six in-depth, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with of school food handlers (n = 32). Thematic analysis was used to extract meaning from the data. Findings demonstrated that the following multi-level factors influenced the food safety culture of school meal services: (1) individual; (2) organization; (3) environment; (4) management; and (5) management style. These factors may be useful for effectively and strategically improving the food safety culture for food handlers in school meal services.     

俄式松粕粉蜜糖饼干的研制

本文论述了在基础配方中添加松粕粉改善俄式蜜糖饼干的试验研究。试验证明,在蜜糖饼干的基础配方中添加15%的松粕粉时,蜜糖饼干的感官评价最好,饼干的质地、颜色、外观及形状具有最佳的状态。     

北京城区“老年餐桌”供餐线路优化——以新街口街道为例

居家养老是应对中国人口老龄化的主要形式,它需要高效的商业和社会服务系统来支撑。在中国,许多城市推行"老年餐桌",以解决老年人做饭难的问题。在北京城区调查发现,"老年餐"的价位低,但承担"老年餐桌"服务的餐馆无力提供充足的送餐服务,原因在于居民需要的老年餐送餐总距离远远高于餐馆可提供的送餐总距离。为解决这个问题,本项目针对老年餐配送过程特点,建立包含客户需求时段、老年餐桌送餐成本等变量的数学模型,结合GIS的技术和物流的多种算法,探究老年餐配送系统在时间及成本限制下的最优送餐路线。所得解决方案为:第一,基于"旅行商"和"动态规划设计",建立了老年餐送餐集散中心模型,它可以解决老年餐送餐成本高的问题。第二,利用Arc GIS的网络分析功能,确定出最短的送餐线路,进而将最短的送餐线路起点作为老年餐的理想供餐点。     

贵州医科大学悯农堂学生套餐中食盐含量测定

目的:测定贵州医科大学悯农堂所售卖学生套餐的食盐含量,为预防和改善贵州医科大学在校大学生食盐摄入过量以及学校营养宣教提供科学依据。方法:连续7 d,对贵州医科大学悯农堂所售卖的学生套餐进行整群采样,采用GB 5009.44—2016中的直接沉淀法测定其氯化钠含量。结果:学生套餐中食盐含量为(0.81±0.22)g/100 g。每餐选购3种菜品时,人均食盐摄入量为(7.30±1.98)g·d^-1,选购4种菜品时为(9.72±2.64)g·d^-1。结论:贵州医科大学悯农堂学生餐人均食盐摄入量高于《中国居民膳食指南》(2016版)推荐值,建议悯农堂烹调学生餐时减少食盐用量。     

Estimates of returns to scale,elasticity of substitution,and the thrifty food plan meal poverty rate from a direct household meal production function

Many nutritional policies are designed to make home food production more affordable and yet very little is actually known about the home food production process. A better understanding of home food production can be used to help explain shortcomings in current nutrition policies and consequently help in designing better nutrition policies. This paper provides results from several home meal production function specifications that are rather robust. The median returns to scale and elasticity of substitution between money and time is in the 1.2–1.9 range and .33–.56 range, respectively, indicating increasing returns to scale but difficulty in substituting money for time in home meal production. A home ‘meal poverty rate’ is estimated, which is the percentage of the sample that produces fewer meals at home than consistent with dietary guidelines. The estimated home meal poverty rate is about 85%, which is consistent with recent research taking a less rigorous approach. Though the approach taken here is novel, the overall message is consistent with the recent literature: time is a more important factor in achieving nutritional targets than money.     

Price Risk Management for Peanut Meal

Abstract

Peanut meal is cross-hedged with soybean meal using peanut meal cash prices and soybean meal futures prices. Hedge ratios are obtained for a 3-year and a 6-year period model. The data is from 1993 to 2000, with the 2000 data used for evaluation. All hedge ratios are significant and the 3-year period model's results suggest that long term data sets have less explanatory power than short-term hedge ratios. Evaluation results indicate positive gains for cross-hedged poultry producers and/or peanut producers. The empirical analyses suggest that soybean meal futures can be used as a potential cross-hedging vehicle for peanut meal.     

Perceived Importance Factors of Restaurants in Relation to University Customers' Demographic Characteristics

Abstract

This research examines the attributes which influence customers' decisions to return to a restaurant for another meal. Quality of food was rated as the most important attribute, followed by quality of service, cost/value of the meal, and ambiance of the restaurant. Nutritional value was rated as the least important attribute. Male customers did not rate the attributes differently from the female customers.     

Children's understanding of food and meals in the foodscape at school

Children come into contact with food in different places and contexts, i.e. ‘foodscapes’. The aim of the paper was to study what knowledge children construct regarding food and meals in the foodscape at school and how they do so, focusing on the school meal context. Observations, interviews and focus group interviews were used. The children appropriated ideas and understandings from the adult world and society as a whole and used it among their peers in the school meal situation. This included the adoption of institutional commensality, the telling of stories about food, and the classification of foods in dichotomies.