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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 12166

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Prof. Dr. Monica Tarcea

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Guest Editor

Department of Community Nutrition and Food Safety, G.E. Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology from Targu Mures, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Interests: community nutrition; obesity; lifestyle; risk behaviors management; cancer; smoking; food safety
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Dr. Corina Zugravu

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Guest Editor

Department of Hygiene and Ecology, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: public health nutrition; plant-based nutrition; health promotion; risk evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to publish your findings in a Special Issue of Sustainability covering recent studies related to Food Choice and Environmental Concerns. It provides an opportunity to promote your work and research outcomes in nutrition, food behaviors, environmental sustainability, health, and food safety fields, with the aim of tackling the consequences of imbalanced diets on environment and health status, starting with the food choices we make. Sustainability covers environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and requires an inter-disciplinary approach in order to explore and emphasize issues and advanced data in these areas. Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review procedure with the aim of the rapid dissemination of research results, developments, and applications. It provides an opportunity to engage and relate to other research works and recent findings.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to tackle new data on food choices and behaviors in relation with ethno-social-economic-environmental influences upon consumers and management aspects.

Prof. Dr. Monica Tarcea
Dr. Corina Zugravu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nutrition
food safety
environmental impact
cultural behavior
lifestyle risk factors
obesity
multidisciplinary interventions
nutrivigilance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Knowledge: A Factor for Acceptance of Insects as Food

by Corina Zugravu, Monica Tarcea, Mirela Nedelescu, Daniela Nuţă, Raquel P. F. Guiné and Ciprian Constantin

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4820; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064820 - 8 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

The role that insects will play in a healthier and more sustainable diet has been highlighted in the last years, at the European level. In future, due to environmental concerns and population growth, eating insects might be a solution for many problems. However, populations without the tradition of eating insects are still reluctant in accepting such a food as part of their diet. The present observational study highlights some factors that are influencing the acceptance of insects as food in Romania, in 2022. A number of 496 Romanian adults, 433 women and 63 men, with the mean age 39.3 ± 11 years, completed a validated questionnaire analyzing food behaviors, as well as attitudes and knowledge in relation to insects, including sustainability, nutrition and food safety aspects. Only 6.3% of participants had already eaten insects, while 43.8% claimed their openness to do it in future. Insect-based products were accepted more than insects that can be perceived as such. The most frequent words associated with insects were rather deleterious: disgust, odd, nausea, not to eat, or curiosity. Investigating the factors involved in insect acceptability in Romanians’ diets, we found a statistically significant correlation between openness to eat them and the knowledge about insects as being a valuable, sustainable and safe source of nutrients. Targeted education seems to be an important tool in accepting them as part of future diets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

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10 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Eating Sustainability in Romania—A Questionnaire-Based Study

by Anca Bacârea, Vladimir Constantin Bacârea, Florin Buicu, Călin Crăciun, Bianca Kosovski, Raquel Guiné and Monica Tarcea

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 2895; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15042895 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1174

Abstract

Background: In Romania, there is little information regarding emotional eating and risk profile for obesity in eating disorders. Therefore, our purpose was to estimate the relationship between demographic, anthropometric, and emotional eating profiles among the Romanian adult population. Methods: The present study is descriptive and cross-sectional, involving 674 Romanian participants who answered the online questionnaire, which was developed and validated in 2019 through a European project. SPSS Statistics v.25 was used for statistical analyses, the Spearman test for linear regression, and Cronbach’s alpha for the evaluation of the internal consistency of the scales. Results: The mean age of the studied population (mostly women, 67.95%) was 38.13 ± 13.41 years old, and the mean BMI (calculated based on self-declared weight and height) was 24.63 ± 4.39 kg/m²; both measures are significantly higher in men than in women. BMI was also significantly higher in participants using food as an escape from situations such as stress, loneliness, feeling depressed, or as an emotional consolation. This behavior was observed especially in the elderly, similar to other European countries. Conclusion: Our data contribute to a better understanding of emotional eating in Romania, and we hope to improve public health policies, with the goal of preventing obesity and chronic related disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

12 pages, 447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Prebiotic Dessert with Sericin Produced by Bombyx mori Worms

by Irina Mihaela Matran, Cristian Matran and Monica Tarcea

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010110 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1572

Abstract

(1) Background: The processing of silk threads secreted by the silkworm Bombyx mori leads to large amounts of sericin as textile waste. Its biochemical and medical properties open a new perspective for its use in the food industry and its authorization as a new food ingredient in the European Union, by the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority. (2) Methods: Experimental and physico–chemical analyzes were carried out to obtain a sustainable prebiotic dessert with low energy value, containing Sericin produced by Bombyx Mori, which does not contain sugar and can be consumed both by people who want a healthy diet and people who need food for special nutritional conditions, such as diabetes, dysphagia or inflammatory diseases. (3) Results: The sustainable jelly was made from depectinized apple juice, pectin, sericin, lactoferrin, stevia and pectin. This dessert is natural and can be certified organic and HALAL. (4) Conclusions: Sericin can be used in the manufacture of a very wide range of foods. Being a glycoprotein, it can also be used to obtain jelling foods with low energy value, including foods for patients with dysphagia. This represents an important sustainable resource of essential amino acids for the normal homeostasis of the human body. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

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13 pages, 1907 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of the Ascorbic Acid Content and the Antioxidant Activity of Different Varieties of Vegetables Consumed in Romania, from Farmers and Supermarkets

by Svetlana Trifunschi, Corina Aurelia Zugravu, Melania Florina Munteanu, Florin Borcan and Elena Narcisa Pogurschi

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13749; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113749 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2163

Abstract

Vitamin C sustains the health of the human organism. It reduces the risk of chronic diseases and it can help to control arterial hypertension. In addition, it prevents and reduces the risk of developing various heart diseases, it normalizes the level of uric acid in the blood, it can help with the prevention of gout attacks, it helps to prevent iron deficiency and strengthens the immune system. Considering these aspects, it can be stated that a diet rich in vitamin C plays an essential role in a person’s daily food intake. Within the present study, we identified the content of vitamin C in various types of bell peppers and tomatoes consumed in Romania. The vitamin C content was determined by using the titration and the iodometric methods. The research results pointed out that the content of vitamin C in the analyzed bell peppers is between 4.693 and 11.264 mg/ 100 g, and in the analyzed tomatoes is between 0.939 and 4.639 mg/100 g. The antioxidant activity was studied as well, by using the DPPH radical and the Trolox equivalent antioxidative capacity (TEAC). The antioxidant activity was correlated with the content of ascorbic acid, present in the samples. The studies revealed that the vegetables bought from the farmers had a higher content of vitamin C than the ones bought from the supermarkets. This aspect was also confirmed by their increased antioxidant activity, which points out that the local vegetables are a rich source of natural antioxidants, which can be used to prevent various health conditions caused by oxidative stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

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Review

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34 pages, 782 KiB

Open AccessReview

Agricultural Byproducts Used as Low-Cost Adsorbents for Removal of Potentially Toxic Elements from Wastewater: A Comprehensive Review

by Elena L. Ungureanu, Andreea L. Mocanu, Corina A. Stroe, Corina M. Panciu, Laurentiu Berca, Robert M. Sionel and Gabriel Mustatea

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5999; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075999 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2213

Abstract

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are ubiquitous chemical compounds in the environment due to contamination of air, water, or soil. They are primarily sourced from fossil fuel combustion, mining and smelting, electroplating, dyes and pigments, agricultural treatments, and plastic and metallic industries. These chemical contaminants can produce various adverse effects when they enter the human body and can also affect crops and aquatic ecosystems. To address these issues, researchers are developing various techniques, including ion exchange, membrane filtration, photocatalysis, electrochemical methods, bioadsorption, and combinations of these processes, to reduce the levels of these contaminants, especially from wastewater. Among these methods, bioadsorption has gained much attention due to its high efficiency, low cost, and abundance of adsorbent materials. Agricultural byproducts used as biosorbents include rice husk and bran, citrus peel, banana peel, coconut husk, sugarcane bagasse, soybean hulls, walnut and almond shells, coconut fiber, barley straws, and many others. Biosorption capacity can be described using adsorption kinetic models such as Elovich, Ritchie’s, and pseudo-second-order models, as well as different adsorption isotherm models such as Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin isotherm, and BET models. Both conventional processes and adsorption models are influenced by parameters such as pH, agitation speed, contact time, particle size, concentration of the adsorbent material, initial concentration of the contaminant, and the type of modifying agent used. This review paper aims to examine the low-cost adsorbents and their removal efficiency and bioadsorption capacity for different PTEs present in wastewater, and their potential as decontamination methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

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23 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nutritional Interventions and Lifestyle Changing in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevention: A Narrative Review

by Corina Zugravu, Andreea Petra, Valeria-Anca Pietroșel, Bianca-Margareta Mihai, Doina-Andrada Mihai, Roxana-Elena Bohîlțea and Monica Tarcea

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1069; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021069 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2336

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common pregnancy complication, and its prevalence is increasing, as obesity is more prevalent in women at reproductive age. Food choices and patterns that might reduce incidence are of great importance, and the present review aims to offer a perspective on different types of nutritional interventions in GDM prevention. Methods: A literature review in the PubMed database was conducted in order to identify full-text, English, randomized control trials and observational clinical studies, published in the last 10 years, that are the most relevant to emphasize the usefulness of nutritional and lifestyle interventions in prevention of GDM. Results and discussions: Twenty-two articles met the inclusion criteria and were relevant for the search. Their outcomes were reported and analyzed. Dietary interventions were very heterogeneous, including general counselling of healthier eating patterns, recommendations to follow a Mediterranean dietary pattern or to choose low-glycemic-index foods, and dietary advice focusing on increasing consumption of some food groups or vitamin D or probiotics supplementations. Conclusions: Among these interventions, a moderate-intensity lifestyle intervention optimizing participants’ consumption of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits; portion control; lowering intake of ultra-processed food and simple sugars; and Mediterranean diet intervention were the most successful in reducing GDM incidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Choice and Environmental Concerns)

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