Chilean food supply sees substantial decreases in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat after front-of-package warning labels required on “high in” foods and drinks A new study published this week in BMC Medicine examining changes in Chile’s packaged food supply under the country’s mandatory front-of-package warning label law finds sweeping product reformulation to contain less sugar, […]
A new study published in Public Health Nutrition examining the snack food environment in South African supermarkets reveals that ultra-processed, high-sugar, and high-sodium snacks are overwhelmingly available and aggressively marketed to consumers. Conducted by researchers at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this […]
Two new studies from researchers at the University of Chile and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have added to the evidence that Chile’s front-of-package nutrient warning labels are an effective way to nudge shoppers towards healthier food choices. The first, published in PLOS Medicine, evaluated Chileans’ grocery purchases during Phase 2 of […]
Leaving behind her home country of Colombia, Mafe Parra embarks on a new academic endeavor to shape the future of public health as a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She joins the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall under the advisership of […]
Carmen Prestemon is eager to impact public health by advancing nutrition policy as a doctoral student in the Nutrition Department at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Carmen first joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) as an undergraduate research assistant, launching her path into nutrition policy research, and will now be continuing […]
Passion to empower communities by improving dietary health is what fuels Carolyn Chelius, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She recently joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) under the advisership of GFRP faculty Shu Wen Ng and Marissa Hall. Carolyn will […]
The close of summer also marks the end of GFRP’s third year of the Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition (FERN), a 9-week research internship for undergraduate students interested in food policy research. Over the course of the summer, the fellows built foundational research skills, attended professional development workshops, participated in GFRP team activities, assisted […]
A new global review of school food policies published in Advances in Nutrition found that only 16% of countries worldwide have national policies restricting food marketing in schools, and only 25% have national policies restricting in-school sales of foods high in nutrients or ingredients of concern outside school meal programs. A mere 12% of countries […]
A new study that models the combined effects of a sugar-based tax on beverages and targeted subsidies for minimally processed foods and drinks found that under these policies, low-income consumers would purchase less sugar-sweetened beverages and more fruits, vegetables, and healthier drinks, particularly in households without children. Researchers from the Global Food Research Program […]
A new study from researchers at the Global Food Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and The George Institute for Global Health provides guidance for policymakers on how to identify ultra-processed foods and beverages that are also high in salt, sugar, saturated fat, or calorie-dense for regulation. To date, food policies aimed at improving population nutrition […]
Low-income South African adults consume, on average, 40% of their calories from ultra-processed products, according to a new study published this month in Public Health Nutrition. Meanwhile, only 7% meet the World Health Organization’s recommendations for daily fruit and vegetable intake, and only 19% meet fiber recommendations. Researchers at the University of the Western Cape […]
Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill have found that combining taxes on sugary drinks with added messaging on price tags further discourages parents from wanting to buy sugary drinks for their children. Currently, over 60 countries and smaller jurisdictions around the world have levied taxes on sugary drinks in an effort to curb their consumption, yet these beverages […]
We are pleased to share a major update to our fact sheet on ultra-processed foods. This resource explains what ultra-processed foods are, how consumption around the world has increased dramatically, the negative impacts their consumption can have on health and the environment, and policy approaches to curb their dominance in the food system. This fact […]
Carlos Roberto Soto Díaz wants to improve food environments and health equity through effective public policy, particularly in his home country of Puerto Rico, but also in other Latin American countries. He is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall, where he will be researching under […]
Laina Ewoldt is looking for new solutions to combat climate change and nutritional access. Laina is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall under the advisership of GFRP faculty Lindsey Smith Taillie. Originally from the Dallas, Texas area, Laina moved to North Carolina this summer and […]
Curiosity, passion, and a desire to make equitable change drives Jonathan Lara-Arévalo, a first-year PhD student in the Department of Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill. Jonathan is one of three new doctoral students who joined the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) this fall, where he will be researching under the advisership of GFRP faculty Lindsey Smith […]
Findings from a new study in PLOS Medicine conducted by researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill, Stanford University, and the University of Edinburgh indicate that warning label and tax policies effectively reduce purchases of red meat-containing items, such as burger patties, pepperoni pizza, and ham luncheon meat. Consumption of red meat has gained attention as a nutrition […]
In a new perspective piece in PLOS Medicine, Global Food Research Program researchers Barry Popkin and Francesca Dillman Carpentier and alum Fernanda Mediano Stoltze reflect on the recently released World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, “Policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing.” The authors highlight several strengths of the updated guidelines, which […]
Barry Popkin was featured in The Guardian this week in an article about the rise of snacking and ultra-processed food consumption in African and Asian countries. He drew on his years of research on the Nutrition Transition, the rising double burden of malnutrition, and the global spread of ultra-processed foods.
Research from Colombia that examined food advertising and marketing tactics used on television (TV) has found that children were frequently exposed to advertising that used emotional appeals such as characters, cartoons, games, or suggestions of fun or excitement to promote unhealthy foods. Girls were more likely than boys to see these emotional appeals, as were […]