Browsing by Author "Foster M"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    A higher-protein nut-based snack product suppresses glycaemia and decreases glycaemic response to co-ingested carbohydrate in an overweight prediabetic Asian Chinese cohort: the Tū Ora postprandial RCT
    (Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society, 2021-04-23) Lu LW; Silvestre MP; Sequeira IR; Plank LD; Foster M; Middleditch N; Acevedo-Fani A; Hollingsworth KG; Poppitt SD
    Nut-based products may aid low-glycaemic dietary strategies that are important for diabetes prevention in populations at increased risk of dysglycaemia, such as Asian Chinese. This randomised cross-over trial assessed the postprandial glycaemic response (0-120 min) of a higher-protein nut-based (HP-NB) snack formulation, in bar format (1009 kJ, Nutrient Profiling Score, NPS, -2), when compared with an iso-energetic higher-carbohydrate (CHO) cereal-based bar (HC-CB, 985 kJ, NPS +3). It also assessed the ability to suppress glucose response to a typical CHO-rich food (white bread, WB), when co-ingested. Ten overweight prediabetic Chinese adults (mean, sd: age 47⋅9, 15⋅7 years; BMI 25⋅5, 1⋅6 kg/m2), with total body fat plus ectopic pancreas and liver fat quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, received the five meal treatments in random order: HP-NB, HC-CB, HP-NB + WB (50 g available CHO), HC-CB + WB and WB only. Compared with HC-CB, HP-NB induced a significantly lower 30-120 min glucose response (P < 0⋅05), with an approximately 10-fold lower incremental area under the glucose curve (iAUC0-120; P < 0⋅001). HP-NB also attenuated glucose response by approximately 25 % when co-ingested with WB (P < 0⋅05). Half of the cohort had elevated pancreas and/or liver fat, with 13-21 % greater suppression of iAUC0-120 glucose in the low v. high organ fat subgroups across all five treatments. A nut-based snack product may be a healthier alternative to an energy equivalent cereal-based product with evidence of both a lower postprandial glycaemic response and modulation of CHO-induced hyperglycaemia even in high-risk, overweight, pre-diabetic adults.
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    Comparing traditional check-all-that-apply (CATA) and implicit response time Go/No-go approaches for profiling consumer emotional response when tasting food
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2023-12) Weerawarna N.R.P. M; Godfrey AJR; Loudon M; Foster M; Hort J
    Adapting implicit approaches to capture consumer responses when tasting foods is of recent interest in sensory and consumer science. Implicit consumer responses are reported to be more spontaneous than explicitly gathered data. Traditionally, emotional response to foods is captured using explicit methods like check-all-that-apply (CATA). The present study aimed to compare an implicit response time (IRT) Go/No-go approach with traditional CATA to profile consumer emotional responses. Participants (n = 104) were consumers of, or willing to consume, cow's milk and plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA). Emotional responses for two cow milk and five PBMA products were evaluated across two sessions using IRT and CATA. The cow milk products were replicated across the sessions to allow consistency of response across sessions to be evaluated for each method. Data were collected using a bespoke single page web application (JavaScript, ECMA 2015). Data consistency across sessions (Spearman correlation (ρ)), emotion selection frequency (ρ and generalised linear models) and product discrimination (linear mixed models and correspondence analysis) were compared across the IRT and CATA approaches. Results showed high data consistency from both IRT and CATA across the two sessions (ρ > 0.89). Emotion selection frequency was also comparable across IRT and CATA. Interestingly, CATA was differentiating more between cow's milk products and IRT within the PBMA space. However, further investigations showed that fewer participants provided different responses in CATA than when under time pressure in the IRT Go/No-go. Additional investigations on the performance of explicit versus implicit methods, or their combination, are required across different product matrices to identify the optimum approach to capture consumer product experience.
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    Effects of Defatted Rice Bran-Fortified Bread on the Gut Microbiota Composition of Healthy Adults With Low Dietary Fiber Intake: Protocol for a Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial
    (JMIR Publications, 2024-08-29) Ng HM; Maggo J; Wall CL; Bayer SB; McNabb WC; Mullaney JA; Foster M; Cabrera DL; Fraser K; Cooney J; Trower T; Günther CS; Frampton C; Gearry RB; Roy NC
    BACKGROUND: Inadequate dietary fiber (DF) intake is associated with several human diseases. Bread is commonly consumed, and its DF content can be increased by incorporating defatted rice bran (DRB). OBJECTIVE: This first human study on DRB-fortified bread primarily aims to assess the effect of DRB-fortified bread on the relative abundance of a composite of key microbial genera and species in fecal samples. Secondary outcomes include clinical (cardiovascular risk profile), patient-reported (daily bread consumption and bowel movement, gut comfort, general well-being, and total DF intake), biological (fecal microbiota gene abundances, and fecal and plasma metabolites), and physiome (whole-gut and regional transit time and gas fermentation profiles) outcomes in healthy adults with low DF intake. METHODS: This is a 2-armed, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, crossover randomized controlled trial. The study duration is 14 weeks: 2 weeks of lead-in, 4 weeks of intervention per phase, 2 weeks of washout, and 2 weeks of follow-up. Overall, 60 healthy adults with low DF intake (<18 g [female individuals] or <22 g [male individuals] per day) were recruited in Christchurch, New Zealand, between June and December 2022. Randomly assigned participants consumed 3 (female individuals) or 4 (male individuals) slices of DRB-fortified bread per day and then placebo bread, and vice versa. The DRB-fortified bread provided 8 g (female individuals) or 10.6 g (male individuals) of total DF, whereas the placebo (a matched commercial white toast bread) provided 2.7 g (female individuals) or 3.6 g (male individuals) of total DF. Before and after each intervention phase, participants provided fecal and blood samples to assess biological responses; completed a 3-day food diary to assess usual intakes and web-based questionnaires to assess gut comfort, general and mental well-being, daily bread intake, and bowel movement via an app; underwent anthropometry and blood pressure measurements; and drank blue food dye to assess whole-gut transit time. Additionally, 25% (15/60) of the participants ingested Atmo gas-sensing capsules to assess colonic gas fermentation profile and whole-gut and regional transit time. Mean differences from baseline will be compared between the DRB and placebo groups, as well as within groups (after the intervention vs baseline). For metabolome analyses, comparisons will be made within and between groups using postintervention values. RESULTS: Preliminary analysis included 56 participants (n=33, 59% female; n=23, 41% male). Due to the large dataset, data analysis was planned to be fully completed by the last quarter of 2024, with full results expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals by the end of 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This first human study offers insights into the prospect of consuming DRB-fortified bread to effectively modulate health-promoting gut microbes, their metabolism, and DF intake in healthy adults with low DF intake. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622000884707; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=383814. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/59227.
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    Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics related to protein source, health and environmental sustainability, on product choice and sensory evaluation of meatballs and plant-based alternatives
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-04) Giezenaar C; Godfrey AJR; Foster M; Hort J
    Health is cited as a major driver for substituting meat with plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). In contrast, many consumers are reportedly unaware of the difference in environmental impact between meat and PBMAs. This study determined relative effects of internal (protein source) and external (health/origin/sustainability) product attributes on product choice and (expected) liking of meat and PBMAs. Participants (n = 144) ranked ten sets of three product concepts from best to worst in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Random combinations of four product attributes were presented on hypothetical product packages: i) protein source (beef/chickpea/soy protein); ii) health-star rating (1.5/4.5 stars); iii) ingredient origin (local/imported); iv) sustainability rating (green tick absent/present), and product worth, related to each of the 24 possible attribute combinations, was determined. Secondly, commercially-available beef, soy, and chickpea products were sensorially evaluated for expected/actual liking, both blindly and alongside combinations of internal/external product attributes used in the DCE. The DCE indicated all product attributes affected product worth. However, two consumer segments were established: i) a ‘Protein Cluster’ (47%) comprising consumers who chose ‘beef’ products regardless of the remaining attributes present, and ii) a ‘Health/Sustainability Cluster’ (53%) of consumers whose choices were driven by positive health/sustainability claims. Protein source drove both expected and actual liking of the samples (p < 0.001). Health/origin/sustainability also contributed to expected liking (p < 0.05), but only health consistently affected actual liking ratings (p < 0.05). In conclusion, half of consumers chose products based on health/origin/sustainability claims, whereas the other half selected products based on protein source. Origin/sustainability claims affected product choice, but minimally affected product experience of plant-based samples.
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    Glycaemic Response to a Nut-Enriched Diet in Asian Chinese Adults with Normal or High Glycaemia: The Tū Ora RCT
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-07) Sequeira-Bisson IR; Lu LW; Silvestre MP; Plank LD; Middleditch N; Acevedo-Fani A; Parry-Strong A; Hollingsworth KG; Tups A; Miles-Chan JL; Krebs JD; Foster M; Poppitt SD; Pribis P
    Nut-based products are a good source of high-quality plant protein in addition to mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and may aid low-glycaemic dietary strategies important for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In particular, they may be advantageous in populations susceptible to dysglycaemia, such as Asian Chinese. The present study aimed to compare effects of a higher-protein nut bar (HP-NB, also higher in total fibre and unsaturated fats, comprising mixed almonds and peanuts) vs. an isoenergetic higher-carbohydrate cereal bar (HC-CB) within the diet of 101 Chinese adults with overweight and normo- or hyperglycaemia. Ectopic pancreas and liver fat were characterised using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/S) as a secondary outcome. Participants were randomized to receive HP-NB or HC-CB daily as a 1 MJ light meal or snack replacement, in addition to healthy eating advice. Anthropometry and clinical indicators of T2D risk were assessed fasted and during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), pre- and post-intervention. No significant difference was observed between diet groups for body weight, body mass index, waist or hip circumference, blood pressure, glucoregulatory markers, lipid profile or inflammatory markers over 12 weeks (all, p > 0.05). No difference was observed between glycaemic subgroups or those with normal versus high ectopic organ fat. Although HP-NB can attenuate postprandial glycaemia following a meal, no effects were observed for either fasting or glucose-mediated outcomes following longer-term inclusion in the habitual diet of Chinese adults with overweight, including at-risk subgroups.
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    Motivators and barriers to plant-based product consumption across Aotearoa New Zealand flexitarians
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-08) Weerawarna N.R.P. M; Giezenaar C; Coetzee P; Godfrey AJR; Foster M; Hort J
    Limited knowledge exists concerning Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ) flexitarians and their respective motivators and barriers towards consumption of novel plant-based products (PBPs) heralded as aids for dietary meat reduction. This study aimed to determine if A-NZ flexitarians, who have tried novel PBPs, can be segmented based on different motivators and barriers to meat reduction and PBP consumption, if the consumer profile of the different segments varies according to identified gender, generation group, neophobia and meat and PBP consumption frequency. It also aimed to identify sensory characteristics novel PBPs need to possess to be attractive to A-NZ flexitarians and if these vary across segments. PBP-consuming flexitarians (n = 584), stratified according to age (Millennial/Gen X), identified gender and meat consumption frequency, completed an online survey regarding a) their level of agreement regarding statements related to factors driving PBP consumption and flexitarianism in general, and b) their satisfaction with the sensory experience of consuming current PBPs. ‘Tastes good’ was the top-rated factor for selecting PBPs for all consumers, but most were dissatisfied with the sensory characteristics of current PBPs. K-means cluster analysis identified three flexitarian segments based on similarities and differences in key motivations and barriers to consume PBPs. Attitudes and behaviours related to nutrition/health, and social status attained from eating both PBPs and meat products, accounted for most variation across the respondents. Overall, higher food neophobia was associated with higher PBP consumption, suggesting that neophobia itself is not necessarily a barrier to PBP consumption in A-NZ flexitarians. Improving the sensory profiles of PBPs whilst delivering nutritional requirements presented as key considerations for future product development and research. This research highlights the importance of understanding the distinct values, attitudes and behaviours of different flexitarian groups as opposed to generalised research aimed at flexitarians per se.
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    Perceptions of Cultivated Meat in Millennial and Generation X Consumers Resident in Aotearoa New Zealand
    (1/03/2023) Giezenaar C; Godfrey AJR; Ogilvie OJ; Coetzee P; Weerawarna N.R.P M; Foster M; Hort J
    Evidence suggests that consumer perceptions and acceptance of cultivated meat (CM) differ between countries, cultures, and consumer groups. Limited research specific to Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ) is available. Survey responses from 592 A-NZ residents were analysed to determine CM awareness, willingness to engage with CM, and perceived CM product attributes relative to conventional meat and plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). The effects of gender, age, meat/PBMA consumption frequency, CM awareness, and food neophobia on CM perceptions were determined. The statements were rated on a seven-point Likert scale. Half (52%) of the respondents agreed they were aware of CM. The awareness was higher in men compared to women (p = 0.036), higher in Millennials compared to Generation X (p = 0.022), and higher in regular compared to infrequent PBMA consumers (p = 0.0003). The willingness to engage with CM and perceived CM product attributes were consistently more positive in consumers who were aware, compared with consumers not aware of CM (p < 0.05). Being male, Millennial, low neophobic and a low meat, or high PBMA consumer was also associated with higher potential engagement and perceptions of CM to varying extents. Segmentation divided the respondents into three groups. The ‘positive’ cluster (41%) consumed more PBMAs and less meat and was more aware of CM than the ‘neutral’ (50%) and ‘negative’ (9%) clusters. In conclusion, consumers in A-NZ are not a homogenous group with regards to their perceptions and potential engagement with CM. Increasing awareness and familiarity with CM will be an important strategy to increase engagement with CM.