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Abstract

A North–South Comparison of Commercially Produced Foods Sold in European Public Universities †

by
Naiara Martinez-Perez
1,*,
Liv Elin Torheim
2,
Miriam Baeta
3,
Iñigo Olalde
4,5 and
Marta Arroyo-Izaga
6
1
BIOMICs Research Group, Microfluidics & BIOMICs Cluster, Department of Nursing I, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48900 Leioa, Spain
2
Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
3
BIOMICs Research Group, Microfluidics & BIOMICs Cluster, Department of Zoology and Animal Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
4
BIOMICs Research Group, Microfluidics & BIOMICs Cluster, Department of Z. and Cellular Biology A., Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
5
Ikerbasque-Basque Foundation of Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
6
BIOMICs Research Group, Microfluidics & BIOMICs Cluster, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091239
Published: 4 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Versions Notes

Background and objectives: University food environments (FEs) play a crucial role in preventing nutrition-related diseases. However, there is a lack of in-depth studies on these environments, especially those comparing different sociocultural contexts. Thus, we analysed the availability and characteristics of commercially produced food supplies between a Northern European and a Southern European university.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study at OsloMet (Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU, Spain). A nutritional quality assessment of food products was carried out using three nutritional profile models (NPMs), those developed by the Spanish Agency for Consumption, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN), the UK nutrient profiling model (UK NPM), and the Norwegian Food and Drink Industry Professional Practices Committee (Matbransjens Faglige Utvalg [MFU]), as well as a combination of these models. Additionally, food items were categorized according to processing level (NOVA system).
Results: The percentage of foods classified as having low nutritional quality (LNQ) was significantly higher at the UPV/EHU (54.5% of total products) compared to OsloMet (40%) (p < 0.001). The majority of the products offered were categorized as ultra-processed. However, there were no significant differences in the proportion of ultra-processed foods between the two universities (OsloMet: 86.1%, UPV/EHU: 83.3%, p > 0.05). Discussion: This study reveals North–South differences in terms of the availability of LNQ food products, with a higher proportion in the Southern university. This result agrees with the opinion of the university community about these FEs; more students and staff from OsloMet considered that they are usually able to choose “healthy” foods compared to those from the UPV/EHU [1,2]. These findings underscore the need for the development of interventions and policies that promote healthier campus FEs and consider sociocultural contexts.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, N.M.-P., L.E.T. and M.A.-I.; investigation (data collection), N.M.-P. and L.E.T.; formal analysis, N.M.-P. and M.A.-I.; writing – original draft, review & editing, N.M.-P., L.E.T., M.B., I.O. and M.A.-I.; supervision, L.E.T. and M.A.-I.; funding acquisition, N.M.-P. and M.A.-I. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Vice Rectorate of Scientific and Social Development and Transfer of the UPV/EHU, funded by the contract program formalized with the Basque Government (Campus Bizia Lab projects: 21ARRO and 22ARRO). The BIOMICs Research Group is supported by the Basque Government (No. IT1633-22).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are to be made available only via a request to the corresponding author. Data will be provided only after the acceptance and signature of a formal data-sharing agreement.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Martinez-Perez, N.; Torheim, L.E.; Castro-Díaz, N.; Arroyo-Izaga, M. On-campus food environment, purchase behaviours, preferences and opinions in a Norwegian university community. Public Health Nutr. 2022, 25, 1619–1630. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Martinez-Perez, N.; Telleria-Aramburu, N.; Insúa, P.; Hernández, I.; Telletxea, S.; Ansotegui, L.; Rebato, E.; Basabe, N.; de Pancorbo, M.M.; Rocandio, A.; et al. On-campus food purchase behaviors, choice determinants, and opinions on food availability in a Spanish university community. Nutrition 2022, 103–104, 111789. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Martinez-Perez, N.; Torheim, L.E.; Baeta, M.; Olalde, I.; Arroyo-Izaga, M. A North–South Comparison of Commercially Produced Foods Sold in European Public Universities. Proceedings 2023, 91, 239. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091239

AMA Style

Martinez-Perez N, Torheim LE, Baeta M, Olalde I, Arroyo-Izaga M. A North–South Comparison of Commercially Produced Foods Sold in European Public Universities. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):239. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091239

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martinez-Perez, Naiara, Liv Elin Torheim, Miriam Baeta, Iñigo Olalde, and Marta Arroyo-Izaga. 2023. "A North–South Comparison of Commercially Produced Foods Sold in European Public Universities" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 239. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091239

APA Style

Martinez-Perez, N., Torheim, L. E., Baeta, M., Olalde, I., & Arroyo-Izaga, M. (2023). A North–South Comparison of Commercially Produced Foods Sold in European Public Universities. Proceedings, 91(1), 239. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091239

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