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Food product composition, consumer health, and public policy: Introduction and overview of special section

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  • Golan, Elise
  • Unnevehr, Laurian

Abstract

As efforts to improve diets in high income countries intensify, attention has turned to how policies may influence diet composition. The case studies in this special issue contribute to our understanding of how two main types of policies have influenced food product composition and dietary outcomes: (1) policies affecting food manufacturers' input costs and (2) information policy affecting competition. Research on the first type of policy is relatively new, but suggests that US commodity policies would not be good policy instruments to influence diets, except through the long run impacts of agricultural research. Research on the impacts of information policy continues to demonstrate that it can spur food industry competition to introduce healthier products, but may not result in healthier diets. International comparisons show where the US experience may have relevance for other high income countries.

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  • Golan, Elise & Unnevehr, Laurian, 2008. "Food product composition, consumer health, and public policy: Introduction and overview of special section," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 465-469, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:33:y:2008:i:6:p:465-469
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    9. Shoshanna Griver & Itay Fischhendler, 2021. "The Social Construction of Food Security: The Israeli Case," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1303-1321, October.
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    12. Moon, Wanki & Balasubramanian, Siva K. & Rimal, Arbindra, 2011. "Health claims and consumers' behavioral intentions: The case of soy-based food," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 480-489, August.
    13. Galli, Francesca & Venturi, Francesca & Bartolini, Fabio & Gava, Oriana & Zinnai, Angela & Chiara, Sanmartin & Andrich, Gianpaolo & Brunori, Gianluca, 2017. "Shaping food systems towards improved nutrition: a case study on Tuscan Bread Protected Designation of Origin," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 20(4), April.
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    15. Sharma, Abhijit & di Falco, Salvatore & Fraser, Iain, 2015. "Consumption of Salt Rich Products in the UK: Impact of The Reduced Salt Campaign," MPRA Paper 62359, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Clementina Sebillote, 2013. "Efficiency of Public-Private Co-regulation in the Food Sector: the French Voluntary Agreements for Nutritional Improvements," Working Papers 2013-03, Alimentation et Sciences Sociales.
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