COMMUNITY NUTRITION

Community nutrition is the specialized field of dietetics that focuses on providing education and
resources within the community to meet its needs. It involves teaching individuals about the
importance of healthy diets and behaviors. It also involves engaging the community to be
informed about their health needs.
Nutrition education provides people with correct information on the nutritional value of foods,
food quality and safety, methods of preservation, processing and handling, food preparation and
eating to help them make the best choice of foods for an adequate diet

What is human nutrition also called?

The science of human nutrition that is frequently described as “nutrition science” or “nutrition”
is the science of food, the nutrients and other substances therein, their action, interaction and
balance in relation to health and disease, and the processes by which the human organism
ingests, absorbs, transports.
Community nutrition is the process of helping individuals and groups develop healthy eating
habits in order to promote wellness and prevent disease.
Purpose
Americans increasingly eat a diet that is high in saturated fat and refined sugars and lacking in
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Poor dietary habits are linked to health conditions such as
obesity , diabetes, heart disease , strokes, and some forms of cancer . With more than half of
Americans classified as overweight or obese, organizations including the American Dietetic
Association strive to increase awareness about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise .
The goal of community nutrition is to educate individuals and groups so that they adopt healthy
eating habits. Dieticians and nutritionists work with many other health care professionals in
promoting improved community nutrition. Their efforts emphasize a preventive approach in
educating individuals in how a change in dietary habits will reduce the risk of illness.
Community nutrition focuses on all age groups. The groups targeted range from babies to
pregnant women to older adults. For example, a young pregnant woman may not realize how
poor eating habits affect her developing fetus or she may be unaware of the importance of
breastfeeding. Older adults may lose interest in eating due to loneliness, inability to prepare
meals, or a physical condition such as difficulty chewing. Individuals with diabetes may not
understand the need to control their blood glucose levels through diet as well as medication.
Obesity is an issue for many age groups. Causes include lack of physical education programs in
schools and an overly busy lifestyle for adults. The availability of fast food and “supersized”
items are regarded positively because of their cost and convenience. Their accessibility and
convenience often prompts people to make unhealthy food choices. In a school cafeteria, for
example, a child may bypass a salad in favor of fries and a soda. A moviegoer may choose to
buy a tub of buttered popcorn because the purchase price includes a free refill.

Community nutrition programs attempt to change attitudes so that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables,
and whole grains is more appealing than diet high in fats and sugars. While sweet, high fat foods
may be an occasional treat, community nutrition emphasizes a lifetime of routine healthy eating.
Precautions
Since the objective of community nutrition is for people to adopt healthy eating habits, there are
usually no reasons that a person would be prevented from participating in a community nutrition
program. Some individuals such as those with diabetes who participate in community nutrition
programs may have special dietary needs.
Description
Community nutrition programs are administered by organizations such as public health agencies,
public schools, residential facilities for the elderly, hospitals, social service organizations, and
health-care systems. Programs range from lunch programs for school children and senior citizens
to health fairs and “5-A-Day” public awareness promotions that urge the public to eat least five
fruits and vegetables every day.
Health care professionals may develop a community nutrition project aimed at groups such as
new immigrants or the elderly. They may implement an existing project such as a food
distribution program. Nutritionists and dietitians may work as part of a team with representatives
from other groups such as businesses, schools, or churches. Sometimes nutrition programs are
linked with exercise programs.
Participants may need to meet eligibility requirements for some programs. These projects may be
limited to people of a certain age or income level. Some community nutrition programs, such as
lunch programs, are ongoing. Others such as a diabetic cooking class have an established
duration. Costs for programs vary. There is often no cost for public agency programs; however,
classes offered by a health maintenance organization may not be covered by insurance.
Community nutrition projects may also be operated by groups such as social service agencies
and churches.
Community nutrition addresses health conditions such as obesity and economic conditions such
as poverty, which limit access to healthy food, lack of nutritional information, and cultural
traditions that promote unhealthy eating. Community nutrition programs strive to improve eating
habits through food banks that distribute food as needed. Some cities have monthly food
distribution programs. Distributors provide discounted packages that contain healthy foods such
as meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, bread and rice.
Shasta County community nutrition
The California County Public Health Department's community nutrition projects provide an
example of the scope of available nutrition services. In 2005, Shasta County projects included
obesity prevention for children, a food security coalition, breastfeeding education, and promotion
of 5-A-Day Week and National Nutrition Month.
Obesity prevention efforts include working with schools to develop healthier choices to be
offered in their cafeterias and to aid them offering healthier alternatives in their fundraising
efforts. Food security pertains to a person's access to healthy food. The public health department
also works with other agencies to reduce hunger in the county. Another county goal is to help
mothers overcome barriers to breastfeeding.
The promotional campaigns bring together registered dietitians, health professionals, and
community organizations. They work with the county to plan activities such as Get Healthy
Shasta. The event, held in a park, features entertainment and activities to promote healthy eating,
physical activity, and wellness.
Shasta County's projects are tied to Healthy Eating 2010, a county strategic plan with goals that
include increasing the number of residents who eat five servings of fruit and vegetables. The
objective is to raise that number from 26% in 2002 to 40% by December of 2010.
Preparation
Preparation for participating in a community nutrition program varies from program to program.
An individual with a medical condition may need to consult a physician before entering a
program. Registration is required for some community nutrition projects, and an assessment
interview is often required to determine eligibility to participate in some programs.
Aftercare
Some programs require follow-up classes or meetings. A nutritionist may do an assessment
interview to determine whether or not a program is effective. Surveying is one method of
determining whether participants understood concepts and helps determine if they have adopted
healthier eating habits.
In addition, some weight-loss programs offer maintenance classes. Health care providers may
offer ongoing support groups or cooking classes that feature healthy recipes.
Complications
Complications in community nutrition programs may be demonstrated by a lack of change in the
eating habits and food choices made by participants.
Results
The anticipated outcome of community nutrition programs is that participants will eat healthy
food on a regular basis. Improved health is another anticipated result. Some positive outcomes
are related to educational efforts. Others are due to a change in behavior. For example, a young
mother may recognize the benefits of breastfeeding. A diabetic individual may enjoy ethnic
cooking classes and seek additional healthy ethnic recipes. An older adult may find
companionship and healthy meals at a senior lunch program. Sometimes positive outcomes are
the result of changes beyond an individual's control. When schools change cafeteria offerings
and increase physical education requirements, improvements in diet and exercise may occur.
Community nutrition programs may fail because of inadequate funding, program cancellation,
poor participation, cultural barriers between program personnel and clients, lack of consistent
access to healthy food, and lack of desire on the part of individuals to change.
Caregiver concerns
Community nutrition programs are often coordinated by registered dietitians and nutritionists.
These health care professionals have bachelor degrees, and registered dietitians have been
certified by the American Dietetic Association. In some states, licensing is required for these
professions. Furthermore, some professionals have graduate degrees in specialty areas such as
food safety, nutrition science, sports nutrition, or public health.

Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing

handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. The occurrence
of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known
as a food-borne disease outbreak. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to
avoid potential health hazards. In this way, food safety often overlaps with food defense to
prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry
and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry-to-market
practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating
to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies
on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of
governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering
market-to-consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and
the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer. Food
safety, nutrition and food security are closely related. Unhealthy food creates a cycle of disease
and malnutrition that affects infants and adults as well.
Food can transmit pathogens, which can result in the illness or death of the person or other
animals. The main types of pathogens are bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungus. The WHO
Foodborne Disease Epidemiology Reference Group conducted the only study that solely and
comprehensively focused on the global health burden of foodborne diseases. This study, which
involved the work of over 60 experts for a decade, is the most comprehensive guide to the health
burden of foodborne diseases. The first part of the study revealed that 31 foodborne hazards
considered priority accounted for roughly 420,000 deaths in LMIC and posed a burden of about
33 million disability adjusted life years in 2010. Food can also serve as a growth and
reproductive medium for pathogens. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food
preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries there are fewer standards and less
enforcement of those standards. Even so, in the US, in 1999, 5,000 deaths per year were related
to foodborne pathogens. Another main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water,
which is usually a critical item in the spreading of diseases. In theory, food poisoning is 100%
preventable. However this cannot be achieved due to the number of persons involved in the
supply chain, as well as the fact that pathogens can be introduced into foods no matter how many
precautions are taken.
Issues
Food safety issues and regulations concern:
 Agriculture and animal husbandry practices
 Food manufacturing practices
 Food additives
 Novel foods
 Genetically modified foods
 Food label
 Food contamination
Food contamination
Food contamination happens when foods are corrupted with another substance. It can happen In
the process of production, transportation, packaging, storage, sales, and cooking process.
Contamination can be physical, chemical, or biological.
Physical contamination
Physical contaminants (or 'foreign bodies') are objects such as hair, plant stalks or pieces of
plastic and metal. When a foreign object enters food, it is a physical contaminant. If the foreign
objects contain bacteria, both a physical and biological contamination will occur.
Common sources of physical contaminations are: hair, glass or metal, pests, jewelry, dirt, and
fingernails.
Physical food contamination is a hazardous yet natural accident of contaminating food with
dangerous objects around the kitchen or production base when being prepared. If kitchens or
other places where food may be prepared are unsanitary, it is very likely that physical
contamination will occur and cause negative consequences. Dangerous objects such as glass and
wire may be found in food which can cause many issues with the individuals who consume it
including choking, breaking of teeth and cutting the insides of the body. Children and the elderly
are at the highest risk of being harmed by food contamination due to their weaker immune
systems and fragile structures. The most common reasoning for physical contamination to occur
is when the food is left uncovered without lids. To prevent such contamination and harm to those
consuming food from restaurants, cooks are recommended to wear hair nets, remove jewelry,
and wear gloves when necessary, especially over wounds with bandages.
Chemical contamination
Chemical contamination happens when food is contaminated with a natural or artificial chemical
substance.[12] Common sources of chemical contamination can
include: pesticides, herbicides, veterinary drugs, contamination from environmental sources
(water, air or soil pollution), cross-contamination during food processing, migration from food
packaging materials, presence of natural toxins, or use of unapproved food
additives and adulterants
Biological contamination
It happens when the food has been contaminated by substances produced by living creatures,
such as humans, rodents, pests or microorganisms this
includes bacterial contamination, viral contamination, or parasite contamination that is
transferred through saliva, pest droppings, blood or fecal matter. Bacterial contamination is the
most common cause of food poisoning worldwide. If an environment is high in starch or protein,
water, oxygen, has a neutral pH level, and maintains a temperature between 5°C and 60°C
(danger zone) for even a brief period of time (~0–20 minutes),bacteria are likely to survive.
Example of biological contamination: Tainted Romaine Lettuce
In April and May 2018, 26 states in the United States suffered an outbreak of the bacteria
strain E. coli O157:H7 several investigations show the contamination might have come from the
Yuma, Arizona, growing region. This outbreak, which began 10 April, is the largest US flare-up
of E. coli in a decade. One person in California has died. At least 14 of the people affected
developed kidney failure. The most common symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea, bloody
diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
Safe food handling procedures (from market to consumer)
The five key principles of food hygiene, according to WHO, are:
1. Prevent contaminating food with pathogens spreading from people, pets, and pests.
2. Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the cooked foods.
3. Cook foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate temperature to kill
pathogens.
4. Store food at the proper temperature.
5. Use safe water and safe raw materials.
Proper storage, sanitary tools and work spaces, heating and cooling properly and to adequate
temperatures, and avoiding contact with other uncooked foods can greatly reduce the chances of
contamination. Tightly sealed water and air proof containers are good measures to limit the
chances of both physical and biological contamination during storage. Using clean, sanitary
surfaces and tools, free of debris, chemicals, standing liquids, and other food types (different
from the kind currently being prepared, i.e. mixing vegetables/meats or beef/poultry) can help
reduce the chance of all forms of contamination. However, even if all precautions have been
taken and the food has been safely prepared and stored, bacteria can still form over time during
storage. Food should be consumed within one to seven (1–7) days while it has been stored in a
cold environment, or one to twelve (1–12) months if it was in a frozen environment (if it was
frozen immediately after preparation). The length of time before a food becomes unsafe to eat
depends on the type of food it is, the surrounding environment, and the method with which it is
kept out of the danger zone.
 Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours—1 hour when the temperature is above
90°F (32.2°C).
 Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer.
The refrigerator should be at 40°F (4.4°C) or below and the freezer at 0°F (-17.7°C) or
below.
For example, liquid foods like soup kept in a hot slow cooker (149°F or 65°C) may last only a
few hours before contamination, but fresh meats like beef and lamb that are promptly frozen (-
2°C) can last up to a year. The geographical location can also be a factor if it is in close
proximity to wildlife. Animals like rodents and insects can infiltrate a container or prep area if
left unattended. Any food that has been stored while in an exposed environment should be
carefully inspected before consuming, especially if it was at risk of being in contact with
animals. Consider all forms of contamination when deciding if a food is safe or unsafe, as some
forms or contamination will not leave any apparent signs. Bacteria are not visible to the naked
eye, debris (physical contamination) may be underneath the surface of a food, and chemicals
may be clear or tasteless; the contaminated food may not change in smell, texture, appearance, or
taste, and could still be contaminated. Any foods deemed contaminated should be disposed of
immediately, and any surrounding food should be checked for additional contamination.
ISO 22000 is a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization dealing
with food safety. This is a general derivative of ISO 9000. The ISO 22000 international
standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that involves
interactive communication, system management, prerequisite programs, and hazard analysis and
critical control points principles. ISO 22000 was first published in 2005. It is the culmination of
all previous attempts from many sources and areas of food safety concern to provide an end
product that is safe as possible from pathogens and other contaminants. Every 5 years standards
are reviewed to determine whether a revision is necessary, to ensure that the standards remain as
relevant and useful to businesses as possible.
Incidence
A 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) report concluded that about 30% of reported food
poisoning outbreaks in the WHO European Region occur in private homes. According to the
WHO and CDC, in the USA alone, annually, there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness
leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
Food safety inspection
Health protection measures, specifically food safety inspections, play a crucial role in preventing
foodborne illnesses and are implemented by governments globally. The challenge of quantifying
the impact of foodborne illness arises from disparities in the effectiveness of public health
surveillance systems, variations in reporting, co-morbidities, under-reporting, diagnostic
uncertainties, healthcare accessibility, and individual experiences of illness. In 2010, the World
Health Organization estimated approximately 600 million cases of foodborne illness worldwide,
resulting in an estimated 420,000 deaths.
Governments worldwide have introduced health protection measures and regulatory systems to
address foodborne illness. One such method is food safety inspection, which can take different
forms at various stages of the food production system. Food safety inspection involves analyzing
food samples to determine composition, contamination levels, or quality, particularly in the case
of imported foods or those entering the consumer market. Additionally, traditional food safety
inspection includes evaluating food handling practices and production environments, commonly
applied in the food retail sector, food manufacturing, farms, and slaughterhouses. Inspectors
often employ observational and qualitative methods to assess food handling practices and
identify potential contamination risks.
The implementation of food safety inspection varies across jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions
follow a prescriptive approach, setting specific food safety requirements for businesses and using
inspection to measure compliance. This compliance-check approach typically involves
inspection checklists and numerical scoring or grading systems, which may carry different
weights for various non-compliances. Regulatory systems often prescribe actions based on score
ranges, such as enforcement measures or adjustments to inspection frequency. The application of
food safety inspection also differs in motivating compliance. Traditionally, inspections aimed to
identify and report safety deficiencies to food business operators for resolution within a specified
timeframe. Regulatory frameworks may include compliance motivators such as monetary
penalties and other enforcement measures triggered by inspection findings

Diet food (or dietetic food) refers to any food or beverage whose recipe is altered to reduce fat,
carbohydrates, and/or sugar in order to make it part of a weight loss program or diet. Such foods
are usually intended to assist in weight loss or a change in body type, although bodybuilding
supplements are designed to increase weight.
Terminology
In addition to diet other words or phrases are used to identify and describe these foods
including light, zero calorie, low calorie, low fat, no fat and sugar free. In some areas use of
these terms may be regulated by law. For example, in the U.S. a product labeled as "low fat"
must not contain more than 3 grams of fat per serving; and to be labeled "fat free" it must contain
less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.
Process
The process of making a diet version of a food usually requires finding an adequate low-food-
energy substitute for some high-food-energy ingredient. This can be as simple as replacing some
or all of the food's sugar with a sugar substitute as is common with diet soft drinks such as Coca-
Cola (for example Diet Coke). In some snacks, the food may be baked instead of fried thus
reducing the food energy. In other cases, low-fat ingredients may be used as replacements.
In whole grain foods, the high fiber content effectively displaces some of the starch component
of the flour. Since certain kinds of fibers have no food energy, this results in a moderate energy
reduction. Another process relies on the intentional addition of other reduced-food-energy
ingredients, such as resistant starch or dietary fiber, to replace part of the flour and achieve a
more significant energy reduction.
Example of low-fat foods
The low-fat foods are those that have 30% of their calories or less from fats. So, if a food
contains less than 3 gram of fat per 100 calories, it is a low fat food. Examples of cereals, grain,
and pasta products are corn or whole wheat tortillas, oatmeal, baked crackers, whole grain
versions of noodles, and pita bread. Examples of protein sources are beans, lentils, tofu, egg
white, tuna, and peas. On the other hand, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega
6 fatty acids can be beneficial to the body. Nutritious foods are avocado, almond, salmon,
cashews, seeds, and walnuts.
Controversy
In diet foods which replace the sugar with lower-food-energy substitutes, there is some
controversy based around the possibility that the sugar substitutes used to replace sugar are
themselves harmful. Artificial sweeteners have been the subject of intense scrutiny for decades,
but according to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there is no sound
scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S. cause cancer
or other serious health problems. Numerous research studies confirm that artificial sweeteners
are generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women.
In many low-fat and fat-free foods the fat is replaced with sugar, flour, or other full-food-energy
ingredients, and the reduction in food energy value is small, if any.