Objective: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between neighborhood food environment and protein intake to promote prevention of long-term care at the community level in mountainous areas.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 942 elderly people living in a mountainous region. The distance from the participant's home to the nearest supermarket and convenience store was calculated using geographic information system. The association between distance and low protein intake, based on a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, was analyzed by multivariate regression analysis. Further, access to the train station and bus stops was examined as an environmental factor related to mobility in daily life. The association between distance to supermarket and convenience store with intake of each major protein source food group was analyzed as a secondary outcome.

Results: While there was no significant relationship between distance to the nearest supermarket and protein intake, a significant tendency was observed between low protein intake and longer distance to the nearest convenience store. The absence of bus stops within 400 m was significantly associated with low protein intake. There was no significant association between distance to supermarkets and convenience stores and intake of each major protein source.

Conclusions: Although the distance to the nearest supermarket was not associated with protein intake, longer distances to the nearest convenience store and poorer access to bus stops were associated with low protein intake. A dietary improvement approach that takes into account accessibility of convenience stores and bus stops may be important to promote protein intake in mountainous regions.

Objective: This study aimed to compare dietary reference intakes (DRIs) and their applications in Japan and other countries to facilitate future development of DRIs for Japanese.

Methods: Information on DRIs in Japan, the United States/Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia/New Zealand, and the European Union was collected mainly through webpages of institutions in charge of developing DRIs. The information collected included the names of institutions, frequency of reviews/revisions, categories of reference values, nutrients for which DRIs have been developed, and the application of DRIs.

Results: DRIs are developed by the government and nonprofit public organizations of each country. Japan revises DRIs every five years covering all nutrients, whereas other countries review/revise them erratically when needed for a specific nutrient(s). Several common categories of reference values are used across the countries, and the U.K. uses a lower reference nutrient intake, which is two standard deviations below the estimated average requirement. The number of nutrients for which DRIs have been developed was the largest in the United States/Canada. DRIs are commonly used for meal planning, nutritional counseling, dietary guidelines/food guides, and nutrition labeling. Furthermore, they are used for the military in all countries except Japan.

Conclusion: This study clarified the differences in DRIs between Japan and other countries, thus, this can be useful information for further fulfillment of DRIs for Japanese.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of salt intake in the food of parents on the diet of their children and to explore parental factors that lead to effective food education activities.

Method: The participants included 103 infants and their parents attending a child-rearing plaza in Miyagi Prefecture. We administered a 14-item questionnaire survey on the awareness of salt intake of the parents and another 14-item survey for that of the children. After a simple tabulation, the overall numerical values were determined by factor analysis to perform a binomial logistic regression analysis.

Results: When we compared the awareness of salt intake in parents with that of the children, 12 out of 14 items showed differences in consciousness. In the results of the binominal logistic regression analysis adjusted for the age of parents and children, sex of parents, and 13 questionnaire items after a factor analysis, a significant regression formula was obtained for the salinity of seasoned rice, rice with a curry-type stew dressing, and snacks.

Conclusion: Parents' awareness of salt intake in their and their children's diet showed that there is a significant positive correlation among all the items. For most items, the consciousness about salt intake in the children was significantly higher than that directed themselves. The results of a multivariate analysis also suggested that one of the most effective food education activities is to teach parents about the salinity of seasoned rice, rice with a curry-type stew dressing, and snacks when they are given guidance on salinity for child-rearing.

Objective: To determine the status of the Smart Meal provision and the issues faced by companies to promote the application and support continued certification of restaurants and ready-made meal companies under the "Healthy Meal and Food Environment" certification system.

Methods: We targeted 79 companies—55 restaurants and 24 ready-made meal companies—that were certified in FY2018 and renewed in 2020. From January to February 2020, we investigated the status of Smart Meal provision and issues in addition to the intention to renew using the Web form. In addition, we used the information on the application department, certification time, store location, and number of stars. The results of the quantitative data are shown by frequency distribution, free-form answers are coded, and similar contents are summarized and categorized.

Results: In total, 79 companies were analyzed (analysis target rate: 100.0%). 70.9% (n = 56) of companies answered that they would renew. A total of 63.3% (n = 31) of the 49 companies that responded to the items answered that there was a response from the customer, such as [Positive evaluation of the menu]. In addition, 71.4% (n = 35) of companies answered that there was no change in sales before and after certification, but 81.6% (n = 40) of companies answered that there was a merit of certification. A total of 40.8% (n = 20) of companies responded [Issues related to menus].

Conclusions: To promote applications for the certification system for restaurants/ready-made meal companies and support their continued certification, it is necessary to solve issues related to menu, including development, cost reduction, and related to dissemination and enlightenment such as raising awareness of Smart Meal.

Objective: Food loss and waste in the food service industry are the highest in the food industry. About half of the food lost and wasted come from leftovers. In this study, we examine the status of the restaurant managers' efforts to record leftovers and their attitude toward serving size and leftovers in order to promote a healthy food environment and their efforts to reduce leftovers.

Methods: We used data from 398 respondents obtained through an online survey of restaurant managers in May, 2019. Their status of recording leftovers were divided into four groups: "measure & record," "estimate & record," "only estimate," and "nothing." The characteristics, presence or absence of leftovers, status of efforts to reduce food loss and waste, and attitude toward serving size and leftovers were compared across the four groups using the χ² test.

Results: The number of participants in the "measure & record" group was 11 (2.8%), in the "estimate & record" group was 52 (13.1%), in the "only estimate" group was 232 (58.3%) and in the "nothing" group was 103 (25.9%). The "measure & record" group had longer working experiences (p = 0.009), more efforts to reduce food loss and waste (p < 0.001), and had more positive attitude toward taste than quantity of food served.

Conclusions: Less than 5% of food service managers measured and recorded their leftovers. They have been engaged in the business for a long time, are taking action to reduce food loss and waste, and have a desirable attitude toward serving the right amount of food.