An analysis of pesticide residue data was performed to describe and quantify differences between organically grown and non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Data on residues in foods from three different market categories (conventionally grown, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown/no detectable residues (NDR), and organically grown) were compared using data from three test programmes: The Pesticide Data Program of the US Department of Agriculture; the Marketplace Surveillance Program of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation; and private tests by the Consumers Union, an independent testing organization. Organically grown foods consistently had about one-third as many residues as conventionally grown foods, and about one-half as many residues as found in IPM/NDR samples. Conventionally grown and IPM/NDR samples were also far more likely to contain multiple pesticide residues than were organically grown samples. Comparison of specific residues on specific crops found that residue concentrations in organic samples were consistently lower than in the other two categories, across all three data sets. The IPM/NDR category, based on data from two of the test programmes, had residues higher than those in organic samples but lower than those in conventionally grown foods.

Pesticide residues in conventional, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown and organic foods: insights from three US data sets Part A Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment

Evidence that experiences of nature can benefit people has accumulated rapidly. Yet perhaps because of the domination of the visual sense in humans, most research has focused on the visual aspects of nature experiences. However, humans are multisensory, and it seems likely that many benefits are delivered through the non-visual senses and these are potentially avenues through which a physiological mechanism could occur. Here we review the evidence around these lesser studied sensory pathways—through sound, smell, taste, touch, and three non-sensory pathways. Natural sounds and smells underpin experiences of nature for many people, and this may well be rooted in evolutionary psychology. Tactile experiences of nature, particularly beyond animal petting, are understudied yet potentially fundamentally important. Tastes of nature, through growing and consuming natural foods, have been linked with a range of health and well-being benefits. Beyond the five senses, evidence is emerging for other non-visual pathways for nature experiences to be effective. These include ingestion or inhalation of phytoncides, negative air ions and microbes. We conclude that (i) these non-visual avenues are potentially important for delivering benefits from nature experiences; (ii) the evidence base is relatively weak and often based on correlational studies; and (iii) deeper exploration of these sensory and non-sensory avenues is needed.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/8/864/pdf

A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye.

There are many empirically determined influential factors known to control the organic food purchase behaviour. Of these known factors‐ health, product quality and concern for natural environmental degradation are seen as the major motives behind the organic food purchase. We, therefore, attempted to investigate the most prominent reason(s) for buying organic food, using the meta‐analyses of studies published during the last 25 years as our basis for conviction. Multilevel meta‐analyses was applied to the studies in review, in order to find the major reason(s) for the purchase of organic grocery, milk, fruits and vegetables. Although the three motivational factors mentioned above have been echoed throughout the history of organic food purchase research, the health factor has always topped the priority chart. The study in its overall empirical scale contributes to managerial implications and sets an agenda for future research.

Health motive and the purchase of organic food: A meta‐analytic review

As concerns about pollution and climate change become more mainstream, the belief that shopping with reusable grocery bags is an important environmental and socially conscious choice has gained prevalence. In parallel, firms have joined policy makers in using a variety of initiatives to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags. However, little is known about how these initiatives might alter other elements of consumers' in-store behavior. Using scanner panel data from a single California location of a major grocery chain, and controlling for consumer heterogeneity, the authors demonstrate that bringing one's own bags increases purchases of not only environmentally friendly organic foods but also indulgent foods. They use experimental methods to further explore the expression of these effects and to consider the effects of potential moderators, including competing goals and store policies. The findings have implications for decisions related to product pricing, placement and assortment, store layout, and ...

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BYOB: How Bringing Your Own Shopping Bags Leads to Treating Yourself and the Environment

How important is local food to organic-minded consumers?

Malaysia generated about 17,000 tonnes of food waste daily in 2021 and 24% of this waste was still edible. Wasting food is not only just an economic or humanitarian concern but it also affects the environment and can increase carbon footprint and biodiversity losses. Although many food waste campaigns have been launched in Malaysia recently, there is still a gap of adequate knowledge and practices as well as the right attitude in local communities especially among foodservice workers, towards food waste prevention. Therefore, the level of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on food waste among foodservice operators were assessed in this study to identify the factors that contribute to food waste generation among foodservice operators so that effective corrective methods could be developed to address this problem. A self-administered questionnaire surveying 136 respondents of foodservice operators in PJU 9 and 10, Petaling Jaya, Selangor using convenience sampling were conducted. The results showed that the respondents had a good level of knowledge (86%) while attitudes were at a moderate level (76.5%) and practices of food handling were identified to be at a low level (48.5%). The evaluation of the relationship between the three elements of KAP on the generation of food waste revealed that there was a weak positive relationship between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.26, p < 0.05) as well as between knowledge and practices (r = 0.21, p < 0.05). However, a weak negative relationship (r = - 0.22, p = 0.01) was noted in the relationship between attitude and food handling practices. These results indicate that high knowledge of food waste generation as a factor may not help change the attitude patterns and practices of foodservice operators in food waste mitigation. In this regard, positive and negative reinforcements may be one of the best approaches for sustainable food waste management among foodservice operators, for example, offering incentives to those who produce less food waste and levying a penalty to those who produce more may act as a deterrent.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of food waste management among foodservice operators in petaling jaya utara (pju) 9 and 10, selangor

The aim of the study was to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Zn) in dried squids (Loligo sp.). Dried squid samples were purchased randomly from different markets in Melaka Tengah district. The sampling was according to species with size ranging from 30 to 40 cm. The samples were homogenized and pounded to ash using muffle furnace. Then, they were analyzed using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). The heavy metal concentrations were found to be in an order of Zn > Cu > Cd. All the studied heavy metal concentrations were below the maximum permissible levels postulated in Malaysian Food Act 1983 and its Regulations. The concentrations were also below the levels observed by several selected food safety guidelines. Hazard index for consumption of dried squids was less than 1.0 which indicates that the intake of heavy metals from the consumption of the dried squids does not pose a significant hazard to humans.

https://maeh4u.org.my/journal/index.php/maeh/article/download/10/11

Heavy Metals in Dried Squids (Loligo sp.) in Melaka Tengah District: Heavy Metals in Dried Squids (Loligo sp.) in Melaka Tengah District

Inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes and unsafe practices while handling chemicals can contribute to incidents such as fires, accidents, injuries and fatalities at academic institutions and laboratories. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of lab personnel towards chemical safety at an academic institution. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 laboratory personnel at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia using purposive sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed by email to collect data which was analysed using descriptive statistics, a Spearman Correlation Coefficient measures and a Chi-Squared test. In general, the respondents’ knowledge and attitudes towards chemical safety were high with median scores ranging between 79.2% and 88.9%, respectively. However, their practices were moderate, with a mean score of 74. 1%. There was a weak correlations between attitudes and the level of knowledge (rs = 0.38, p < 0.05) and practices (rs = 0.19, p < 0.05). There were significant associations between department, campus and training status (χ2 value, p < 0.05) with knowledge and practice levels. Although the overall scores were satisfactory, some aspects still need improvement, especially with regard to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals symbols, personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance and emergency response procedures. The practice of eating and drinking in laboratories by lab personnel is an issue that also requires attention.

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Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices of laboratory personnel towards chemical safety in universiti teknologi mara campuses, malaysia

ENVIRONMENTAL-ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN URBAN PLANNING Farah Ayuni Shafie I farahayuni@salam.uitm.edu.my Xavier Gabarrell Dasimah Omar Subramaniam Karuppannan Faculty of Architecture, Surveying &Planning, UniversitiTeknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia School of Engineering, UniversitatAutonoma de Barcelona, Spain Faculty of Architecture, Surveying & Planning, UniversitiTeknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia Faculty of Health Sciences, UniversitiTeknologi MARA, PuncakAlam, Malaysia FADU-UBA Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires FGH-US – Facultad de Geografía e Historia. Universidad de Sevilla, España

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Farah Ayuni Shafie

Papers

Knowledge, attitude and practices of food waste management among foodservice operators in petaling jaya utara (pju) 9 and 10, selangor

Heavy Metals in Dried Squids (Loligo sp.) in Melaka Tengah District: Heavy Metals in Dried Squids (Loligo sp.) in Melaka Tengah District

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices of laboratory personnel towards chemical safety in universiti teknologi mara campuses, malaysia

Environmental-economic impact assessment in urban planning