TRANSFORMING GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS: INNOVATIONS AND POLICY INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE DIETS
type: CreativeWork
description: The global food system faces the dual challenge of promoting dietary patterns that are both healthy and environmentally sustainable. The shift towards Westernized dietary habits, characterized by increased consumption of processed and animal-based foods, has resulted in significant public health concerns, including rising rates of non-communicable diseases, as well as environmental issues such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts from policymakers, the food industry, and consumers to foster sustainable and healthy food choices. This thesis explores two key mechanisms for achieving this transformation: sustainable innovations in the food sector, particularly upcycled foods, and policy interventions such as Front-of-Pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL). The thesis is structured into four studies addressing different dimensions of food consumption. Study 1 examines the effects of globalization on dietary shifts from 1990 to 2018, revealing a marked increase in animal-based food consumption, particularly in transitioning economies where globalization processes are most intense. These findings underscore the complex implications of dietary globalization on health and environmental sustainability. Study 2 evaluates consumer acceptance of upcycled foods using a Discrete Choice Experiment, highlighting the influence of food technology neophobia and ethical consumption on preferences. The study emphasizes the importance of public awareness and education to foster acceptance of innovative, sustainable food products. Studies 3 and 4 focus on FOPNL as a policy tool for guiding healthier food choices. A narrative review (Study 3) explores the effectiveness of different FOPNL schemes, noting that simpler, evaluative formats like Nutri-Score tend to be more comprehensible and impactful for consumers compared to complex numerical labels. In addition, it examines the scant literature on the impact of FOPNL on the foo…
abstract: The global food system faces the dual challenge of promoting dietary patterns that are both healthy and environmentally sustainable. The shift towards Westernized dietary habits, characterized by increased consumption of processed and animal-based foods, has resulted in significant public health concerns, including rising rates of non-communicable diseases, as well as environmental issues such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts from policymakers, the food industry, and consumers to foster sustainable and healthy food choices. This thesis explores two key mechanisms for achieving this transformation: sustainable innovations in the food sector, particularly upcycled foods, and policy interventions such as Front-of-Pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL). The thesis is structured into four studies addressing different dimensions of food consumption. Study 1 examines the effects of globalization on dietary shifts from 1990 to 2018, revealing a marked increase in animal-based food consumption, particularly in transitioning economies where globalization processes are most intense. These findings underscore the complex implications of dietary globalization on health and environmental sustainability. Study 2 evaluates consumer acceptance of upcycled foods using a Discrete Choice Experiment, highlighting the influence of food technology neophobia and ethical consumption on preferences. The study emphasizes the importance of public awareness and education to foster acceptance of innovative, sustainable food products. Studies 3 and 4 focus on FOPNL as a policy tool for guiding healthier food choices. A narrative review (Study 3) explores the effectiveness of different FOPNL schemes, noting that simpler, evaluative formats like Nutri-Score tend to be more comprehensible and impactful for consumers compared to complex numerical labels. In addition, it examines the scant literature on the impact of FOPNL on the foo…
author: PUCILLO, FLAVIA
language: eng
keywords: food consumption, consumer behaviour, Front-of-Pack labelling, nutritional labelling, upcycled food, circular economy, Settore AGRI-01/A - Economia agraria, alimentare ed estimo rurale
date published: 2025-01-20
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:18:51Z
provider: Università degli Studi di Milano
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Università degli Studi di Milano

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1135755