September in review: USDA warns of rising food insecurity, CARE Mozambique calls for increased support

In September’s major health and nutrition industry news, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed growing food insecurity in the US and CARE Mozambique called for increased support for the country in light of ongoing crises. 

In our September review, Nutrition Insight looks back at some of the month’s biggest stories, including our conversation with the author of a paper attesting that sweets and candies should be considered separately from other ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Meanwhile, we talked with the American Botanical Council (ABC) about the prevalence of adulterated supplements and examined the latest report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on how climate change may impact child nutrition.

September
Non-Western diets harder to track using AI-powered health apps, expert warns
Diet-tracking apps employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) are becoming more common, but concerns over the accuracy of food recognition, particularly for non-Western diets, persist. We caught up with Dr. Juliana Chen, a dietitian and researcher at the University of Sydney, Australia, who discussed her recent study highlighting issues with AI’s ability to identify components in Asian mixed dishes accurately. Her team’s research examined 800 diet-tracking apps and found that AI often struggled with the accurate recognition, portion estimation and calorie calculations of meals. Chen advised that these apps might not always provide reliable logging, particularly for culturally specific dishes, and recommended caution for users.

Latest USDA report reveals growing food insecurity among US households
In 2023, the USDA reported that 13.5% of US households, around 18 million people, experienced food insecurity, marking an increase from 12.8% in 2022. Approximately 47.4 million people were affected, up from 33.8 million two years prior. Moreover, about 7.2 million children are living in food-insecure households. The USDA reported that incidents of very low food security were steady at 5.1%, indicating severe levels of food access problems due to financial constraints. We discussed these findings with experts from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Food Research and Action Center and Vitamin Angels, who highlighted that while food safety net programs exist, they do not fully address underlying issues of poverty and systemic barriers that restrict low-income families’ food choices. Further, the organizations pointed out that investment in evidence-based economic support policies, such as the Child Tax Credit and guaranteed income programs, could effectively counter rising food insecurity trends.We discussed the bioavailability and health benefits of Lubrizol Life Science’s latest micro-encapsulated magnesium powder with the company’s global marketing manager, Isabel Gómez.

Scientists unlock predictive healthcare with innovative gut microbiome analytical tool
Researchers from the US-based Mayo Clinic developed a computational tool, dubbed the Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 (GMWI2), that can distinguish healthy individuals from those with diseases with 80% accuracy by analyzing the gut microbiome. We spoke with Jaeyun Sung, Ph.D., the study’s senior author, about how this tool is an advancement over its prototype and can detect subtle gut health changes to predict disease progression or recovery. GMWI2, an open-source tool, promises significant preventative healthcare benefits by facilitating early interventions through diet, lifestyle changes or probiotics to maintain gut health. The tool was tested on 8,069 stool metagenomes from 54 studies across 26 countries..

Subpar supplements: Research reveals substantial adulteration in popular botanicals
The ABC’s Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program analyzed 78 publications and 2,995 samples, revealing adulteration rates between 16.5% and 56.7% for five botanicals. Ginkgo leaf extract had the highest adulteration rate at 56.7%, with other significant rates observed in black cohosh, echinacea, elderberry and turmeric. We talked to Stefan Gafner, Ph.D., the study’s co-author and chief science officer at ABC, who highlighted that adulteration remains a significant issue within the botanical supplement industry, despite many manufacturers producing high-quality products. Gafner underscored that the findings reveal the need for more robust data and reliable methods to assess the true extent of adulteration and ensure product quality.

Gates Foundation sounds alarm on climate-induced crisis of childhood malnutrition
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation unveiled its latest Goalkeepers report, which warned that climate change will lead to stunting in 40 million children and wasting in 28 million children by 2050. Highlighting the urgency of this crisis, the foundation called for immediate global action and increased health funding in vulnerable regions. The report titled “A Race to Nourish a Warming World” urged scaling up existing solutions to prevent these outcomes and build climate resilience while promoting economic growth. Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation, expressed concern over the inadequate pace of aid amidst rising global challenges such as inflation, debt and new conflicts and emphasized the need for a renewed focus on global health despite financial constraints.We sat down with Stephanie McBurnett at the US Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to discuss how plant-based proteins may aid in the fight against breast cancer.

Gnosis by Lesaffre and Gencor detail new Landkind Pure Salidroside US distribution deal
Gencor announced its partnership with Gnosis by Lesaffre to distribute Landkind Pure Salidroside in the US. We sat down with Christopher Bailey, Ph.D., Gencor’s director of scientific affairs, and Nicole Lemus, Gnosis by Lesaffre’s director for the Americas, to discuss the product’s scientific backing, the motivation behind the partnership and the logistics of introducing the product to a new market. Bailey spotlighted the industry’s continuous search for new ingredients to meet customer needs and the potential for salidroside, due to its clinically studied dose and production technology. At the same time, Lemus highlighted that Landkind Pure Salidroside’s proven clinical efficacy in boosting energy and performance, makes it a reliable choice for customers and consumers.

Revolutionizing early life nutrition: Lallemand Health Solutions’ latest probiotic innovations
Lallemand Health Solutions highlighted the benefits of its probiotic offerings for early-life nutrition and development, emphasizing their role in strengthening digestion and bolstering natural defenses in babies, as well as influencing the gut-brain axis and enhancing metabolic health. Valentine Barassé, the product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions, illustrated the company’s latest innovations in infant nutrition and its partnership with dsm-firmenich. Barassé detailed the company’s focus on developing probiotic supplements that support a well-balanced gut microbiome in infants, promoting healthy development of gut flora to enhance overall well-being in early life.In an exclusive webinar, the co-founder and global insights director of Innova Market Insights revealed the leading nutrition trends for 2025, while our panel of experts discussed evolving landscapes in nutrition, nutraceuticals, and supplements.

Mozambique in crisis: CARE director calls for action as millions face hunger
The international female-focused developmental organization CARE revealed that the ongoing droughts in the north of Mozambique further strained the already sensitive food insecurity situation in conflict-affected areas of the country. We sat down with the director of CARE Mozambique, Katia dos Santos Dias, who detailed the rarely talked about nutrition crisis, noting that there was no single cause for the country’s situation. Dos Santos Dias stressed that an estimated 46% of Mozambique’s population still lives below the poverty line, and about 30% of the population, about 9.4 million people, are facing food insecurity. Moreover, the organization spotlighted the need for increased support in the regions as by October, it predicted that 3.3 million Mozambique residents — including 144,000 children and nearly 24,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women — will need specialized malnutrition treatment.

Ultra-processed indulgence: New survey reveals candy differs from other UPFs
Researchers from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and the National Confectioners Association advised policymakers to differentiate chocolates and candy from other UPFs due to their distinct impact on health. The study found that chocolates and candies contribute fewer calories and added sugars to US diets compared to other UPFs. The research was encapsulated in a white paper using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and a proprietary consumer segmentation by the Natural Marketing Institute. The paper’s author told us that chocolates and candies are consumed differently than other indulgent products. The study also found a consumer trend toward preferring smaller portions of these treats. It also revealed that some in the industry are already adapting by offering smaller portions to help consumers enjoy their products responsibly.

ABM issues first global guidelines for breastfeeding during emergencies
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) released a position statement providing global recommendations to support breastfeeding during emergencies — a first for the field — for physicians and emergency relief personnel. The guidelines emphasized the critical importance of breastfeeding to ensure the safety and nutrition of both breastfed and non-breastfed infants during crises such as natural disasters and conflicts. The paper emphasized the vulnerabilities of infants in such situations. It underscored the necessity of supporting mothers and caregivers to continue breastfeeding as a fundamental aspect of emergency preparedness and personnel training. It also strongly advised against accepting or soliciting donations of infant formula during emergencies, citing increased risks to infant health from potential sanitation and water safety issues. The position paper concluded that breastfeeding is crucial in emergencies for providing secure and sustainable nutrition and immune protection without necessitating reliance on electricity, clean water or other external supplies.