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Any Government needs to make sure that its citizens have enough of the right kinds of food to eat. After air and water, there is no more basic human need; but in assessing the adequacy of food supplies most Governments rely on data relating to production and external trade, rather than on a more direct measurement of food consumption. The statistical series Food Consumption Levels in the United Kingdom (which, despite its name, shows total amounts of foodstuffs available at a primary stage of distribution) can be matched in most developed countries; but such series cannot give any indication of the claims of different sections of the population on total supplies. In contrast, the annual reports of the National Food Survey Committee of Great Britain, entitled Household Food Consumption and Expenditure, provide a continuous evaluation of the amount and cost of food used by different types of household, a record on which a nutritional assessment can be based.

With almost half of college undergraduates engaging in friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs), the current study sought to explore the sexual decision making strategies and potential physical and psychological health outcomes behind these relationships.

Using self-report measures, Study 1 asked 207 undergraduates to rate the importance of motivations, maintenance rules, and future outcomes of FWBRs in their own personal experience and for other men and women. Study 2 sampled 142 undergraduate women who were asked to indicate the percentage of time they engaged in sexual behavior under the influence of alcohol or marijuana and the frequency with which they used safe sex practices in an FWBR.

Both genders appeared equally motivated to begin an FWBR; however women reported establishing permanence rules and avoiding over-attachment in the relationship as significantly more important than men. Men were more likely to prefer that the FWBR remain unchanged, however both genders agreed that a transition to a committed relationship was unlikely. Alcohol use was not significantly more prevalent in an FWBR, nor was the likelihood of practicing safe sex.

Both studies employed the use of self-report surveys from a single university and were subject to social desirability.

Quantitatively examining young adults’ reasoning behind choosing to engage in FWBRs provided insight into their overarching fear of “being hurt” and their preference for “easy access” to sexual experiences. These trends may suggest a shift in dating patterns and a preference for avoiding the emotional complexities of a committed, monogamous relationship.

Defines the number of recorded cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the UK as comprising those reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and checked by them using histopathological techniques. Proposes that, if it is assumed that BSE is a similar condition to other mammalian transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and if other specific assumptions are made, it is possible to estimate the true number of cases of BSE and, hence, the number of human beings who have been infected in the UK. States that approximately 6.87 per cent of cattle born in 1988 became infected with BSE, with lower numbers in antecedent years, and that BSE cases reported in the UK represent approximately 23 per cent of the cattle which have become infected and are hence potentially infective to other animals, including man. Discloses the fact that TSEs of animals, of which BSE is one, can be transmitted to a mean of at least 70 per cent of other species and that oral transmission has been successful. Uses the potential levels of infectivity of the bovine products present in human food in the UK from 1984 to 1997, together with data as to individual diets within the population, to assess the number of people who would be expected to have eaten the minimum potentially infective dose or more. Discusses the possible effects on human health.

It is widely recognised that there is a significant gap in our knowledge on the nutritional content of meals provided by the catering industry. The annual National Household Food Consumption and Expenditure Survey,1 provides information on household food purchases, which is used to estimate the nutritional intake of individuals. It does not provide any nutritional information on meals purchased and consumed outside the home.

Reviewing the Food Standards Report on Misdescriptions contained in this issue—the terms, names, phrases widespread in the field of agriculture and food—one cannot fail to notice the impressive role that words generally play in everyday use of language, especially in those areas where widespread common usage imports regional differences. The modern tendency is to give to words new meanings and nowhere is this so apparent as in the food industry; the Food Standards Committee considered a number of these. The FSC see the pictorial device as making a deeper impression than mere words in relation to consumer preference, which is undoubtedly true. Even Memory can be compartmentalized and especially with the increasing years, the memory tends to become photographic, retaining visual impressions more strongly than the written word. Auditory impressions depend largely on their accompaniments; if words are spoken with the showing of a picture or sung to a catchy tune, these will be more strongly retained than mere words on a printed label. At best, pictorial devices give rise to transient impressions, depending on the needs and interests of the viewer. Many look but do not see, and as for spoken words, these may “go in one ear and out of the other!”.

It has been estimated that roughly one quarter of food produced in the UK is wasted from the time the food commodities leave the farm until they are presented to the consumer on a plate. Dr Osner looks at the crude energy gap, when and where food wastage occurs, and discusses ways of reducing and utilising waste

Over the past few years several reports have been published recommending voluntary changes in UK diet in the interests of health. Major recommendations include a reduction in the consumption of fat, sugar and salt and an increase in consumption of fibre. A survey conducted in ten secondary schools in Nottingham and involving 492 respondents showed that adolescents between the ages of 11 and 16 generally favoured a decrease in consumption of fat and sugar and an increased consumption of fibre. However only half of the sample thought that salt intake should be reduced. There were significant differences in response based on the age and sex of the respondents. Reduction in fat and sugar intakes was a particularly dominant attitude amongst older girls, and this may be due to their concern over appearance rather than their concern for health.

The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) aims to ensure that an adequate, safe and varied food supply is available from which consumers can choose healthy and enjoyable diets. In order to monitor the effects of its policies and to provide appropriate dietary advice, MAFF needs to know about changes which occur in food consumption patterns and hence nutrient intakes. Dietary surveys are regularly carried out in order to provide information about food and nutrient intakes of different population groups.

Discusses practical issues about dietary survey methods for use with free‐living individuals. Reviews prospective and retrospective methods indicating that no single method is flawless. Likely sources of error include bias as a result of sampling and response; changes in diet; variation with time; frequency of consumption; reporting food weight and matching foods with those in tables of food composition. Concludes that the choice of method will depend on the purpose of the investigation, and factors such as interest in food requirements, association between diet and disease and the need to know about the intake of individuals or groups of people will be highly relevant.

To most readers of Nutrition and Food Science, “McCance and Widdowson” is the name of the book they will reach for when they need to, say, compare the protein content of a cheese sandwich and a sausage roll. The Chemical Composition of Foods was first published in 1940 and even now in its fifth edition it is still very much the “bible” for nutritionists, food scientists, dietitians and many others.