Humans mainly use the land for agriculture and housing, resulting in the loss of natural habitat and a decrease in the number of species, including wild bees. The reduction of wild bees generates several negative consequences for the agricultural and ecosystem contexts, although sometimes the farming reduces the probability of abandonment of the land. In parallel, urban beekeeping has emerged and consolidated as one of the current trends, while the consumption of honey from urban environments is also growing. Current scientific literature establishes different physical, chemical, and biological parameters which evaluate the quality of honey products and its environment. The review carried out here collects the various compounds contained in this source-dependent food matrix from anthropogenic activities in the sampling area. Using gas and liquid chromatography and spectrometry, the main physicochemical parameters have been detected, 27 chemical elements, of which 6 are heavy elements, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides (organochlorine pesticides and neonicotinoids). Additionally, their total phenolic and microbiological content has been typified. This analysis can help to frame the main characteristics to evaluate this universal product, whose consumption began with the first settlers of the world, and its properties have been evolving as well as the characteristics of the production systems.

Addressing global food waste is a formidable challenge, requiring comprehensive efforts across the food supply chain, particularly in sectors prone to waste like HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering). In MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism, where gastronomy is a major attraction, overlooked meal services during working meetings contribute significantly to food waste. The MagNuS (Magnitude, Nutritional value, and Sustainability) project aims to assess and address food waste during conference events at the Valencia Conference Center in Spain. This study quantifies waste, categorizes it by food groups, estimates the potential number of individuals that could be fed with discarded food, and assesses energy and nutritional values. Across three events, 104.4 kg of food waste was documented, with cereals having the highest wastage, followed by legumes, fish, and others. Acknowledging potential underestimation due to reliance on cooked values, this study suggests using residues for vermicomposting or composting as sustainable waste management alternatives. These findings have implications for future initiatives, advocating diverse strategies to minimize food waste during congress events, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. The MagNuS project contributes valuable insights to sustainable practices in MICE tourism, informing policies and operational decisions to reduce the environmental impact of food waste.

Nowadays, obesity is a pandemic, and some people seek slimming diets to guarantee their health and quality of life. However, the cult of the healthy body has been an ongoing concern since the beginning of time. Irrespective of the century to which they belong, these cults reflect no empirical knowledge about physiology, nutrients or kilocalories, with some of them being quantitative diets in contrast to qualitative diets, or even simple food recommendations. On the other hand, some of these treatments might have led to the death of a patient, meaning that it is important for people seeking to lose weight to be followed by a nutrition professional until the individual reaches a desirable body weight. In this article, we highlight that each century and each decade have devised different treatments with the aim of improving health, but it will be science and history that will judge whether the results of these treatments have been adequate.

Maria Callas’ diet, also known as the tapeworm diet, is a non-food-based hazardous treatment. This study aims to justify whether Maria Callas used this treatment for weight loss. To investigate this, we searched in the ‘white’, ‘grey’, and ‘black’ literature. The historical facts about the use of tapeworm pills seem to be inconsistent and include fake news. In the case of Maria Callas, it has been confirmed by her biography and personal communications that she was diagnosed with a beef tapeworm due to eating uncooked meat. This discredits the hypothesis that she consumed tapeworm pills.

Nowadays, the food industry is integrating environmental, social, and health parameters to increase its sustainable impact. To do this, they are using new tools to calculate the potential efficiency of nutritional products with lower levels of environmental impact. One of these tools is called the ‘nutritional footprint’, created by Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy GmbH. This study aims to review this concept and clarify its historical development, its use in several sectors of the food industry, and its transformation from a manual to an online tool. Results reflected that it is a suitable indicator that integrates nutritional, environmental, and social-economic dimensions to help the decision-making process in the procurement of more sustainable products and, although it is limited to Germany due to the use of the national standard nutritional intakes of Germany, its importance lies in the fact that is a promising instrument to promote environmental sustainability in the context of food, meals, and the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) sectors.

The relationship between obesity and weight loss treatments has run parallel throughout history; however, not all diets are suitable for improving one’s health. This review aims to categorize diets according to the new classification of hazardous diets established in 2021. A search was conducted across grey, white, and black literature. The results reveal a study of 179 diets, of which 35 are effective, while the rest are hazardous to health. Looking at the geographical distribution of these diets, the USA, the UK, and Greece dominate the top three spots. The geographic distribution of diets is linked to cultural and environmental factors, with influencers often playing a predominant role. Additionally, the lack of legislative oversight on emerging diets is a noteworthy concern, highlighting the need for regulatory measures to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals engaging in such dietary practices. Regarding the creators of these weight loss treatments, it is noteworthy that only 7.8% are nutrition specialists, all of whom fall under the effective diets category. This demonstrates that healthy treatments and nutritionists are the best combination for losing weight and improving health.