On January 30, 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There is hardly a country in the world that is not currently facing this problem. The number of cases is constantly growing, patients and carriers being the main mode of transmission. The economies of all countries are at stake. However, people need essential goods and food, regardless of the situation. In this respect, agriculture, food industry, food market, and catering have become priority industries. A continuous operation of food service enterprises (FSE) is crucial for the uninterrupted food supply in the period of preventive measures. The paper describes how pathogen makes its way into FSEs, spreads, and infects people. This information makes it possible to assess the probability of coronavirus infection and to reduce its spread, thus ensuring the safe operation of the enterprise. There are three transmission routes the coronavirus can take at a FSE: (1) aerial transmission by droplets and aerosols during the main and secondary technological production processes, (2) person-to-person transmission from clients to staff or from employee to employee via direct or indirect contact, (3) transmission via contaminated surfaces, e.g. packaging, furniture, equipment, etc. FSEs have to follow the recommendations published by the federal and/or local authorities, which may vary depending on the COVID-19 incidence rate in the area. These recommendations are based on the probability of the public health risk associated with person-to-person transmission, rather than on food safety.

Introduction. The problem of micronutrient deficiency remains a relevant issue all over the world. However, it is mostly developed countries that practice food fortification. The FAO and the WHO accumulate related experience and summarize it in various documents. Yet some aspects of the problem can be solved on state level. The present research featured micronutrient deficit and preventive measures in several countries taking into account local food traditions. Since 1920, a number of industrially developed northern countries have started developing and implementing various food fortification programs. Similar programs are being introduced in East, Central, and South Africa and Southeast Asia. For 40 years, Russia has been taking various measures to prevent micronutrient deficiency and related diseases. Results and discussion. The research revealed the social and economic measures of food fortification that were found lacking in these countries. The main problem proved to be iodine, iron, and vitamin A deficiency. However, lack of other micronutrients also remains a burning issue. The present paper gives an overview of iodine, selenium, and iron deficiencies in several countries. The authors proposed several solutions, e.g. food group selection, food additives (mono or premix), various ways of fortification, etc. The article also contains a list of main Russian regulatory documents that control the production and turnover of food fortification. The authors showed advantages of food fortification of mass consumption products, e.g. the low cost of processing, the affordability of enriched products, their availability for different social population, the well-developed regulation standards, the good social effect of food fortification projects, their economic efficiency, etc. Taking into consideration the environmental changes and various geopolitical and economic factors that negatively affect nutrition and population health, the authors recommend to continue evidence-based research in this direction to develop new technologies and food supplements. Conclusion. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that it reveals priority areas for prospective scientific research in food fortification based on a thorough analysis of the existing experience. From the point of view of practical application, the research offers a deeper understanding of the problem, stresses its relevance, sets goals and objectives of future studies, and offers some ideas for preventive programs.

Objective: assess the prospects of using sous-vide technology, taking into account the emerging needs of consumers in the field of public catering.

Public catering is a very specific sphere with a number of factors that hinder innovative development. As a result, local public catering businesses require innovative elements that would be tailored for their needs. The research objective was to analyze the prospects of the public catering industry in the Kemerovo Region and design an instrument for its innovative environment. The research featured public catering enterprises, food industry universities, consumers, and market, as well as related products, services, and technologies. It also involved such elements of local innovation infrastructure as business incubators, technology transfer centers, core facility centers, and industry-specific innovation clusters. The analysis relied on such basic methods as analysis, generalization, systematization, and synthesis. State regulation stimulates research and innovative activity by financing projects in priority areas of science and technology. For example, programs UMNIK and START choose applicants with the best innovative project. These programs need new methods of selecting the winners and organizing their cooperation. The research offers a stage-by-stage mechanism of interaction, goal setting, and decision making. The infrastructure elements belonged to the innovation cycle: a student business incubator, an Infopark, a core facility center, a technology transfer center, and a industry-specific cluster. Industry-specific clusters proved effective for the public catering sector. Innovative activity makes sense when it is integrated with universities and regional infrastructure. Regional food catering infrastructure needs innovative elements and innovative projects, and industry-specific clusters can bring these novelties to the market.

The food-borne micronutrient deficiency causes diet-related diseases. The problem is part of great challenges and demands a solution. The human body is the most vulnerable to selenium deficiency. The physiological requirement in this micronutrient is, in one respect, small -70 mg per day, on the other hand, it causes a number of serious diseases. The experience was obtained of providing the population with micronutrients. It is possible to include biologically active supplements, vitamin and mineral preparations (VMP) into the ration, direct micronutrient supplementation into food products at the production stage, fortification of animal feedstuff, etc. Fortification of plant raw material with selenium during the growing stage was studied. Further, the fortified plant raw material is supposed to be used in prophylactic food products manufacturing. The most common plants with high biologically active substance (BAS) content, including selenium were chosen. They are certified and widely used in pharmacology and food industry. The most prospective concentrator agent is sweet-clover. The fortification technology for hydroponically grown sweet-clover was carried out in laboratory. Growing of the plant was carried out on hydroponics by putting it into the natural environment system. For achieving the optimum the following factors were varied: the content and concentration of the medium; the concentration of selenium preparation; temperature, humidity and dormancy period of the plant. It was established that the plant consumes selenium well in combination with the definite set of biologically active substances from the medium. As compared to the original selenium content (0.312 mg/kg of dry raw material) its quantity reached 3.50±0.80 mg/kg after fortification. Total selenium content in sweet-clover may be forecast with allowances for the preset parameters. It is advisory to continue the research on adapting the plant fortification technology using selenium preparations on commercial scale. The allowances should be made for climatic conditions, supplementation method, strength of the solutions, growth environment.