Abstract
This study aimed to benchmark the healthiness of the New Zealand (NZ) fast-food supply in 2020. There are currently no actions or policies in NZ regarding the composition, serving size and labeling of fast food. Data on serving size and nutrient content of products was collected from company websites and in-store visits to 27 fast-food chains. For each fast-food category and type of combo meal, medians and interquartile ranges were calculated for serving size and energy, sodium, total sugar, and saturated fat per serving. Nutrient contents/serving were benchmarked against the United Kingdom (UK) soft drinks levy sugar thresholds and targets for salt for away from home foods, the NZ daily intake guidelines for energy, sodium, and saturated fat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for free sugars. Analyses were conducted for the 30.3% (n = 1772) of products with available nutrition information and for 176 meal combos. Most (n = 67; 91.8%) sugar-sweetened drinks would qualify for a UK soft drink industry levy and 47% (n = 1072) of products exceeded the relevant UK sodium target. Half of the meal combos provided at least 50.3% of the daily energy requirements and at least 88.6% of the maximum recommended intake of sodium. Fast-food products and combo meals in NZ contribute far more energy and negative nutrients to recommended daily intake targets than is optimal for good health. The NZ Government should set reformulation targets and serving size guidance to reduce the potential impact of fast- food consumption on the health of New Zealanders.
Highlights
The average New Zealand (NZ) diet is low in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds and contains an excess of foods high in sugar and sodium [1,2]
This paper aims to benchmark the healthiness of products and combo meals available in the NZ fast-food supply in 2020 to provide recent evidence to inform effective policies and actions regarding reformulation and consumer information
For NZ fast-food products for which nutrition information could be sourced (30%), many product categories and meal combos were high in energy and sodium and within some categories many products were high in total sugar and saturated fat
Summary
The average NZ diet is low in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds and contains an excess of foods high in sugar and sodium [1,2]. Fast-food has been independently associated with increased energy intakes and accelerating rates of weight gain and obesity [5,6]. In the United States, fast-food consumption has been associated with an additional 814 kJ of dietary energy per day and higher intakes of saturated fat and sodium [7]. Fast-food meals are generally characterized by large portion sizes, low levels of health-promoting nutrients such as fibre, and high levels of energy and adverse nutrients including saturated fat, added sugar and sodium [8].
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