Abstract
The implementation of mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling is currently being discussed in the European Union (EU). The Nutri-Score (NS) was developed in France to empower consumers to make informed and healthier food choices. Based on strong evidence of its efficacy in supporting healthy choices, it has already been implemented for voluntary use in some EU member states, making it relevant to developing a harmonised EU scheme. This study aimed to evaluate the NS’s discriminating ability on products available in the food supply and compare it with Slovenian national nutritional recommendations based on an adapted WHO Europe (WHOE) profile. The innovative approach of the study is that we used sale-weighting to address the public health importance of available foods, with consideration of market share. We profiled 15,822 products available in the Slovenian food supply in 2017. The NS had a high ability to discriminate food products based on nutritional composition. Products that are generally encouraged in dietary recommendations (fruits, vegetables, cereals) had, in most cases, better NS grades than less favourable products (confectionery, snack foods, added fats), which is also in line with the national nutrition policy programme. The discriminating ability of the model was also shown within food (sub)categories (e.g., plain and flavoured yoghurt). Sale-weighting showed that offerings do not always reflect sales. Major differences between offerings and sales were observed for beverages, dairy, fruits/vegetables, and edible oils/emulsions. Additionally, sale-weighted distribution tended towards less favourable nutritional composition, particularly in categories with overall smaller offerings of products with favourable composition. The NS showed moderate agreement with the WHOE profile (κ = 0.57); differences were particularly observed in flavoured yoghurts, juices, cooking oils, and cheeses. Modelling the operation of the NS with representative real-life food samples provided insight valuable for developing and implementing harmonised mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling in Europe.
Highlights
Noncommunicable chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer are the leading causes of death, responsible for over 70% of deaths worldwide, with Europe being one of the most affected regions [1,2]
In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) to provide relevant nutrition information in a convenient and understandable way
Cross-sectional data on available foods and their composition were retrieved from the Composition and Labelling Information System (CLAS) database (Nutrition Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia), which collects information on prepacked products in the Slovenian food supply [39]
Summary
Noncommunicable chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer are the leading causes of death, responsible for over 70% of deaths worldwide, with Europe being one of the most affected regions [1,2]. Studies have shown that nutritional information on BOPLs is useful for consumers; they are not very effective at stimulating healthier food choices and improving overall diet quality [4] since they are often overlooked and misinterpreted due to lack of knowledge and motivation [5]. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) to provide relevant nutrition information in a convenient and understandable way. Such labelling could assist all consumers (regardless of their nutrition knowledge) with making informed and healthier food choices. A proposal for such a labelling scheme is expected by the end of 2022 [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
