Examining the Prevalence, Nutritional Quality and Marketing of Foods with Voluntary Nutrient Additions in the Canadian Food Supply.

Anthea Christoforou,Mary L’Abbe,Jodi Bernstein,Sheida Norsen

doi:10.3390/nu13093115

Anthea Christoforou, Mary L’Abbe + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093115

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Journal: Nutrients	Publication Date: Sep 5, 2021
Citations: 2	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Canada Research Chairs, University of Toronto

Abstract

Foods with voluntary nutritional additions are a fast-growing sector of the global food industry. In Canada, while the addition of nutrients to foods has been regulated through fortification regulations, parallel policies which aim to encourage product innovation have also allowed for the voluntary addition of nutrients and other novel ingredients to ‘supplemented’ and ‘functional’ foods. Concerns have been raised that the consumption of these products may have negative repercussions on population health, such as high nutrient intakes inappropriate for certain population subgroups (e.g., children) and the shifting of dietary patterns to include more unhealthy foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, nutritional quality, and marketing characteristics of foods with added nutrients in the Canadian market. We found many nutritionally-enhanced foods contained high levels of nutrients beyond recommended intakes, despite these nutrients having no evidence of inadequacy in the Canadian population. Additionally, a large proportion of foods with added nutrients had poor nutrient profiles (were deemed ‘less healthy’ than their non-enhanced counterparts) and carried heavy marketing on their labels, regardless of their nutritional quality. Taken together these findings raise concerns about foods with voluntary nutrient additions and suggest the need to further investigate consumer attitudes and decision-making towards these foods.

Highlights

In Canada, the fortification of foods with nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, has traditionally been tightly regulated, used as a means to prevent or correct nutrient deficiencies and their related morbidities in the population [1]
Both mandatory and voluntary fortification, permit vitamins and minerals additions to foods only in amounts based on the highest Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs)/Adequate Intakes (AIs) and Tolerable Upper Levels (ULs) within the population, typically values indicated for males 19 years of age and older [3,4] There is concern that this method of setting maximum levels may lead to excessive micronutrient intakes in certain segments of the population, such as children [5,6,7], because voluntarily fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and fruit juices, tend to be marketed to all members of the population [5]
* Supplemented foods were defined as foods that contain added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or caffeine added in amounts other than that which is permissible by the current FDR for fortification or enrichment purposes. ** Functional foods were defined as foods that contained substances added for the purpose of providing a health benefit. *** VHVMs were defined as foods containing greater than 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of an added vitamin or mineral in accordance with voluntary fortification policies stated in the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations (3)

Summary

Introduction

In Canada, the fortification of foods with nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, has traditionally been tightly regulated, used as a means to prevent or correct nutrient deficiencies and their related morbidities in the population [1]. While historical micronutrient deficiencies have been mitigated through mandatory fortification programs, foods with voluntary nutrient additions (i.e., vitamins, minerals, amino acids, bio-actives and other novel ingredients), have gained market access and are a fast-growing sector of the Canadian food industry. Both mandatory and voluntary fortification, permit vitamins and minerals additions to foods only in amounts based on the highest Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs)/Adequate Intakes (AIs) and Tolerable Upper Levels (ULs) within the population, typically values indicated for males 19 years of age and older [3,4] There is concern that this method of setting maximum levels may lead to excessive micronutrient intakes in certain segments of the population, such as children [5,6,7], because voluntarily fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and fruit juices, tend to be marketed to all members of the population [5]. As the introduction of food-like NHPs began to flourish, Health Canada recognized that many would be more appropriately classified as foods under the FDR since they were being packaged, marketed, and consumed as conventional food products [10]

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