Abstract
The present study aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of the nutrient profile of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) marketed in Italy according to three front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) schemes implemented by France, i.e., the Nutriscore; by the United Kingdom, i.e., Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL); and by Italy, i.e., the NutrInform battery. The analysis was made in fourteen food product categories, corresponding to 124 foods. The application of the Nutriscore scheme showed that a significant proportion of foods (23%) were awarded an A or B. Furthermore, the analysis according to the MTL showed that food products that were above the threshold (“red”) for fat, saturated fats, sugars, and salt ranged from 13% to 31%. Interestingly, even though all foods considered in the analysis were UPF, they were heterogeneous in nutritional composition, as demonstrated by the FOPL schemes applied, showing that UPF represent a heterogeneous group of foods with different characteristics. Such a finding may have relevant implications for epidemiological studies that analyze the association between UPF consumption and health outcomes, suggesting the need for better characterization of the effects of UPF intake on human health.
Highlights
The present study aims to provide a descriptive analysis of the nutrient profile of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) marketed in Italy using three front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) schemes, implemented by France, i.e., the Nutriscore; by the UK, i.e., Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL); and by Italy, i.e., the NutrInform battery
Fourteen product categories were considered in the analysis, corresponding to 124 food products, since sixteen foods were not considered in the current analysis as they were no longer available in the Italian market
Such a finding deserves careful consideration since it is noteworthy that the NOVA classification has come with the recommendation of limiting the consumption of UPF, but in the present study, a non-negligible proportion of foods was classified as being of a balanced nutritional composition by the three FOPL schemes, used inside and outside the European Union
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. A group of Brazilian researchers has proposed a new type of food classification, named NOVA [1]. This system is based on the intensity of food processing. It distinguishes between four food groups, i.e., unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) [2]. Such a new approach represents a paradigm shift in thinking about food classification
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