Product Reformulation Research Articles

Development and Validation of the Meiji Nutritional Profiling System (Meiji NPS) to Address Dietary Needs of Adults and Older Adults in Japan.

This study introduces the Meiji Nutritional Profiling System (Meiji NPS), which was specifically designed to respond to age-related shifts in nutrient requirements among Japanese adults (<65 years old) and older adults (≥65 years old). Japan has one of the most aged societies in the world. The health issues of interest are malnutrition and lifestyle-related diseases among adults and frailty among older adults. Two versions of the NPS were developed based on nutrients to encourage (protein, dietary fibers, calcium, iron, and vitamin D), food groups to encourage (fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and dairy), and nutrients to limit (energy, saturated fatty acids, sugars, and salt equivalents). The Meiji NPS for older adults did not include iron or saturated fatty acids. The algorithms were based on the Nutrient-Rich Foods Index (NRF). The convergent validity between the Meiji NPS and the existing NPSs for the same foods was confirmed using Spearman's correlation coefficients (NRF: r = 0.67 for adults and r = 0.60 for older adults; Health Star Rating: r = 0.64 for adults and r = 0.61 for older adults). The Meiji NPS may be useful for nutritional evaluation and reformulation of food products, tailored to adults and older adults to ameliorate health issues in Japan.

Effect of calorie labelling in the out-of-home food sector on adult obesity prevalence, cardiovascular mortality, and social inequalities in England: a modelling study

England implemented a menu calorie labelling policy in large, out-of-home food businesses in 2022. We aimed to model the likely policy impact on population-level obesity and cardiovascular disease mortality, as well as the socioeconomic equity of estimated effects, in the adult population in England. For this modelling analysis, we built a comparative assessment model using two scenarios: the current implementation scenario refers to actual deployment only in large (≥250 employees), out-of-home food businesses, whereas the full implementation scenario refers to deployment in every out-of-home food business. We compared each scenario with a counterfactual: the scenario in which no intervention is implemented (ie, baseline). For both scenarios, we modelled the impact of the policy through assumed changes in energy intake due to either consumer response or product reformulation by retailers. We used data from the Office for National Statistics and the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2009-19, and modelled the effect over 20 years (ie, 2022-41) to capture the long-term impact of the policy and provided mid-period results after 10 years. We used the Monte Carlo approach (2500 iterations) to estimate the uncertainty of model parameters. For each scenario, the model generated the change in obesity prevalence and the total number of deaths prevented or postponed. The current implementation scenario was estimated to reduce obesity prevalence by 0·31 percentage points (absolute; 95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0·10-0·35), which would prevent or postpone 730 cardiovascular disease deaths (UI 430-1300) of the 830 000 deaths (UI 600 000-1 200 000) expected over 20 years. However, the health benefits would be increased if calorie labelling was implemented in all out-of-home food businesses (2·65 percentage points reduction in obesity prevalence [UI 1·97-3·24] and 9200 cardiovascular disease deaths prevented or postponed [UI 5500-16 000]). Results were similar in the most and the least deprived socioeconomic groups. This study offers the first modelled estimation of the impact of the menu calorie labelling regulation on the adult population in England, although we did not include a cost-effectiveness analysis. Calorie labelling might result in a reduction in obesity prevalence and cardiovascular disease mortality without widening health inequalities. However, our results emphasise the need for the government to be more ambitious by applying this policy to all out-of-home food businesses to maximise impact. European Research Council.

Reformulation of processed foods: Mixed effects on salt and saturated fatty acids intake in France

AbstractEncouraging the food industry to reformulate their products is a possible public intervention to improve diet quality. In this paper, we assess the impact of food reformulation on per capita salt and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) intake, in France, for four product categories, namely, potato chips, fresh pizzas, frozen pizzas, and frozen meals, taking into account the changes in products' nutritional quality and consumer choices. Nutrient intake is calculated by matching data on food purchases and nutritional data, collected at the same date. An algorithm is run to disentangle the specific effect of food reformulation. We find that food reformulation, which is based on voluntary individual firm choices or voluntary industry‐wide agreement in our case studies, contributes to decrease SFAs and salt intake in seven out of eight cases. However, the magnitude of the impact is moderate, except in the case of potato chips for which a much stronger impact is observed. Product renewal has an ambiguous effect, depending on the nutrient considered. By contrast, changes in consumer behavior increase the intake of SFAs and salt in all cases. Finally, food reformulation generally benefits all consumers equally, regardless of income or age. For food categories with consumption disparities, product reformulation can reduce heterogeneity in nutrient intake across socioeconomic groups, provided that recipes are greatly and widely improved [EconLit Citations: D12, D22, I1].

Sugar tax and product reformulation proposals reduce the perceived legitimacy of health-promotion institutions: a randomized population-based survey experiment.

Structural nutrition interventions like a sugar tax or a product reformulation are strongly supported among the public health community but may cause a considerable backlash (e.g. inspiring aversion to institutions initiating the interventions among citizens). Such a backlash potentially undermines future health-promotion strategies. This study aims to uncover whether such backlash exists. We fielded a pre-registered randomized, population-based survey experiment among adults from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences panel (n = 1765; based on a random sampling of the Dutch population register). Participants were randomly allocated to the control condition (brief facts about health-information provision/nudging), or one of two experimental groups (the same facts, expanded with either a proposed sugar tax on or reformulation of sugar-sweetened beverages). Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate the proposed interventions' effects on four outcome variables: trust in health-promotion institutions involved; perceptions that these institutions have citizens' well-being in mind (i.e. benevolence); perceptions that these institutions' perspectives are similar to those of citizens (i.e. alignment of perspectives); and attitudes toward nutrition information. Trust, perceived benevolence and perceived alignment of perspectives were affected negatively by a proposed sugar tax (-0.24, 95% CI -0.38 to -0.10; -0.15, -0.29 to -0.01; -0.15, -0.30 to 0.00) or product reformulation (-0.32, -0.46 to -0.18; -0.24, -0.37 to -0.11; -0.18, 0.33 to -0.03), particularly among the non-tertiary educated respondents. Sugar taxes or product reformulations may delegitimize health-promotion institutions, potentially causing public distancing from or opposition to these bodies. This may be exploited by political and commercial parties to undermine official institutions. https://osf.io/qr9jy/?view_only=5e2e875a1fc348f3b28115b7a3fdfd90. Registered 3 February 2022.

What drives the reduction in sodium intake? Evidence from scanner data

Some evidence suggests that sodium intake in the United States has been declining, but little is known about the driving forces behind this trend. We construct detailed, barcode-level information on the near-universe of packaged food products to isolate and quantify the role that product reformulation, vis-à-vis consumer purchasing behavior, has played in this decline. We find that product reformulation has been a driving force in the decline. Consumers, on the contrary, have gravitated towards saltier products. We provide analyses across socioeconomic and demographic groups and find that disparities in diet quality have exacerbated over time. We discuss the implications of our findings for effective diet improvement policies.

The food and beverage marketing monitoring framework for Canada: Development, implementation, and gaps

As many countries are considering the restriction of marketing to children for unhealthy foods and beverages to improve population health, systematic monitoring of this marketing to inform and evaluate policies is critical. The objective of this research was to develop and describe the Food and Beverage Marketing Monitoring Framework for Canada, a framework commissioned by Health Canada to help guide their monitoring efforts. Following a literature review and expert consultation, the questions to be answered by the framework, the frequency and scope of monitoring activities, the short-/long- term outcome indicators and the methodologies to be employed were determined. The resulting Framework aims to assess the frequency and power of food marketing in various media and settings and monitor children and adolescents’ exposure to food marketing, food company practices, and changes in children’s attitudes, behaviours, and health. It proposes that monitoring occur annually in six regions across Canada. Considering probable budget constraints and research capacity, television, digital media, schools, convenience stores, packaging and children’s sport/event sponsorship were identified as priority media/settings. Short- and long-term outcomes include: food marketing (e.g., advertising rate, marketing technique use), company-level (e.g., ad expenditures, product reformulation) and behavioral/health indicators (e.g., children’s marketing awareness and recall, food requests and consumption). While significant efforts have been made in monitoring food marketing in Canada via the implementation of the Framework into the Health Canada M2K Monitoring Strategy, gaps remain (e.g., within diverse sociodemographic groups). The Framework can be leveraged to inform policy in Canada and the development process and content of the Framework could be adapted and implemented for global use.

Building upon the sugar beverage tax in Mexico: a modelling study of tax alternatives to increase benefits

IntroductionIn 2014, Mexico implemented a one peso-per-litre tax to sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB). Even though this tax reduced household purchases and predicted population health gains, the magnitude is lower compared with...

Company commitments and practices on nutrition and environmental sustainability in Belgium

Abstract Introduction INFORMAS developed a Business Impact Assessment for benchmarking and monitoring company commitments and practices on nutrition and environmental sustainability (BIA-Obesity &amp; BIA-Sustainability). The aim of this study is to assess the transparency, comprehensiveness and specificity of company commitments in Belgium, as well as their related practices. Methods We selected 38 companies across supermarkets, quick service restaurants, catering companies, and packaged food, infant formula and non-alcoholic beverage companies, according to market share data in Belgium. For BIA-sustainability, company commitments were assessed for a series of indicators in 10 domains (corporate sustainability strategy, packaging, emission, energy use, water and discharge, biodiversity, food waste, environmental compliance, animal-based products and sustainable products). For BIA-Obesity, company commitments were assessed for a range of indicators across 6 domains (corporate nutrition strategy, product reformulation, product labeling, product and brand promotion, product accessibility and relationships with other organizations). Performance metrics to evaluate the size of efforts undertaken by food companies to improve their practices, alongside their commitments are under development. Results There is a wide variation in scores for transparency, comprehensiveness and specificity of commitments related to environmental sustainability across companies within sectors. Most companies have some overarching commitments for reducing environmental impacts but increasing sustainable or plant-based products within portfolios were hardly addressed in the commitments. In general, scores for BIA-Obesity are lower than those for BIA-Sustainability in Belgium. Conclusions During the workshop detailed results of these assessments in Belgium will be presented, as well as linkages between BIA-Obesity and BIA-Sustainability and commitments in relation to practices.

3.A. Workshop: Accountability of the European food industry to improve food systems for public and planetary health

Abstract Currently, unhealthy food environments are a major influence on food and beverage choices and nutritional status throughout Europe. Improving population diets for both public health and environmental sustainability requires a comprehensive response from multiple stakeholders, including governments, private sector organisations, non-government organisations, and consumers. Amongst these groups, companies across the food industry have been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations as having an important role in addressing obesity and chronic diseases (NCDs) as well as unsustainable food systems. The need for broad-based action has led to an increased focus on increasing the accountability of several sectors in the food industry for taking action to address the problem, including through rigorous monitoring and benchmarking of their commitments and performance against independent targets. The INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/NCDs Research, Monitoring and Action Support) developed the Business Impact Assessment on population nutrition and obesity (BIA-Obesity) and the Business Impact Assessment on sustainability (BIA-Sustainability) to assess the commitments and practices of several food industry sectors (packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages, quick service restaurants, supermarkets, caterers) in relation to both obesity prevention and sustainable food systems. The tools consist of a range of indicators across 6 action areas for BIA-Obesity (corporate nutrition strategy, product reformulation, product labeling, product and brand promotion, product accessibility and relationships with other organizations) and 11 action areas for BIA-Sustainability (packaging, energy use, emissions, water and discharge, biodiversity, climate change adaptation, food loss and waste, environmental compliance, relationships with other organisations, corporate sustainability strategy and reducing ruminant-based products). In addition, methods have been developed to assess the corporate political activities as well as the market structure and dynamics of several food industries. Corporate political activities of the food industry across sectors are generally assessed using a range of publicly available data sourced from the industry itself, governments, the media and other sources. The workshop will discuss the latest findings on the commitments, practices, market structure and dynamics and corporate political activities of the food industry in relation to both obesity prevention and sustainable food systems across food industry sectors in Europe, as well as the next steps, both in terms of innovations in methodologies, different target sectors as well as in terms of using the results for better holding to account these actors in order to address obesity as well as unsustainable food systems in Europe. Key messages • Monitoring and benchmarking the commitments and practices of the food industry across sectors is key to increase accountability for action. • Substantial changes to the structural and regulatory conditions of corporate food systems are needed to improve population and planetary health.

Plant-based foods on the Portuguese market: a salutary alternative to animal-origin counterparts?

Abstract Background The consumption of animal-origin products (AOP) has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer and significant environmental issues. The growing interest for plant-based foods (PBF) have been raising important questions about their overall healthiness. In this context, this study aims to assess the nutritional quality of PBF available in the Portuguese market, analyzing their nutrient profiles and comparing them with AOP and nutrient reference values established. Evaluating if PBF are a salutary viable alternative, we expect to contribute to the promotion of healthier and more sustainable food choices and help inform public health policies. Methods Collection and comparison of the nutritional information of PB burgers, sausages and breaded food products and their AOP equivalents and with the reference values of the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Eating (EIPAS) and of the Directorate-General of Health Label Decoder. Results A cross-sectional survey of nutrients was conducted on 207 PBF and 253 AOP equivalents. When compared, all PBF categories had higher energy, carbohydrate and sugars. The PB burgers had lower levels of fat, saturates and protein but higher salt content. The PB sausages had lower levels of saturates and salt but higher fat and protein contents. The PB breaded food products had higher levels of fat, saturates, protein and salt. When jointly evaluated sugars and salt, 99.5% of all PBF did not meet EIPAS reference values. Conclusions The nutritional composition of the PBF studied vary widely. Although some presented lower saturates levels others had higher fat, sugars and salt compared to AOP, with 99.5% not meeting EIPAS sugars and salt reference values. In this context, public health actions to address the nutritional quality of PBF, normally perceived as healthier, are needed, namely food literacy initiatives and legislative measures concerning the labeling and reformulation of PBF products. Key messages • The nutritional quality of PBF available in Portugal varies widely. Although some have a better nutrient profile compared to AOP equivalents, others are high in fat, sugars and salt. • Public health actions are needed to promote healthier and more sustainable food choices, including food literacy initiatives and legislative measures concerning PBF labeling and reformulation.

Consumer preference for nutrition front-of-pack-label formats in India: Evidence from a large-scale experimental survey

Global policy discourse emphasizes placing front-of-pack nutrition labels (FOPLs) on packaged foods, but debates continue to rage on the appropriate format. There are two key types of label formats, summary and informative. In developing countries, with mixed to low levels of education, it is advised that FOPLs need to be easily identifiable, understandable, and can influence purchase decisions. In this context, we tested the suitability of five FOPL formats in India through a randomized experimental design survey. Respondents were allocated to different groups representing the FOPLs and controls. A 15-treatment and 1 control cell between-subjects design was used for the study. Surveys were conducted on the field through face-to-face interactions with a total of 20,564 participants from all over India across regions, genders, age groups, and education levels. The results, which were validated using sub-sample tests, suggest that summary formats of Health Star Ratings and Warning Labels ranked higher on ease of identification and understanding and were also able to influence purchase intentions as compared to informative labels such as Multiple Traffic Lights, monochrome Guideline Daily Amounts, and Nutriscore. Our analysis reveals that summary FOPLs are more useful in influencing healthier food choices as compared to informative FOPL formats. The study's insights can help regulators design a policy that empowers consumers and nudges food brands toward healthier product reformulations.

Comparison of reminder-preference test to difference and preference tests: An affective approach yielding d-prime results for sensory difference and preference

Preserving the sensory characteristics of reformulated products is crucial for a successful market launch. This underscores the need for precise measurement of consumer perceptions regarding sensory differences and preferences. One approach to assess these aspects is through the utilization of the reminder-preference test, an affective difference-preference test employing the A-Not A with the reminder (A-Not AR) test design. This test measures sensory differences and preferences by employing a consolidated d′ index rooted in signal detection theory and Thurstonian modeling. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the reminder-preference test in measuring the degree of sensory differences and interpreting their relevance concerning consumer preference. To achieve this, the test was compared with both the A-Not AR difference test and the 2-alternative choice (2-AC) preference test. A lemon-lime-flavored carbonated drink and two types of reformulated samples were tested. Young female adult subjects were randomly divided into three groups. Each took one of the following three tests: the reminder-preference test, the reminder test of A-Not AR, or the 2-AC preference test. The reference framing in the reminder-preference and reminder tests was preceded by subjects watching the product’s advertisement to assist them in framing evaluative criteria. This would also facilitate memorizing the perception of the reference product. Test sensitivity in reminder-preference matched reminder and 2-AC tests for sensory differences and preferences. Affective framing enhanced sensitivity to sensory differences resulting in a higher d′ value of the sensory difference than the preference. From the results, it was possible to interpret that the measured sensory differences did not affect consumer preference. The test also illuminated brand marketing effects on preferences through branded reference comparison. Thus, the reminder-preference test shows potential as an efficient sensory method to measure sensory differences and the preference of consumers, while concurrently measuring the effects of marketing on the consumers. Therefore, it can assist in making efficient business decisions regarding product reformulations.

Acceptance and effectiveness of the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) among food industries in Malaysia

Introduction: The Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) was introduced in 2017 by the Ministry of Health Malaysia. This paper analysed acceptance of HCL, effectiveness of HCL in encouraging healthier product reformulation, and factors affecting reformulation among food industries. Methods: An online self-administered questionnaire consisting of four sections utilising multiple choice and 5-point Likert scale questions was distributed to food industries in Malaysia. Sample size calculation yielded 100 respondents. Results: Food industries had a higher acceptance of the processes and requirements involved in HCL implementation. HCL was highly effective in encouraging product reformulation among food industries in Malaysia. Meeting consumer demand, improving brand image, public health, more awareness around nutrition labelling, logo and national nutrition target, more technical knowledge and budget were found to motivate healthier product reformulation. However, product suitability, consumer acceptability, difficulties maintaining taste and shelf life, and limited budget were the challenges faced in product reformulation. There was no correlation between HCL acceptance and factors encouraging or inhibiting reformulation. Conclusion: These findings are expected to help relevant authorities or stakeholders make changes, if necessary, towards processes and requirements involved in HCL application to ensure wider HCL implementation. Future research should identify the relationship between HCL implementation and public health improvement among the Malaysian population.

Effect of microwave-vacuum drying on the physicochemical properties of a functional tomato snack bar.

Tomato is an indispensable ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. Reformulation of traditional Mediterranean products to increase the adherence of consumers is becoming popular. In this study, a tomato snack bar enriched with olive powder and pea protein was developed by using microwave-vacuum drying. Formulations also included tomato powder (TP) and low-methoxylated pectin (LMP) as a structuring agent. The moisture content of microwave-vacuum-dried samples varied in the range 13.6-19.8% and water activity (aw ) values were ~0.6. LMP and TP concentrations affected the color of microwave-vacuum-dried samples. However, the color mainly changed in conventionally dried samples due to browning. In microwave-vacuum-dried samples, lycopene content decreased with increasing LMP, but increased with increasing TP. Textural properties of microwave-vacuum-dried snack bars increased with increasing LMP and TP. Both texture and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results indicated that there was a network formation due to the contribution of protein and pectin; however, the type of interaction was highly dependent on the drying mechanism. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry data showed that microwave-vacuum-dried samples had a more uniform water distribution. Besides its time and energy efficiency, microwave-vacuum drying improved the color and textural properties of tomato snack bars compared to conventionally dried ones. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Changes of trans and saturated fatty acid content in savory baked goods from 2015 to 2021 and their effect on consumers’ intake using substitution models: A study conducted in Greece

BackgroundIn Greece, nearly a third of savory baked goods (SBGs) exceeded the limit of 2 g of nonruminant or industrial trans fatty acids (i-TFA) per 100 g fat in 2015. The impact of the Commission Regulation (European Union) 2019/649 on exposure to trans fatty acids (TFA), i-TFA, and saturated fatty acid (SFA) from SBGs has not been previously evaluated. ObjectivesThe study aimed to explore fatty acid reformulation of SBG products and assess differences in TFA, i-TFA, and SFA intakes using a sample of Greek SBG consumers from a nationally representative survey. MethodsIn 2021, 140 samples of SBGs were collected in the greater metropolitan area of Athens, and their fat profile and content were compared to those from 2015. Based on these measurements, food consumption substitution models were employed to examine TFA and SFA intake differences, and the percent contribution from SBG among consumers was calculated (N = 1008). Nutrient densities were calculated by adjusting all fat intakes by individual mean energy intake (percentage of daily total energy intake). ResultsThe 2% i-TFA legislative limit/100 g of fat in measured SBGs was exceeded by 11.4% in 2021 compared to 31.1% in 2015 (19.7% increase in compliance). Median i-TFA and TFA intakes from SBGs were reduced from 0.05 (0.01, 0.12)% and 0.13 (0.03, 0.27)% in 2015 to 0.03 (0.01, 0.09) and 0.06 (0.03, 0.13)% in 2021, respectively. In terms of SFA, a mean increase/100 g was calculated, resulting in an increased intake in 2021 compared to 2015 [5.18% (2.78, 8.37) and 3.55 (1.99, 5.73), respectively]. ConclusionsDespite the reductions seen in i-TFA content of SBGs, food product reformulation efforts in Greece should focus not only on TFA content but also on SFA reduction to improve public health.

Putting a price on healthy eating: public perceptions of the need for further food pricing policies in the UK.

Understand factors that influence food choice and explore public perceptions of the need for government policies to improve diets in the UK, particularly food pricing interventions. A qualitative study design was used with semi-structured interviews. The study was carried out in Greater Manchester, England. In all, 15 participants from a diverse range of backgrounds were recruited. Food price, lack of time, availability, and food knowledge and culture were key factors that led some study participants towards unhealthy food choices. The UK's individual, willpower-focused approach to tackling obesity was deemed ineffective and many participants supported further government intervention. Product reformulation was supported as a less intrusive and less regressive way of improving diets than taxation. There was also support for increasing cooking classes within schools. Whilst the government ambition to half childhood obesity by 2030 is welcome, population level interventions that enable healthier food choices are needed to achieve this goal. Rising global food prices may make reformulation a more practical policy option than further pricing interventions. Mandatory reformulation of convenience meal and snack products and strengthening education in schools may represent a publicly acceptable and effective package of interventions within a comprehensive strategy to tackle obesity.

Neurobiology of eating behavior, nutrition, and health.

Eating behavior and food-related decision making are among the most complex of the motivated behaviors, and understanding the neurobiology of eating behavior, and its developmental dynamics, is critical to advancing the nutritional sciences and public health. Recent advances from both human and animal studies are revealing that individual capacity to make health-promoting food decisions varies based on biological and physiological variation in the signaling pathways that regulate the homeostatic, hedonic, and executive functions; past developmental exposures and current life-stage; the food environment; and complications of chronic disease that reinforce the obese state. Eating rate drives increased calorie intake and represents an important opportunity to lower rates of food consumption and energy intake through product reformulation. Understanding human eating behaviors and nutrition in the context of neuroscience can strengthen the evidence base from which dietary guidelines are derived and can inform policies, practices, and educational programs in a way that increases the likelihood they are adopted and effective for reducing rates of obesity and other diet-related chronic disease.

Rejection thresholds for sweetness reduction in a model drink predict dietary sugar intake

Links between individual sweetness perception and sugar intake have been previously explored, with highly contrasting results. The current study aims to test individual-based rejection thresholds (RjTs) to ascending and descending sucrose concentrations in a model drink, and to evaluate potential links between these measures and sugar intake behaviour in real life. Sixty-three participants (final N = 43 [f = 29]; 20 ± 5 years) each undertook three sensory testing sessions and completed a 4-day weighed food records. Each individual was tested for their Sweet Liker status, detection thresholds to sucrose, RjTs to 5 descending and 5 ascending sucrose concentrations in an orange-flavoured drink, as well as sugar intake in daily diet and from sweetened beverages. The results demonstrate that RjTs can be estimated an individual level. With each participant completing 4 replications of the RjT task, data from over 88% of participants produced a reasonable individual-based psychometric function. Intriguingly, descending, but not ascending, RjTs were positively correlated with sweet liking (r = 0.43, p < 0.01), and acted as a significant predictor of both overall dietary sugar intakes (R2 = 0.10, F(4,38) = 2.23, p = 0.050) and sugar intakes from sweetened beverages (R2 = 0.21, F(4,38) = 3.73, p = 0.012). While sweet likers (SL) and dislikers (SD) had comparable ascending RjTs (acceptance for sugar addition), they differed substantially in terms of descending RjTs (p = 0.002; acceptance for sugar reduction), with SL rejecting samples having > 47% sugar reduction (47 g/L), whereas SD rejecting samples with > 68% reduction (28 g/L). Overall, these findings suggest that descending RjTs is a useful measure for detecting a sensory-diet relationship, and should be considered to better inform sugar reduction targets and facilitate policies on product reformulation.

Nutrient Profiles of Commercially Produced Complementary Foods Available in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.

The nutritional quality of commercially produced complementary food (CPCF) varies widely, with CPCF in high-income settings often containing excessive levels of sugar and sodium. Little is known about the nutritional quality of CPCF available in the West Africa region, despite their potential to improve the nutrition of infants and young children (IYC). This study evaluated the nutritional quality of CPCF available in five West African countries using the WHO Europe nutrient profiling model (NPM) and assessed their suitability for IYC based on label information. The proportion that would necessitate a "high sugar" warning was also determined, and the micronutrient (iron, calcium, and zinc) content was assessed against IYC-recommended nutrient intakes. Of the 666 products assessed, only 15.9% were classified as nutritionally suitable for promotion for IYC. The presence of added sugar and excessive sodium levels were the most common reasons for a product to fail the nutrient profiling assessment. Dry/instant cereals contributed the highest percentage of recommended nutrient intake (RNI) per serving. This highlights the need for policies to improve the nutritional quality of CPCF in West Africa, including labeling standards and the use of front-of-pack warning signs to promote product reformulation and clearly communicate nutritional quality to caregivers.

Stabilized soy protein emulsion enriched with silicon and containing or not methylcellulose as novel technological alternatives to reduce animal fat digestion

During the last decade, the consumption of animal saturated fat has been associated with an increased risk of chronic disease. Experience shows that changing the dietary habits of the population is a complicated and slow process, so technological strategies offer new possibilities for the development of functional foods. The present work is focused on studying the impact of using a food-grade non-ionic hydrocolloid (methylcellulose; MC) and/or the inclusion of silicon (Si) as a bioactive compound in pork lard emulsions stabilized with soy protein concentrate (SPC), on the structure, rheology, lipid digestibility and Si bioaccesibility during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (GID). Four emulsions (SPC, SPC/Si, SPC/MC and SPC/MC/Si) were prepared with a final biopolymer (SPC and/or MC) concentration of 4% and 0.24% Si. The results showed a lower degree of lipid digestion in SPC/MC compared with SPC, specifically at the end of the intestinal phase. Moreover, Si partially reduced fat digestion only when incorporated into the SPC-stabilized emulsion, while this effect was lost in SPC/MC/Si. This was probably due to its retention inside the matrix emulsion, which resulted in lower bioaccesibility than in SPC/Si. Additionally, the correlation between the flow behavior index (n) and the lipid absorbable fraction was significant, suggesting that n can be a predictive marker of the extent of lipolysis. Concretely, our results revealed that SPC/Si and SPC/MC can be used as pork fat digestion reducers and thus, they can replace pork lard in the reformulation of animal products with potential health benefits.