Comparison of consumed portion sizes and serving sizes in UK energy dense snack foods

AbstractObesity is a major health problem facing the European population; over two thirds (67%) of UK adult men and 58% women are overweight or obese (1). The positive association between on-pack serving-size and food intake is known as the ‘portion size effect’. However, although direct links with obesity remain unproven, evidence suggests that limiting consumed portion size contributes to reduced energy intake and therefore reduced weight gain (2). UK portion size guidance is outdated and evidence suggests that on-pack serving-sizes have increased in some energy-dense foods (3). This study explores consumed portion sizes and on-pack serving-sizes in popular energy, fat and sugar-dense foods.The UK National Diet & Nutrition Survey 2008–2014 (n = 2377) dataset was used to identify commonly consumed energy, fat and sugar-dense foods. Data was analysed for adults aged 19–64y (excluding under-reporters) for consumed portion sizes, and a commercial product database of major UK retailer and manufacturer data provided serving-sizes. Commonly consumed energy, fat and sugar-dense food groups were split into 45 product-based subgroups. Means of consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size were calculated and compared and nutrition per 100 g and per serve was explored.Just 57% products had serving-size details, whereas 97% had pack-size information; Chocolate had the least products with serving-size information (35%). Lack of on-pack serving-size guidance is therefore a widespread issue, particularly in some energy-dense snack foods. Serving-size ranges were wide and varied across food groups. Consumed portion sizes were significantly higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. The greatest difference between consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size was Crisps (44%), and within this, ‘popcorn’ (151%). There is a real need for policies aimed at setting product pack and serving-sizes that help individuals consume smaller portions. However, further consideration is needed on how consumers understand on-pack serving-size messaging, front-of-pack labelling and pack size.Serving-size was unavailable for many products. However, where available, consumed portion sizes were higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. These results could inform updated portion size guidance of energy-dense foods. Further work is needed to clarify whether smaller serving and pack sizes would lead to lower total consumption and energy/nutrient intake.

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Consumer Understanding, Perception and Interpretation of Serving Size Information on Food Labels: A Scoping Review

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11092189 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2189 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Klazine Van der Horst ◽

Tamara Bucher ◽

Kerith Duncanson ◽

Beatrice Murawski ◽

David Labbe

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Portion Size ◽

Food Literacy ◽

Size Information ◽

Size Selection ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

The increase in packaged food and beverage portion sizes has been identified as a potential factor implicated in the rise of the prevalence of obesity. In this context, the objective of this systematic scoping review was to investigate how healthy adults perceive and interpret serving size information on food packages and how this influences product perception and consumption. Such knowledge is needed to improve food labelling understanding and guide consumers toward healthier portion size choices. A search of seven databases (2010 to April 2019) provided the records for title and abstract screening, with relevant articles assessed for eligibility in the full-text. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with relevant data extracted by one reviewer and checked for consistency by a second reviewer. Twelve studies were conducted in North America, where the government regulates serving size information. Several studies reported a poor understanding of serving size labelling. Indeed, consumers interpreted the labelled serving size as a recommended serving for dietary guidelines for healthy eating rather than a typical consumption unit, which is set by the manufacturer or regulated in some countries such as in the U.S. and Canada. Not all studies assessed consumption; however, larger labelled serving sizes resulted in larger self-selected portion sizes in three studies. However, another study performed on confectionary reported the opposite effect, with larger labelled serving sizes leading to reduced consumption. The limited number of included studies showed that labelled serving size affects portion size selection and consumption, and that any labelled serving size format changes may result in increased portion size selection, energy intake and thus contribute to the rise of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Research to test cross-continentally labelled serving size format changes within experimental and natural settings (e.g., at home) are needed. In addition, tailored, comprehensive and serving-size-specific food literacy initiatives need to be evaluated to provide recommendations for effective serving size labelling. This is required to ensure the correct understanding of nutritional content, as well as informing food choices and consumption, for both core foods and discretionary foods.

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Consumer Understanding, Perception and Interpretation of Serving Size Information on Food Labels: A Scoping Review

10.20944/preprints201801.0212.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Tamara Bucher ◽

Kerith Duncanson ◽

Beatrice Murawski ◽

Klazine Van der Horst ◽

David Labbe

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Consumer Attitudes ◽

Portion Size ◽

Food Literacy ◽

Size Information ◽

Food Packages ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Abstract Screening ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

This scoping review investigated how consumers perceive and interpret serving size information on food packages. A search of seven databases (2010 to September 2017) was followed by title and abstract screening, with relevant articles assessed for eligibility in full-text. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria, with relevant data extracted by one reviewer and checked for consistency by a second reviewer. Five studies reported poor understanding of nutrition facts labelling and portion size, with information to ‘benchmark’ serving size against reported as helpful in two studies. Consumer attitudes towards serving size labelling were measured in six studies and identified that serving size information was interpreted as indicative of nutrient intake regardless of portion size recommendations. Increased labelled serving sizes resulted in increased portion sizes in three studies, with three studies reporting the opposite or neutral effect for discretionary food portion sizes. The influence of labelled serving size on consumer attitudes and consumption is complex and sometimes counterintuitive. As labelled serving size can impact on consumption, any changes may result in unintended public health consequences. The effects of labelled serving size format changes should be tested carefully within experimental and ecological contexts and accompanied by tailored, comprehensive and serving size-specific food literacy initiatives.

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Serving sizes and energy values on the nutrition labels of regular and diet/light processed and ultra-processed dairy products sold in Brazil

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-10-2015-0353 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 118 (7) ◽

pp. 1579-1593 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Priscila Pereira Machado ◽

Mariana Vieira dos Santos Kraemer ◽

Nathalie Kliemann ◽

Cláudia Flemming Colussi ◽

Marcela Boro Veiros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Density ◽

Dairy Products ◽

Dairy Product ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Nutrition Labels ◽

Content Type ◽

Size Information ◽

Nutrition Labelling ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse and compare the serving sizes and energy values reported on the nutrition information of all processed and ultra-processed dairy products in their regular and diet/light versions available for sale in a large supermarket in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – A check was done for associations between the compliance of reported serving sizes, energy values per serving and energy density for regular foods and foods advertised at “diet/light” (with reduced fat and calories). Findings – The data included information from 451 dairy product labels. Most of the products had serving sizes smaller than the reference set by Brazilian law. A high variability of serving sizes was found for similar products. “Diet/light” foods tend to report serving sizes that are even smaller and more inadequate. Moreover, the energy density of these products was similar to that of the regular foods. Smaller serving sizes may be being presented on “diet/light” foods in order to report lower energy values and on similar foods to show non-existent differences in energy values. These results point to the importance of standardizing serving size information on food labels so that consumers have access to clear and accurate information about food products. Originality/value – This was the first census-type study to analyse the serving size information of dairy products at a supermarket of one of the ten largest supermarket chains in Brazil. This work extends the scope of current food labelling and contributes to the discussion about how nutrition labelling has been presented to Brazilian consumers and its possible consequences for food choices and the guarantee of consumer rights.

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High variation in manufacturer-declared serving size of packaged discretionary foods in Australia

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114516000799 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 115 (10) ◽

pp. 1810-1818 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Hila Haskelberg ◽

Bruce Neal ◽

Elizabeth Dunford ◽

Victoria Flood ◽

Anna Rangan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Portion Size ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Future Research ◽

Median Percentage ◽

Percentage Difference ◽

Dietary Guideline ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size ◽

Sydney Australia

AbstractDespite the potential of declared serving size to encourage appropriate portion size consumption, most countries including Australia have not developed clear reference guidelines for serving size. The present study evaluated variability in manufacturer-declared serving size of discretionary food and beverage products in Australia, and how declared serving size compared with the 2013 Australian Dietary Guideline (ADG) standard serve (600 kJ). Serving sizes were obtained from the Nutrition Information Panel for 4466 packaged, discretionary products in 2013 at four large supermarkets in Sydney, Australia, and categorised into fifteen categories in line with the 2013 ADG. For unique products that were sold in multiple package sizes, the percentage difference between the minimum and the maximum serving size across different package sizes was calculated. A high variation in serving size was found within the majority of food and beverage categories – for example, among 347 non-alcoholic beverages (e.g. soft drinks), the median for serving size was 250 (interquartile range (IQR) 250, 355) ml (range 100–750 ml). Declared serving size for unique products that are available in multiple package sizes also showed high variation, particularly for chocolate-based confectionery, with median percentage difference between minimum and maximum serving size of 183 (IQR 150) %. Categories with a high proportion of products that exceeded the 600 kJ ADG standard serve included cakes and muffins, pastries and desserts (≥74 % for each). High variability in declared serving size may confound interpretation and understanding of consumers interested in standardising and controlling their portion selection. Future research is needed to assess if and how standardising declared serving size might affect consumer behaviour.

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How Mothers Cook in Chile: an Experimental Exercise to Use Food Labels to Control Portion Sizes

The Open Obesity Journal ◽

10.2174/1876823720130419002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 22-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dario Gregori ◽

Simonetta Ballali ◽

Maria Gabriella Vecchio ◽

Luis Marcel Valenzuela Contreras ◽

Jorge Baeza Correa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Consumer Attitudes ◽

Portion Size ◽

Nutrition Information ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Nutritional Information ◽

Size Information ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Food And Drink ◽

Children's Meals

Portion size of food and drink products is an important factor when providing nutrition information for food labeling purposes. The present study was conducted in order to understand more about consumer attitudes and understanding of portion size information on food and drink products. An experimental trial was performed on mothers and one of their relative. The participants were asked to prepare two meals (one meant for a child, one for an adult), with ingredients measured only with kitchen tools. Participants were stratified by portion size information in two groups, one with labels bearing the “100 gram” and one with “per portion”. Subsequently, every participant was interviewed on the basis of a questionnaire assessing nutritional and portioning knowledge. When measured the total Kcal of prepared meals after the simulation, an increase of calories was recorded in the group of subjects who prepared foods bearing the100g label, although not statistically significant(p =0.842). Portion size use seemed to be a more intuitive way to properly share nutritional information on food label, especially when considering common traditional recipes. Meals responsible appeared to be much more at ease with per portion labeling, when preparing both children's meals and adult ones.

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Accuracy in the estimation of children's food portion sizes against a food picture book by parents and early educators

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2018.26 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Kaija Nissinen ◽

Liisa Korkalo ◽

Henna Vepsäläinen ◽

Päivi Mäkiranta ◽

Leena Koivusilta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Picture Book ◽

Portion Size ◽

Cottage Cheese ◽

Accurate Estimation ◽

Food Groups ◽

Size Estimation ◽

Fresh Vegetables ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Food Portion ◽

Food Portions

AbstractValidated methodological aids for food quantification are needed for the accurate estimation of food consumption. Our objective was to assess the validity of an age-specific food picture book, which contains commonly eaten foods among Finnish children, for parents and early educators in estimating food portion sizes. The food picture book was developed to assist in portion size estimation when filling in food records in the Increased health and wellbeing in preschools (DAGIS) study. All ninety-five food pictures in the book, each containing three or four different portion sizes, were evaluated at real-time sessions. Altogether, seventy-three parents and 107 early educators or early education students participated. Each participant evaluated twenty-three or twenty-four portions by comparing presented pre-weighed food portions against the corresponding picture from the food picture book. Food portions were not consumed by participants. The total proportion of correct estimations varied from 36 % (cottage cheese) to 100 % (fish fingers). Among the food groups, nearly or over 90 % of the estimations were correct for bread, pastries and main courses (‘piece products’ such as meatballs and chicken nuggets). Soups, porridges, salads and grated and fresh vegetables were least correctly estimated (<65 % correct estimations). There were small differences in evaluations of berries and fresh fruits, warm vegetables and pastries between the parents and early educators, but other estimations were mostly similar. The children's food picture book was found to be a useful aid for the estimation of food portion sizes. Parents and early educators evaluated the portion sizes with similar accuracy.

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Portion Size of Energy-Dense Foods among French and UK Adults by BMI Status

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11010012 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 12 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Holly Rippin ◽

Jayne Hutchinson ◽

Jo Jewell ◽

Joao Breda ◽

Janet Cade

Keyword(s):

Normal Weight ◽

Portion Size ◽

Food Groups ◽

Nutrition Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Data Limitations ◽

Consumption Frequency ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Future Work ◽

The Impact

Evidence links consumed food portion size (FPS) and excess weight via increased energy intake. Policies to regulate on-pack serving sizes may be needed; determining consumed FPS of popular energy-dense foods for normal weight and overweight or obese (OWOB) adults, as reported here, may provide evidence to assist this. Data were analysed from national cross-sectional surveys, the French Étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires2 2005–2007 (n = 2117), and UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008–2014 (n = 3413). The impact of body mass index (BMI) on FPS is also investigated, adjusting for age, sex and under-reporting. Effects of under-reporting on relationships between FPS and BMI; and BMI on consumption frequency (UK only) were explored. OWOB reported larger FPS than normal-weight individuals in many, but not all food subgroups; however, there were only two significant FPS differences. In adjusted analyses, French individuals consumed 1.0 g (99% CI 0.01–2.1 p = 0.01) greater FPS in cakes for 1 point difference in BMI. ‘Other cakes’ and ‘dark chocolate’ were also significantly positively associated with BMI. High-fat bar snacks, but no UK main food groups, were positively associated with BMI. There was limited evidence of links between FPS and BMI in UK and French national cross-sectional data, possibly due to data limitations such as under-reporting. Future work should explore this and relationships between consumed FPS and on-pack suggested serving sizes to provide evidence to assist obesity-prevention policies.

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Serving size on nutrition labeling for processed foods sold in Brazil: Relationship to energy value

Revista de Nutrição ◽

10.1590/1678-98652016000500012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 741-750 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nathalie KLIEMANN ◽

Marcela Boro VEIROS ◽

David Alejandro GONZÁLEZ-CHICA ◽

Rossana Pacheco da Costa PROENÇA

Keyword(s):

Food Choices ◽

Processed Foods ◽

Nutrition Labeling ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Energy Value ◽

Label Information ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to analyze serving sizes declared on food labels with respect to their conformity to Brazilian law, variability among similar foods, and relationship to energy values. Methods: Food label information from 24 groups of processed foods was collected in one supermarket in southern Brazil. Declared serving sizes were classified into five groups according to their level of compliance with those recommended by law: <70% and >130% inadequate and 70-99%, 100% and 101-130% adequate. Descriptive analyses, Spearman correlations, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied. Results: A total of 1,953 food products were analyzed, of which 72% reported serving sizes exactly equal to those recommended, and 14% fell within the acceptable 60% range established by law. Even though most foods complied with the law, there was a variation in declared serving sizes among similar foods, with the largest ranges observed for hamburger and meatballs (364 g). In addition, declared serving sizes were significantly and positively correlated to energy value in most food groups, revealing that smaller serving sizes may be used to report lower energy value. Conclusion: The 60% acceptable serving size range established by law may lead to a lack of serving size standardization and significant variability in declared energy values on labels. This can potentially make labels confusing when comparing similar products and thus affect food choices. It is necessary to revise Brazilian law so that serving sizes are standardized among similar foods in order to facilitate healthy food choices.

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Food Based Dietary Guidance - Weighing up the recommendations

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120003456 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Michael Dolan ◽

Sali Abouhajar ◽

Damian O'Kelly ◽

Elizabeth O'Sullivan ◽

Aileen Kennedy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Food Group ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Food Groups ◽

Automatic Assessment ◽

Dietary Recommendations ◽

Adequate Diet ◽

Group A ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

AbstractFood Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) are dietary recommendations described in terms of amounts of foods that should be consumed. They are designed to support healthy eating through simple messaging and indicate how to achieve a nutritionally adequate diet. However, assessing compliance with FBDG targets can be difficult. The quantity of food either being consumed or prescribed and the amount of that food that constitutes a serving are needed to calculate the contribution of the food towards a food group target. The aim of this study was to define the serving weight of foods, guided by definitions from Irish FBDG, to the McCance and Widdowson Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2015 (CoFID). This will enable the automatic assessment of compliance to FBDG using Nutritics nutrition analysis software. Foods from CoFID were categorised into six food groups as defined by Ireland's FBDG. Quantified servings from the Irish FBDG were matched to foods. Calculation criteria were developed to establish a serving size for remaining foods within each food group. For fats and oils, as well as raw fruits and vegetables, household measurements were converted to grams, using Food Portion Sizes from the Food Standards Agency. Quantities for cooked fruits and vegetables were calculated using weight-change factors published by Bognar. For the breads, cereals and potatoes group a serving size was calculated using the midpoint for the calorie bands in this group, as defined by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. For the dairy group, a serving size was determined by calculating the quantity needed to provide 250 mg of calcium. This was in line with achieving the total daily recommended amount of calcium from the dairy group from 3 servings. For meat, fish and alternatives (MFA), serving sizes were developed using the recommended amount of protein per body weight reference value for males and females. For foods high in fat, sugar and salt, serving sizes were defined using 100kcal as the recommended amount of energy provided for snacks. Out of 3,291 foods, 1,980 were grouped into 6 food groups. Quantified servings were available for 694 foods in 3 food groups. Calculated serving sizes were developed for the remaining 1,276 foods. The quantity of each food that constitutes a serving will be integrated into Nutritics to automatically assess compliance to FBDG. This will enable Health Care and Food Industry Professionals to deliver informed advice on meeting population health targets.

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The Brazilian population consumes larger serving sizes than those informed on labels

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-11-2013-0339 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 719-730 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mariana Vieira dos Santos Kraemer ◽

Priscila Pereira Machado ◽

Nathalie Kliemann ◽

David Alejandro González Chica ◽

Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença

Keyword(s):

Food Products ◽

Brazilian Population ◽

National Database ◽

Processed Food ◽

Food Groups ◽

Trans Fat ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Serving Sizes ◽

Serving Size

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to relate average serving size intake by the Brazilian population and declared serving size, the presence of trans fat and household measure fractioning declared on labels of processed, and ultra-processed food products. Design/methodology/approach – Cross-sectional study that analyzed the food labelling of all processed and ultra-processed food products sold in a supermarket in southern Brazil. Findings – A total of 1,071 processed and ultra-processed food products were analyzed. In 88 per cent of food groups, the average serving size consumed was larger than what was declared on labels. Consumed serving size was up to 9.2 times larger than the declared ones in food products with trans fat among their ingredients list and in false negatives and up to 9.9 times larger in foods with fractioned household measure (p<0.001). The Brazilian population consumes, on average, larger serving sizes than those declared on labels, which may represent a significant intake of trans fats without the consumers’ noticing. Originality/value – This study has been performed with the use of a national database on food consumption, as well as the information from a large number of processed and ultra-processed food labels marketed in Brazil. This study is also proven to be important and novel, contributing with information as to the manner in which nutrition labelling has been presented to Brazilian consumers, discussing its possible consequences for food choices, intake, and the guarantee of consumer rights.

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