Sodium and Saturated Fat Content of Children's Foods at Top-selling U.S. Chain Restaurants in 2017 (P04-150-19)

Abstract Objectives To understand the nutritional landscape of restaurant meals targeted to children, the nutrient content of common menu categories, such as sandwiches, were collected from top U.S. chain restaurants. Median sodium and saturated fat content of restaurant entrees, sandwiches (including burgers), and pizzas were compared to U.S. dietary recommendations. Mean sodium and saturated fat per 100 kilocalories were also compared by menu category and restaurant type (limited service and full service). Methods Nutrient data was obtained from publicly available menu and nutrition information collected in 2017 from websites of top-selling U.S. chain restaurants. Foods were categorized using menu category definitions in MenuStat, a restaurant nutrition database created by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Linear regression was used to identify differences in nutrient density by menu category and restaurant type. Results The dataset contained 356 entrees, 28 pizzas, 162 sandwiches and burgers from 64 top U.S. chain restaurants that have online nutrition information with menu items aimed for children. Median (Q1, Q3) milligrams of sodium were 780 (500, 1150) for entrees, 1000 (797.5, 1272.5) for pizzas, and 850 (613, 1160) for sandwiches and burgers respectively. Median (Q1, Q3) grams of saturated fat were 4.25 (2, 8) for entrees, 8 (6, 11.25) for pizzas, and 6 (3.5, 10.75) for sandwiches and burgers. Fifty-one % of entrees, 89% of pizzas, and 73% of sandwiches have >10% of calories from saturated fat, whereas the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended consuming <10% of calories per day from saturated fat. Predicted mean saturated fat in grams per 100 kcal for sandwiches and burgers was lower in limited service (1.51, 95% CI: 1.37, 1.65) compared to full service restaurants (2.08, 95% CI: 1.88, 2.29). However, this difference may be related to serving size which was not available for 83% of menu items. Conclusions With more Americans purchasing meals outside the home and the availability of restaurant nutrition information, examination of nutrient content and serving size for restaurant foods can help to identify areas for nutritional improvement for meals targeted to children. Funding Sources U.S. Food and Drug Administration and an appointment to FDA administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and FDA.

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Evaluation of a nutrient-rich food index score in the Netherlands

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2015.4 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Diewertje Sluik ◽

Martinette T. Streppel ◽

Linde van Lee ◽

Anouk Geelen ◽

Edith J. M. Feskens

Keyword(s):

Energy Density ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Dietary Quality ◽

Cereal Products ◽

Nutrient Density ◽

Rich Food ◽

The Individual ◽

Methodological Considerations ◽

Development And Validation

AbstractNutrient-rich food (NRF) index scores are dietary quality indices based on nutrient density. We studied the design aspects involved in the development and validation of NRF index scores, using the Dutch consumption data and guidelines as an example. We evaluated fifteen NRF index scores against the Dutch Healthy Diet Index (DHD-index), a measure of adherence to the Dutch dietary guidelines, and against energy density. The study population included 2106 adults from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2007–2010. The index scores were composed of beneficial nutrients (protein, fibre, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals), nutrients to limit (saturated fat, sugar, Na) or a combination. Moreover, the influence of methodological decisions was studied, such as the choice of calculation basis (100 g or 100 kcal (418 kJ)). No large differences existed in the prediction of the DHD-index by the fifteen NRF index scores. The score that best predicted the DHD-index included nine beneficial nutrients and three nutrients to limit on a 100-kcal basis, the NRF9.3 with a model R2 of 0·34. The scores were quite robust with respect to sex, BMI and differences in calculation methods. The NRF index scores were correlated with energy density, but nutrient density better predicted the DHD-index than energy density. Consumption of vegetables, cereals and cereal products, and dairy products contributed most to the individual NRF9.3 scores. In conclusion, many methodological considerations underlie the development and evaluation of nutrient density models. These decisions may depend upon the purpose of the model, but should always be based upon scientific, objective and transparent criteria.

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Menu Descriptions and Nutrient Content of Food Items in U.S. Restaurants (FS02-01-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz051.fs02-01-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Danielle Krobath ◽

William Masters ◽

Megan Mueller

Keyword(s):

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

The United States ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Health Claims ◽

Trans Fat ◽

Dietary Recommendations ◽

Food Items ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Nutrient Data

Abstract Objectives This study concerns how the description of foods on restaurant menus relates to their nutrient content as disclosed on company websites. We aimed to test halo effects, regarding how claims about some desirable features might be associated with the presence of other attributes. Methods We used item descriptions and nutrient data for food items (n = 92,949) at the top-selling restaurant chains (n = 92) from 2012 through 2017 in the United States, compiled by the MenuStat project. We classified items into 4 types (mains, appetizers, desserts, sides) and claims into 3 groups using 29 search terms based on consumer interests in health (e.g., “nutritious”), product sourcing (e.g., “local” or “organic”), and vegetal items (vegetarian or vegan). Nutrient data focus on 4 dietary recommendations to limit sodium (mg), trans-fat (g) and saturated fats (% of energy), and to increase fiber (g). We also report calories per item (kcal) and its share from carbohydrates, protein and total fat (%). We used multiple regression to test whether nutrient content was associated with menu claims, controlling for year and restaurant brand, the item being marked as “shareable”, on a kid's menu, or regional and limited-time offerings. Methods and hypotheses were preregistered on As-Predicted.com. Results Contrary to our prediction, nutrient content was more often aligned with U.S. dietary guidelines when their description did include claims. With 3 claim types, 4 food types and 4 recommendations we test 48 possible cases. In 25 (52%) we found alignment between claims and nutrient recommendations, e.g., main dishes with health-related claims had 2% less calories from saturated fat (P < 0.01) and 142 mg less sodium (P < 0.01). In 3 of 48 cases (7%), claims were contrary to recommendations, all of which were desserts with sourcing claims which had more sodium, more trans-fat and more saturated fat than other desserts (all P < 0.01). In 20 of 48 cases (42%) there was no significant difference between items with and without claims. Conclusions Items described as vegetarian/vegan or with sourcing and health claims had nutrient contents that were more often aligned with dietary guidelines than other items. Menu labeling that communicates meal content more directly, such as nutrient fact panels, could inform choice and build trust in restaurant meals. Funding Sources None.

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Changes in the calorie and nutrient content of purchased fast food meals after calorie menu labeling: A natural experiment

PLoS Medicine ◽

10.1371/journal.pmed.1003714 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. e1003714

Author(s):

Joshua Petimar ◽

Fang Zhang ◽

Eric B. Rimm ◽

Denise Simon ◽

Lauren P. Cleveland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

The United States ◽

Nutrition Information ◽

Menu Labeling ◽

Sales Data ◽

Calorie Labeling ◽

The Relationship ◽

Nationwide Implementation

Background Calorie menu labeling is a policy that requires food establishments to post the calories on menu offerings to encourage healthy food choice. Calorie labeling has been implemented in the United States since May 2018 per the Affordable Care Act, but to the best of our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the relationship between calorie labeling and meal purchases since nationwide implementation of this policy. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between calorie labeling and the calorie and nutrient content of purchased meals after a fast food franchise began labeling in April 2017, prior to the required nationwide implementation, and after nationwide implementation of labeling in May 2018, when all large US chain restaurants were required to label their menus. Methods and findings We obtained weekly aggregated sales data from 104 restaurants that are part of a fast food franchise for 3 national chains in 3 US states: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The franchise provided all sales data from April 2015 until April 2019. The franchise labeled menus in April 2017, 1 year prior to the required nationwide implementation date of May 2018 set by the US Food and Drug Administration. We obtained nutrition information for items sold (calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, sugar, dietary fiber, and sodium) from Menustat, a publicly available database with nutrition information for items offered at the top revenue-generating US restaurant chains. We used an interrupted time series to find level and trend changes in mean weekly calorie and nutrient content per transaction after franchise and nationwide labeling. The analytic sample represented 331,776,445 items purchased across 67,112,342 transactions. Franchise labeling was associated with a level change of −54 calories/transaction (95% confidence interval [CI]: −67, −42, p < 0.0001) and a subsequent 3.3 calories/transaction increase per 4-week period (95% CI: 2.5, 4.1, p < 0.0001). Nationwide implementation was associated with a level decrease of −82 calories/transaction (95% CI: −88, −76, p < 0.0001) and a subsequent −2.1 calories/transaction decrease per 4-week period (95% CI: −2.9, −1.3, p < 0.0001). At the end of the study, the model-based predicted mean calories/transaction was 4.7% lower (change = −73 calories/transaction, 95% CI: −81, −65), and nutrients/transaction ranged from 1.8% lower (saturated fat) to 7.0% lower (sugar) than what we would expect had labeling not been implemented. The main limitations were potential residual time-varying confounding and lack of individual-level transaction data. Conclusions In this study, we observed that calorie labeling was associated with small decreases in mean calorie and nutrient content of fast food meals 2 years after franchise labeling and nearly 1 year after implementation of labeling nationwide. These changes imply that calorie labeling was associated with small improvements in purchased meal quality in US chain restaurants.

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Theoretical Intakes of Modern-Day Paleo Diets: Comparison to U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab038_032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 420-420

Author(s):

Micaela Karlsen ◽

Kara Livingston ◽

Dasha Agoulnik ◽

Akari Miki ◽

Alice Lichtenstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Personal Taste ◽

Men And Women ◽

Nutrient Adequacy ◽

Dietary Reference Intakes ◽

Cooperative Agreements ◽

Paleo Diet

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the nutrient adequacy of theoretical, modern-day Paleo meal plans relative to the U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Methods This analysis used data from the Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT) Feasibility Study, which captured data on 9 726 self-reported, popular diet followers. Paleo respondents (N = 925) reported sources of recipes and diet guidance. Five days from each of the top six sources were used to generate 30 days of meal plans among a random sample of n = 200 Paleo respondents. Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) was used to estimate daily nutrient content of meal plans which was compared to DRIs and recommendations, as follows: recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for vitamins D, E, and folate, which do not vary by age (years, y)/sex; sex and age-specific RDAs for vitamins A, C, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe); adequate intakes (AIs) for potassium (K) and fiber; upper intake level (UL) for sodium (Na); and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) upper threshold to limit saturated fat and Na. Results Estimated daily nutrient intakes of theoretical Paleo meal plans met or exceeded RDAs for the following (Paleo vs. RDA): vitamin A for men or women (1481 RAE µg vs. 900 μg and 700 µg), vitamin D (56 µg vs. 15 μg), vitamin E (27 mg vs. 15 mg), folate (489 µg vs. 400 μg), vitamin C for men or women (225 mg vs. 90 mg and 75 mg), Mg for men and women 31–70 y (539 mg vs. 420 mg and 320 mg), and Fe for men (16 mg vs. 8 mg). Theoretical estimates did not meet the following: RDAs for carbohydrate (91 g vs. 130 g), Fe for women 19–50 y (16 g vs.18 mg), Ca for men and women 61–70 y (562 mg vs. 1000 mg and 1200 mg), and AI for K (4027 mg vs. 4700 mg) or dietary fiber (25 g vs. 28 g/2000 kcal). Estimated levels of Na exceeded the UL (2763 mg vs. 2300 mg), saturated fat exceeded the DGA (19% vs. 10% kcal), and added sugar levels fell within the recommendation (1% vs. 10%). Conclusions While certain aspects of the Paleo diet offer improvements over typical reported intakes of US adults, saturated fat is high, and carbohydrate, fiber, Ca, and K levels of these theoretical diets do not meet DRIs. High levels of saturated fat present concern for cardiovascular health. Optimal nutrition may be challenging to sustain on a Paleo diet. Funding Sources Supported by USDA Cooperative Agreements 58-8050-9-004 and 58-8050-9-003.

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Development and validation of a new simple Healthy Meal Index for canteen meals

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980009993077 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 1559-1565 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Anne D Lassen ◽

Anja Biltoft-Jensen ◽

Gitte L Hansen ◽

Ole Hels ◽

Inge Tetens

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Average Energy ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Fruit And Vegetables ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Index Components ◽

Development And Validation

AbstractObjectiveNutrition evaluation tools should be developed both for scientific purposes and to encourage and facilitate healthy nutritional practices. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a simple food-based Healthy Meal Index (HMI) reflecting the nutritional profile of individual canteen meals.DesignThe development process included overall model selection, setting nutritional goals and defining scoring systems and thresholds. Three index components were included: (i) contents of fruit and vegetables, (ii) fat content and quality and (iii) contents of wholegrain products and potatoes. The development was built on the principles embodied by the Plate Model, but providing more specificity in some areas. The simple HMI was validated against weighed and chemically analysed food and nutrient content of a representative sample of canteen meals. The sample was split into four categories according to the total index score and compared across categories.SettingA total of 180 meals from fifteen worksite canteens.ResultsAverage energy density decreased significantly across categories (from 876 kJ/100 g to 537 kJ/100 g, P < 0·001). Also, the content of total and saturated fat, carbohydrate and fruit and vegetables varied across categories with higher score values being closer to dietary guidelines (P < 0·001).ConclusionsThe simple HMI was successful in ranking canteen meals according to their nutritional quality. The index provides a valuable tool to both researchers and food and nutrition professionals, e.g. caterers and dietitians, who wish to evaluate nutritional quality of meals in line with the recommendations for healthier eating without the use of nutrition calculation programs.

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Critical vulnerabilities of nutrient content claims under U.S. FDA per serving size, CAC per 100 g or mL, CAC per serving size, and CAC per 100 kcal and the nutrient content of foods based on the proposed method

10.1101/2020.07.26.20162099 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Abed Forouzesh ◽

Fatemeh Forouzesh ◽

Sadegh Samadi Foroushani ◽

Abolfazl Forouzesh

Keyword(s):

Alaska Native ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Food Groups ◽

Baby Foods ◽

Poultry Products ◽

Total Fat ◽

Native Foods ◽

Side Dishes ◽

Serving Size

We revealed critical vulnerabilities of nutrient content claims under FDA per serving size (serving), CAC per 100 g or mL, CAC per serving, and CAC per 100 kcal and developed the proposed method to remove all vulnerabilities. We calculated the nutrient content of foods based on nutrient content claims under the proposed method. Then, we determined nutrient content claims for foods and food groups, and specified similarities between nutrient content claims in food groups. Also, we ranked foods and food groups based on met claims of the nutrient content. Nutrient content claims based on the proposed method, including free, very low, low, source, and high claims were determined in 8596 food items, 29 nutrients, and 25 food groups of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, release 28. Source and high claims are used for positive nutrients (including vitamins, minerals except sodium, protein, and dietary fiber). The very low claim is used for sodium, and free and low claims are used for cholesterol, energy, saturated fat, sodium, and total fat (also known as negative nutrients). In general, critical vulnerabilities of nutrient content claims under FDA and CAC can cause: (1) excessive energy intake based on FDA and CAC per serving and CAC per 100 g or mL; (2) exceeding the DV (NRV) for low nutrients under FDA per serving and CAC per 100 g or mL by consuming small amounts of foods per day; (3) the presence of nutrient free, but not low nutrient, foods based on FDA per serving and CAC per 100 g or mL; (4) the calculation of nutrient content in inappropriate amounts of foods based on FDA per serving, CAC per 100 g or mL, CAC per 100 kcal, and CAC per serving; and (5) determination of energy from total fat and saturated fat for relevant claims in inappropriate portions based on FDA per serving and CAC per 100 g or mL. Breakfast cereals, baby foods, pork products, lamb, veal, and game products, poultry products, and beef products had the highest average of scores for source and high nutrients. Restaurant foods, fast foods, and sausages and luncheon meats had the lowest average of scores for free, very low, and low nutrients. Nutrient source or high nutrient foods for all 24 positive nutrients were found in seven food groups (American Indian/Alaska Native foods; baby foods; beverages; dairy and egg products; legumes and legume products; meals, entrees, and side dishes; vegetables and vegetable products). There were very few source and high foods for potassium and vitamin D. Also, there were very few energy free foods.

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Trends in energy and nutrient content of menu items served by large UK chain restaurants from 2018 to 2020: an observational study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e054804

Author(s):

Yuru Huang ◽

Dolly R Z Theis ◽

Thomas Burgoine ◽

Jean Adams

Keyword(s):

Observational Study ◽

Fast Food ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Fat Content ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Nutritional Information ◽

Sugar Reduction

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the change in energy and nutrient content of menu items sold in large UK chain restaurants (eg, fast food, full service) from 2018 to 2020.DesignObservational study.SettingEnergy and nutritional information of menu items served by 29 large UK chain restaurants that consistently provided this information online in all three years. Data were collected in 2018 (March–April), 2019 (April) and 2020 (October–November) from restaurant websites.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe per-item energy and nutrient (saturated fat, sugar and salt) changes in all items available on menus (‘all menu items’) and recurring items that were consistently available on menus in all three years (‘core menu items’), overall and in 12 different food categories.ResultsOur study included 7770, 9213 and 6928 menu items served by 29 large UK chain restaurants in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Our results showed that sugar content declined from 2018 to 2020 among all menu items (per-item: −0.43 g/year, 95% CI −0.66 to –0.21). This reduction in sugar was evident in beverages, sandwiches and desserts. Among core menu items (N=1855), sugar content reduced significantly from 2018 to 2020 (per-item: −0.31 g/year, 95% CI −0.45 to –0.17), especially in beverages. Energy, salt and saturated fat content in menu items remained constant overall, in both all menu items and core menu items. Fewer food categories had significant changes in energy, sugar, salt and saturated fat content among core menu items than among all menu items.ConclusionsFrom 2018 to 2020, sugar content declined in restaurant menu items, which may reflect a response to the sugar reduction strategy and the effects of the soft drinks industry levy. In contrast, there was little change in other nutrients. Future policies addressing the overall nutritional quality of restaurant foods, rather than single nutrients, may help the restaurant sector move towards offering healthier foods.

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Abstract P355: Development and Validation of a Nutrient Density Score That Includes Foods Groups

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.141.suppl_1.p355 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Jessica D Smith ◽

Victor Fulgoni ◽

Adam Drewnowski

Keyword(s):

Diet Quality ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Food Groups ◽

Unsaturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Density ◽

Density Score ◽

Considerable Work ◽

Development And Validation

Introduction: There has been considerable work performed on nutrient profiling to assess the nutritional contribution of a food to a healthy dietary pattern. Most profiling approaches have focused on nutrients to limit and nutrients to encourage. A few profiling approaches have also included certain food groups in the profiling algorithm. Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a nutrient density score, based on the Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF) 6.3, that includes food groups and validate the score against a gold-standard marker of diet quality, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015. Methods: Stepwise regression was used to develop a nutrient density score based on the day 1 total dietary intake of the U.S. population 2 years and older (excluding pregnant and lactating women) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2016 (n=23,743). Intake of food groups was taken from the Food Patterns Equivalent Database (FPED) 2011-2016. Sixteen nutrients (as a percent of the Daily Value) as well as five food groups (as a percentage of recommended intake in 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines) were considered in the score. Results: When only the 16 nutrients were included in the score, 66% of the variability in the HEI 2015 could be accounted for (R 2 = 0.66). When only the five food groups were considered, the maximum R 2 with the HEI 2015 was 0.50. However, when both nutrients and foods groups were considered, the model explained 74% of the variability in the HEI 2015 (Table). The increase in the R 2 begins to plateau after the inclusion of 10 elements: 3 nutrients to encourage (fiber, potassium and unsaturated fat), 4 food groups (dairy, fruit, whole grains, and nuts and seeds) and 3 nutrients to limit (added sugar, saturated fat, sodium). Conclusion: A nutrient density score that includes both nutrients and foods groups best predicts diet quality as measured by the HEI 2015.

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Global Review of Dairy Recommendations in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.671999 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin B. Comerford ◽

Gregory D. Miller ◽

Amy C. Boileau ◽

Stephanie N. Masiello Schuette ◽

Janice C. Giddens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Global Health ◽

National Level ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Food Group ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Health Concern ◽

Dietary Recommendations ◽

Dairy Food

At present, there are ~100 countries with national food-based dietary guidelines. While the intent of these guidelines is to inform national-level dietary recommendations, they also tie into global health and sustainable development initiatives, since diet and nutrition are linked to outcomes for all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, key messaging in food-based dietary guidelines plays an important role in both national and global health efforts. However, this type of national-level dietary guidance is not standardized and varies considerably from country to country, and from food group to food group. The main objective of this review is to provide a novel look at dairy food group messaging within global food-based dietary guidelines, focusing specifically on nutrient-based and health-based messaging. Dairy-based messaging from 94 national food-based dietary guidelines was reviewed and grouped by region, with an emphasis on messaging regarding dairy's contribution to nutrients of public health concern for both underconsumption and overconsumption. The results showed that most nutrient-based dairy messaging relating to underconsumption was focused on calcium, followed by vitamin D, iodine, potassium, and protein; whereas messaging related to overconsumption was focused on saturated fat, added sugars, and salt. Health-based messaging specific to dairy food intake typically coalesced around three types of health outcomes: (1) bone, teeth, and muscle, (2) cardiometabolic, and (3) gut and immune. Although a fundamental concept of food-based dietary guidelines is to provide dietary guidance in a manner that is both “food-based,” and in the context of “dietary” patterns, most food-based dietary guidelines still express the health value of dairy foods (and potentially other foods groups) solely in terms of their nutrient content – and often times only in the context of a single nutrient (e.g., calcium).

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Nutrition and packaging characteristics of toddler foods and milks in Australia

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980020004590 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Jennifer R McCann ◽

Georgina C Russell ◽

Karen J Campbell ◽

Julie L Woods

Keyword(s):

Saturated Fat ◽

Total Sugar ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Snack Food ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Total Sugars ◽

Snack Foods ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Regulatory Approach ◽

Sugar Levels

Abstract Objective: To analyse nutritional and packaging characteristics of toddler-specific foods and milks in the Australian retail food environment to identify how such products fit within the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) and the NOVA classification. Design: Cross-sectional retail audit of toddler foods and milks. On-pack product attributes were recorded. Products were categorised as (1) food or milk; (2) snack food or meal and (3) snacks sub-categorised depending on main ingredients. Products were classified as a discretionary or core food as per the ADG and level of processing according to NOVA classification. Setting: Supermarkets and pharmacies in Australia. Results: A total of 154 foods and thirty-two milks were identified. Eighty percentage of foods were snacks, and 60 % of foods were classified as core foods, while 85 % were ultraprocessed (UP). Per 100 g, discretionary foods provided significantly more energy, protein, total and saturated fat, carbohydrate, total sugar and Na (P < 0·001) than core foods. Total sugars were significantly higher (P < 0·001) and Na significantly lower (P < 0·001) in minimally processed foods than in UP foods. All toddler milks (n 32) were found to have higher energy, carbohydrate and total sugar levels than full-fat cow’s milk per 100 ml. Claims and messages were present on 99 % of foods and all milks. Conclusions: The majority of toddler foods available in Australia are UP snack foods and do not align with the ADG. Toddler milks, despite being UP, do align with the ADG. A strengthened regulatory approach may address this issue.

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