scholarly journals Nutrition and Health Claims Spectra of Pre-Packaged Foods on Serbian Supermarket Shelves: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2832
Author(s):  
Dragana Davidović ◽  
Katarina Paunović ◽  
Danica Zarić ◽  
Ana Jovanović ◽  
Nadja Vasiljević ◽  
...  

Nutrition and health claims (NHCs) are a powerful tool that influence consumers’ final decision on the choice of food products. The purposes of this repeated cross-sectional study were to (i) assess the prevalence of pre-packaged food products containing nutrition and health claims among different food categories, (ii) to determine the type of NHCs labelled on the examined food products, and (iii) to evaluate the trend in the use of NHCs in comparison to the 2012 survey. The survey was conducted immediately before the full enforcement of the new national legislation on NHCs in 2020. It comprised 3141 pre-packaged food products from 10 product categories. In total, 21.2% of food products contained any claim (19.4% contained any nutrition claim; 8.2% contained any health claim). In comparison to the 2012 survey, we observed a rising trend in the presence of NHCs; the use of nutrition claims on food products increased three times and the use of health claims increased 1.3 times in the 2020 survey. Bearing in mind that NHCs are a powerful tool guiding consumers’ food purchase decisions, NHCs should be supported by precise legislation and strict surveillance by the public health authorities.

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1550-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela Corrêa Pereira ◽  
Michel Cardoso de Angelis-Pereira ◽  
João de Deus Souza Carneiro

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the packaged food market in Brazil by examining the use of nutrition and health claims and marketing techniques, as well as the different levels of industrial food processing in relation to product category, nutrition information and price. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted on the labels of pre-packed foods and non-alcoholic beverages marketed in a home-shopping website in Brazil. Findings The authors showed that the use of nutrition and health claims on packaged foods in Brazil is widespread and varied across different food categories. Marketing techniques were also prevalent, and techniques emphasising general health, well-being or naturalness were the most frequent type used. Overall, products carrying nutrition and health claims and/or using marketing techniques had lower content of fat and higher content of fibre. However, the high prevalence of these strategies in ultra-processed foods is alarming. The presence of health claims and use of marketing techniques was not found to be an effective modifier of the three price measures. However, processed and ultra-processed foods were more expensive than unprocessed foods when considering price per energy and price per 100 g or mL. Originality/value These results indicate that there are clear opportunities to improve the packaged food environment in supermarkets. It is important to highlight the need to develop public policies to address these issues, including restriction of the promotion and advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages and use of warning labels.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3052
Author(s):  
Chiara Mameli ◽  
Camilla Cattaneo ◽  
Luisa Lonoce ◽  
Giorgio Bedogni ◽  
Francesca Chiara Redaelli ◽  
...  

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common systemic diseases in childhood which predisposes the patient to serious short-term and long-term complications, affecting all body systems. Taste and olfactory impairments were first described a long time ago in adult patients affected by diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes). However, studies evaluating taste perception, behavioral attitudes (e.g., food neophobia), and preferences toward foods in children and adolescents affected by T1D are globally lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess taste sensitivity, food neophobia, and preferences among children and adolescents affected by T1D and healthy controls in a cross-sectional study. T1D patients presented a significantly lower ability in general to correctly identify taste qualities, especially bitter and sour tastes. Moreover, they were characterized by fewer fungiform papillae compared to controls, as well as a lower responsiveness to the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). There were no significant differences in food neophobia scores between the two groups, but differences were observed in the mean hedonic ratings for some product categories investigated. Diabetic patients showed a greater liking for certain type of foods generally characterized by sourness and bitterness, an observation probably linked to their impaired ability to perceive taste stimuli, e.g., sourness and bitterness. These results may help to enhance the understanding of these relationships in populations with elevated diet-related health risks.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Elizabeth Pulker ◽  
Jane Anne Scott ◽  
Christina Mary Pollard

AbstractObjectiveTo objectively evaluate voluntary nutrition and health claims and marketing techniques present on packaging of high-market-share ultra-processed foods (UPF) in Australia for their potential impact on public health.DesignCross-sectional.SettingPackaging information from five high-market-share food manufacturers and one retailer were obtained from supermarket and manufacturers’ websites.SubjectsIngredients lists for 215 UPF were examined for presence of added sugar. Packaging information was categorised using a taxonomy of nutrition and health information which included nutrition and health claims and five common food marketing techniques. Compliance of statements and claims with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and with Health Star Ratings (HSR) were assessed for all products.ResultsAlmost all UPF (95 %) contained added sugars described in thirty-four different ways; 55 % of UPF displayed a HSR; 56 % had nutrition claims (18 % were compliant with regulations); 25 % had health claims (79 % were compliant); and 97 % employed common food marketing techniques. Packaging of 47 % of UPF was designed to appeal to children. UPF carried a mean of 1·5 health and nutrition claims (range 0–10) and 2·6 marketing techniques (range 0–5), and 45 % had HSR≤3·0/5·0.ConclusionsMost UPF packaging featured nutrition and health statements or claims despite the high prevalence of added sugars and moderate HSR. The degree of inappropriate or inaccurate statements and claims present is concerning, particularly on packaging designed to appeal to children. Public policies to assist parents to select healthy family foods should address the quality and accuracy of information provided on UPF packaging.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2146-2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Maria Silveira ◽  
David Alejandro Gonzalez-Chica ◽  
Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença

AbstractObjectiveThe present study investigated how trans-fat is reported on the packaging of foods sold in a Brazilian supermarket.DesignThe present descriptive, cross-sectional study analysed the ingredient list, nutrition facts label and claims of no trans-fat on the packaging.SettingA large supermarket in Florianópolis, Brazil.SubjectsAll food products available at the supermarket.ResultsOf the 2327 study products, more than half had components containing trans-fat in the ingredient list, especially hydrogenated vegetable fat and its alternative names. A small percentage of food products reported some trans-fat content on the nutrition facts label and roughly a quarter of the food products claimed to contain no trans-fat on the front of the packaging. There was very low agreement among the trans-fat content reported in the nutrition facts label, claims of no trans-fat made on the packaging and the ingredient list.ConclusionsThere was low agreement among the different ways of reporting trans-fat, suggesting that it is not possible to rely on the nutrition facts label or no trans-fat claims printed on the packaging of Brazilian food products. Hence, the Brazilian legislation on food labels needs to change to improve the reliability of food labels and to help control the trans-fat intake of the population.


2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 1087-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haya H. Al-Ani ◽  
Anandita Devi ◽  
Helen Eyles ◽  
Boyd Swinburn ◽  
Stefanie Vandevijvere

AbstractNutrition and health claims are displayed to influence consumers’ food choices. This study assessed the extent and nature of nutrition and health claims on the front-of-pack of ‘healthy’ and ‘less-healthy’ packaged foods in New Zealand. Foods from eight categories, for which consumption may affect the risk of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases, were selected from the 2014 Nutritrack database. The internationally standardised International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) taxonomy was used to classify claims on packages. The Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) was used to classify products as ‘healthy’ or ‘less healthy’. In total, 7526 products were included, with 47 % (n 3557) classified as ‘healthy’. More than one-third of products displayed at least one nutrition claim and 15 % featured at least one health claim on the front-of-pack. Claims were found on one-third of ‘less-healthy’ products; 26 % of those products displayed nutrition claims and 7 % featured health claims. About 45 % of ‘healthy’ products displayed nutrition claims and 23 % featured health claims. Out of 7058 individual claims, the majority (69 %) were found on ‘healthy’ products. Cereals displayed the greatest proportion of nutrition and health claims (1503 claims on 564 products), of which one-third were displayed on ‘less-healthy’ cereals. Such claims could be misleading consumers’ perceptions of nutritional quality of foods. It needs to be explored how current regulations on nutrition and health claims in New Zealand could be further strengthened (e.g. using the NPSC for nutrition claims, including general health claims as per the INFORMAS taxonomy) to ensure consumers are protected and not misled.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-128
Author(s):  
Krystyna Gutkowska ◽  
Jacek Czarnecki

AbstractIn order to identify the attitudes of consumers towards innovative food products, including functional foods, qualitative research was carried out in 2019 to find out what are the components of these attitudes in relation to innovative food, on the example of functional food, in the conditions of the growing global tendency to care for health and convenience. As a result of the research carried out using the focus group interview (FGI) methodology, it was found that innovative food is associated with a new taste or packaging, increased nutritional value, as well as health related attributes. Often, in studies, consumers also referred to the reduction or complete elimination of allergenic ingredients and other chemical ingredients, e.g. preservatives, flavor enhancers. Consumers accept these innovations in different ways, generally showing skepticism about “improving” food by enriching it with various ingredients, while positively referring to changes related to the reduction in the content of nutrients considered harmful to health, e.g. fat, sugar or salt. It was also noted that innovativeness treated as a personality trait is accompanied by such features as: openness, tolerance, optimism, life satisfaction, while people lacking tendency to accept innovation are usually pessimistic about the world, attached to tradition or thrifty. It was also noted that consumers similarly perceive innovative and functional food, indicating that functional products are food with a specific health purpose, with a modified composition. The interviewees also indicated that it is possible to increase the interest of consumers in purchasing new food products or functional food through, inter alia, well targeted marketing messages, and it is necessary to take into account the legal regulations regarding their wording when formulating them. This applies in particular to the possibility of using nutrition and health claims in the case of products enriched with ingredients with a declared health-related effect.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1206-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Adriano Martins ◽  
Anete Araújo de Sousa ◽  
Marcela Boro Veiros ◽  
David Alejandro González-Chica ◽  
Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença

AbstractObjectiveTo analyse the Na content and labelling of processed and ultra-processed food products marketed in Brazil.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingA large supermarket in Florianopolis, southern Brazil.SubjectsIngredient lists and Na information on nutrition labels of all processed and ultra-processed pre-prepared meals and prepared ingredients, used in lunch or dinner, available for sale in the supermarket.ResultsThe study analysed 1416 products, distributed into seven groups and forty-one subgroups. Five products did not have Na information. Most products (58·8 %; 95 % CI 55·4, 62·2 %) had high Na content (>600 mg/100 g). In 78·0 % of the subgroups, variation in Na content was at least twofold between similar products with high and low Na levels, reaching 634-fold difference in the ‘garnishes and others’ subgroup. More than half of the products (52·0 %; 95 % CI 48·2, 55·6 %) had at least one Na-containing food additive. There was no relationship between the appearance of salt on the ingredients list (first to third position on the list) and a product’s Na content (high, medium or low; P=0·08).ConclusionsMost food products had high Na content, with great variation between similar products, which presents new evidence for reformulation opportunities. There were inconsistencies in Na labelling, such as lack of nutritional information and incomplete ingredient descriptions. The position of salt on the ingredients list did not facilitate the identification of high-Na foods. We therefore recommend a reduction in Na in these products and a review of Brazilian legislation.


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