Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database
Summary indicator front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes are gaining momentum. In Europe, an example of such a scheme is Nutri-Score, which was first introduced in France. Supported by additional research, the scheme has the potential to expand into other countries. Such a scenario opens a ser...
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| 格式: | 文件 |
| 语言: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| 丛编: | Foods |
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| 在线阅读: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/4/399 |
| _version_ | 1827719544110579712 |
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| author | Urška Pivk Kupirovič Hristo Hristov Maša Hribar Živa Lavriša Igor Pravst |
| author_facet | Urška Pivk Kupirovič Hristo Hristov Maša Hribar Živa Lavriša Igor Pravst |
| author_sort | Urška Pivk Kupirovič |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary indicator front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes are gaining momentum. In Europe, an example of such a scheme is Nutri-Score, which was first introduced in France. Supported by additional research, the scheme has the potential to expand into other countries. Such a scenario opens a series of questions related to the use of Nutri-Score in the territories with pre-existing food labelling schemes. A key question is whether different nutrition labelling schemes would provide conflicting information for consumers when applied to same foods. The goal of our study was, therefore, to evaluate the alignment of different front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes. The study was conducted using cross-sectional data on the composition of selected categories of prepacked foods with high penetration nutrition/health claims and symbols in the Slovenian food supply. We evaluated a variety of existing front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes: three interpretive nutrition rating systems (Nutri-Score, Health Star Rating (HSR), Traffic light system), four health symbols (Protective Food symbol, Choices, Finnish heart, and Keyhole symbol), and also three nutrient profile models developed for other purposes (Office of Communications (United Kingdom, Ofcom), World Health Organization Regional office for Europe (WHOE) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)). Overall, our results indicate that interpretive nutrition rating systems (i.e., Nutri-Score) are mostly less strict than the nutrient profiles of tested health symbols. A risk of conflicting information would happen in a scenario where food is eligible to carry a health symbol, but is at the same time rated to have lower nutritional quality by an accompanying interpretive nutrition rating system. When Protective Food symbol and Nutri-Score are used together, this would occur for 5% of foods in our sample. To avoid such risks, schemes for health symbols could be adapted to be stricter than interpretive nutrition rating systems used in the same territory/market, but such adaptations are challenging and should be well planned. While our study showed that, in most cases, Nutri-Score is a less strict model than tested health symbols, the rating-system approach might offer useful support and incentive for food producers towards gradual food reformulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:45:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-215ba842735a4ed18359a6bb30a5328d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:45:40Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-215ba842735a4ed18359a6bb30a5328d2023-11-19T20:17:58ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582020-03-019439910.3390/foods9040399Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply DatabaseUrška Pivk Kupirovič0Hristo Hristov1Maša Hribar2Živa Lavriša3Igor Pravst4Nutrition Institute, Tržaška cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaNutrition Institute, Tržaška cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaNutrition Institute, Tržaška cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaNutrition Institute, Tržaška cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaNutrition Institute, Tržaška cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaSummary indicator front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes are gaining momentum. In Europe, an example of such a scheme is Nutri-Score, which was first introduced in France. Supported by additional research, the scheme has the potential to expand into other countries. Such a scenario opens a series of questions related to the use of Nutri-Score in the territories with pre-existing food labelling schemes. A key question is whether different nutrition labelling schemes would provide conflicting information for consumers when applied to same foods. The goal of our study was, therefore, to evaluate the alignment of different front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes. The study was conducted using cross-sectional data on the composition of selected categories of prepacked foods with high penetration nutrition/health claims and symbols in the Slovenian food supply. We evaluated a variety of existing front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes: three interpretive nutrition rating systems (Nutri-Score, Health Star Rating (HSR), Traffic light system), four health symbols (Protective Food symbol, Choices, Finnish heart, and Keyhole symbol), and also three nutrient profile models developed for other purposes (Office of Communications (United Kingdom, Ofcom), World Health Organization Regional office for Europe (WHOE) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)). Overall, our results indicate that interpretive nutrition rating systems (i.e., Nutri-Score) are mostly less strict than the nutrient profiles of tested health symbols. A risk of conflicting information would happen in a scenario where food is eligible to carry a health symbol, but is at the same time rated to have lower nutritional quality by an accompanying interpretive nutrition rating system. When Protective Food symbol and Nutri-Score are used together, this would occur for 5% of foods in our sample. To avoid such risks, schemes for health symbols could be adapted to be stricter than interpretive nutrition rating systems used in the same territory/market, but such adaptations are challenging and should be well planned. While our study showed that, in most cases, Nutri-Score is a less strict model than tested health symbols, the rating-system approach might offer useful support and incentive for food producers towards gradual food reformulation.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/4/399front-of-package nutrition labelling schemeshealth symbolsnutrient profilingNutri-ScoreHSRchoices |
| spellingShingle | Urška Pivk Kupirovič Hristo Hristov Maša Hribar Živa Lavriša Igor Pravst Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database Foods front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes health symbols nutrient profiling Nutri-Score HSR choices |
| title | Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database |
| title_full | Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database |
| title_fullStr | Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database |
| title_short | Facilitating Consumers Choice of Healthier Foods: A Comparison of Different Front-of-Package Labelling Schemes Using Slovenian Food Supply Database |
| title_sort | facilitating consumers choice of healthier foods a comparison of different front of package labelling schemes using slovenian food supply database |
| topic | front-of-package nutrition labelling schemes health symbols nutrient profiling Nutri-Score HSR choices |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/4/399 |
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