Choices Programme publishes nutrient criteria overview
The paper, published in Nature’speer-reviewed European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, provides an overview of the development of nutrient profiles used for determining international Choices logo eligibility. The publication makes the Choices Programme the first objectively established and peer-reviewed nutrient profile system, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) dietary recommendations on daily intake.
“The nutrient criteria for logo eligibility developed by the international Choices Programme’s global panel of scientists are a transparent, science-based tool designed to encourage both consumers and producers towards a healthier food supply,” wrote the authors, led by Professor Jaap Seidell of the Free University in Amsterdam.
“Having an approach that is not only relevant and practical for both consumers and food industry, but that has now also been officially recognised as scientifically sound is an accomplishment that we can be very proud of,” said Seidell who is chair of the Choices Scientific Committee.
“International applicability [also] makes these nutrient profiles a useful tool to stimulate product innovation and consumer choice globally,” added the researchers.
Front-of-Pack
The Choices Programme, launched in 2006, relies on the use of an easily recognised front-of-pack logo that allows consumers to quickly identify products with better nutrient compositions.
Towards the end of 2009, the Choices Scientific Committee – made up of 17 scientists, of which several have contributed to the WHO strategy on health – developed a set of international criteria for nutrition labelling.
These criteria were derived from the WHO dietary guidelines for key nutrients, including saturated fat, trans-fat, sodium and added sugar, in addition to energy and dietary fibre.
The guidelines were translated into generic and food category-specific product criteria.
The researchers said the publication of the methodology used to develop these criteria marks an important achievement for the initiative.
Criteria
“The basic product groups are main contributors of essential and beneficial nutrients, and are based on food-based dietary guidelines from more than 20 countries across the globe,” said the authors
Seidell and colleagues said that these generic criteria were derived from international nutrient recommendations for trans-fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, sodium, added sugar, fibre and energy, and evaluated against food composition data from 12 countries across Europe and market reality (actual foods on the market).
They added that this generic criteria and a decision framework were developed to further define food categories, and to meet country- and region-specific dietary needs.
The researchers said that the decision framework is a “unique feature” of the nutrient-profiling system they have developed, which “enables international applicability and translation to other dietary habits.”
Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.101
“Development of international criteria for a front of package food labelling system: the International Choices Programme”
Authors: A.J.C. Roodenburg, B.M. Popkin, J.C. Seidell
