As people become more educated, studies have demonstrated that they tend to choose foods that are lower in calories but higher in nutrients. They also pay more. In a study published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from the University of Washington compared the eating habits and food costs of a sample of 164 adults in the Seattle, Washington area. Diets of low energy density and high nutrient content have been associated with less weight gain and with lower rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.
Archive for category Food labeling
We’re calling for a mandatory and consistent food labelling system to show nutrition information at a glance. Enjoy reading their submission of comments to the NZ authorities.
The Strategic Alliance of the Prevention Institute has produced a working definition of a healthful food. In this report healthful food is defined by three principles: Healthful food should be (1) wholesome, (2) produced in ways that are good for people, animals, and natural resources, and (3) available, accessible, and affordable. This definition will make food labeling like GDA and nutrient profiling unnessesary. ‘Wholesome’ says this document, means foods that are minimally processed, full of naturally occurring nutrients, produced without added hormones or antibiotics, and processed without artificial colors, flavors, or unnecessary preservatives.
Danish Consumer Council reported 8 products to the authorities (Food Administration) for misleading portion sizes. See the products and read the complaints in English. You may also want to make legal complaints in your country. Use these complaints as inspiration.
This new paper describe and discuss several well-developed approaches for categorising foods using nutrient profiling, primarily in the area of food labelling and also with respect to advertising controls. The best approach should be able to summarise and synthesise key nutritional dimensions (such as sugar, fat and salt content, energy density and portion size) in a manner that is easily applied across a variety of products, is understandable to users and can be strictly defined for regulatory purposes.
Traffic Lights Video
Apr 6
Enjoy this video from the UK Food Standards Agency.
By consciously choosing more nutrient-dense foods and beverages, Americans will be in a better position to meet their nutrient requirements without overconsuming energy. An objective, science-based, and validated nutrient density profiling system is needed to characterize foods based on their nutrient composition and this concept should be integrated into the Dietary Guidelines. This article sets forth guiding principles for the development and implementation of a nutrient density profiling system based on the current knowledge of diet and health and recommends that the development of a nutrient density profiling system include testing for effectiveness against accepted measures of diet quality, such as the Healthy Eating Index, and measurable public health markers, such as blood lipids and blood pressure.
This study aimed to determine the most acceptable and effective front-of-pack food labelling system for Australian consumers. Four systems were tested, including two variations of the GDA (Monochrome and Colour-Coded) and two variations of the Traffic Light (TL and TL + Overall Rating. 790 consumers took part in the survey. The TL system was the most effective in assisting consumers to identify healthier foods. Mandatory TL labelling regulations are recommended to assist consumers in making healthy food choices.
Umiddelbart virker Eva Kjer det ikke rimeligt at anvende en portionsstørrelse på 25 gram for en guldbarre, der vejer 45 gram. Jeg mener, at portionsstørrelser skal være realistiske og forståelige for forbrugerne, herunder realistiske i forhold til den aktuelle pakning.