European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 23;14(10):e0213512. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213512. eCollection 2019.
A variety of nutrient profiling models have been developed to restrict food marketing to children. Previous assessments have shown substantial differences in terms of model strictness and agreement, but EU-wide data on how leading products in the various national markets perform against these health-minded nutrition criteria are unavailable.
To evaluate the nutritional composition of the pre-packaged food offer in selected categories sold at scale in the EU using criteria of two nutrient profile models intended to restrict food marketing to children.
The nutrient profile models of the private-sector EU Pledge and of the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe were applied to a commercial database with sales and nutritional information of 2691 pre-packaged products from five product categories (breakfast cereals, ready meals, processed meat, processed seafood, and yoghurts) and 20 EU countries. This study describes the criteria not met, the product ineligibility rates, and the distances to the various criteria thresholds.
Between 48% (EU Pledge) and 68% (WHO Europe) of the 2691 products analysed were found to be ineligible for marketing to children. The criteria thresholds most often not met were those for total sugars (in breakfast cereals, yoghurts), salt (in processed meat, processed seafood, ready meals), and fibre (in breakfast cereals). Total and saturated fat criteria also played a substantial role in rendering yoghurt products ineligible, and the energy criterion did so for ready meals.
A large number of food products selling at scale in the EU do not meet the criteria of two EU-level nutrient profile models intended to restrict food marketing to children. Given the considerable market share of many such products, they are likely to be consumed widely and in some cases regularly, including by children, even without being marketed to them. Nutrient profile models could serve as benchmarking tools for monitoring and evaluating food product reformulation efforts.
已经开发出多种营养成分模型来限制向儿童推销食品。此前的评估表明，这些模型在严格程度和一致性方面存在很大差异，但欧盟范围内关于各国市场主要产品在这些以健康为导向的营养标准下的表现的数据尚不可用。
使用旨在限制向儿童推销食品的两种营养成分模型的标准，评估在欧盟规模销售的选定类别中的预包装食品供应的营养成分。
应用私营部门欧盟承诺模型和世界卫生组织欧洲区域办事处的营养成分模型，对一个商业数据库进行了分析，该数据库包含来自五个产品类别（早餐谷物、即食餐、加工肉类、加工海鲜和酸奶）和 20 个欧盟国家的 2691 种预包装产品的销售和营养信息。本研究描述了不符合标准的情况、产品不合格率以及与各种标准阈值的差距。
在所分析的 2691 种产品中，有 48%（欧盟承诺）到 68%（世卫组织欧洲）被认为不适合向儿童推销。最常不符合标准的是总糖（早餐谷物、酸奶）、盐（加工肉类、加工海鲜、即食餐）和纤维（早餐谷物）的标准。总脂肪和饱和脂肪标准也在使酸奶产品不合格方面发挥了重要作用，能量标准也使即食餐不合格。
在欧盟规模销售的大量食品不符合旨在限制向儿童推销食品的两种欧盟层面营养成分模型的标准。鉴于许多此类产品的市场份额相当大，即使没有针对他们进行营销，它们也可能被广泛消费，有时甚至经常被消费，包括儿童。营养成分模型可以作为监测和评估食品产品配方改革努力的基准工具。
