Australia
Combined data technique could help nutrition monitoring
“[The move] will also help to identify key opportunities for reformulation of processed foods with the largest potential population health benefits,” said Dr Helen Eyles, a research fellow at the National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI) at Auckland University.
Since 2011, NIHI researchers have conducted annual systematic surveys for the the Nutritrack database of the nutrient composition of packaged foods available in New Zealand supermarkets and fast food restaurants, and recently they combined this data with market research data on food sales from Nielsen.
Refined methodology
Analyses were undertaken using data for more than 16,800 packaged and processed New Zealand food and non-alcoholic beverage products, amounting to NZ$3.7bn (US$2.9bn) in total annual sales.
Crude and sales-weighted means, weighted by number of units sold, were calculated overall and by food category, and major contributors to household purchases of sodium, saturated fat and sugar were identified.
Bread remains the single biggest source of dietary sodium and a primary target for a continued focus on reformulation, intervention and policy change. Secondary—though still important—targets for sodium reduction are processed meats, savoury sauces, cheese, and edible oils.
Corresponding targets for saturated fat reduction are edible oils, cheese, and biscuits, which together account for around 48% of saturated fat bought by New Zealand households.
Consumer health the target
“For New Zealanders to meet the new suggested WHO guideline for sugar intake, food manufacturers should work on reducing sugar in biscuits, confectionery and soft drinks, particularly as these are foods consumed in high quantities by New Zealand children,” said Dr Eyles.
“Increased consumer awareness via targeted nutrition education campaigns and policies is also important, especially as plain sugar, which is unlikely to be reformulated, is the top contributor to sugar purchases in New Zealand.”
Cliona Ni Mhurchu, professor of population nutrition at NIHI, added: “Our findings support those of previous analyses we have done of Australian and United Kingdom processed foods.
“Such data could be used to provide independent evaluation of the impact of industry initiatives, national nutrition interventions, and policies to improve the processed food supply.”