Trans-fat labelling and potential presence of industrially produced trans-fat in the New Zealand packaged food supply: 2015-2019 & 2022.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries reduce industrially produced TFA (iTFA) in the food supply. However, New Zealand (NZ) has no mandatory regulation to control amounts of iTFA in foods. The objectives of this study were to assess within the NZ packaged food supply in recent years (2015-19 and 2022): i) the availability of products displaying information on TFA content on nutrition information panels (NIPs), ii) the content of TFA declared, and iii) the presence/potential presence of iTFA (n = 85,892 products). METHODS AND RESULTS: A database of packaged foods from major NZ supermarkets was used. TFA contents declared on NIPs were benchmarked against limits recommended by the WHO and the Canadian Trans Fat Task Force. Proportions of products listing specific ingredients (containing iTFA) or non-specific ingredients (potentially containing iTFA) were examined. Trends in proportions were assessed (Mantel-Haenszel tests). Among all products and years examined (n = 81,591), 84.0 % did not display information on TFA content. Across all products declaring TFA contents and years 15.4 % and 6.4 %, respectively, were above the WHO and Canadian TFA limits. Across all products and years, 0.8 % and 13.6 % listed ingredients that contained or potentially contained iTFA, respectively. Across 2015-2019, there was a trend of decrease in the proportions of products listing specific (0.9 %-0.7 %; P = 0.018) and non-specific ingredients (15.1 %-12.8 %; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Information on the TFA content and ingredients containing iTFA in NZ packaged foods is lacking and ambiguous and government-led interventions to control and reduce TFA in the food supply are warranted.

Food neophobia scores at 8 Years and associations with nutrition-related behaviors at home in early life: Findings from a New Zealand contemporary birth cohort.

Food neophobia (FN) reduces nutritional adequacy and variety which poses a significant concern for children's health and well-being We described the FN scores among 8-year-olds and examined its associations with nutrition-related behaviors at 45 months within the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort (n = 4621). FN was estimated using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS). Mean FNS scores between variable categories were compared using t-tests for independent samples and ANOVA. Associations between FNS scores at 8 years and nutrition-related behaviors at 45-months were examined using multivariate linear regression. The mean (standard deviation) FN score was 46.2 (15.2) with statistically significant differences by sex (boys = 47.6 (15.7), girls = 43.8 (14.2), p=<0.001). For all children, in models adjusted by breastfeeding duration and sociodemographic characteristics: children who sometimes and never/almost never ate the same foods as their parents, scored, on average, 5.8 and 11 points higher in the FNS (versus those who did always/almost always); children who occasionally/never found mealtimes enjoyable scored on average 3.6 points lower in the FNS (versus mostly/quite often); children who always/almost always had the television on during mealtimes scored on average 2.7 higher in the FNS (versus never/almost never). In comparison to children who mostly/quite often had time to talk to others during mealtimes, those who never/occasionally did it scored on average higher points in the FNS overall (1.46 points higher) and within girls (1.73 points higher). These findings support the eating behavior statements in the National Children's Food and Nutrition Guidelines, which emphasize early exposure to food variety, limiting mealtime distractions, and acknowledge that parental role modeling shapes children's nutrition-related behaviors. Early adoption of preventative interventions for reducing FN in early and middle childhood are needed.

Prevalence and maternal determinants of early and late introduction of complementary foods: results from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort study.

A nationally generalisable cohort (n 5770) was used to determine the prevalence of non-timely (early/late) introduction of complementary food and core food groups and associations with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours in New Zealand (NZ). Variables describing maternal characteristics and infant food introduction were sourced, respectively, from interviews completed antenatally and during late infancy. The NZ Infant Feeding Guidelines were used to define early (≤ 4 months) and late (≥ 7 months) introduction. Associations were examined using multivariable multinomial regression, presented as adjusted relative risk ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (RRR; 95% CI). Complementary food introduction was early for 40·2 % and late for 3·2 %. The prevalence of early food group introduction were fruit/vegetables (23·8 %), breads/cereals (36·3 %), iron-rich foods (34·1 %) and of late were meat/meat alternatives (45·9 %), dairy products (46·2 %) and fruits/vegetables (9·9 %). Compared with infants with timely food introduction, risk of early food introduction was increased for infants: breastfed < 6months (2·52; 2·19-2·90), whose mothers were < 30 years old (1·69; 1·46-1·94), had a diploma/trade certificate v. tertiary education (1·39; 1·1-1·70), of Maori v. European ethnicity (1·40; 1·12-1·75) or smoked during pregnancy (1·88; 1·44-2·46). Risk of late food introduction decreased for infants breastfed < 6 months (0·47; 0.27-0·80) and increased for infants whose mothers had secondary v. tertiary education (2·04; 1·16-3·60) were of Asian v. European ethnicity (2·22; 1·35, 3·63) or did not attend childbirth preparation classes (2·23; 1·24-4·01). Non-timely food introduction, specifically early food introduction, is prevalent in NZ. Interventions to improve food introduction timeliness should be ethnic-specific and support longer breast-feeding.

New Zealand household purchases of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened beverages: 2015-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To assess annual household purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (AFSBs), and unsweetened beverages (USBs) by household composition and income, and over time. DESIGN: Observational cohort study using beverage purchasing data linked to a supermarket database. ANOVA was used to compare total household purchase volumes (L) and the contribution of beverages purchased by category, household composition (size), household income (four categories from New Zealand (NZ) < $30 000 to > $90 000), and over time (trend from 2015 to 2019). SETTING: Aotearoa NZ. PARTICIPANTS: ∼1800 households in the NielsenIQ Homescan® market research panel. RESULTS: In 2019, the mean (sd) annual household purchase volume and relative contribution to total beverage volume of SSBs were 72·3 (93·0) L and 33 %, respectively. Corresponding values for AFSBs were 32·5 (79·3) L (15 %), and USBs were 112·5 (100·9) L (52 %). Larger households purchased more of all beverage types except AFSBs. Total purchases were similar by income, but households earning < $NZ 30 000 purchased fewer AFSBs and USBs (but not SSBs) than households earning > $NZ 90 000. Total and USB purchases were unchanged over time, but SSBs dropped by 5·9 L (P-trend = 0·04), and AFSBs increased by 5·3 L (P-trend = 0·00). CONCLUSIONS: USBs contributed the most to household beverage purchases. Total purchases were higher for larger households and similar by income, including for SSBs. The reduction over time was too small for health benefits. Findings support policies and interventions to reduce SSB consumption and highlight the importance of focusing on equitable outcomes.

Child feeding indexes measuring adherence to New Zealand nutrition guidelines: Development and assessment.

New Zealand (NZ) lacks nationally representative or generalisable information on the dietary intakes of pre-schoolers. We used Growing Up in New Zealand cohort data to i) develop child feeding indexes (CFIs) based on National Food and Nutrition Guidelines for 2- and 4.5-year-olds; ii) describe the cohort adherence to the guidelines at 2 (n = 6046) and 4.5 years (n = 5889) and; iii) assess the CFIs' convergent construct validity, by exploring associations with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours and with child body mass index for age (BMI/age) and the waist-to-height ratio at 4.5 years. The CFIs scores ranged from 0 to 11, with 11 representing full adherence to the guidelines. Associations were tested using multiple linear regressions and Poisson regressions with robust variance (risk ratios [RR], 95% confidence intervals, 95% CI). The CFIs mean scores (SD) at 2 and 4.5 years were, respectively, 6.13 (1.21) and 6.22 (1.26) points. Maternal characteristics explained, respectively, 27.2% and 31.9% of the variation in the CFIs scores at 2 and 4.5 years. In the adjusted model at the 4.5-year interview, in relation to girls ranked in the 5th quintile, those in the 2nd (RR, 95% CI: 1.48; 1.03; 1.24) and 4th (1.53; 1.05; 2.23) quintiles of the CFI were more likely to have BMI/age > +2z (World Health Organization growth standards) at 4.5 years. At 2 and 4.5 years, most children fell short of meeting national guidelines. The associations between the CFIs scores at both time points with maternal characteristics and with children's body size at 4.5 years were in the expected directions, confirming the CFIs' convergent construct validity among NZ pre-schoolers.

Seven-year trends in the availability, sugar content and serve size of single-serve non-alcoholic beverages in New Zealand: 2013-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To assess trends in relative availability, sugar content and serve size of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic beverages available for sale in supermarkets from 2013 to 2019. DESIGN: Repeat cross-sectional surveys. Data on single-serve beverages to be consumed in one sitting were obtained from an updated brand-specific food composition database. Trends in beverages availability and proportions with serve size ≤ 250 ml were assessed by χ2 tests. Sugar content trends were examined using linear regressions. The proportion of beverages exceeding the sugar threshold of the United Kingdom Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was assessed. SETTING: New Zealand. RESULTS: From 2013 to 2019, there was (i) an increase in the availability of sugar-free/low-sugar beverages (n 25 (8·4 %) to n 75 (19·1 %); P < 0·001) and craft sugar-sweetened soft drinks (n 11 (3·7 %) to n 36 (9·2 %); P < 0·001), and a decrease in availability of fruit/vegetable juices/drinks (n 94 (31·8 %) to n 75 (19·4 %); P < 0·001); (ii) small decreases in sugar content (mean g/100 ml) of sugar-sweetened soft drinks (3·03; 95 % CI 3·77, 2·29); fruit/vegetable juices/drinks (1·08; 95 % CI 2·14, 0·01) and energy drinks (0·98; 95 % CI 1·63, 0·32) and (iii) slight reduction in the proportion of beverages with serve size ≤ 250 ml (21·6 to 18·9 %; P < 0·001). In 2019, most beverages were sugar-sweetened or had naturally occurring sugars (79·1 %) and serve size > 250 ml (81·1 %) and most sugar-sweetened beverages exceeded the SDIL lower benchmark (72·9 %). CONCLUSIONS: Most single-serve beverages available for sale in 2019 were sugary drinks with high sugar content and large serve sizes; therefore, changes made across the years were not meaningful for population's health.

Maternal determinants of dietary patterns in infancy and early childhood in the Growing up in New Zealand cohort.

Given the importance of diet in early life, assessing children's diet is crucial to guide interventions. Using data from a nationally generalizable New Zealand (NZ) birth cohort we examined children's dietary patterns at 9- (n = 6259), 24- (n = 6292), and 54-months (n = 6131), and their association with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours. At each time-point, children's dietary patterns were identified using principal components analysis. We then used multivariate linear regression to examine associations between each pattern and maternal variables. At 9-, 24- and 54-months, two dietary patterns were identified, explaining 36.4%, 35.3% and 33.6% of children's intake variability, respectively. Refined high in sugar, salt and fat dietary pattern, at all time-points, was characterized by high positive loadings in white/refined breads and cereals, and items with high sugar, sodium, and fat content. At 24-months, Refined high in sugar, salt and fat also included a high positive loading with protein food groups. Fruit and vegetables dietary pattern, at all time-points, had high positive loadings for fruits and vegetables (with type varying across time-points). Fruit and vegetables also included high loading in whole grain options of breads and cereals at 24-months and the protein food group was part of this dietary pattern at 9- and 54-months. Children's scores on the Refined high in sugar, salt and fat pattern had strong associations with maternal smoking habits, education level, ethnicity, and maternal scores in the "Junk" and "Traditional/White bread" dietary patterns (constructed from an antenatal interview). Children's scores on the Fruit and vegetables pattern had strong associations with the maternal scores in the dietary pattern "Health Conscious". Interventions to improve diet in early life in NZ need to be responsive to ethnicity and suitable for people of all education levels. Interventions that improve maternal health behaviours may also improve children's diet.

Associations between antenatal maternal diet and other health aspects with infant temperament in a large multiethnic cohort study: a path analysis approach.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the association of antenatal maternal dietary patterns (DPs) and other health aspects with infant temperament in a large multiethnic cohort, taking maternal personality and prenatal stress into account. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using data from 3968 children born in 2009/2010 and their mothers from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort, infant temperament was assessed at 9 months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form. Maternal antenatal diet and other health aspects were assessed antenatally. Maternal DPs (n=4) were derived using principal components analysis based on food intake reported on a 44-item food frequency questionnaire. Path analyses investigated factors associated with infant temperament, namely maternal personality, prenatal maternal stress, DPs and other health aspects, including potential inter-relations and mediating effects. RESULTS: Women who scored higher in the fusion DP (standardised beta (ß)=0.05; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09) and healthy DP (ß=0.05; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09), who exercised more (ß=0.04; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.07), and who drank less alcohol (ß=-0.05; 95% CI -0.08 to -0.02) were more likely to have infants with an overall less difficult temperament. Sex-specific differences were found in the associations between maternal DP and infant temperament. Maternal personality and prenatal stress were significantly associated with all dimensions of infant temperament. The strongest predictors for a more difficult temperament were prenatal stress (ß=0.12; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.15) and the personality dimensions neuroticism (ß=0.10; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.14) and extraversion (ß=-0.09; 95% CI -0.12 to -0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Associations of antenatal maternal diet and health aspects with infant temperament were statistically significant but small. While they should not be overinterpreted as being deterministic, the findings of this study support the link between maternal modifiable health-related behaviours and infant temperament outcomes.

Which companies dominate the packaged food supply of New Zealand and how healthy are their products?

Improvement of national food supplies are an opportunity to improve a country's health. Our aim was to identify the major food companies manufacturing packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages available in New Zealand supermarkets in 2018; to assess the healthiness of products using (1) the Health Star Rating (HSR) system, (2) Australian Dietary Guidelines classification (core/discretionary), and (3) by level of processing; to compare the healthiness of products displaying and not displaying the HSR and; to assess potential for food reformulation within selected food sub-categories. Information on packaged foods was obtained from the Nutritrack supermarket database. Companies that manufactured each food and brand were identified using company websites and the New Zealand companies register. In total, 13,506 packaged products were mapped to 1,767 brands and 1,214 companies. Based on market share of products available for sale (Euromonitor data), there were 22 dominating companies producing 31% of products and 17% of brands. Fifty-nine percent of products were classified as unhealthy (HSR <3.5/5 stars), 53% as discretionary, and 69% as ultra-processed. Products displaying the HSR on the package had a higher mean HSR ±SD than if the HSR was not displayed (3.2±1.3 versus 2.5±1.4, p = 0.000). Efforts to improve the healthiness of products should be directed to the 22 food companies dominating this market share, particularly in the core foods groups which are currently less likely to meet Heart Foundation reformulation targets (bread, breakfast cereals, cheese, canned baked beans, yoghurt). The New Zealand supermarket packaged food supply included in the Nutritrack database is dominated by a small number of companies and is mostly unhealthy. Government leadership is required to improve the healthiness of the packaged food supply and provide adequate information to consumers. This includes interventions setting reformulation targets for core food groups, setting population nutrient intake targets and mandating that the HSR is displayed on all products.

Energy, Sodium, Sugar and Saturated Fat Content of New Zealand Fast-Food Products and Meal Combos in 2020.

This study aimed to benchmark the healthiness of the New Zealand (NZ) fast-food supply in 2020. There are currently no actions or policies in NZ regarding the composition, serving size and labeling of fast food. Data on serving size and nutrient content of products was collected from company websites and in-store visits to 27 fast-food chains. For each fast-food category and type of combo meal, medians and interquartile ranges were calculated for serving size and energy, sodium, total sugar, and saturated fat per serving. Nutrient contents/serving were benchmarked against the United Kingdom (UK) soft drinks levy sugar thresholds and targets for salt for away from home foods, the NZ daily intake guidelines for energy, sodium, and saturated fat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for free sugars. Analyses were conducted for the 30.3% (n = 1772) of products with available nutrition information and for 176 meal combos. Most (n = 67; 91.8%) sugar-sweetened drinks would qualify for a UK soft drink industry levy and 47% (n = 1072) of products exceeded the relevant UK sodium target. Half of the meal combos provided at least 50.3% of the daily energy requirements and at least 88.6% of the maximum recommended intake of sodium. Fast-food products and combo meals in NZ contribute far more energy and negative nutrients to recommended daily intake targets than is optimal for good health. The NZ Government should set reformulation targets and serving size guidance to reduce the potential impact of fast- food consumption on the health of New Zealanders.