Improving the nutrient quality of foods and beverages using product specific standards for positive nutrients and ingredients will help to increase mean population intakes toward dietary guidelines.

Background: A shift toward more sustainable diets, rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal-derived foods, is needed and will lead to improved health and environmental benefits. Food industry needs to play a part and broaden the scope of product reformulation beyond the reduction of nutrients to limit to increasing ingredients and nutrients in line with dietary recommendations for a healthy sustainable diet. Methods: The Positive Nutrition Standards (PNS) were defined to increase the consumption of recommended ingredients and nutrients. The PNS were set by translating WHO and Codex guidance into product group standards, considering the role of the product group in the diet. The potential impact of the PNS for vegetables, wholegrain and fibre was modeled using data from the US NHANES 2017-2018 survey, assuming that, foods consumed would be reformulated to meet the standards where relevant. Results: The modeling showed that application of the PNS could increase mean population intakes by 30% for fibre, by more than 50% for vegetables and even double the intake of wholegrain. However, reformulation alone would not be sufficient to reach recommended intake levels. Conclusion: The PNS described in this paper can help to increase intakes of relevant positive nutrients and ingredients. However, a multistakeholder approach is needed to encourage consumers to make additionally required dietary shifts to meet the recommendations for positive nutrients and ingredients.

Improving the Nutrient Quality of Foods and Beverages Using Product Specific Standards for Nutrients to Limit Will Substantially Reduce Mean Population Intakes of Energy, Sodium, Saturated Fat and Sugars towards WHO Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: International strategies to reduce chronic diseases have called for a reduction in the amounts of saturated fat (SAFA), trans fat (TFA), salt and sugars in the global food supply. This paper describes the development approach and potential impact of a set of standards for these nutrients to drive food (re)formulation. METHODS: To set the standards, WHO nutrient guidelines for daily intake were translated into product group specific standards. The impact of reformulation towards these standards on population nutrient intakes was modelled using the food consumption data of five countries: UK, France, US, Brazil and China. The impact of the TFA standards could not be modelled due to lack of data. RESULTS: (Re)formulation of foods and beverages towards these standards would substantially decrease mean population intakes of energy, sodium, SAFA and sugars, with reductions up to 30%. CONCLUSIONS: These science-based standards for nutrients to limit could drive impactful reductions in energy, sodium, SAFA and sugars in food and beverage products, enabling mean population intakes to move closer to WHO nutrient guidelines.

Screening for type 2 diabetes in a high-risk population: effects of a negative screening test after 4 years follow-up.

BACKGROUND: A negative diabetes screening test may unintentionally provide reassurance, resulting in reduced incentive to follow a healthy lifestyle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess negative test result effects on lifestyle and risk perception at 4 years follow-up. METHODS: Risk perception and changes in smoking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were compared between 706 high-risk participants with a negative test result and 706 high-risk participants not offered screening (controls) in a randomized controlled trial of diabetes screening. RESULTS: Negative-screened individuals experienced a small but significant increase in BMI and waist circumference, but there was no significant difference with controls. The negative-screened group had significantly higher perception of risk of developing diabetes (p = 0.009) than controls, but no differences were observed in perceived personal control, worry, and optimistic bias. CONCLUSION: Screening negative for diabetes did not lead to overt long-term changes in lifestyle, despite a high perception of risk of developing diabetes. (ISRCTN75983009.).

Results from a post-launch monitoring survey on consumer purchases of foods with added phytosterols in five European countries.

Phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols), in the form of phytosterol-esters, are used in food products as active ingredients to lower elevated blood low density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations. In Europe, plant sterol-esters gained Novel Foods authorisation in 2000. As a requirement of the authorisation, Unilever developed a post-launch monitoring program to monitor the use of products with added phytosterols. This paper reports findings from the 2011 post-launch monitoring survey on consumer purchase behaviour of foods with added phytosterols. 91,000 households in the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, France and Germany were included. 11,612 purchased foods with added phytosterols, including spreads, salad dressings, milk- and yoghurt-type products. The results show that 71-82% of households purchasing products with added phytosterols were 1-2 person households. These households were also purchasing the majority of the volume sold in each country (75-85%). The average phytosterol intakes per household were 0.35-0.86 g/day; well below the 1.5-3.0 g/day phytosterols needed to achieve a significant blood cholesterol lowering benefit. Post-launch monitoring is an accepted and useful tool to estimate the consumption behaviour amongst different consumer groups. Data show that average phytosterol intakes per household were well below 1g/day, suggesting that overconsumption is unlikely.