Product variety in Australian snacks and drinks: how can the consumer make a healthy choice?

[摘要] ObjectiveTo estimate the proportion of ‘healthy’ snack food and beverage choices available to an Australian consumer.DesignA survey of product Nutrition Information Panels (NIP) and product labels on snack foods and beverages offered for sale. Data on nutrient content were compared with criteria from different nutrient profile systems to estimate the proportion of items conforming to a ‘healthy’ choice.SettingA large supermarket in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.ResultsA consumer could choose from 1070 different snack foods and 863 different drinks. Flavour variety was more common in snacks (maximum thirteen per product) while variation in container size was more common for drinks (up to ten per product). Recommended serving size for snacks varied greatly (18–100 g) while the serving size for drinks frequently did not correspond to the size of the container. Depending on the nutrient profile system selected, only 9–22 % of snack foods presented for sale could be deemed ‘nutritious’ by multiple criteria. Similarly, only 14–27 % of beverages met ‘healthy’ criteria.ConclusionsAs one factor to help reduce the obesogenic environment, the supply balance needs to be shifted in favour of ‘healthier’ snack foods and beverages, e.g. by reformulation of many products by the food industry and their presentation in smaller, standardised portion-size packaging.

[学科分类] 卫生学

[关键词] Nutrition;Food;Beverages;Snack;Nutrition assessment;Labelling