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89% Of Children's Food Products Provide Poor Nutritional Quality, But 62% Of Them Still Make Health Claims
Nine out of ten regular food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional
content - because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium - according to a detailed study of
367 products published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews.
Just under 70 per cent of the products studied - which specifically excluded confectionery,
soft drinks and bakery items - derived a high proportion of calories from sugar.
Approximately one in five (23 per cent) had high fat levels and 17 per cent had high sodium
levels. Despite this, 62 per cent of the foods with poor nutritional quality (PNQ) made
positive claims about their nutritional value on the front of the packet.
"Children's foods can now be found in virtually every section of the supermarket and are
available for every eating experience" says Professor Charlene Elliott from the University of
Calgary, Canada, and a Trustee of the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition.
"Parents may have questions about which packaged foods are good for their children. Yet
certain nutritional claims may add to the confusion, as they can mislead people into thinking
the whole product is nutritious."
Only 11 per cent of the products Professor Elliott and her colleagues evaluated provided
good nutritional value in line with the criteria laid down by the US-based Center for Science
in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit agency that received the Food and Drug
Administration's highest honour in 2007.
The CSPI nutritional standards state that healthy food should not derive more than 35 per
cent of its calories from fat (excluding nuts and seed and nut butters) and should have no
more than 35 per cent added sugar by weight. They also provide guidance on sodium levels,
ranging from 230mg per portion for snacks through to 770mg per portion for pre-prepared
meals.
CSPI's standards are adapted from those developed by the National Alliance for Nutrition
and Activity, a coalition of some 300 health and nutrition organisations in the USA. The
organisation states that its standards represent a compromise approach. They allow for the
marketing of products that may not be nutritionally ideal, but that provide some positive
nutritional benefits that could help children meet the US Government's Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
The 367 products included in the study were bought from a national supermarket chain
stocking 50,000 food and non-food items in December 2005. Each had to meet very specific
criteria.
"We included food products and packaging that were presented in such a way that children
were the clear target audience" explains Professor Elliott, whose research was funded by
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. "They included products that promoted fun and
play, had a cartoon image on the front of the box or were linked to children's films, TV
programmes and merchandise."
Each product was subjected to a 36-point analysis that included the nutritional content and
how the packaging was designed to appeal to children and their parents.
Key findings included:
- 63 per cent of all the products surveyed made some sort of nutritional claim, including 62
per of the products that could be classed as poorly nutritious, due to high levels of sugar
or fat or sodium. A low percentage (eight per cent) carried some kind of nutrition mark or
seal. Other claims included that products were low fat, a source of calcium, contained no
artificial flavours or colours or provided a number of essential nutrients.
- Products with high sugar levels accounted for 70 per cent of the goods with PNQ. Despite
this, 68 per cent included some sort of nutritional claim on the package, such as a source
of whole grains, source of iron or low in fat. Cereals and fruit snacks were particularly
likely to make nutritional claims and have high levels of sugar.
- Just under 23 per cent of the products had PNQ because of their high fat content. Yet 37
per cent had some sort of nutritional claim on the package. For example peanut butter
mixed with chocolate claimed to be a "source of six essential nutrients" and a pizza
product claimed to be a "source of calcium".
- High sodium levels meant that 17 per cent of the products analysed were classified as
being of PNQ. Despite this, almost 34 per cent made some sort of nutritional claim on the
package. Crackers and pizza products were among the worst offenders.
- A fifth of the products featured a cartoon image engaged in some sort of healthy physical
activity on the front and a quarter showed these on the back or side of the box. Activities
included skateboarding, basketball and biking.
"Assessing the levels of sugar in the selected food products was a methodological
challenge, because milk sugars and fruit sugars occur naturally in foods" says Professor
Elliott. "The Nutrition Facts label only displays total sugars and the quantity of added sugars
is not always provided by the manufacturer.
"This means that the percentage of foods categorised as poorly nutritious due to high levels
of sugar is higher than it would have been if information on naturally occurring sugars had
been available."
The problem of accurately separating figures for quantities of natural and added sugars in
manufactured products has also been encountered by other researchers and acknowledged
as an issue by CSPI, so it is not unique to this study.
"Despite this, the findings still give us cause for concern" says Professor Elliott. "While
caregivers are likely to purchase products that they hope their children will like, it clearly can
result in a less nutritious diet than they may realise. Having a healthy diet is especially
important given the current rates of childhood obesity."
Excess body weight affects up to 35 per cent of children across Canada, the United States
and Europe and is linked to a range of health problems including type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Overweight children can also suffer from
psychological and social consequences because of their weight.
Professor Elliott believes that policy attention needs to be directed towards the nutritional
claims made by products aimed at children and the images they use to sell the products.
"If a parent sees a product that makes specific nutritional claims, they may assume that the
whole product is nutritious and our study has shown that that is definitely not true in the vast
majority of cases" concludes Professor Elliott. "Using cartoon characters engaged in sport
can also create the illusion of a healthy product."
Notes
- Assessing 'fun foods': nutritional content and analysis of supermarket foods targeted at
children. Elliott C. Obesity Reviews. 9.43, pp 368-377 (July 2008).
- Obesity Reviews is a bi-monthly publication that includes papers from all disciplines
related to obesity. The official review journal of the International Association for the
Study of Obesity, it is published by Wiley-Blackwell and has a 2007 impact factor of
7.821. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117981306/home
About Wiley-Blackwell Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the
acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with
Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have
created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and
professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peerreviewed
journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal.
Wiley-Blackwell
89% din copii de produse alimentare Furnizaþi Sãraci, calitatea nutritivã, dar 62% dintre ei încã Efectuarea de sãnãtate - 89% Of Children's Food Products Provide Poor Nutritional Quality, But 62% Of Them Still Make Health Claims - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate