Nutrition Quality of Packaged Foods in Bogotá, Colombia: A Comparison of Two Nutrient Profile Models

Front-of-package warning labels are an increasingly common policy and have been implemented to inform consumers of the nutritional quality of ultra-processed foods. This study examined the proportion of Colombian products that could be subjected to such regulations. Two nutrition profile models were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients Vol. 11; no. 5; p. 1011
Main Authors: Mora-Plazas, Mercedes, Gómez, Luis F, Miles, Donna R, Parra, Diana C, Taillie, L S
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04-05-2019
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Summary:Front-of-package warning labels are an increasingly common policy and have been implemented to inform consumers of the nutritional quality of ultra-processed foods. This study examined the proportion of Colombian products that could be subjected to such regulations. Two nutrition profile models were compared: the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) model, and the nutrient profile established under the Chilean food labeling and advertising law (Chilean model). Products ( = 6708) exceeding nutrient criteria based on each model were identified as subject to regulation. A total of 80.2% (PAHO model) to 66.4% (Chilean model) of foods met the criteria for regulation. The categories with the highest proportion of regulated products were meats (97.3% PAHO model; 87.5% Chilean model), sweets (95.6% PAHO) and snacks (Chilean model). The category with the lowest proportions of regulated products were cereals (47.3% PAHO model) and miscellaneous foods and fish/seafood (39.0% and 39.5%, respectively, Chilean model). Under both the PAHO and Chilean nutrient profile models, the majority of packaged foods available in Bogotá would be eligible to receive front-of-package warning labels. These results suggest a warning label law could have a major impact on the Colombian food supply, especially in the context of the growing prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases in Colombia.
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ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu11051011