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Nutrient profiling to develop a model for regulating health and
nutrient claims: Experiences and lessons
learned from South Africa
Edelweiss Wentzel-Viljoen
Centre of Excellence for Nutrition
North-West University
South Africa
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Acknowledgements
• Prof Johann Jerling
• Prof Esté Vorster
• Mariaan Wicks – M student
• Sarie Lee - M student
• DoH, Directorate: Food Control
• Stakeholders
• WHO
• FSANZ
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Outline
• Background
• SA Process
• Nutritional recommendations
• FSANZ model
• Validations
• The way forward
• Challenges
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SA Dept of Health: Food Control
published draft Regulations Governing the
Advertising and Labelling of Foodstuffs,
No R. 642 (20 July 2007)
Promote healthier eating habits through improved
labelling of foods
Background
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Regulations Governing the Advertising
and Labelling of Foodstuffs, No R. 642
General appreciation and support from most
role players
Annexure 6 - Widely commented on by
scientific community and food industry
Background
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Annexure 6
"Foodstuffs not considered essential
for a healthy diet and for which NO
nutrient content, GI, certain
comparative, health, slimming or any
other claim with a health or
nutritional message will be
permitted”
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Process
• EFSA meeting
• Report on existing models
• DoH: Food Control
• WHO guidelines & involvement
• Decision to use FSANZ
• Validation of the model for SA
• Stakeholder meeting
• FSANZ involvement
• Final report to DoH: FC
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Context
NPM to provide an evidence-
based approach to determine
the eligibility of a food to carry a
nutrient and/or health claim
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Nutrient Profile Model
UK Model – Mike Rayner
FSANZ Model – D Mackerras
SA Model
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Nutritional recommendations
Nutrient UK Model Australian & NZ
reference values*
South Africa
WHO guidelines
Energy 2130 kcal(8916kJ) 8750kJ Maintain healthy
body weight
Saturated fat 11% TE (26g) Aus: 10% TE(26g)
NZ: 12% TE
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FSANZ model
Based on 100g food product
Energy (kJ)
Saturated fat (g)
Total sugars (g)
Sodium (mg)
Fruit/vegetable/legume/nuts (%)
Protein (g)
Fibre (g)
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FSANZ model 3 Categories
Cat 1: Beverages (including milk)
Cat 2: Any food other than those in Cat 1 / 3
Cat 3: Cheese and processed cheese with a
calcium content >320mg/100g; edible oil;
edible oil spreads; margarine; butter
NP score must be less than
Cat 1:
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Determining eligibility of a food to carry a nutrient and/or health claim
Determine the category of food item
(category 1,2 or 3)
Calculate baseline points
(Energy (kJ), sat fat, total sugar and sodium per 100g/ml)
Calculate modifying points
(Protein, fibre & fvln)
Calculate final score of food item
Assess final score & determine eligibility of food item to carry a nutrient and/or health claim
Important:
Certain conditions
(baseline points ≥ 13)
Cat 1 < 1
Cat 2 < 4
Cat 3 < 28
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Suitability for South Africa
WHO “Guiding principles and framework manual for the
development or adaptation of nutrient profile models”
Workshop – NWU
WHO
DoH: FC
Final decision to use FSANZ as basis
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5 Validations
WHO guidelines
1.Content validity – SAFBDG
2.Convergent validity – Ranking
3.Construct validity – Diet quality
4.Construct validity – Linear programming
5.Construct validity – Diet quality – improvement of diet
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Validations
1. SAFBDG
2. Ranking
Scarborough, P., Boxer, A., Rayner, M. & Stockley, L. 2007a. Testing nutrient profile models using data from a survey of nutrition professionals. Public health nutrition, 10(4):337-345
Scarborough, P., Rayner, M., Stockley, L. & Black, A. 2007b. Nutritional professionals’ perception of the ‘healthiness’ of individual foods. Public health nutrition, 10(4):346-353
3. Diet quality – Diet quality index
Arambepola, C., Scarborough, P. & Rayner, M. 2008. Validating a nutrient profile model. Public health nutrition, 11(4):371-378
4. Linear programming
Darmon, N., Vieuz, F., Maillot, M., Volatire, J. & Martin, A. 2009. Nutrient profiles discriminate between foods according to their contribution to nutritional adequate diets: a validation study using linear programming and the SAIN,LIM system. American journal of clinical nutrition, 89:1227-1236
5. Diet quality – Diet quality index – Improvement of diet
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Assumptions
1. Use the SA Food Composition Database (FCDB) and labels
2. Total sugar definition – difference between FSANZ (including intrinsic sugars), SA FCDB, label information and new R146 requirements
3. Dietary fibre definitions
4. Fruit, vegetable, legume and nut content – info limited
5. Correctness of nutrient composition on in the SA FCDB and labels
6. Dietary intake data set – PURE2005
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Validation 1 – SA FBDG
Aim
To identify a small number of 'indicator'
foods and assess whether the NPM
produces results which appear to
contradict the FBDGs
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Validation 1 – SA FBDG
Food Based Dietary Guideline
Meat, chicken, fish, milk and eggs could be eaten daily
Eat dry beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly
Make starchy foods the basis of most meals
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits daily
Use food and drinks containing sugar sparingly and not
between meals
Use salt sparingly
Eat fats sparingly
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Validation 1 – SA FBDG
Results
Overall a substantial agreement between
the way the NPM and FBDG classify the
individual food items (kappa statistic = 0.73)
Conclusion
Classification of food products by the NPM
supported the FBDGs and no major
contradictions were found
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Validation 2 – Ranking
Aim
To develop a representative dataset and
rank the food items
•NPM
•Dietitians
•128 food items
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Validation 2 – Ranking
Conclusion
There are a large degree of agreement
between classification of food products by
the NPM and the dietetic professionals of
South Africa
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Validation 3 -DQI
Aim
To examine the relationship between the
way the NPM categorizes foods and the
'healthiness' of diets in South Africa using
the Diet Quality Index
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Diet quality index (DQI) Dietary recommendation Score Cut-point
Reduce total fat intake to ≤30% of energy 0 ≤30% 1 >30-40%
2 >40%
Reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 150% RDA
Limit total daily intake of sodium to ≤2,400 mg 0 ≤2400 mg 1 >2400-3400 mg
2 >3400 mg
Maintain adequate calcium intake (approximately
DRI§ levels)
0 ≥DRI
1 2/3 DRI-
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Validation 3 -DQI
Conclusion
Construct validity was thus confirmed by
providing evidence that the better the diet
quality of the respondents the larger the
proportion of foods categorised as ‘being
eligible to carry a nutrient and/or health
claim’ and vice versa
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Validation 4 – linear programming
Aim
To assess if a plausible theoretical healthy
diet can be constructed from only healthy
foods and that no such plausible
theoretical diet can be constructed from
only healthy foods
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Validation 4 – linear programming
Conclusion
It is concluded that a plausible theoretical
healthy diet can be constructed from only
foods eligible to carry a nutrient and/or
health claim and that no such plausible
theoretical diet can be constructed from
only foods that would be ineligible to carry
a nutrient and/or health claim
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Validation 5 – Improvement of diet
Aim
To assess if the quality of a diet can
improve when foods not eligible to carry a
health claim are replaced by foods that
would be eligible a health claim as defined
by the NPM
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Validation 5 – Improvement of diet
Conclusion
The NPM showed good construct validity
by proving that the quality of the diet can
be improved when foods not eligible to
carry a nutrient and/or health claim are
replaced by foods that would be eligible to
carry a nutrient and/or health claim
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Stakeholder meeting
57 individuals; 34 organisations
Government
Food Industry
MRC
SAAFoST
NSSA
ADSA
Prof Dorothy Mackerras - Chief Public Health
Nutrition Advisor at Food Standards Australia
New Zealand
WHO
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Conclusion The prevention of non-communicable disease, in
line with the WHO Strategy for the Prevention of
Non-Communicable Disease, underpins the
suggested NPM – providing the scientific
evidence
NPM is intended to be used as a screening tool
to determine whether foods could be eligible to
carry any form of nutrient and/or health claim
All the validations suggested that there is no
reason to tweak the NPM to be applicable to the
South African environment
The stakeholders support the use of the NPM
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Way forward
Phase 1 completed = R146
Phase 2 of R146
Screening tool: assess eligibility
to carry a nutrient and/or health
claim
Evidence for nutrient and/or
health claim
Phase 3 – Advertising to children
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Challenges
Assumptions
Codex
Definitions of nutrients
Analysis methodology i.e. fibre
Incomplete food composition data
Information of % fruit, veg, legumes, nuts
Dry products like soup powders
Foods eaten in very small quantities
Pre-packed foods
Per 100g or per serving
Products to which milk is added (Cat ?)
Specialized foods i.e. sports drinks
New products on the market
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New products on the market
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Impact?
Regulated Claims
‘Healthier diets’
Improved Public Health
Prevention of
NCD’s
Nutrient
Profiling Model
Regulated
claims
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www.respond.za.net
http://www.respond.za.net/
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Category 2 - Corn flakes Average energy content (kJ) per 100g 1569 4
Saturated fatty acids (g) per 100g 0.2 0
Total sugars (g) per 100g 5 0
Sodium (mg) per 100g 898 9
Baseline points 13
% concentrated fruit, vegetable and legumes 0 0
% fruit, vegatables, nuts and legumes 0 0
Protein (g) per 100g 7.5 0
Fibre (g) per 100g 3 3
Final score 10
YES/NO NO
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Category 2 - Corn flakes Average energy content (kJ) per 100g 1569 4
Saturated fatty acids (g) per 100g 0.2 0
Total sugars (g) per 100g 5 0
Sodium (mg) per 100g 500 5
Baseline points 9
% concentrated fruit, vegetable and legumes 0 0
% fruit, vegatables, nuts and legumes 0 0
Protein (g) per 100g 7.5 4
Fibre (g) per 100g 3 3
Final score 2
YES/NO YES