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Session: Nutrition Translation and Food Science (Oral 15)

(OR15-04-24) Impact of Reformulation on Front-of-Pack Labeling: A Case-Study on Packaged Bread

Sunday, June 30, 2024
3:06 PM – 3:18 PM CT
Location:  W183

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Daniela Martini, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Associate Professor
    University of Milan
    milan, Lombardia, Italy

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MT

    Massimiliano Tucci

    University of Milan
    Milan, Lombardia, Italy

  • CD

    Cristian Del Bo', PhD (he/him/his)

    Associate Professor
    Division of Human Nutrition, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan
    Milan, Lombardia, Italy

  • EL

    Edoardo La Bruna

    University of Milan
    Milan, Italy

  • Donato Angelino, PhD (he/him/his)

    Associate Professor
    University of Teramo, Functional Food and Metabolic Stress Prevention Laboratory, Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment
    Teramo, Abruzzi, Italy

  • NP

    Nicoletta Pellegrini

    University of Udine, Italy

  • PR

    Patrizia Riso

    Professor of Human Nutrition
    University of Milan
    Sesto San Giovanni, Lombardia, Italy

Objectives: One of the purposes of front-of-pack labeling (FOP) is to promote the reformulation of food products. Aim of the present study was to investigate whether reformulation strategies can actually affect FOP (i.e., Nutri-Score and NutrInform battery), focusing on salt reduction in packaged breads as a case-study.

Methods: A total of 527 items of packaged breads currently sold in Italy were selected from the major retailers selling products also in the e-commerce mode. For each product, Nutri-Score and NutrInform battery were calculated based on the nutritional information and ingredients reported on the food labeling. Then, the two FOPs were calculated by considering three different reformulation strategies: (i) 25% salt decrease than the current mean salt content in bread; (ii) reduction up to the amount of salt corresponding to the benchmark for sodium set by the World Health Organization (WHO, i.e., 330 mg/100 g); (iii) minimum salt reduction needed to improve the Nutri-Score by one class (e.g., from C to B).

Results: Among the 443 items currently not having Nutri-Score A and the 439 items with sodium content above the benchmark, only 196 improved their Nutri-Score both when sodium was lowered to reach the WHO benchmark and when salt was reduced by 25%. Finally, results evidenced a large variability in the minimum salt reduction needed to improve Nutri-Score, ranging from 0.05 to 1.5 g/100 g. Regarding NutrInform battery for salt, it improved in all the items using both strategies of reformulation (on average moving from 11% in the breads currently on the market to 8% and 7% of Dietary Reference Values for salt, respectively).

Conclusions: FOPs are not always effective in highlighting the efforts of food companies in the reformulation aimed to significantly improve the overall nutritional quality of foods. The present study contributes to the current debate about the impact of FOP in promoting food quality and choices.

Funding Sources: The study is part of “ON Foods—Research and innovation network on food and nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security—Working ON Foods” and funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through the European Union—NextGenerationEU funding, PE00000003, CUP D93C22000890001.