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89% of children’s food products provide poor nutritional quality, but 62% of them still make health claims |
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July 14, 2008 -- 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 lead by Charlene Elliott, professor in the U of C’s Faculty of Communication and Culture, and published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews. |
Just under 70 percent 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 percent) had high fat levels and 17 percent had high sodium levels.
Despite this, 62 percent of the foods with poor nutritional quality made
positive claims about their nutritional value on the front of the packaging.
“Children’s foods can now be found in
virtually every section of the supermarket and are available for every eating
experience,” says Elliott who is also a Trustee of the Canadian Council of Food
and Nutrition and whose research was funded by the Canadian Institute of Health
Research. |
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“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 percent of the products 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 percent of its calories from fat
(excluding nuts and seed and nut butters) and should have no more than 35
percent added sugar by weight. They also provide guidance on sodium levels,
ranging from 230 mg per portion for snacks through to 770 mg per portion for
pre-prepared meals.
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 Elliott, “They included products that promoted fun and play, had a
cartoon image on the front on the box or were linked to children’s films, TV
programs and merchandise.” |
| Source: http://www.ucalgary.ca/ |
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