No abstract

While consumers are increasingly adopting plant-based meat and dairy imitation products, the nutritional quality and adequacy of those foods to act as a substitute is still under discussion. The Greek Branded Food Composition Database (HelTH) was expanded to map currently available meat and dairy imitations in Greece. Their main ingredient used, nutritional composition, and promotion as a healthy, nutritious food were described, and their overall nutritional quality using the Nutri-Score algorithm was evaluated. A total of n = 421 plant-based imitations were analyzed, made primarily of wheat or wheat mixes (83.5%) for meat imitations and grain (19.8%) or vegetable oil (17.1%) for dairy imitations. All meat imitations were high in protein and fiber, while, for dairy, only yogurts carried a protein content claim (80.9%). Imitation sausages, milk, and yogurt products had lower total fat and saturated fat content compared to their animal-based counterparts. All dairy imitations had lower protein content than animal-based dairy. The nutritional quality of imitation cheeses was graded as D–E, under the Nutri-Score system, compared to A–C for the animal-based cheese. Plant-based imitations have variable composition based on their main ingredient, and the substitution of specific food groups with plant-based alternatives may not support an equivalent or improved diet.

No abstract

BackgroundThe harmonization of front-of-pack nutritional declaration is in the heart of food and nutrition policy discussions in Europe. The Nutri-Score system has been proposed by many countries as a potential candidate but its suitability for use across Europe is still under consideration. The current study aimed to evaluate the performance and discriminatory capacity of Nutri-Score in Greece and to test its alignment with the national food-based dietary guidelines.Materials and methodsData on the energy, saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, protein, and fiber content per 100°g or ml were extracted for all foods available (n = 4,002) in the Greek branded food composition database HelTH. Each food content in fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and oils was manually estimated from the ingredients list. The Nutri-Score algorithm was used both as a continuous (FSAm-NPS Score) and a categorical variable [Grades (A)–(E)].ResultsThe average FSAm-NPS Score in Greece was 8.52 ± 9.4. More than half of the solid foods (53.8%) were graded from (A) to (C), while most beverages (59.2%) were graded (E). More than 50% of food categories were populated with foods in all Nutri-Score grades, indicative of a good discriminatory capacity. The system scores favorably vegetables, pulses, and low-fat dairy products and unfavourablly sweets and processed meats showing in this way good alignment with the national guidelines. Eggs and seafood scored preferably compared to meat products. Animal fats received less favorable scores and so did cereal products that were highly processed.DiscussionNutri-Score showed good capacity to inform consumers toward better food choices in line with the national guidelines. It showed a potential to guide consumers and manufacturers toward less energy dense and more nutrient dense options and highlighted areas of improvement in the food supply.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been incorporated as a healthy diet pattern in food-based dietary guidelines of countries all over Europe and the world. Testing the alignment of Nutri-Score with the MD Pyramid is a key step in ensuring that future food-level policies will not be conflicting with existing dietary guidelines. All foods available (n = 4002) in the HelTH database, were classified as eligible or not for inclusion in the MD and they were ranked in their respective tier in the food pyramid following two pyramid schemes, the 1995 traditional and 2020 sustainable MD pyramids. For all foods, Nutri-Score was calculated both as the continuous FSAm-NPS score and its categorical outcome—Nutri-Score grades—and their distribution across the MD pyramid tiers was used as a measure of alignment between the MD and the Nutri-Score algorithm. Only 25% of all foods were eligible under the traditional MD, while the sustainable MD covered ~58% of all foods. For both pyramids, Nutri-Score was successful in clearly separating the foods at the top and the bottom of the pyramids (Nutri-Score Mode “D” or “E” for the top tiers and “A” for the bottom tiers), thus suggesting a good alignment between the two. Good discriminatory capacity was also seen within each tier.