Food- and diet-based validations of a Nestlé Nutrient Profiling System for reformulation in two nationally representative surveys

Abstract

The Nestlé Nutritional Profiling System (NNPS) has been developed to guide food and beverage reformulation. The WHO published guidelines to develop and validate nutrient profiling systems. The objective was to conduct validation tests of the NNPS following principles of the WHO guidelines. French (Individual and National Survey on food Consumption 2006–2007) and the USA (National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2011–2012) nationally representative dietary surveys were used. NNPS outcomes (PASS, FAIL, out-of-scope) of foods were compared with the validated UK Ofcom nutrient profiling system outcomes. Contributions of NNPS outcomes to energy intakes were compared between diets nutritional quality classes defined by two methods: based on a food-based quality indicator (Programme National Nutrition Santé Guideline Score in France, Healthy Eating Index 2010 in the USA) or on a combination of three nutrient-based indicators (mean adequacy ratio, mean excess ratio and energy density). In both countries, food items with a NNPS FAIL outcome had a lower nutritional quality according to the UK Ofcom, with an overall agreement between the two systems of 75·7 % in France and 68·8 % in the USA. In both countries, a high (respectively, low) contribution of NNPS PASS (respectively, NNPS FAIL) was positively associated with diet healthiness. Absolute associations were stronger between the contribution of NNPS FAIL products and measures of diet healthiness. Foods and beverages reaching NNPS standards appeared to have a higher nutritional quality and would be more likely to contribute to healthier diets, mainly linked to a reduction of nutrients to limit.

A narrative review of nutrient based indexes to assess diet quality and the proposed total nutrient index that reflects total dietary exposures

“…The MAR was later applied by to examine program effectiveness using a set of 10 nutrients to assess dietary adequacy and to evaluate food group intakes. The MAR has since been used in various settings (Eldridge et al 2019;Bailey et al 2009;Kachurak et al 2018;Marshall et al 2005;Hatløy, Torheim, and Oshaug 1998;Kuczmarski et al 2017;Maillot et al 2007;Aggarwal et al 2014;Beydoun et al 2015;Darmon et al 2016;Jun et al 2019;Kachurak et al 2019;Kim, Yang, and Park 2018;O'Neil et al 2009;Perignon et al 2016;Vieux, Privet, and Masset 2018) with applications predicated on mean daily intake from foods and beverages (Eldridge et al 2019;Bailey et al 2009;Kachurak et al 2018;Marshall et al 2005;Hatløy, Torheim, and Oshaug 1998;Maillot et al 2007;Aggarwal et al 2014;Beydoun et al 2015;Darmon et al 2016;Kachurak et al 2019;Kim, Yang, and Park 2018;O'Neil et al 2009;Perignon et al 2016;Vieux, Privet, and Masset 2018) as well as those inclusive of DS (Bailey et al 2009;Kuczmarski et al 2017;Jun et al 2019). Murphy et al (1996) developed a nutrient-based diet quality score to assess dietary quality of eight essential nutrients and risk of mortality in the U.S. adult population (Murphy et al 1996).…”

Sodium Reduction in Bouillon: Targeting a Food Staple to Reduce Hypertension in Sub-saharan Africa

“…Nestle has launched the Nestle Nutrition Profiling System (NNPS) developed to guide reformulation of their products (54,55). The profiling system uses a dichotomous pass/fail approach for each product based on meeting set nutritional target values.…”