Sports foods are not all they shake up to be. An audit of formulated supplementary sports food products and packaging in Australian retail environments

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine store availability, total number of products, and types of Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods in Australia, along with their stated nutrition content, sweeteners added, total number, and type of claims displayed on the packaging.DesignA cross-sectional, visual product audit of mainstream retailers.SettingSupermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and gym/fitness centres.ResultsA total of 558 products were captured in the audit, 275 of which displayed the correct mandatory packaging attributes. Three categories of products were identified, based on the dominant nutrient. Only 184 products appeared to display the correct energy value based on the listed macronutrient content (protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre). The stated nutrient content was highly variable across all product subcategories. Nineteen different sweeteners were identified, with most foods containing only one (38.2%) or two (34.9%) types. The predominant sweetener was stevia glycosides. Packages displayed multiple claims, with a maximum of 67 and minimum of 2 claims. Nutrition content claims were most frequently displayed (on 98.5% of products). Claims included regulated, minimally regulated and marketing statements.ConclusionSports food consumers should be provided with accurate and detailed on pack nutrition information, to ensure informed choices are made. However, this audit showed multiple products which did not conform to current standards, appeared to provide inaccurate nutrition information, contained multiple sweeteners, and displayed an overwhelming number of on-pack claims. The increase in sales, availability, and products available in mainstream retail environments, could be impacting both intended consumers (athletes), and general non-athlete population. The results indicate underperformance in manufacturing practices which preference marketing over quality and stronger regulatory approaches are needed to protect consumer health and safety, and to prevent misleading consumers.

A cross-sectional study of sports food consumption patterns, experiences, and perceptions amongst non-athletes

“…The questions related to consumption, exercise participation, perceptions, purchasing and recommendations were based off a Food Standards Australia New Zealand survey [16]. Sports food types were selected based on products identi ed from an Australian retail audit of sports foods [12]. Ethical approval was granted by Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group (HEAG-H 3_2022).…”

“…Consumer use of packaging information to determine sports food choice is concerning. A recent audit of these foods in Australian mainstream retailers, found that over 50% of the available sports foods did not display the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) prescribed name or warning/advisory statement and 33% had inaccurate nutrition information [12]. This lack of accurate information also calls into question the accuracy of nutrition content claims and general level health claims, both of which are dependent on the nutrient information [12,17,18] and are important in consumer food choice decisions [19][20][21][22].…”

A Cross-Sectional Study of Sports Food Consumption Patterns, Experiences, and Perceptions amongst Non-Athletes in Australia

“…Over the past decade, a vast range of new products, available in mainstream retail settings (e.g., supermarkets) [ 12 ] has developed, alongside an increase of 152% in retail sales in Australia [ 13 ] and similar trends are seen throughout the world [ 14 ]. This suggests that sports foods are increasingly being sold in mainstream retail settings where they could be purchased by non-athletes [ 10 , 12 ]. Additionally, there has been growth in the media channels that sports foods are marketed through, such as social media and websites [ 12 ].…”

“…This suggests that sports foods are increasingly being sold in mainstream retail settings where they could be purchased by non-athletes [ 10 , 12 ]. Additionally, there has been growth in the media channels that sports foods are marketed through, such as social media and websites [ 12 ]. In order to understand why these foods are consumed by non-athletes, it is important to explore the factors that drive sports food choice in this population.…”

The sports food buzz: Understanding consumption, motivations and perceptions in Australian adults

“…This is potentially driven by on-pack nutrition information and claims, which appear particularly influential in purchasing. Previous research shows that on-pack information can be inaccurate, or misleading (4) . Tighter regulation and enforcement would benefit non-athletes, ensuring safer and more informed consumption.…”