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What Is the Nutritional Quality of Pre-Packed Foods Marketed to Children in Food Stores? A Survey in Switzerland
by
Fabien Pellegrino
1,*,
Monique Tan
2
,
Celine Richonnet
3,
Raphaël Reinert
4,
Sophie Bucher Della Torre
1 and
Angeline Chatelan
1
1
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Geneva School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Rue des Caroubiers 25, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland
2
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
3
Club Européen des Diététiciens de l’Enfance (CEDE), Esplanade, 17-7800 Ath, Belgium
4
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Schwarzenburgstrasse 155, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2024, 16(11), 1656; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111656
Submission received: 19 April 2024 / Revised: 25 May 2024 / Accepted: 26 May 2024 / Published: 28 May 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Nutrition Methodology & Assessment)
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Abstract
Food marketing targeting children influences their choices and dietary habits, and mainly promotes food high in fat, sugar, and salt as well as ultra-processed food. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of food and beverages marketed to children over the age of 3 and available on the Swiss market. Products with at least one marketing technique targeting children on the packaging were selected from five food store chains. Three criteria to assess nutritional quality were used: (1) nutritional composition (using the Nutri-Score), (2) degree of processing (NOVA classification), and (3) compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrient Profile Model (NPM). A total of 735 products were found and analyzed. The most common marketing techniques used were childish names/fonts (46.9%), special characters (39.6%), and children’s drawings (31.3%). Most products had a Nutri-Score of D or E (58.0%) and were ultra-processed (91.8%). Only 10.2% of products displayed the Nutri-Score. The least processed products generally had a better Nutri-Score (p < 0.001). Most products (92.8%) did not meet the criteria of the WHO NPM. Products that met the WHO NPM criteria, organic products, and products with a nutritional claim generally had a better Nutri-Score and were less processed (ps < 0.05). Pre-packaged foods and beverages marketed to children in the Swiss market were mostly of poor nutritional quality. Public health measures should be adopted to improve the nutritional quality of foods marketed to children in Switzerland and restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
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