To what extent the improvement of nutritional quality of foods contribute to public health goals?

Résumé En

Background: In confronting the problem of chronic diseases linked to food consumption, several strategies for improving dietary practices can be introduced by health policy makers. One of the possible levers is to regulate the nutritional quality of food supply by encouraging product reformulation. Objectives: This study aims to assess the potential contribution of improving the nutritional quality of processed foods on individuals’ nutritional intake and food supply. Data: The French Observatory of Food Quality database(Oqali), a nutritional composition database on branded products, was matched with two consumption databases: TNS Kantar Worldpanel, which provides details on quantities bought and food expenditures and INCA 2, an individuals’ food consumption survey completed by the French Food Safety Agency. Three food groups were considered: breakfast cereals (355 items in 2008), biscuits and pastries (1805 items in 2008), and bread-based products (620 items in 2009). Methods: Variability in food composition within food categories has been used to elaborate three scenarios of nutritional improvement: food items with the lowest nutritional quality were modified to three different levels to improve the overall level of quality in a given category. This ensures that simulated reformulations are technologically feasible and are acceptable to consumers from a sensory point of view. First, quantities of sugars, fat, fibre and sodium delivered to the French market through breakfast cereals, biscuits, pastries and bread-based products were calculated for each scenario. Second, the distribution of individuals’ nutrient consumption from the three food groups among the French population was assessed. Results: These scenarios generated important decreases in the amounts of sugars (between -1.8% and -9.7% from scenario 1 to scenario 3, in comparison with the current situation), fat (between -1.6% and -9.0%) and sodium (between -2.8% and -15.4%) and an increase in the amount of fibre (between +1.5% and +19.4%) delivered to the market.