Branded Foods Databases as a Tool to Support Nutrition Research and Monitoring of the Food Supply: Insights From the Slovenian Composition and Labeling Information System

Bibliographic Details
Title: Branded Foods Databases as a Tool to Support Nutrition Research and Monitoring of the Food Supply: Insights From the Slovenian Composition and Labeling Information System
Authors: Igor Pravst, Maša Hribar, Katja Žmitek, Bojan Blažica, Barbara Koroušić Seljak, Anita Kušar
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition, Vol 8 (2022)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Collection: LCC:Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Subject Terms: food composition database, labeling, pre-packed, nutrition declaration, market, Slovenia, Nutrition. Foods and food supply, TX341-641
More Details: Branded foods databases are becoming very valuable not only in nutrition research but also for clinical practice, policymakers, businesses, and general population. In contrast to generic foods, branded foods are marked by rapid changes in the food supply because of reformulations, the introduction of new foods, and the removal of existing ones from the market. Also, different branded foods are available in different countries. This not only complicates the compilation of branded foods datasets but also causes such datasets to become out of date quickly. In this review, we present different approaches to the compilation of branded foods datasets, describe the history and progress of building and updating such datasets in Slovenia, and present data to support nutrition research and monitoring of the food supply. Manufacturers are key sources of information for the compilation of branded foods databases, most commonly through food labels. In Slovenia, the branded food dataset is compiled using standard food monitoring studies conducted at all major retailers. Cross-sectional studies are conducted every few years, in which the food labels of all available branded foods are photographed. Studies are conducted using the Composition and Labeling Information System (CLAS) infrastructure, composed of a smartphone application for data collection and online data extraction and management tool. We reviewed various uses of branded foods datasets. Datasets can be used to assess the nutritional composition of food in the food supply (i.e., salt, sugar content), the use of specific ingredients, for example, food additives, for nutrient profiling, and assessment of marketing techniques on food labels. Such datasets are also valuable for other studies, for example, assessing nutrient intakes in dietary surveys. Additional approaches are also being tested to keep datasets updated between food monitoring studies. A promising approach is the exploitation of crowdsourcing through the mobile application VešKajJeš, which was launched in Slovenia to support consumers in making healthier dietary choices.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2296-861X
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.798576/full; https://doaj.org/toc/2296-861X
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.798576
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/52087752806a4aa8b233946e47444e2d
Accession Number: edsdoj.52087752806a4aa8b233946e47444e2d
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:2296861X
DOI:10.3389/fnut.2021.798576
Published in:Frontiers in Nutrition
Language:English