The Food Standards Agency has commissioned new work to examine refinements to its nutrient profiling model.
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The agency is developing a nutrient profiling model to support its work to redress the current imbalance in the way that foods are promoted to children, as recommended in the Department of Health White Paper: Choosing Health and the FSA’s Action Plan on Food Promotions and Children’s Diets, it said.
A number of suggestions for possible refinements to the detail of the proposed model were received as part of a formal consultation and academic workshop that the agency held.
With the help of an expert group, the agency has now considered and prioritised these suggestions and commissioned further work. The results will be published later in the summer.
In November 2004, the agency launched a public consultation on the model it has developed. Over 80 responses from a wide range of stakeholders were received. In addition, a scientific workshop was held to seek the views of nutrition and public health academics on proposed approach.
Members from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) were also asked to consider the model and submit responses to the formal consultation exercise.
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By GlobalDataThe agency has identified the following five issues as warranting further investigation:
An alternative approach to take account of carbohydrate quality – initially this will be the inclusion of criteria for total sugars (to replace NME sugars) and fibre.
A refinement to take account of the nutrient density of foods, by introducing a water content criterion.
An alternative approach to recognising the importance to the diet of foods from the meat, fish and alternatives category of the Balance of Good Health: initial approaches will include the inclusion of alternative markers to iron, calcium and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (protein, for example).
A refinement to differentiate within the fats and oils category; initial approaches will include: capping the points score for energy density, and removing the energy density criterion.
A refinement to the weighting of scores for fruit and vegetable based foods: initial approaches will include a lower ceiling in the points score for fruit and vegetable content.
