Skip to main content

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
Cancel
×
Home
Article
    • Aa
    • Aa
  • Cited by 3
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.

    Fardet, Anthony 2016. Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: a preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods. Food Funct., Vol. 7, Issue. 5, p. 2338.

    Tseng, Marilyn Hodge, Allison Lachat, Carl Vandevijvere, Stefanie and Villamor, Eduardo 2016. On the pitfalls of disclosure statements. Public Health Nutrition, Vol. 19, Issue. 03, p. 383.

    Waterlander, Wilma E and Mackay, Sally 2016. Costing a healthy diet: measurement and policy implications. Public Health Nutrition, Vol. 19, Issue. 16, p. 2867.

    ×
  • Access

Ultra-processed foods have the worst nutrient profile, yet they are the most available packaged products in a sample of New Zealand supermarkets

  • Claire M Luiten (a1), Ingrid HM Steenhuis (a1), Helen Eyles (a2), Cliona Ni Mhurchu (a2) and Wilma E Waterlander (a2)...
Abstract
AbstractObjective

To examine the availability of packaged food products in New Zealand supermarkets by level of industrial processing, nutrient profiling score (NPSC), price (energy, unit and serving costs) and brand variety.

Design

Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data on packaged supermarket food and non-alcoholic beverages. Products were classified according to level of industrial processing (minimally, culinary and ultra-processed) and their NPSC.

Setting

Packaged foods available in four major supermarkets in Auckland, New Zealand.

Subjects

Packaged supermarket food products for the years 2011 and 2013.

Results

The majority (84 % in 2011 and 83 % in 2013) of packaged foods were classified as ultra-processed. A significant positive association was found between the level of industrial processing and NPSC, i.e. ultra-processed foods had a worse nutrient profile (NPSC=11·63) than culinary processed foods (NPSC=7·95), which in turn had a worse nutrient profile than minimally processed foods (NPSC=3·27), P<0·001. No clear associations were observed between the three price measures and level of processing. The study observed many variations of virtually the same product. The ten largest food manufacturers produced 35 % of all packaged foods available.

Conclusions

In New Zealand supermarkets, ultra-processed foods comprise the largest proportion of packaged foods and are less healthy than less processed foods. The lack of significant price difference between ultra- and less processed foods suggests ultra-processed foods might provide time-poor consumers with more value for money. These findings highlight the need to improve the supermarket food supply by reducing numbers of ultra-processed foods and by reformulating products to improve their nutritional profile.

  • View HTML
      • Send article to Kindle

      To send this article to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about sending to your Kindle.

      Note you can select to send to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be sent to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

      Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

      Ultra-processed foods have the worst nutrient profile, yet they are the most available packaged products in a sample of New Zealand supermarkets
      Available formats
      ×
      Send article to Dropbox

      To send this article to your Dropbox account, please select one or more formats and confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your Dropbox account. Find out more about sending content to Dropbox.

      Ultra-processed foods have the worst nutrient profile, yet they are the most available packaged products in a sample of New Zealand supermarkets
      Available formats
      ×
      Send article to Google Drive

      To send this article to your Google Drive account, please select one or more formats and confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your Google Drive account. Find out more about sending content to Google Drive.

      Ultra-processed foods have the worst nutrient profile, yet they are the most available packaged products in a sample of New Zealand supermarkets
      Available formats
      ×
Copyright
COPYRIGHT: © The Authors 2015 
Corresponding author
*Corresponding author: Email w.waterlander@nihi.auckland.ac.nz
Linked references
Hide All

This list contains references from the content that can be linked to their source. For a full set of references and notes please see the PDF or HTML where available.

2. SS Lim , T Vos , AD Flaxman et al. (2012) A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990–2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 380, 2224–2260.
3. P Scarborough , KE Nnoaham , D Clarke et al. (2010) Modelling the impact of a healthy diet on cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. J Epidemiol Community Health 66, 420–426.
4. N Stefanogiannis , CM Lawes , M Turley et al. (2005) Nutrition and the burden of disease in New Zealand: 1997–2011. Public Health Nutr 8, 395–401.
5. CA Monteiro , RB Levy , RM Claro et al. (2010) A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cad Saude Publica 26, 2039–2049.
37. N Slimani , G Deharveng , D Southgate et al. (2009) Contribution of highly industrially processed foods to the nutrient intakes and patterns of middle-aged populations in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, Suppl. 4, S206–S225.
9. R Rekhy & R McConchie (2014) Promoting consumption of fruit and vegetables for better health. Have campaigns delivered on the goals? Appetite 79, 113–123.
10. DA Cohen (2008) Obesity and the built environment: changes in environmental cues cause energy imbalances. Int J Obes (Lond) 32, Suppl. 7, S137–S142.
11. AL Escaron , AM Meinen , SA Nitzke et al. (2013) Supermarket and grocery store-based interventions to promote healthful food choices and eating practices: a systematic review. Prev Chronic Dis 10, E50.
13. M Story , KM Kaphingst , R Robinson-O’Brien et al. (2008) Creating healthy food and eating environments: policy and environmental approaches. Annu Rev Public Health 29, 253–272.
15. LM Powell , MC Auld , FJ Chaloupka et al. (2007) Access to fast food and food prices: relationship with fruit and vegetable consumption and overweight among adolescents. Adv Health Econ Health Serv Res 17, 23–48.
17. LM Lipsky (2009) Are energy-dense foods really cheaper? Reexamining the relation between food price and energy density. Am J Clin Nutr 90, 1397–1401.
19. JE Tillotson (2004) America’s obesity: conflicting public policies, industrial economic development, and unintended human consequences. Annu Rev Nutr 24, 617–643.
20. P Pinstrup-Andersen (2002) Food and agricultural policy for a globalizing world: preparing for the future. Am J Agric Econ 84, 1201–1214.
23. LE Thornton , AJ Cameron , SA McNaughton et al. (2013) Does the availability of snack foods in supermarkets vary internationally? Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 10, 56.
24. D Stuckler , M McKee , S Ebrahim et al. (2012) Manufacturing epidemics: the role of global producers in increased consumption of unhealthy commodities including processed foods, alcohol, and tobacco. PLoS Med 9, e1001235.
25. CM Bava , SR Jaeger & J Dawson (2009) In-store influences on consumers’ grocery purchasing decisions: a qualitative investigation. J Custom Behav 8, 221–236.
27. E Dunford , J Webster , AB Metzler et al. (2012) International collaborative project to compare and monitor the nutritional composition of processed foods. Eur J Prev Cardiol 19, 1326–1332.
30. S Vandevijvere & B Swinburn (2014) Towards global benchmarking of food environments and policies to reduce obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases: design and methods for nation-wide surveys. BMJ Open 4, e005339.
32. A Drewnowski (2010) The cost of US foods as related to their nutritive value. Am J Clin Nutr 92, 1181–1188.
33. R Moodie , D Stuckler , C Monteiro et al. (2013) Profits and pandemics: prevention of harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food and drink industries. Lancet 381, 670–679.
35. K Glanz , MD Bader & S Iyer (2012) Retail grocery store marketing strategies and obesity: an integrative review. Am J Prev Med 42, 503–512.
40. TA Brunner , K Van der Horst & M Siegrist (2010) Convenience food products. Drivers for consumption. Appetite 55, 498–506.
42. J Struben , D Chan & L Dube (2014) Policy insights from the nutritional food market transformation model: the case of obesity prevention. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1331, 57–75.
43. BA Swinburn , G Sacks , KD Hall et al. (2011) The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments. Lancet 378, 804–814.
Recommend this journal

Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation's collection.

Public Health Nutrition
  • ISSN: 1368-9800
  • EISSN: 1475-2727
  • URL: /core/journals/public-health-nutrition
Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address
Who would you like to send this to? *

CAPTCHA *

Skip to the audio challenge
×

Keywords:

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 58
Total number of PDF views: 305 *
Loading metrics...

Abstract views

Total abstract views: 823 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between September 2016 - 24th June 2017. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Erratum

Cancel
Confirm
×