Performance of a five category front-of-pack labelling system - the 5-colour nutrition label - to differentiate nutritional quality of breakfast cereals in France

Chantal Julia (1, 2) , Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot (1) , Pauline Ducrot (1) , Sandrine Péneau (1) , Mathilde Touvier (1) , Caroline Mejean (1) , Serge Hercberg (1, 2)

1 CRESS (U1153 / UMR_A_1125 / UMR_S_1153) - Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité
2 Département de Santé Publique

Background: Breakfast cereals exhibit a wide variability in nutritional quality, and differences are not easily grasped by consumers. A simplified nutritional information system might contribute to help consumers make healthier foodchoices. A five-category colour label based on the Food Standards Agency Nutrient profiling system (FSA score) has been proposed in France to be implemented on the front-of-pack of foods (the five-colour nutrition label - 5-CNL).Objectives were to evaluate the ability of the 5-CNL to discriminate nutritional quality between types of breakfast cereals, within a category and in equivalent products, as well as its ability to change through product reformulation. Methods: Nutritional information was collected through an Internet and supermarket research for N = 433 breakfast cereals (N = 380 complete data included in the analyses). Breakfast cereals were categorized according to common attributes in terms of processing and/or ingredients used. The FSA score and 5-CNL category allocation were computed for each cereal. Nutrient content and FSA score were compared across types of cereals. Distribution within the 5-CNL categories was assessed across types of cereals and for equivalent products. Impact of reformulation (reduction of 5 and 10% in simple sugar, saturated fat and sodium) on the 5-CNL category allocation was compared to original allocation with Bapkhar’s tests of homogeneity of marginal distribution. Results: Variability in nutritional quality of breakfast cereals was high, as reflected by the FSA score (range −7- 22 for a theoretical range of −15-40) and the 5-CNL (all five categories represented). The 5-CNL allowed for discrimination across types of cereals, within categories of breakfast cereals and for equivalent products (at least 3 categories of the 5-CNL represented). Reformulation scenarios allowed for significant change in 5-CNL allocation: 5% reduction in sugar lead to a modification of the label for 4.21% of products while a reduction of 10% of sugar, saturated fat and sodium lead to a modification of the label for 19.2% of products. Conclusion: The 5-CNL adequately discriminates between breakfast cereals. It would therefore be an adequate tool for consumer information on nutritional quality of foods in the French context.

Mots clés: nutritional quality; nutrient profiling systems; reformulation; nutritional labelling; breakfast cereals

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Chantal Julia, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Pauline Ducrot, Sandrine Péneau, Mathilde Touvier, et al.. Performance of a five category front-of-pack labelling system - the 5-colour nutrition label - to differentiate nutritional quality of breakfast cereals in France. BMC Public Health, 2015, 15, pp.179. ⟨10.1186/s12889-015-1522-y⟩. ⟨hal-02631480⟩