Beyond Food Safety: Taxonomization of Private Initiatives to Design of Healthier Supermarket Environments.

Abstract

Purpose of review: While policies targeting education in schools, marketing campaigns, and taxation strategies are of great importance in tackling our population's malnutrition, there is growing concern about enhancing the supermarket environment to promote healthier food consumption. Supermarkets play a significant role in presenting food options. As gatekeepers of the food system's impact on consumers' health, they have the power to help people make better food choices. Recent shifts in the policy agendas in countries like Germany reflect this trend, with new nutrition-focused behavioural policies being legislated and implemented. However, there remains a lack of specific guidelines on how supermarket environments can be structured to promote healthier purchases. What strategies could enhance consumer well-being when making food choices?. Following the PRISMA framework, we harvested sources published since the SDGs (2015) release related to sustainable nutrition policies set by supermarkets. Using the INFORMAS modular structure framework, WHO action areas as guidance, and the reviewed documents, we created a taxonomy for policy initiatives that could improve the supermarket environment and promote healthy choices. Consequently, we studied the private policies of major supermarket groups (Rewe, Lidl, Aldi Nord, Aldi Sud and Edeka), examining their projects and campaigns designed to improve supermarket environments and encourage consumers to choose healthy food options.

Recent findings: From the taxonomy, comprised of the categories of campaigns, food reformulation, labelling, and marketing, the main categories of campaigns and labelling were thoroughly developed in all the analysed policies whereas food reformulation and marketing categories were analysed in 80% of them. Our analysis revealed that the implementation of sustainable nutrition policies appears to have been embraced by all supermarket groups providing general healthy and sustainable nutrition strategies, except for the Edeka. Notably, supermarkets have actively participated in the creation of private sustainable nutrition policies, presenting similar strategies across the board. However, while supermarkets have demonstrated commitment to promoting healthy and sustainable purchases, there is a need for greater coherence and alignment in reporting mechanisms to allow accurate comparison between initiatives. There´s an urgent need to focus on human welfare, where the purchase environment is healthy and promotes nutritious choices.