Nutrients of concern for older infants and young children in packaged food products available in Nepali retail stores

IF 6.2 Q1 HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES

The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia Pub Date : 2025-07-23 DOI:10.1016/j.lansea.2025.100637

Nisha Sharma , Prabhat Lamichhane , Penelope Love , Pradeep Kaji Poudel , Cherie Russell , Colin Bell

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Nepali older infants and young children (IYC) are increasingly consuming packaged foods. However, energy and nutrients of concern in these products (total sugar, added sugar, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and non-sugar sweeteners) have not been assessed. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess energy and nutrients of concern in packaged foods available to older IYC in retail stores in Nepal using thresholds from the WHO Southeast Asia Region Nutrient Profile Model (SEAR NPM).

Methods

Nutrition labels on packaged food products for sale in a cross-section of 4 large stores (2 supermarkets, 2 departmental stores) and 22 small (corner) stores were photographed by three trained researchers. Ingredients, energy and nutrients of concern were extracted from the labels. Products were categorised into 14 food groups using the SEAR NPM with the primary outcome being the proportion of products exceeding thresholds for one or more nutrients of concern.

Findings

We found 2001 unique packaged food products, of which 1525 (76.0%) contained all requisite and readable nutrition information on the labels. Of 1525 products, 1323 products (86.8%) exceeded one or more SEAR NPM thresholds for energy and nutrients of concern and/or contained NSS. Most products exceeded the threshold for total energy (94.9%), followed by 79.7%, 72.5%, 71.4%, 55.3%, and 55.1% of products exceeding the threshold for total sugar, total fat, saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium respectively. By food category, almost all bakery products (99.7%), confectionery (99.6%), savoury snacks (99.2%), and water-based flavoured drinks (98.3%), most frozen dairy based desserts and edible ices (88.4%), approximately three-quarters of instant noodles and soups (75.6%), half of the cereals (54.0%), juices (50.0%), and milk and dairy-based drinks (46.0%) exceeded one or more of the SEAR NPM thresholds for energy and nutrients of concern and/or contained NSS.

Interpretation

Our findings suggest that regulatory measures are needed to limit exposure to and consumption of packaged foods by older IYC given the number of products exceeding thresholds for energy and one or more of the nutrients of concern.

Funding

NS was supported by Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship and CR was supported by a Deakin University Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

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尼泊尔零售商店提供的包装食品中对年龄较大的婴儿和幼儿的营养素

尼泊尔较大的婴儿和幼儿（IYC）越来越多地消费包装食品。然而，这些产品中所涉及的能量和营养素（总糖、添加糖、总脂肪、饱和脂肪、钠和非糖甜味剂）尚未得到评估。本横断面研究旨在使用世卫组织东南亚区域营养概况模型（SEAR NPM）的阈值，评估尼泊尔零售商店中面向老年IYC提供的包装食品中令人担忧的能量和营养素。方法由3名训练有素的研究人员对4家大型商店（2家超市、2家百货公司）和22家小型商店（街角）销售的包装食品的营养标签进行拍摄。所关注的成分、能量和营养成分从标签中提取出来。使用SEAR NPM将产品分为14个食品组，主要结果是产品超过一种或多种关注营养素阈值的比例。我们发现2001种独特的包装食品，其中1525种（76.0%）在标签上包含所有必需的和可读的营养信息。在1525种产品中，1323种产品（86.8%）超过了SEAR NPM的一个或多个能量和营养素关注和/或含有NSS的阈值。总能量超过阈值的产品最多（94.9%），其次是总糖、总脂肪、饱和脂肪、添加糖和钠分别超过阈值的产品分别为79.7%、72.5%、71.4%、55.3%和55.1%。按食品类别划分，几乎所有的烘焙产品（99.7%）、糖果（99.6%）、咸味小吃（99.2%）和水基风味饮料（98.3%）、大多数冷冻乳制品甜点和可食用冰（88.4%）、大约四分之三的方便面和汤（75.6%）、一半的谷物（54.0%）、果汁（50.0%）、牛奶和乳制品饮料（46.0%）超过了SEAR NPM中一个或多个有关能量和营养素和/或含有NSS的阈值。我们的研究结果表明，鉴于产品的数量超过了能量和一种或多种相关营养素的阈值，需要采取监管措施来限制老年人接触和消费包装食品。研究经费由迪肯大学研究生奖学金资助，研究报告由迪肯大学博士后奖学金资助。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia

CiteScore

2.20

自引率

0.00%

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