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Nutrients
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Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims
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Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition Methodology & Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 January 2026 | Viewed by 4906

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ana Belén Ropero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bioengineering, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain
Interests: nutrient composition; nutrition quality; nutrition claims; health claims; nutrient profile models; food database
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite contributions of original research or reviews to the Special Issue "Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims".

Unhealthy eating is one of the four main risk factors in regard to noncommunicable diseases in the world. The presence of unhealthy foods on the market is overwhelming and the population must be made aware of this. In addition, institutions need information to be able to establish public health measures to protect consumers. For this reason, research on the nutrient composition of commercially available foods is essential. Changes in nutrient composition over time are also critical to monitoring formulation modifications carried out by the food industry in response to public health initiatives.

It has been commonly found that consumers' perception of foods is influenced by the presence of nutrition and health claims. Foods that carry these claims are often considered as healthy or healthier than those that do not. Studies indicate that they are even more likely to be purchased.

This special issue aims to provide valuable research on these topics. Manuscripts on the role of nutrient composition of foods in human health are welcome, as they will help to unveil the nutritional quality of foods in the market. In addition, works on nutrition and health-related claims are also encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Ana Belén Ropero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrient composition
  • nutrition quality
  • nutrition claims
  • health claims
  • nutrient profile models
  • food database

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1302 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Proportion of Foods and Beverages in the Canadian Grocery and Chain Restaurant Food Supply That Would Be Restricted from Marketing to Children on Television and Digital Media
by Hayun Jeong, Christine Mulligan, Ayesha Khan, Laura Vergeer and Mary R. L’Abbe
Nutrients 2025, 17(11), 1828; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17111828 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 360
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Despite evidence on the association between marketing unhealthy foods to children (M2K) and negative health outcomes, M2K remains widespread in Canada. To support mandatory restrictions, Health Canada has prioritized a monitoring strategy to assess the current state of M2K, identify gaps, and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Despite evidence on the association between marketing unhealthy foods to children (M2K) and negative health outcomes, M2K remains widespread in Canada. To support mandatory restrictions, Health Canada has prioritized a monitoring strategy to assess the current state of M2K, identify gaps, and establish a baseline for future policy evaluation. This study aimed to support this initiative by updating the University of Toronto (UofT) Food Classification List and evaluating the proportion of foods and beverages in the Canadian grocery and restaurant food supply that would be permitted or restricted from M2K under Health Canada’s proposed nutrient profile model. Methods: Grocery items from the UofT Food Label Information Price 2020 (n = 24,949) and restaurant menu items from Menu-Food Label Information Price 2020 (n = 14,286) databases were evaluated using Health Canada’s M2K nutrient profile model, which assesses foods solely based on thresholds for added sodium, sugars, and saturated fat. The proportion of items permitted for or restricted from M2K was determined overall and by food and menu categories for grocery and restaurant items, respectively. Results: The updated UofT List contained n = 24,494 grocery items and n = 14,286 menu items. Overall, 83% (n = 32,664/39,235) of foods and beverages in the 2020 Canadian food supply would be restricted from M2K. Among grocery items, 23% (n = 5630) would be permitted and 77% (n = 19,202) would be restricted from M2K. Among restaurant items, only 6% (n = 837) would be permitted and 94% (n = 13,442) restricted. Conclusions: The updated UofT List supports Health Canada’s monitoring strategy and highlights the large proportion of unhealthy products in the Canadian food supply that are currently still permitted for M2K. While Health Canada’s M2K nutrient profile model is stringent, gaps remain that could allow continued M2K exposure under the current proposed policy. Ongoing monitoring and policy refinement are essential to effectively protect children from M2K and its harmful effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims)
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17 pages, 1337 KiB  
Article
Improved Recognition of the Nutrition and Health Benefits of Nuts and Seeds Within the Health Star Rating System
by Véronique Braesco, Matthieu Maillot, Lise Becqueriaux and Sara Grafenauer
Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071195 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 724
Abstract
Background: The health benefits associated with the consumption of nuts and seeds are well established, yet this food group is known to be the furthest from the recommended intake; therefore, actions aiming to increase nut intake are needed. The main front-of-pack communication device [...] Read more.
Background: The health benefits associated with the consumption of nuts and seeds are well established, yet this food group is known to be the furthest from the recommended intake; therefore, actions aiming to increase nut intake are needed. The main front-of-pack communication device in Australia, the Health Star Rating (HSR), inadvertently penalises nuts with negative points associated with energy and saturated fat content. Methods: This study aims to suggest options to policy makers by (i) examining how the HSR rates a sample of 82 nuts, seeds and products containing them and (ii) testing three sets of moderate adjustments of the HSR algorithm on the sampled products: discounting the energy from nuts and seeds (S1), discounting the saturated fat from nuts and seeds (S2) and applying an adapted algorithm based on that for ‘oils and spreads’ for foods with ≥50% nuts and seeds (S3). Results: All three scenarios improved the Spearman correlation between the HSR score and the nut and seed content (−0.80, −0.75 and −0.71 for S1, S2 and S3, respectively) compared to the original HSR (−0.66). Products with more than 50% of their weight being nuts and seeds benefited much more from these adjustments than those below 50%. For all scenarios, but most clearly for S3, the products that had a lower HSR score than the original HSR (the healthier products) benefited more from the changes brought about by the adjusted algorithms than those of lower nutritional quality. The HSR of foods that contained no nuts or seeds remained unchanged. Conclusions: With minor changes to the HSR algorithm, nut and seed products could be brought into alignment with the current evidence, encouraging their regular inclusion in dietary patterns, which could help guide consumers at the supermarket shelf. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims)
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13 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
Are Foods with Protein Claims Healthy? A Study of the Spanish Market
by Marta Beltrá, Fernando Borrás and Ana B. Ropero
Nutrients 2024, 16(24), 4281; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244281 - 11 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3009
Abstract
Background: Foods with protein claims (PCs) targeted at the general population are increasingly sought after by consumers because they think they are healthy. However, they may contain other nutrients that pose a health risk. Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this work was to [...] Read more.
Background: Foods with protein claims (PCs) targeted at the general population are increasingly sought after by consumers because they think they are healthy. However, they may contain other nutrients that pose a health risk. Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this work was to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of foods with PC and compare them with those without these claims. Methods: The Spanish Food Database, BADALI, was used for this purpose. We studied 4325 processed foods of 12 different types. Thirteen percent had PCs and more than half of them were fortified with proteins (60.4%). Plant proteins were added more frequently than animal proteins. Protein values were higher in foods with PCs, particularly in those that were fortified. Differences in other nutrients were also observed depending on the food type. The healthiness of foods was assessed using the Pan American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model and 90.8% of those bearing PCs were classified as “less healthy”. More than 50% were high in fat or high in sodium; around one in four were high in free sugar or saturated fat and one in five had sweeteners. Foods with PCs had 13.1% more “less healthy” items than those without PCs. The proportion of items high in fat or high in sodium were also larger and more of them had sweeteners. In contrast, the proportion of foods high in free sugar and high in saturated fat was lower among those with PCs. Conclusions: Therefore, the perception that foods with PCs are healthy is incorrect, and consuming them may pose an additional health risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Composition and Nutrition/Health-Related Claims)
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