Nutrient profiling and food label claims: evaluation of dairy products in three major European countries

Background/Objectives: This study reviews commercially available dairy products with nutrition or health-related on-pack communication against selected nutrient profiling models. It aims to provide guidance on the model characteristics required to appropriately categorise products into those that are suitable for carrying claims, versus those whose overall nutritional composition does not support such product communication. Subjects/Methods: More than 300 dairy products carrying claims were identified in Germany, France and the UK and evaluated against six existing nutrient profiling models. All models were assessed regarding their underlying principles, generated results and inter-model agreement levels. Results: In most cases, products failed the criteria of a given model because of too high levels of total fat, saturated fatty acids, sugars and/ or sodium. The Swedish Keyhole and the Smart Choices Program were the most restrictive models and showed the highest level of agreement. In general, the application of nutrient profiles helped to select products with significantly lower average levels of nutrients that are linked to chronic diseases when consumed in excess. However, calcium levels were also highly impacted in some cases. Conclusions: A nutrient profiling model that targets saturated fatty acids, sugars and sodium can meaningfully and comprehensively identify dairy products with a favourable nutritional composition. However, thresholds have to be set carefully to not reduce the average calcium contribution of the category. The use of separate criteria for cheeses and other dairy products seems necessary to take into account intrinsic compositional differences.