Improvements in the healthiness of packaged foods and beverages consumed by children and adolescents could have an impact on obesity through improved dietary intake patterns. Food manufacturers have new incentives to reformulate foods in response to changes in the Nutrition Facts label (NFL) and serving sizes scheduled to go into effect in 2018. The overall goal of this study is to determine whether reformulation of foods typically consumed by children and adolescents has improved the healthiness of available foods, and to develop an understanding of the characteristics of food manufacturers that have reformulated foods. Specific aims are to: 1) assess types and frequencies of reformulation for packaged foods frequently purchased by households with children using household-based scanner data linked to nutrient content data; 2) estimate net changes in nutrients purchased by households with children across demographic groups; and 3) using regression analysis, determine the characteristics of food manufacturers that are more likely to reformulate foods to reduce calories, saturated fats, sugars, and sodium and increase fiber. Existing commercial datasets on food purchases, attributes of foods, and attributes of food manufacturers will be used.
Start Date: February 2017
ID #: 74369
Principal Investigator: Mary Muth, PhD, MS
Organization: Research Triangle Institute
Funding Round: Round 10
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Adults and Families, Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Focus Areas: Food Access, Nutrition Policy & Programs
Keywords: Food formulation, Grocery store, Snacks, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Supermarket
Resource Type: Grant Summary
State: National
Related Research
March 2019
How Much Can Product Reformulation Improve Diet Quality in Households with Children and Adolescents?
Improvements in the healthfulness of packaged foods and beverages through reformulation could help reduce the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents through improved diet quality. This study assessed changes in calories and four nutrients (saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, and dietary fiber) from 2012 through 2014 for packaged products frequently consumed by children and MoreJune 2024
CACFP Family Childcare Home Sponsor Perspectives – Serious Deficiency Challenges
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, ensures over 4.2 million children, mostly in families with low income, receive nutritious meals and snacks in childcare. However, not all qualifying childcare providers participate in this beneficial program. Research suggests that the serious deficiency process, designed to ensure program integrity, may hinder MoreApril 2024