How Many Diet-Related Non-Communicable Disease Deaths Could Be Averted or Delayed If Canadians Reduced Their Consumption of Calories Derived from Free Sugars Intake? A Macrosimulation Modeling Study.

Free sugars are a major source of calories in diets and contribute to the burden of many non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing free sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy. This study aimed to estimate the number of diet-related NCD deaths which could be averted or delayed if Canadian adults were to reduce their calorie intake due to a systematic 20% reduction in the free sugars content in foods and beverages in Canada. We used the Preventable Risk Integrated ModEl (PRIME) to estimate the potential health impact. An estimated 6770 (95% UI 6184-7333) deaths due to diet-related NCDs could be averted or delayed, mostly from cardiovascular diseases (66.3%). This estimation would represent 7.5% of diet-related NCD deaths observed in 2019 in Canada. A 20% reduction in the free sugars content in foods and beverages would lead to a 3.2% reduction in calorie intake, yet an important number of diet-related NCD deaths could be averted or delayed through this strategy. Our findings can inform future policy decisions to support Canadians' free sugars intake reduction, such as proposing target levels for the free sugars content in key food categories.

The Availability and Quality of Food Labelling Components in the Canadian E-Grocery Retail Environment.

BACKGROUND: Although packaged foods sold in retail stores must follow food labelling regulations, there are no e-grocery food labelling regulations to mandate and standardize the availability and presentation of product information. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the availability and quality of food labelling components in the Canadian e-grocery retail environment. METHODS: A sample of fresh and pre-packaged products was identified on eight leading grocery retail websites in Canada, to assess the availability and quality of food labelling components. RESULTS: Out of 555 product searches, all products were accompanied by product images with front-of-pack images more readily available (96.0%) than back-of-pack (12.4%) and other side panel images (3.1%). The following mandatory nutrition information was available for 61.1% of the products: nutrition facts table (68.8%), ingredient (73.9%), and allergen (53.8%) information. The majority of the nutrition information was available after scrolling down, clicking additionally on the description page, or viewing only as an image. Date markings were not available; packaging material information was available for 2.0% of the products. CONCLUSIONS: There was wide variability and inconsistencies in the presentation of food labelling components in the e-grocery retail environment, which can be barriers in enabling Canadians to make informed purchasing decisions.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Calories and Nutrients of Concern in Canadian Chain Restaurant Menu Items in 2016.

INTRODUCTION: The nutritional quality of restaurant foods in Canada is not monitored by government and limited research has evaluated the nutrient content of these foods. Given the increasing proportion of foods consumed outside the home, this study aims to assess levels of nutrients of public health concern in Canadian fast-food and sit-down restaurant menu items. METHODS: Levels of calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar of 10,285 menu items from 90 national chain restaurants in Canada were assessed. Data were collected in 2016, extracted and analyzed between 2018 and 2020, and presented overall and by category. Levels in fast-food and sit-down restaurant establishments were compared. RESULTS: Overall mean levels of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar were high. Entrées contained on average 52% of the total daily value for sodium (1,256 mg/serving) and 45% of the daily value for saturated fat (8.9 g/serving). Beverages and desserts had high levels of total sugar (mean=44 g and 32 g/serving, respectively) but tended to be low in sodium. Sit-down restaurant items had significantly (p≤0.0001) higher levels of calories, saturated fat, and sodium overall, although fast-food restaurant items had higher average sugar levels because of the higher number of beverage and dessert items. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of nutrients of concern in Canadian menu items are excessive among most food categories. As the frequency of eating out in restaurants rises, government policies to promote reformulation and increase transparency of the nutritional content of these items are required to reduce their negative impact on public health.