title: A method to improve the nutritional quality of foods and beverages based on dietary recommendations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The increasing consumer interest in health prompted Unilever to develop a globally applicable method (Nutrition Score) to evaluate and improve the nutritional composition of its foods and beverages portfolio.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on (inter)national dietary recommendations, generic benchmarks were developed to evaluate foods and beverages on their content of trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, sodium and sugars. High intakes of these key nutrients are associated with undesirable health effects. In principle, the developed generic benchmarks can be applied globally for any food and beverage product. Product category-specific benchmarks were developed when it was not feasible to meet generic benchmarks because of technological and/or taste factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The whole Unilever global foods and beverages portfolio has been evaluated and actions have been taken to improve the nutritional quality. The advantages of this method over other initiatives to assess the nutritional quality of foods are that it is based on the latest nutritional scientific insights and its global applicability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Nutrition Score is the first simple, transparent and straightforward method that can be applied globally and across all food and beverage categories to evaluate the nutritional composition. It can help food manufacturers to improve the nutritional value of their products. In addition, the Nutrition Score can be a starting point for a powerful health indicator front-of-pack. This can have a significant positive impact on public health, especially when implemented by all food manufacturers.
authors.affiliation: Unilever Food & Health Research Institute, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C A J
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nijman
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Zijp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sierksma
authors.forename: A J C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Roodenburg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leenen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van den Kerkhoff
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weststrate
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D058870:Food, Organic; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids