title: Which functional unit to identify sustainable foods?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In life-cycle assessment, the functional unit defines the unit for calculation of environmental indicators. The objective of the present study was to assess the influence of two functional units, 100 g and 100 kcal (420 kJ), on the associations between three dimensions for identifying sustainable foods, namely environmental impact (via greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE)), nutritional quality (using two distinct nutrient profiling systems) and price.
  
  
  METHODS
  GHGE and price data were collected for individual foods, and were each expressed per 100 g and per 100 kcal. Two nutrient profiling models, SAIN,LIM and UK Ofcom, were used to assess foods' nutritional quality. Spearman correlations were used to assess associations between variables. Sustainable foods were identified as those having more favourable values for all three dimensions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The French Individual and National Dietary Survey (INCA2), 2006-2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and seventy-three foods highly consumed in INCA2, covering 65 % of total energy intake of adult participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When GHGE and price were expressed per 100 g, low-GHGE foods had a lower price and higher SAIN,LIM and Ofcom scores (r=0·59, -0·34 and -0·43, respectively), suggesting a compatibility between the three dimensions; 101 and 100 sustainable foods were identified with SAIN,LIM and Ofcom, respectively. When GHGE and price were expressed per 100 kcal, low-GHGE foods had a lower price but also lower SAIN,LIM and Ofcom scores (r=0·67, 0·51 and 0·47, respectively), suggesting that more environment-friendly foods were less expensive but also less healthy; thirty-four sustainable foods were identified with both SAIN,LIM and Ofcom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choice of functional unit strongly influenced the compatibility between the sustainability dimensions and the identification of sustainable foods.
authors: Mixt Research Unit NORT (Nutrition, Obesity and Risk of Thrombosis),Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique 1260 INRA,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale1062 INSERM,Aix-Marseille Université,F-13385 Marseille,France.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Masset
authors: Mixt Research Unit NORT (Nutrition, Obesity and Risk of Thrombosis),Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique 1260 INRA,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale1062 INSERM,Aix-Marseille Université,F-13385 Marseille,France.
authors: Florent
authors: F
authors: Vieux
authors: Mixt Research Unit NORT (Nutrition, Obesity and Risk of Thrombosis),Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique 1260 INRA,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale1062 INSERM,Aix-Marseille Université,F-13385 Marseille,France.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Darmon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D002149:Energy Intake; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D005602:France; D017752:Greenhouse Effect / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010349:Patient Compliance
keywords: Carbon impact; Environmental impact; Food price; Foods; Greenhouse gas emissions; Life-cycle analysis; Nutritive value; Sustainability