Evidence mapPaperPMID 39357982Full record

ArticleBMJ open2024

Market survey of food product indicators and their credibility as a healthy food product in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Yong Shi Lim, Norjianah Aim, Suzana Shahar

Abstract read
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Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Yong Shi LimDietetics Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0009-0001-0658-7813
Norjianah AimDietetics Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Suzana ShaharDietetics Programme and Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness (H-CARE), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia suzana.shahar@ukm.edu.my.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe presence of food product indicators may facilitate consumers in making informed healthy choices. However, it may also mislead consumers. This study aims to determine the prevalence of food products carrying food product indicators; the compliance of products bearing Malaysia's Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) and nutrition and health claims (NHC) towards the local regulations; and the credibility of the aforementioned products as healthy food products based on the international regulation in the Malaysian market.

methodThis is a cross-sectional market survey conducted from February to May 2023 on 3428 products sold in Malaysian supermarkets. Product information including the brand, name, nutrition information panel, food product indicator (front-of-pack nutrition labelling, NHC, other claims), ingredients list and manufacturer or importer were collected. Compliance of products carrying NHC and HCL is evaluated against local guidelines. Credibility as a healthy product is evaluated against the WHO Nutrient Profile Model for the Western Pacific Region on a subsample (products with HCL and/or NHC).

results53% of food products surveyed had food product indicators (n=1809). A total of 32% carried at least one NHC (n=1101), of which 47% had excellent overall compliance (n=522). Only 4% carried Malaysia's HCL (n=138), of which 48% had excellent nutrient compliance (n=66). Only 13% of the products carrying Malaysia's HCL and NHC could be identified as absolute healthy food products as defined by the WHO standard (n=147).

conclusionAlthough half of the products surveyed had food product indicators, merely half of them had excellent compliance towards the standards. Only 13% of the subsample qualified as healthy food products. Voluntary application of the local HCL was low among food industries. Ensuring high standards of compliance and credibility of food products in the Malaysian market is crucial for food companies and government authorities.

Indexed as

Food LabelingConsumer BehaviorCross-Sectional StudiesDiet, HealthyFood MarketsHumansMalaysiaNutritive ValueSurveys and Questionnaireshealth policynutritionnutrition & dieteticspublic health

Identifiers

PMID39357982
PMCPMC11448158

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.