Nutrient Profiling

Nutrient profiling is the science of classifying or ranking foods according to their

nutritional composition for reasons related to preventing disease and promoting
health. Nutrient profiling can be used for various applications, including
marketing of foods to children, health and nutrition claims, product labelling
logos or symbols, information and education, provision of food to public
institutions, and the use of economic tools to orient food consumption.
For instance, nutrient profiling can be used to generate criteria for descriptions of
foods falling into two main types:
descriptions that refer to the nutrient levels in foods e.g. high fat, low
fat, reduced fat, source of fibre, high in fat, sugar or salt, energy dense,
nutrient poor; or
descriptions that refer directly to the effects of consuming the food on a
persons health e.g. healthy, healthier option, less healthy, good for you.
Though nutrient profiling does not address all aspects of nutrition, diet and health
it is a helpful tool to use in conjunction with interventions aimed at improving
diets in a region or country. One example of a common use of nutrient profiling is
in food labelling schemes aimed at helping consumers better understand the
nutrient composition of foods and, on the basis of this understanding, identify
foods that are healthier options.
These schemes and other uses of nutrient profiling have been employed by
governments, food producers and retailers, researchers and nongovernmental
organizations such as health charities for more than 20 years.
WHO is working with international experts and partners to provide guidance in
developing or adapting nutrient profile models. The aim of the work is to
harmonize nutrient profile model development to produce consistent and
coherent public health nutrition messages for the consumer and ultimately
improve nutrition and public health.
Nutrient profiling is one mechanism that Member States can use in implementing
the set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic
beverages to children that were endorsed by the 63rd World Health Assembly
(WHA63.41). Developing guidance on nutrient profiling can also contribute to the
implementation of Objective 3 of the NCD Action Plan (WHA61.14) as well as the
implementation of actions which may be recommended by the forthcoming
United Nations High-level meeting on noncommunicable disease prevention and
control to be held in New York City 19-20 September 2011.

*The final nutrient profile model for the Western Pacific Region consists of a total of
18 food categories featuring nutrient thresholds across saturated fats, trans-fatty
acids, added sugar and sodium. The regional model maintained all 17 categories
from the European nutrient model and added a new food category for products
made from soya (e.g. tofu products, natto and tempeh).

Reference:
 WHO(2010). Nutrient Profiling. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/profiling/en/
http://iris.wpro.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665.1/13525/9789290617853-
eng.pdf?ua=1