Personalized Nutrient Profiling of Food Patterns: Nestlé's Nutrition Algorithm Applied to Dietary Intakes from NHANES

Abstract

Nutrient profiling (NP) models have been used to assess the nutritional quality of single foods. NP methodologies can also serve to assess the quality of total food patterns. The objective of this study was to construct a personalized nutrient-based scoring system for diet quality and optimal calories. The new Nestlé Nutrition Algorithm (NNA) is based on age and gender-specific healthy ranges for energy and nutrient intakes over a 24 h period. To promote nutrient balance, energy and nutrient intakes either below or above pre-defined healthy ranges are assigned lower diet quality scores. NNA-generated diet quality scores for female 2007⁻2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants were compared to their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 scores. Comparisons involved correlations, joint contingency tables, and Bland Altman plots. The NNA approach showed good correlations with the HEI 2010 scores. NNA mean scores for 7 days of two exemplary menu plans (MyPlate and DASH) were 0.88 ± 0.05 (SD) and 0.91 ± 0.02 (SD), respectively. By contrast, diets of NHANES participants scored 0.45 ± 0.14 (SD) and 0.48 ± 0.14 on first and second days, respectively. The NNA successfully captured the high quality of MyPlate and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) menu plans and the lower quality of diets actually consumed in the US.

Keywords: dietary pattern; energy density; nutrient density; nutrient profiling; nutritional quality.

Figure 1

The Nestlé Nutrition Algorithm scoring system. AMDR: Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, DRI: Dietary Reference Intakes, WHO: World Health Organization, EER: Estimated Energy Requirement.

Figure 2

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for nutrients values from MyPlate and DASH menu plans for non-pregnant women aged 31–50 years. This shows the relationship between the nutrient composition of the DASH menu plan and the MyPlate menu plan, expressed as percent of the dietary reference intake for each nutrient. Each data point represents the mean of 7 days of each menu plan (the menu plans are provided in Appendix B). DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

Figure 3

Scatterplot, NHANES 2011–2012, females 31–50 years, energy intake between 1700 and 2300 kcals, day 1 (n = 155). This shows the relationship between the NNA score (x axis) and the HEI score (y axis) for a subset of NHANES data. NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NNA: Nestlé Nutrition Algorithm, HEI: Healthy Eating Index.

Figure 4

Bland–Altman plot showing agreement between HEI and the NNA score for women aged 31–50 years non-pregnant and non-lactating (NHANES 2011–2012, day 1, n = 155). NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NNA: Nestlé Nutrition Algorithm, HEI: Healthy Eating Index.

Figure 5

HEI vs. NNA score by quartile for day 1 for women aged 31–50 years, non-pregnant and non-lactating (n= 155). This shows the relationship between the HEI score by quartile (x axis) and the NNA score (y axis) for a subset of NHANES data. NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NNA: Nestlé Nutrition Algorithm, HEI: Healthy Eating Index.

Figure 6

PCA analysis: proportion of variance explained by the principal components of the algorithm. Data = NHANES 2011–2012, day 1, women aged 31–50 years, non-lactating or pregnant (n = 155). This shows the amount of variance between each of the nutrients in the model. PCA: principal component analysis.