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. 2020 Nov 7;17(21):8239.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218239.

Nutritional Composition of Gluten-Free Labelled Foods in the Slovenian Food Supply

Živa Lavriša  1 , Maša Hribar  1 , Anita Kušar  1 , Katja Žmitek  1   2 , Igor Pravst  1   2   3
Affiliations

Nutritional Composition of Gluten-Free Labelled Foods in the Slovenian Food Supply

Živa Lavriša et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The market of gluten-free (GF) foods has been expanding in recent years. GF foods are consumed not only by those with medical predispositions for avoiding gluten, but also by a specific segment of consumers, searching for "healthier" food choices. For these, such practices can present a serious limitation in the variability of food choices. Considering that GF foods are commonly perceived as healthier alternatives, there is a lack of knowledge on the nutritional profile and content of specific nutrients of GF-labelled foods compared to general food supply. A comparison of nutritional composition of GF/non-GF packed foods in the Slovenian food supply was conducted. The nutrient profiling scoring criterion (NPSC) and content of specific nutrients/energy was compared between GF-labelled and regular foods. The highest proportion of GF-labelled products were found in food categories, which typically do not contain gluten (Cheese imitates, Milk imitates, Yoghurt imitates, Canned fish and seafood and Processed meat). Significant differences in the nutrient profile between GF-labelled and regular products were found in Cakes, muffins and pastry, Crisps and snacks, Desserts and Milk imitates. GF-labelled foods often had lower protein and sugar content. Energy value was comparable in most categories and no significant differences in salt content were found, compared to non-GF products. In conclusion, GF-labelled foods will unlikely bring health benefits to those who are not medically required to follow GF diet. Public health initiatives should aim towards promotion of consuming non-processed foods and provision of reliable information about who is required to consume GF foods.

Keywords: food labelling; food supply; gluten-free foods; nutritional composition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. Igor Pravst has led and participated in various other research projects in the area of nutrition, public health and food technology, which were (co)funded by the Slovenian Research Agency, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia, and in case of specific applied research projects, also by food businesses.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of products scored as “less healthy” (by the nutrient profiling scoring criterion (NPSC) in specific food categories for products labelled as gluten-free (■black bars) and for products without such labelling (□white bars).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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