Nutrient profiling is the science of classifying or ranking foods according to their nutritional composition for reasons related to preventing disease and promoting health.
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 person’s 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
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 person’s 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