Toward an Evidence-Based Definition and Classification of Carbohydrate Food Quality: An Expert Panel Report

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Food Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Carbohydrate-rich crops are primary global energy sources, containing diverse nutrients and compounds impacting health.
• Current methods lack standardization for assessing carbohydrate food quality, hindering efforts to improve diet and health outcomes.
• There is an urgent need for robust metrics to define and classify high-quality carbohydrate foods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing carbohydrate quality indicators and metrics.
• To propose principles and next steps for developing improved carbohydrate food quality assessment tools.
• To inform public health policies and dietary guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of literature on carbohydrate quality metrics from the past 10 years.
• Series of expert panel meetings to discuss findings and formulate recommendations.
• Analysis of various food quality assessment approaches.

Main Results:

• No unified system currently exists for evaluating carbohydrate food quality.
• A composite metric integrating nutrient profiling, carbohydrate-fiber-sugar ratios, micronutrients, and food group classification is proposed.
• Identified indicators and metrics can guide researchers, policymakers, industry, and consumers.

Conclusions:

• A composite metric offers a valuable approach to assessing carbohydrate food quality.
• Improved metrics can enhance understanding of carbohydrate food's role in healthier diets.
• This work supports evidence-based public health policies, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.