Comparison of nutrition profiling models for food marketing regulation

Regulation on food marketing to children is a recommended response to childhood obesity rates. Policy requires country-relevant criteria to determine which foods are eligible to be advertised. This study aims to compare six nutrition profiling models for use in food marketing regulation in Australia.

Advertisements on the outside of buses in five suburban Sydney transport hubs were photographed. Food and beverages advertised were analysed using the Health Star Rating; three models developed for food marketing regulation: the Australian Health Council guide and two World Health Organization models; the NOVA system; and the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion used in Australian advertising industry codes. The proportion and types of products advertised on the buses that would be permitted by each of the six models were then analysed.

A total of 603 advertisements were identified. Of those, over a quarter of the advertisements were for foods and beverages (n = 157, 26%) and 2.3% (n = 14) for alcohol. Among the food and non-alcoholic beverage advertisements, 84% were for unhealthy foods according to the Health Council guide. The Health Council guide would permit 31% unique foods to be advertised. The NOVA system would permit the least proportion of foods to be advertised (16%), while the Health Star Rating (40%), and Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (38%) would permit the most.

The Australian Health Council guide is the recommended model for food marketing regulation because it aligns with dietary guidelines by excluding discretionary foods from advertising. Australian governments can use the Health Council guide to develop policy in the National Obesity Strategy to protect children from marketing of unhealthy food.