The Human Interference Scoring System (HISS): A New Tool for Quantifying Food Quality Based on Its Level of...

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Dietary Assessment
• Food Processing Classification

Background:

• The NOVA method classifies foods based on processing, but lacks a quantitative, image-based system.
• Assessing diet quality is crucial for public health and disease prevention.
• Digital photography offers a novel approach to dietary assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of the Human Interference Scoring System (HISS) for classifying food quality.
• To assess the nutrient composition of foods categorized by the HISS.
• To determine the inter-rater reliability of the HISS using digital imagery.

Main Methods:

• Trained nutrition professionals categorized foods from digital photographs of 24-hour food recalls into four HISS categories.
• Food servings were quantified for meal plan analysis.
• Nutrient composition of selected foods within HISS categories was assessed.

Main Results:

• High inter-rater reliability was achieved for the HISS, particularly for unprocessed and ultra-processed food categories.
• Participants demonstrated effectiveness in categorizing foods using the HISS.
• Ultra-processed foods were associated with higher energy, carbohydrates, and sugar content.
• Unprocessed foods showed significantly higher dietary fiber content.

Conclusions:

• The Human Interference Scoring System (HISS) is a reliable tool for quantifying food quality using digital photography.
• HISS effectively captures the relationship between food processing levels and nutrient profiles.
• This method shows promise for assessing dietary habits and food quality in research and practice.