Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys

Salima Almaamari
ORCID logo ,
Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh
ORCID logo ,
Ibtisam Al Ghammari
,
Saleh Al Shammakhi
,
Jokha Al Aamri
ORCID logo ,
Jalila El Ati
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 9 February 2024 / Approved: 9 February 2024 / Online: 9 February 2024 (11:45:11 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Almaamari, S.; Al-Jawaldeh, A.; Al Ghammari, I.; Al Shammakhi, S.; Al Aamri, J.; El Ati, J. Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys. Foods 2024, 13, 787. Almaamari, S.; Al-Jawaldeh, A.; Al Ghammari, I.; Al Shammakhi, S.; Al Aamri, J.; El Ati, J. Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys. Foods 2024, 13, 787.

Abstract

Food composition data in the EMR countries are often lacking, obsolete or unreliable. The study aims to provide reliable and up-to-date nutrient data of selected food products consumed in Oman in order to evaluate consistency of nutrition labelling and update the current used food composition database. Contents of total fat, fatty acids, carbohydrates, total nitrogen, sugars and sodium were chemically analyzed in 221 foods and beverages purchased in 2022 and label and corresponding laboratory values were compared using the tolerance levels of the European Union. Food items were classified according their nutritional composition, the extent of processing and coded according FoodEx2 system. Results indicate that the nutrient values stated on a label align with the values obtained in the laboratory with the exception of a 6.3% discrepancy in TFAs content, where the reported values are higher than the appropriate reference values. The category with the highest frequency (71.5%) consisted of ultra-processed foods. In terms of inconsistencies in the nutrition claims, 5.1% of food products with claims did not comply with the statement “sugar free” or “low salt”. These findings underscore the significance of vigilant monitoring of nutritional labels as a means to implement measures that promote the well-being of consumers.

Keywords

laboratory values; nutrition label; ultra-processed products; NOVA system; nutrient profile; FoodEx2 system; traffic light label

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Health Policy and Services

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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