Nutrition claims credibility on Lebanese bread : a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Lebanese bread is a staple food consumed with every meal and great vehicle for a range of nutrients. Nowadays, manufacturers use nutrition and health claims (NHC) to communicate the nutrients contents and benefits of the food while increasing sale and competitiveness. In absence of stringent standards regulations and control, misleading claims could jeopardize consumers’ public health. The aim of this study was to examine pre-packaged Lebanese breads in Mount Lebanon, to assess their compliance with the Lebanese (LIBNOR NL 661:2017) and/or international standard CODEX (CAC/GL 23-1997) to carry the nutrition claims. All the displayed Lebanese bread at all the registered bakeries in Mount Lebanon (n=25) were assessed using the nutrition facts panel and standard nutrient analysis methods. Of all breads (n=75), 84% carried nutrition claims, and 25.3% carried health claims. Among nutrition claims, 70.7% had non-addition claims, 56% nutrient content claims, and 1.3% comparative claims. Almost half (45.3%) of the bread had claims related to sugar, 41.3% to fiber and 32% to salt. Based on the nutrition facts panel, only 32.4% were eligible to make the sugar content claims, 45.5% to fiber content and 54.4% to salt. Based on the chemical nutrient analysis, only 47.0% were eligible to make the sugar content claims, 16.1%to fiber and 37.5% to salt. All the claims related to protein (n=7) were compliant. These results suggest the urgent need to develop clear guidelines for the effective implementation of the current standard. Additional regulation and routine testing are also recommended to control better the use of those claims to reduce the number of illegal or apparently unsubstantiated claims. Community-based education programs are also needed to encourage consumers to use properly the claims upon shopping and increase their awareness about issues and flaws related to food labeling claims.