The NutriScore logo: A tool for the Moroccan consumer

Le Plan d’Action National pour la réduction de la consommation du Sel, du Sucre et du Gras 2017-2021 (PANSSG) vise à réduire graduellement, en collaboration avec l’industrie alimentaire, la teneur en sel, sucre et graisses (SSG) des produits transformés et à sensibiliser la population aux dangers sur la santé de l’excès de leurs consommations du SSG. Aussi, l’activité 17 du PANSSG traite de la création d’un label ou logo attestant de la qualité nutritionnelle globale des aliments. La mise en place au Maroc d’un logo nutritionnel sur la face avant des emballages des aliments peut donc contribuer à l’objectif de sensibilisation des consommateurs sur la qualité nutritionnelle globale des aliments (intégrant leurs teneurs en SSG et densité calorique) tout en incitant les industriels à améliorer la qualité nutritionnelle de leurs produits en réduisant la teneur en ces nutriments pour bénéficier d’un positionnement plus favorable sur le logo nutritionnel. En effet, le logo nutritionnel Nutri-Score est un logo coloriel couplé à des lettres décrivant 5 classes de qualité nutritionnelle, allant du vert (associé à la lettre A, considérés comme ‘favorables’ sur le plan nutritionnel) à l’orange foncé/rouge (associé à la lettre E, considérés comme ‘défavorables’ sur le plan nutritionnel). Mots-clés: Logo nutritionnel, aliments transformés, sucres simples, acides gras saturés, sodium et calories.The National Action Plan for Reducing the Consumption of Salt, Sugar and Fat (Saturated and Trans) 2017-2021 (PANSSG-2017-2021) aims to collaborate with the food industry in order to gradually reduce salt, sugar and fat in processed products and to educate the general public about health risks associated with excess consumption of salt, sugar and fat. One of the actions of the PANSSG (number 17) deals with the establishment of a label or a Nutri-Score logo attesting overall nutritional quality of foods and that maximum salt, sugar and fat contents abide by national standards. The Nutri-Score logo is a color logo with letters describing 5 classes of nutritional quality, ranging from green (associated with the letter A, considered as”nutritionally” favorable) to dark orange/red (associated with the letter E, considered as “nutritionally unfavorable”). The establishment in Morocco of a nutritional logo on food packaging can contribute to raise the consumer awareness of the overall nutritional quality of foods (including content levels of sugar, fat, salt and caloric density). It also encourages food industry to improve the nutritional quality of their products by reducing the content of these health risk nutrients so that they can benefit from a favorable positioning on the Nutri-Score logo. Key words : Nutritional logo, processed foods, simple sugars, saturated fatty acids, sodium and calories

The Nutri-Score logo: a tool for the Moroccan consumer

The National Action Plan for Reducing the Consumption of Salt, Sugar and Fat (Saturated and Trans) 2017-2021 (PANSSG-2017-2021) aims to collaborate with the food industry in order to gradually reduce salt, sugar and fat in processed products and to educate the general public about health risks associated with excess consumption of salt, sugar and fat. One of the actions of the PANSSG (number 17) deals with the establishment of a label or a Nutri-Score logo attesting overall nutritional quality of foods and that maximum salt, sugar and fat contents abide by national standards. The Nutri-Score logo is a color logo with letters describing 5 classes of nutritional quality, ranging from green (associated with the letter A, considered as”nutritionally” favorable) to dark orange/red (associated with the letter E, considered as “nutritionally unfavorable”). The establishment in Morocco of a nutritional logo on food packaging can contribute to raise the consumer awareness of the overall nutritional quality of foods (including content levels of sugar, fat, salt and caloric density). It also encourages food industry to improve the nutritional quality of their products by reducing the content of these health risk nutrients so that they can benefit from a favorable positioning on the Nutri-Score logo

The NutriScore logo: A tool for the Moroccan consumer

Le Plan d’Action National pour la réduction de la consommation du Sel, du Sucre et du Gras 2017-2021 (PANSSG) vise à réduire graduellement, en collaboration avec l’industrie alimentaire, la teneur en sel, sucre et graisses (SSG) des produits transformés et à sensibiliser la population aux dangers sur la santé de l’excès de leurs consommations du SSG. Aussi, l’activité 17 du PANSSG traite de la création d’un label ou logo attestant de la qualité nutritionnelle globale des aliments. La mise en place au Maroc d’un logo nutritionnel sur la face avant des emballages des aliments peut donc contribuer à l’objectif de sensibilisation des consommateurs sur la qualité nutritionnelle globale des aliments (intégrant leurs teneurs en SSG et densité calorique) tout en incitant les industriels à améliorer la qualité nutritionnelle de leurs produits en réduisant la teneur en ces nutriments pour bénéficier d’un positionnement plus favorable sur le logo nutritionnel. En effet, le logo nutritionnel Nutri-Score est un logo coloriel couplé à des lettres décrivant 5 classes de qualité nutritionnelle, allant du vert (associé à la lettre A, considérés comme ‘favorables’ sur le plan nutritionnel) à l’orange foncé/rouge (associé à la lettre E, considérés comme ‘défavorables’ sur le plan nutritionnel). Mots-clés: Logo nutritionnel, aliments transformés, sucres simples, acides gras saturés, sodium et calories.The National Action Plan for Reducing the Consumption of Salt, Sugar and Fat (Saturated and Trans) 2017-2021 (PANSSG-2017-2021) aims to collaborate with the food industry in order to gradually reduce salt, sugar and fat in processed products and to educate the general public about health risks associated with excess consumption of salt, sugar and fat. One of the actions of the PANSSG (number 17) deals with the establishment of a label or a Nutri-Score logo attesting overall nutritional quality of foods and that maximum salt, sugar and fat contents abide by national standards. The Nutri-Score logo is a color logo with letters describing 5 classes of nutritional quality, ranging from green (associated with the letter A, considered as”nutritionally” favorable) to dark orange/red (associated with the letter E, considered as “nutritionally unfavorable”). The establishment in Morocco of a nutritional logo on food packaging can contribute to raise the consumer awareness of the overall nutritional quality of foods (including content levels of sugar, fat, salt and caloric density). It also encourages food industry to improve the nutritional quality of their products by reducing the content of these health risk nutrients so that they can benefit from a favorable positioning on the Nutri-Score logo. Key words : Nutritional logo, processed foods, simple sugars, saturated fatty acids, sodium and calories

Assessment of Sodium and Potassium Intakes in Children Aged 6 to 18 Years by 24 h Urinary Excretion in City of Rabat, Morocco

Background. The incidence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has greatly increased, mainly due to high level of dietary sodium. Thus, reduction of sodium intake in population has been recognized as one of the most cost-effective strategies to reduce NCDs. The aim of this study was to estimate sodium and potassium consumption in a sample of Moroccan children as a baseline study to implement national strategy for salt intake reduction. Methods. The study was conducted on 131 children aged 6–18 years recruited from Rabat and its region. Sodium excretion and potassium excretion were measured on 24 h urinary collection, and the creatinine excretion was used to validate completeness of urine collections. Results. The average of urinary sodium was 2235.3 ± 823.2 mg/day, and 50% of children consume more than 2 g/d of sodium (equivalent to 5 g/day of salt), recommended by the WHO. However, daily urinary excretion of potassium was 1431 ± 636.5 mg/day, and 75% of children consume less than adequate intake. Sodium consumption increased significantly with age. Of particular interest, 46.7% of children aged 6–8 years and 49.3% of children aged 9–13 years consume more than the corresponding upper limits. Conclusions. Children have high sodium and low potassium status. There is evidence of the urgent need to implement a strategy for reduction of dietary sodium intake in Morocco

Land at Banbury Road, Southam, Warwickshire. Archaeological Evaluation (OASIS ID: cotswold2-316306)

In September 2017, an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology of land at Banbury Road, Southam, Warwickshire. The work was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to planning consent for residential development of up to 47 dwellings. The fieldwork comprised the excavation of five trenches. Interest in the site derives from its location within the hinterland of Southam, a medieval settlement which developed into a small light-industrial town during the 19th and 20th centuries. A previous geophysical survey of the site did not identify any anomalies of archaeological origin; however, geophysical survey to the immediate west identified a possible round house and length of ditch of probable Iron Age or Romano-British date. The evaluation has recorded evidence for archaeological features, concentrated in the western part of the site, comprising three linear ditches. No dateable material was recovered from these features, which may represent further components of the putative Iron Age/Romano-British settlement identified to the west, outside of the site. The evaluation also identified a series of furrows on an east to west alignment, located across the site

Estimated 24-Hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion in adults in the Northwest Region of Morocco, 2017

Abstract Background Excessive sodium (Na) and insufficient potassium (K) intake contribute to a high risk of cardiovascular events. Morocco lacks data on actual Na and K intake in adults. We estimated mean Na and K intake in a Moroccan population of adults residing in the Northwest region using 24-h urinary excretion and examined their association with blood pressure (BP). Methods A total of 371 adults from this region, who were recruited for the STEPs Survey Morocco 2017, completed demographic, anthropometric as well as BP data and provided a valid 24-h urine collection according to the standard World Health Organization (WHO) protocol. Multiple Linear Regression analysis was used to examine the association between 24-h urinary sodium (24-hUNa) and 24-h potassium excretion (24-hUK) with BP. Results Mean Na excretion was 2794 mg/day and mean K excretion was 1898 mg/day. Overall, only 114 (30.7%) adults met the WHO recommendation for Na intake ( 0.05 for all). Conclusion Na intake was higher and K intake was lower than WHO recommendations in the study population. There was no association between estimated Na and K intake levels with BP in this population