Composition and Labelling Information System as a tool for monitoring of the food supply

Title: CLAS: Composition and Labelling Information System
Coordinating institution: Nutrition institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Involvement in programs and projects:

P3-0395: Nutrition and public health
L3-8213: Nutrition of children and adults as a protective factor or health risk factor
L4-7552: Optimisation of barley and buckwheat processing for sustainable use in high quality functional foods.
L3-7538: The content of trans fats in foods and population intakes - public health implications
L4-7520: Utilization of common bean genetic resources for sustainable crop improvement and healthy food
V3-1501: Symbols on foods as a tool to help consumers make healthy food choices
V3-1637: Safe use of hemp in food including food supplements
V7-1107: Nutrition and health claims on foods

Project description:

For the purposes of the National Research Program "Nutrition and Public Health", the Nutrition Institute started establishing the CLAS (Composition and Labelling Information System) program in 2015, in which data on pre-packaged foods on the market in Slovenia are collected. It is an upgrade to the project for the collection of food labelling information from 2011, which was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF) [V7-1107: Nutrition and health claims on foods; 1.10.2011-30.9.2013]. The project involved collecting data on the nutritional value of foods and the use of symbols, nutrition and health claims. In this way, data on the availability of foodstuffs on the market in 2011 were collected and used for various research (eg Pravst et al. 2015, Korošec et al. 2014).

With the implementation of a new research on the availability of pre-packaged foods in Slovenia (data collection carried out in 2015), the Nutrition Institute has begun with the upgrade of the software. A database and the CLAS - Composition and Labelling Information System application were created, which enables the collection of photographs of food labelling, their evaluation using OCR technology and the processing of food composition and labelling data. After the test period of use, the new software tool was put into regular use in 2016 and was also used for the food data collection in 2017. The following data on prepacked foods is collected within CLAS:

photographs of food labelling;
data on the nutritional value of the foods;
data on ingredients, including data on the use of additives, vitamins and minerals;
data on allergens;
data on symbols, nutrition and health claims.

A selection of publications that have been created within the research project:

PRAVST, Igor, HRIBAR, Maša, ŽMITEK, Katja, BLAŽICA, Bojan, KOROUŠIĆ-SELJAK, Barbara, KUŠAR, Anita. Branded foods databases as a tool to support nutrition research and monitoring of the food supply : insights from the Slovenian composition and labeling information system. Frontiers in nutrition. 2022, vol. 8, art. 798576, 16 str., ilustr. ISSN 2296-861X. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.798576/full, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.798576.
KRUŠIČ, Sanja, HRIBAR, Maša, HAFNER, Edvina, ŽMITEK, Katja, PRAVST, Igor. Use of branded food composition databases for the exploitation of food fortification practices : a case study on vitamin D in the Slovenian food supply. Frontiers in nutrition. 4 Jan. 2022, vol. 8, article 775163, str. 1-12. ISSN 2296-861X. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.775163/full, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.775163.
HAFNER, Edvina, LAVRIŠA, Živa, HRIBAR, Maša, KRUŠIČ, Sanja, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, SKRT, Mihaela, POKLAR ULRIH, Nataša, PRAVST, Igor. Verifying the use of food labelling data for compiling branded food databases : a case study of sugars in beverages. Frontiers in nutrition. 3 Feb. 2022, vol. 9, article 794468, str. 1-10. ISSN 2296-861X. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.794468/full, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.794468
BLAZNIK, Urška, KRUŠIČ, Sanja, HRIBAR, Maša, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, PRAVST, Igor. Use of food additive titanium dioxide (E171) before the introduction of regulatory restrictions due to concern for genotoxicity. Foods. Aug. 2021, vol. 10, iss. 8, str. 1-10, ilustr. ISSN 2304-8158. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/8/1910, DOI: 10.3390/foods10081910.
HAFNER, Edvina, PRAVST, Igor. The sharp rise in the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners in non-alcoholic beverages in Slovenia : an update based on 2020 data. Frontiers in nutrition. 19 Nov. 2021, vol. 8, str. 1-9. ISSN 2296-861X. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.778178/full, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.778178.
MIKLAVEC, Krista, HRIBAR, Maša, KUŠAR, Anita, PRAVST, Igor. Heart images on food labels : a health claim or not?. Foods. Feb. 2021, vol. 10, iss. 3, str. 643-1-643-16, ilustr. ISSN 2304-8158. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/3/643,
LAVRIŠA, Živa, HRIBAR, Maša, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, PRAVST, Igor. Nutritional composition of gluten-free labelled foods in the Slovenian food supply. V: PRAVST, Igor (ur.), et al. Food and public health : food supply, marketing and consumers. Basel: MDPI, 2020. Vol. 17, iss. 21, str. 1-13. International journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 17. ISSN 1660-4601. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8239,
HAFNER, Edvina, HRIBAR, Maša, HRISTOV, Hristo, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, ROE, Mark, PRAVST, Igor. Trends in the use of low and no-calorie sweeteners in non-alcoholic beverages in Slovenia. Foods. Feb. 2021, vol. 10, iss. 2, str. 387-1-387-12, ilustr. ISSN 2304-8158. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/2/387,
LAVRIŠA, Živa, HRISTOV, Hristo, KELLY, Bridget, PRAVST, Igor. Regulating children's exposure to food marketing on television : are the restrictions during children's programmes enough?. Appetite. 2020, vol. 154, 8 str., ilustr. ISSN 0195-6663.
DUNFORD, Elizabeth K., NI MHURCHU, Cliona, HUANG, Liping, VANDEVIJVERE, Stefanie, SWINBURN, Boyd, PRAVST, Igor, TOLENTINO-MAYO, Lizbeth, REYES, Marcela, L'ABBE, Mary, NEAL, Bruce C., KUŠAR, Anita (sodelavec pri raziskavi), ŽMITEK, Katja (sodelavec pri raziskavi), HRIBAR, Maša (sodelavec pri raziskavi), LAVRIŠA, Živa (sodelavec pri raziskavi), PIVK KUPIROVIČ, Urška (sodelavec pri raziskavi), et al. A comparison of the healthiness of packaged foods and beverages from 12 countries using the Health Star Rating nutrient profiling system, 2013-2018. Obesity reviews. 2019, vol. 20, iss. s2, str. 107-115, ilustr. ISSN 1467-7881. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12879,
ZUPANIČ, Nina, HRIBAR, Maša, FIDLER MIS, Nataša, PRAVST, Igor. Free sugar content in pre-packaged products : does voluntary product reformulation work in practice?. Nutrients. 25 Oct. 2019, vol. 11, iss. 11, str. 1-14, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/11/2577,
HODGKINS, Charo E., EGAN, Bernadette M., PEACOCK, Matthew, KLEPACZ, Naomi, MIKLAVEC, Krista, PRAVST, Igor, POHAR, Jurij, GRACIA, Azucena, GROEPPEL-KLEIN, Andrea, RAYNER, Mike, RAATS, Monique. Understanding how consumers categorise health related claims on foods : a consumer-derived typology of health-related claims. Nutrients. 2 Mar. 2019, vol. 11, iss. 3, str.1-31, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/539,
LAVRIŠA, Živa, PRAVST, Igor. Marketing of foods to children through food packaging is almost exclusively linked to unhealthy foods. Nutrients. 21 May 2019, vol. 11, iss. 5, str. 1-11, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/5/1128,
ABRAMOVIČ, Helena, VIDRIH, Rajko, ZLATIĆ, Emil, KOKALJ, Doris, SCHREINER, Matthias, ŽMITEK, Katja, KUŠAR, Anita, PRAVST, Igor. Trans fatty acids in margarines and shortenings in the food supply in Slovenia. Journal of food composition and analysis. Dec. 2018, vol. 74, str. 53-61. ISSN 0889-1575.
ZUPANIČ, Nina, MIKLAVEC, Krista, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, FIDLER MIS, Nataša, PRAVST, Igor, PIVK KUPIROVIČ, Urška (sodelavec pri raziskavi), LAVRIŠA, Živa (sodelavec pri raziskavi). Total and free sugar content of pre-packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages in Slovenia. Nutrients. 30 Jan. 2018, vol. 10, iss. 2, str. 1-16, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/151,
ZUPANIČ, Nina, HRIBAR, Maša, PIVK KUPIROVIČ, Urška, KUŠAR, Anita, ŽMITEK, Katja, PRAVST, Igor. Limiting trans fats in foods : use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in prepacked foods in Slovenia. Nutrients. 15 Mar. 2018, vol. 10, iss. 3, str. 1-9, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/3/355
PRAVST, Igor, LAVRIŠA, Živa, KUŠAR, Anita, MIKLAVEC, Krista, ŽMITEK, Katja. Changes in average sodium content of prepacked foods in Slovenia during 2011-2015. Nutrients. 29 Aug. 2017, vol. 9, iss. 9, str. 1-11, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6643. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/9/952
HIEKE, Sophie, CASCANETTE, Tamara, PRAVST, Igor, KAUR, Asha, TRIJP, Johannes Cornelia Maria van, VERBEKE, Wim, GRUNERT, Klaus G. The role of health-related claims and symbols in consumer behaviour : the CLYMBOL project. Agro food industry hi-tech. 2016, vol. 27, no. 3, str. 26-29. ISSN 1722-6996
KAUR, Asha, SCARBOROUGH, P., HIEKE, Sophie, KUŠAR, Anita, PRAVST, Igor, RAATS, Monique, RAYNER, Mike. The nutritional quality of foods carrying health-related claims in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. European journal of clinical nutrition, 2016. URL: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ejcn2016196a.html
MIKLAVEC, Krista, PRAVST, Igor, RAATS, Monique, POHAR, Jurij. Front of package symbols as a tool to promote healthier food choices in Slovenia : accompanying explanatory claim can considerably influence the consumer's preferences. Food research international, 2016, 90: 235-243, URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996916305245
KOROŠEC, Živa, PRAVST, Igor. Television food advertising to children in Slovenia : analyses using a large 12-month advertising dataset. International Journal of Public Health, 2016, URL: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00038-016-0896-7
KAUR, Asha, SCARBOROUGH, P., HIEKE, Sophie, KUŠAR, Anita, PRAVST, Igor, RAATS, Monique, RAYNER, Mike. The nutritional quality of foods carrying health-related claims in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2016, vol. 70, iss. 1462, str. 1388-1395, preglednice. ISSN 0954-3007. https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2016114,
ŽMITEK, Katja, PRAVST, Igor. Iodisation of salt in Slovenia : increased availability of non-iodised salt in the food supply. Nutrients, 2016, 7(8). URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/7/434/htm
DEBELJAK, Katarina, PRAVST, Igor, KOŠMELJ, Katarina, KAČ, Milica. ˝Healthier˝ and ˝less heathy˝ classifications according to three nutrient profiling systems relative to nutrition and health claims on food labels. Acta alimentaria : an International Journal of Food Science, 2015, 44 (4), 561-569, URL: http://akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1556/066.2015.44.0028
ERŽEN, Naja, RAYNER, Mike, PRAVST, Igor. A comparative evaluation of the use of a food composition database and nutrition declarations for nutrient profiling. Journal of food and nutrition research, 2015, 54 (2) 93-100. URL: http://www.vup.sk/download.php?bulID=1649
PRAVST, Igor, KUŠAR, Anita. Consumers' exposure to nutrition and health claims on pre-packed foods : use of sales weighting for assessing the food supply in Slovenia. Nutrients, 2015, 7(11). URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/11/5474
KOROŠEC, Živa, PRAVST, Igor. Assessing the average sodium content of prepacked foods with nutrition declarations : the importance of sales data. Nutrients, 2014, 9(6), 3501-3515. URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/9/3501