Italian-made snacks and confectionery have seen significant reductions in sugar, saturated fat and calories in the past decade, following a concerted effort by the country's Ministry of Health, a study has found.
The findings indicate that over the past ten years, the sugar content of products has been reduced by 30%, saturated fat has been reduced by 20% and calorie content has been reduced by 21%, while trans fats have been all-but eliminated from products.
A separate study has indicated that Italian snacks are lower in sugar and saturated fat and calories than the equivalent products in the UK or US markets.
The study, by the Industrial Association of Italian Confectionery and Pasta Producers (AIDEPI) from the Italian Foundation for Food Education (FOODEDU), compared the nutritional characteristics of the 10 most sold packaged snacks in Italy, the UK and the US.
On average, about two snacks per week are consumed in Italy, in 61% of cases by adults and in 22% of cases by children and adolescents aged 1-10 years.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
