Development of Guidelines for Nutritional Quality Control of Community Health Food Products Requiring Nutrition Labeling for Consumer Protection

Abstract

This study aimed to (1) examine the nutritional quality of community health food products, (2) analyze nutritional risk levels across health regions, and (3) develop guidelines for nutrition quality governance of community health food products requiring nutrition labeling. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 836 community health food products nationwide and analyzed for energy, sugar, fat, and sodium levels in comparison with the legal criteria and the “Healthier Choice” nutrition symbol. Qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions with representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Provincial Public Health Offices in four regions to gather opinions and policy recommendations for developing appropriate nutrition governance mechanisms for community health products.

              The findings revealed that most community health food products did not meet the established standards, with only 8.25% qualifying for the “Healthier Choice” symbol. The proportions of products classified as “low energy,” “no sugar,” “low fat,” and “low sodium” were 9.7%, 11.6%, 37.9%, and 67.3%, respectively. Regionally, the northern region showed the lowest average energy and sodium levels, the central region had the highest sugar content, and the southern region exhibited the highest fat, energy, and sodium levels. The study proposed a Three-tier Integrated Mechanism for nutrition quality governance comprising: (1) the community producer level—promoting positive motivation through initiatives such as the Healthy GDA Award to encourage recipe reformulation and proper labeling; (2) the provincial level—integrating collaboration among local administrative organizations, universities, and consumer networks through the Provincial Food Committee; and (3) the national level—under the FDA, which sets national standards, formulates a master plan for nutrition quality governance, and develops digital tools to support local implementation.

Keywords: Community health products, Nutrition labeling, Healthier Choice, Governance, Consumer protection