Nutrient density

Nutrient density identifies the amount of beneficial nutrients in a food product in proportion to e. g. energy content, weight or amount of perceived detrimental nutrients. Terms such as nutrient rich and micronutrient dense refer to similar properties. Several different national and international standards have been developed and are in use (see Nutritional rating systems).

The Nutrient Profiling Scoring Calculator (NPSC) in Australia and New Zealand is a calculator for determining whether health claims can be made for a food by its reference to the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC). It is defined by the FSANZ Board, which operates under the FSANZ Act. The United Kingdom Ofcom nutrient profiling model provides "a single score for any given food product, based on calculating the number of points for ‘negative’ nutrients which can be offset by points for ‘positive’ nutrients." A 2007 UK commissioned review of nutrient profiling models commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency identified over 40 different schemes. The World Health Organization reviews scientific and operational issues related to human nutrition, specifically when developing world populations are impacted.

The following aspects of nutrient density measures have been criticized.

No natural food product contains all essential nutrients and nutrient density will not tell you which ones are missing. So even a diet based on a lot of high density products could still lack several essential nutrients.

If all essential nutrient or micronutrients are included in the measure, it will remove focus from the nutrients that are most often lacking in people's diets. If a selection of nutrients is made (e. g. based on how often they are lacking in people's diets), the selection will not be relevant to everyone, because some people lack completely different nutrients.

Cason, K. L., Clemson University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Nutrient Density (Consumer Judging—Junior/Senior). February 2005. Dooley, D. A. Island Scene Online. Nutrient Density: An Idea Whose Time Has Finally Come. (Hawaii Medical Service Association), July 27, 2005. http://www. islandscene. com/Article. aspx?id=2641, accessed 10/15/2014. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. Nutrient Density: Optimize Your Intake!