Nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods in Nigeria: findings from the NigeFE study

Abstract

Background: The market penetration of pre-packaged foods, particularly less healthy and ultra-processed products such as instant noodles, sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks, and confectionery, has increased substantially in developing countries, including Nigeria. Growing consumption of these products has been associated with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for approximately one-third of all deaths in Nigeria. Nevertheless, comprehensive evidence on their nutrient profiles remains scarce. Hence, our study aims to assess the nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods in Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to compile the nutritional information of 883 popular pre-packaged foods in the Nigerian market. These nutrients were profiled using the WHO Nutrient Profile Model for the African Region. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 28. Results: Energy, fat, and protein contents were disclosed in majority (70.8-100%) of pre-packaged products, while the disclosure of cholesterol and sub-components of fat and sugar was considerably lower. Edible oil products contained the most energy (722.88 kcal), fat (84.5 g), saturated fat (27.2 g), monounsaturated fat (37.8 g), and polyunsaturated fat (28.5 g) values. Processed fish (54.17 g) and dairy (6.92 g) products had the highest cholesterol and trans-fat contents. Processed tuber (73.48 g), meat products (25 g), and snack food (6,448.78 mg) contained the highest carbohydrate, protein, and sodium, respectively. While a similar pattern was reported in the median values. However, notable differences between mean and median values were observed for selected nutrients and food categories, indicating skewed nutrient distributions. Conclusion: Marketing thresholds for one or more critical nutrients were exceeded by the majority of products, highlighting regulatory gaps and challenges in industry compliance. Stronger regulatory measures and support for improved nutrient disclosure and reformulation is needed to reduce the levels of these critical nutrients.