ReviewPublic health nutrition2023
From harmful nutrients to ultra-processed foods: exploring shifts in 'foods to limit' terminology used in national food-based dietary guidelines.
Review in Public health nutrition, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2024Pooled it
- What Do Nova and the Ultraprocessed Food Concept Offer to Policymakers? From Updating Dietary Guidance to Regulatory Action and Advancing Sustainable Food System Transitions.American journal of public health · 2026Article
- Public knowledge of ultra-processed foods: Insights from a national survey of Australian adults.Nutrition journal · 2026Article
- Improving consumer understanding of dietary health risks using the lens of ultra-processing: an experimental study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Shortcomings of food-based dietary guidelines worldwide: a focus on sustainability and food processing issues.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- The role of ultra-processed food in obesity.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2025Review
- Global food retail environments are increasingly dominated by large chains and linked to the rising prevalence of obesity.Nature food · 2025Article
- A quantitative environmental impact assessment of Australian ultra-processed beverages and impact reduction scenarios.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Extent of alignment between the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the NOVA classification system across the Australian packaged food supply.Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia · 2025Article
- To What Extent are Food, Culture, Economics and the Natural Environment Reflected in the Language of the Australian and Brazilian Food-based Dietary Guidelines?Current nutrition reports · 2024Review
- Navigating Ultra-Processed Foods with Insight.Diabetes & metabolism journal · 2024Article
- A policy approach to identifying food and beverage products that are ultra-processed and high in added salt, sugar and saturated fat in the United States: a cross-sectional analysis of packaged foods.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2024Article
- The use of food processing terminology in Australian news media: a content analysis.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
- Understanding the Politics of Food Regulation and Public Health: An Analysis of Codex Standard-Setting Processes on Food Labelling.International journal of health policy and management · 2024Article
- Exploring Benefits and Barriers of Plant-Based Diets: Health, Environmental Impact, Food Accessibility and Acceptability.Nutrients · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe choice of terms used to describe 'foods to limit' (FTL) in food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) can impact public understanding, policy translation and research applicability. The choice of terms in FBDG has been influenced by available science, values, beliefs and historical events. This study aimed to analyse the terms used and definitions given to FTL in FBDG around the world, including changes over time and regional differences.
designA review of terms used to describe FTL and their definitions in all current and past FBDG for adults was conducted, using a search strategy informed by the FAO FBDG website. Data from 148 guidelines (96 countries) were extracted into a pre-defined table and terms were organised by the categories 'nutrient-based', 'food examples' or 'processing-related'.
settingNational FBDG from all world regions.
participantsNone.
resultsNutrient-based terms (e.g. high-fat foods) were the most frequently used type of term in both current and past dietary guidelines (91 %, 85 %, respectively). However, food examples (e.g. cakes) and processing-related terms (e.g. ultra-processed foods) have increased in use over the past 20 years and are now often used in conjunction with nutrient-based terms. Regional differences were only observed for processing-related terms.
conclusionDiverse, and often poorly defined, terms are used to describe FTL in FBDG. Policymakers should ensure that FTL terms have clear definitions and can be integrated with other disciplines and understood by consumers. This may facilitate the inclusion of the most contemporary and potentially impactful terminology in nutrition research and policies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.