Purchase of ultra-processed foods in Norway: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of food sales in 2013 and 2019
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2023Metadata
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Abstract
Objective: A dietary pattern dominated by ultra-processed foods has been
associated with non-communicable diseases in several studies. A previous study
from 2013 found a high share of ultra-processed foods in Norwegian food sales.
This study aimed to investigate the current share of ultra-processed foods in
Norway and the development in expenditure on ultra-processed foods from 2013.
Design: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of scanner data from the Consumer
Price Index from September 2013 and 2019 and an investigation of the processing
degree according to the NOVA classification system.
Setting: Food sales in Norway.
Participants: Norwegian grocery stores (n 180, for both time periods).
Results: The share of expenditure in 2019 was highest for ultra-processed foods
(46·5 %) and minimally or unprocessed foods (36·3 %), followed by processed
foods (8·5 %) and processed culinary ingredients (1·3 %). An increasing degree of
processing was found for several of the food groups between 2013 and 2019;
however, most effect sizes were weak. In 2019, soft drinks became the most
frequently purchased food item, surpassing milk and cheese, with the highest
expenditure in Norwegian grocery stores. Increases in expenditure on ultra-
processed foods were mainly due to increased expenditures on soft drinks, sweets
and potato products.
Conclusions: A high share of expenditure on ultra-processed food was found in
Norway, which may imply a high consumption of these foods. The change in
expenditure of NOVA groups between 2013 and 2019 was small. Carbonated and
non-carbonated soft drinks were the most frequently purchased products in
Norwegian grocery stores and contributed to most of the expenditures.