Changes in Serving Size, Calories, and Sodium Content in Processed Foods From 2009 to 2015
ORIGINAL RESEARCH — Volume 15 — March 15, 2018
PEER REVIEWED
Figure 1.
Percentage change in serving size, calorie density, sodium density, and sales among 2,979 processed food products, by level of change in calorie density, 2009 to 2015. Paired t tests were used to test whether the difference in means between 2009 and 2015 was significant (2-tailed α of .05). All bars represent significant (P < .05) differences except the leftmost bar within Serving Size (the percentage change in serving size among items that decreased in calorie density).
| Change in Calorie Density | No. (%) of Products | 2009, Mean (SD) | 2015, Mean (SD) | % Change | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving size, g | |||||
| Decrease | 850 (29) | 116.9 (101) | 118.1 (102.5) | 1.1 | .21 |
| Increase | 669 (22) | 113.3 (90.6) | 105.8 (83.3) | −6.6 | <.001 |
| No change | 1,460 (49) | 70.0 (63.4) | 68.3 (60.1) | −2.4 | <.001 |
| Calorie density, kcal/100 g | |||||
| Decrease | 850 (29) | 232.4 (154.3) | 203.8 (131.4) | −12.3 | <.001 |
| Increase | 669 (22) | 188.1 (126.6) | 213.0 (140.8) | 13.2 | <.001 |
| No change | 1,460 (49) | 257.3 (167.0) | 257.3 (167.0) | 0.0 | <.01 |
| Sodium density, mg/100 g | |||||
| Decrease | 850 (29) | 614.1 (378.8) | 551.1 (347.2) | −10.3 | <.001 |
| Increase | 669 (22) | 561.3 (345.3) | 537.9 (325.1) | −4.2 | <.001 |
| No change | 1,460 (49) | 641.5 (390.8) | 613.4 (379.3) | −4.4 | <.001 |
| Sales, annual equivalized | |||||
| Decrease | 850 (29) | 4,307,499.3 (3,609,349) | 3,955,056.7 (3,460,379) | −8.2 | <.001 |
| Increase | 669 (22) | 4,478,441.1 (3,498,997) | 4,214,948.1 (3,098,732) | −5.9 | .02 |
| No change | 1,460 (49) | 4,412,645.6 (3,596,791) | 4,253,249.2 (3,613,180) | −3.6 | .02 |
Figure 2.
Percentage change in serving size, calorie density, sodium density, and sales among 2,979 processed food products, by level of change in sodium density, 2009 to 2015. Paired t tests were used to test whether the difference in means between 2009 and 2015 was significant (2-tailed α of .05). All bars represent significant (P
< .05) differences except the leftmost bar in Serving Size (the percentage change in serving size among items that decreased in sodium density) and the rightmost bars within Sodium Density and Sales (the percentage change in sodium density among items that did not change in sodium density or sales).
| Change in Sodium Density | No. (%) of Units | 2009, Mean (SD) | 2015, Mean (SD) | % Change | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving size, g | |||||
| Decrease | 1,462 (49) | 105.4 (93.6) | 105.0 (93.4) | −0.3 | .59 |
| Increase | 612 (21) | 101.6 (85.3) | 94.4 (77.1) | −7.0 | <.001 |
| No change | 905 (30) | 67.5 (61.8) | 65.8 (58.4) | −2.5 | <.001 |
| Calorie density, kcal/100 g | |||||
| Decrease | 1,462 (49) | 224.4 (154.2) | 217.8 (146.2) | −2.9 | <.001 |
| Increase | 612 (21) | 216.8 (141.2) | 222.1 (144.0) | 2.4 | <.01 |
| No change | 905 (30) | 263.3 (168.9) | 262 (167.6) | −0.5 | .02 |
| Sodium density, mg/100 g | |||||
| Decrease | 1,462 (49) | 629.2 (375.5) | 521.8 (314.5) | −17.1 | <.001 |
| Increase | 612 (21) | 536.9 (327.3) | 613.4 (364.9) | 14.2 | <.001 |
| No change | 905 (30) | 647.1 (408.4) | 647.1 (408.4) | 0.0 | .78 |
| Sales, annual equivalized | |||||
| Decrease | 1,462 (49) | 4,841,548.7 (3,966,836) | 4,510,680.7 (3,736,687) | −6.8 | <.001 |
| Increase | 612 (21) | 3,645,839.3 (2,845,116) | 3,364,883.9 (2,506,009.5) | −7.7 | <.001 |
| No change | 905 (30) | 4,188,194.8 (3,425,053) | 4,129,743.8 (3,465,828) | −1.4 | .50 |
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