Nutrients, Vol. 18, Pages 566: Nutrition Labelling Practices and the Healthiness of Packaged Food and Beverage Products Available in Kenya
Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18040566
Authors:
Elizabeth K. Dunford
Laura Kiige
Moeno Sakai
Agnes Erzse
Ismael Ngnie-Teta
Leah Richardson
Background/Objectives: Kenya’s diet-related non-communicable disease burden is rising alongside the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Kenya finalized a national nutrient profile model (KNPM) in 2025, drawing on the WHO African regional model (WHO NPM). The objective of this study was to examine labelling practices and the healthiness of packaged products available in Kenya, including domestically produced and imported items, to identify policy priorities to strengthen nutrient profiling, surveillance, and alignment with international standards. Methods: Packaged food and beverage data were obtained from Innova Market Insights. The proportion of products meeting minimum Codex nutrition labelling requirements was determined. The proportion of products that met the nutrient criteria set out under the KNPM (draft and final versions) and WHO NPM was examined overall and by category. Agreement between nutrient profile models was determined using Fleiss’ kappa. Results: Of 5587 products, 21% displayed minimum Codex nutrient requirements. Labelling was more complete among imported compared to domestic products (40% vs. 14%). Sales-weighted eligibility was low: 15% (WHO NPM and draft KNPM) and 17% (final KNPM). Agreement across models was 82% (k = 0.44) and was highest between the WHO NPM and the final KNPM (95%; k = 0.66). Beverage patterns reflected stricter thresholds in the WHO NPM and the final KNPM. Conclusions: Kenya’s packaged food supply is inadequately labelled, with a large proportion not meeting the nutritional requirements set out in the final KNPM or WHO NPM. Mandatory, Codex-aligned nutrition labelling is necessary to ensure full operationalization of the KNPM, with regular review to reflect evolving food environments.
Background/Objectives: Kenya’s diet-related non-communicable disease burden is rising alongside the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Kenya finalized a national nutrient profile model (KNPM) in 2025, drawing on the WHO African regional model (WHO NPM). The objective of this study was to examine labelling practices and the healthiness of packaged products available in Kenya, including domestically produced and imported items, to identify policy priorities to strengthen nutrient profiling, surveillance, and alignment with international standards. Methods: Packaged food and beverage data were obtained from Innova Market Insights. The proportion of products meeting minimum Codex nutrition labelling requirements was determined. The proportion of products that met the nutrient criteria set out under the KNPM (draft and final versions) and WHO NPM was examined overall and by category. Agreement between nutrient profile models was determined using Fleiss’ kappa. Results: Of 5587 products, 21% displayed minimum Codex nutrient requirements. Labelling was more complete among imported compared to domestic products (40% vs. 14%). Sales-weighted eligibility was low: 15% (WHO NPM and draft KNPM) and 17% (final KNPM). Agreement across models was 82% (k = 0.44) and was highest between the WHO NPM and the final KNPM (95%; k = 0.66). Beverage patterns reflected stricter thresholds in the WHO NPM and the final KNPM. Conclusions: Kenya’s packaged food supply is inadequately labelled, with a large proportion not meeting the nutritional requirements set out in the final KNPM or WHO NPM. Mandatory, Codex-aligned nutrition labelling is necessary to ensure full operationalization of the KNPM, with regular review to reflect evolving food environments. Read More