Recommendations for the improvement of the nutritional quality of ready Meals in Europe

submitted by University of Vienna

In the last years, the European market for ready (RTE) meals has been steadily growing. More and more consumers decide in favour of the more convenient and time-saving meals instead of traditional cooking. At the same time, some recommendations for the nutrient and energy intake are not met. Therefore, one aim of the large European research project entitled 'Double Fresh' is to evaluate the nutritional quality of existing RTE meals and to establish general guidelines for their improvement where necessary.

Within the study, 16 European RTE meals of eight different producers (in Northern Europe, Benelux countries, Central Europe and Southern Europe) were analysed in detail at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna on the most important nutritional parameters. After the meals were prepared according to the instructions given on the packages, their content of total energy, fat, carbohydrates, protein, dietary fibre, sugars, salt and some vitamins were measured, as well as the detailed fatty acid pattern as a  marker for the fat quality. Based on the analytical assessment in the lab and in parallel with food databases (which are mainly used by the companies for their product labelling), key nutritional weaknesses were identified and general guidelines for all RTE meal producers were established in order to improve the quality of RTE meals where necessary.

The energy content of most of the analysed meals corresponds to the recommendations for men and women of different age groups (adolescents, adults and elderly). Only a few meals contain more energy than recommended. The total fat contents of the various meals show large variations. Some meals contain less fat than recommended, some too much. The amount of protein exceeds the recommended level for almost all meals; this is due to the content of meat or fish in all the meals. Most of the meals contain fewer carbohydrates than recommended and only two out of the 16 meals have the recommended amount of dietary fibres. Sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) are satisfactory and much lower than recommended. The main negative finding is that all the meals contain more salt than recommended for one portion; some meals have even more than the recommended level for one day.

Therefore, it could be stated that the content of total energy of almost all the meals is appropriate but the content of fat and in particular saturated fat should be reduced. At the same time the content of complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre should be increased. For all meals, a reduction of the salt content by at least 50 % is needed.

On the basis of these results, recommendations for an improvement of the nutritional quality were established. The simplest one -  without changing the recipe - is to optimise the ratio of meat proportional to the ratio of the side dishes such as noodles, rice and potatoes. More precisely, an increase of the side dishes would result in a higher amount of carbohydrates, whereas a smaller portion of meat (especially meat and sausage high in fat) would result in a lower content of fat and protein.

Furthermore, it is important to increase the vegetable portion; or, if there are no vegetables at all, to include them in the meal. It would be desirable to use vegetables, fruits or salads of different colours and origins ('Rainbow colours'), since their combination is an optimal source of different micronutrients such as vitamins, carotenoids and other bioactive compounds. Another simple advice for the consumer to reach a healthy food choice is the recommendation of salads as a side dish, or fruits as dessert with a short 'health' notice on the package (in accordance with the national food law).

Meals including sea fish or lake fish (also local fish) have a high nutritional value, since fish is rich in long chain n-3 unsaturated fatty acids, iodine, high-quality protein and it represents the main source of vitamin D.

The results show that the producers should be cautious with the amount and the kinds of sauces which is added to the meal, because sauce is often based on fatty ingredients like mayonnaise or fatty milk products (e.g. cream). To reduce the fat content of a sauce, the fatty milk products can be replaced by skimmed milk powder.

In order to increase the amount of dietary fibres, the recipes should include more whole grain products (flour, pasta) and more brown or wild rice. This can be done either as starch components (pasta, rice) or as part of a sauce (flour).

Since the fat quality of many products should be improved, plant oils such as corn oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil or also mixtures should be used. Plant oils are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, Vitamin E and phytosterols. This leads at the same time to the recommended reduction of animal fat which is rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. The use of partially hydrogenated fats is critical and has to be avoided due to the content of transfatty acids.

Most important is the reduction of the salt content. Salt is a common flavour additive but a high salt intake is associated with high blood pressure and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Therefore the present salt content has to be reduced as much as possible. The use of spices and fresh or dried herbs to improve the taste of the meals is recommended.

For creating new health optimised RTE meals, the following points should be considered:

• The energy content of these meals should be according to the recommendations. The focus should be on carbohydrate rich starch components as for example potatoes, noodles and rice (especially whole grain products).

• They should also include vegetables, salads or fruits in a greater amount.
• The portion of lean meat should be smaller in comparison to the side dishes and the meals should not include too much of a fatty sauce.
• The fats used should be predominantly from vegetable origin, animal fats reduced and partially hydrogenated fats totally avoided.
• The salt content should be low and the taste should be improved by using spices or herbs.

So, let’s say “Bon appétite” and enjoy the healthier RTE meals!