Nutritional standards for energy-dense low-nutrient density foods for children in Korea

The increasing rate of child obesity has developed into a serious concern in contemporary society. In Korea, additional concerns over unsanitary environments of food establishments near schools led to the enforcement in 2009 of the Special Act on the Safety Management of Children's Dietary Life in order to improve food safety and nutrition. Some of the main policies of the Special Act are the prohibition of Energy-dense Low-Nutrient density Foods (hereinafter referred to as EDLNF) at school canteens and in the outstanding businesses, along with restrictions on television advertisement for EDLNF products. Confectioneries, candies, sweetened-ice products, breads, chocolates, processed milk, fermented milk, ice cream, fish-meat sausages, fruit/vegetable beverages, carbonated beverages, mixed beverages, and lactic acid bacteria beverages are classified as applicable food types of EDLNF. To establish the nutritional standards for EDLNF, the intake proportions and the pattern of nutrients in children's preferred foods in Korea were analyzed, based on the 2005 National Health and Nutrition Survey of Korea. The foods containing more than 250 kcal, more than 17 g of sugar or more than 4 g of saturated fat and less than 2 g of protein per serving are considered EDLNF snacks. The Korean government is concentrating its efforts in promoting healthy environments for children in its research and in food policies. Further studies are necessary to investigate the current state of changes in the children's foods industry.