Using third-party food sales and composition databases to monitor nutrition policies (2021)

Nutrition-related policies are essential in the fight against noncommunicable diseases (‎NCDs)‎ in the WHO European Region. To be effective in improving population health and reducing NCD risk, these policies need to be based on good-quality, robust, up-to-date evidence. However, such evidence is not always readily available across the Region. Third-party food sales and composition data can be used to monitor the effectiveness of nutrition-related policies. These data are often more detailed and can be used to supplement or replace more traditional data sources such as national dietary surveys. This fact sheet assesses the different types of third-party food sales and composition data that are available across the WHO European Region. It describes their characteristics, availability, and strengths and limitations. It details how these data can be used to monitor policy effectiveness and provides best-practice case study examples. Policy-makers can use this information to decide which data resources are most appropriate for their national and local needs. These data can be used to improve nutrition-related policies and population health in the Region.