Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
Volume 101, Issue 1, Pages 184-191Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.092486
Keywords
carbon footprint; energy density; greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs); nutrient density; diet; France; greenhouse effect
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Funding
- Danone Research and Groupe Casino, France
- Danone Research
- Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (CIFRE) [474/2010]
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Background: A carbon footprint is the sum of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) associated with food production, processing, transporting, and retailing. Objective: We examined the relation between the energy and nutrient content of foods and associated GHGEs as expressed as g CO2 equivalents. Design: GHGE values, which were calculated and provided by a French supermarket chain, were merged with the Composition Nutritionnelle des Aliments (French food-composition table) nutrient-composition data for 483 foods and beverages from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Foods were aggregated into 34 food categories and 5 major food groups as follows: meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, frozen and processed fruit and vegetables, grains, and sweets. Energy density was expressed as kcal/100 g. Nutrient density was determined by using 2 alternative nutrient-density scores, each based on the sum of the percentage of daily values for 6 or 15 nutrients, respectively. The energy and nutrient densities of foods were linked to log-transformed GHGE values expressed per 100 g or 100 kcal. Results: Grains and sweets had lowest GHGEs (per 100 g and 100 kcal) but had high energy density and a low nutrient content. The more nutrient-dense animal products, including meat and dairy, had higher GHGE values per 100 g but much lower values per 100 kcal. In general, a higher nutrient density of foods was associated with higher GHGEs per 100 kcal, although the slopes of fitted lines varied for meat and dairy compared with fats and sweets. Conclusions: Considerations of the environmental impact of foods need to be linked to concerns about nutrient density and health. The point at which the higher carbon footprint of some nutrient-dense foods is offset by their higher nutritional value is a priority area for additional research.
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