Evaluation of the nutritional quality of snack bars available in the Turkish market using Nutri-Score: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Despite the worldwide popularity of snack bars, the lack of nutritional data for the Turkish market highlights the need for localized assessments. This study aimed to evaluate the Nutri-Score profiles of 237 snack bars available in T & uuml;rkiye and compare these profiles across different product categories (protein, fruit & nut, whole grain/oat, and functional/active/energy). In this analysis, Nutri-Score categories (A to E) were calculated from nutrition label data, and statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests. 82.7 % of Turkish snack bars were classified as Nutri-Score C-D-E. Protein bars fell into Nutri-Score categories C (45.9 %) and D (27.6 %), whereas fruit & nut bars were mostly categorized as D (62.9 %). Significant nutritional differences were observed among the categories. Protein bars had the highest saturated fat content and the lowest sugar content. Fruit & nut bars had the highest sugar content. Whole grain/oat bars had the highest salt content among all the products. In conclusion, the significant nutritional variability among snack bars in T & uuml;rkiye, driven by sugar and saturated fat content, suggests a need for targeted product reformulation and improved front-of-pack nutritional labeling.