Availability, healthiness and sodium content of packaged and unpackaged foods and beverages in nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background: Nigeria is experiencing a growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertension and cardiovascular disease, largely driven by high sodium intake and poor diet quality. Unhealthy dietary patterns characterized by excessive sodium, sugars, and unhealthy fats, and low intake of essential nutrients contribute to approximately 31% of global deaths annually. However, there is limited data on the sodium content and nutritional quality of foods in Nigerian markets. This study assessed and compared the availability, healthiness, and sodium content of packaged and unpackaged foods in Nigerian markets. Methods: From August 2022 to December 2022, we collected and compared nutrition data on packaged and unpackaged foods from 35 outlets across three states in Nigeria. Data collection utilized the Food Switch Data Collector App. Healthiness was assessed using the Health Star Rating (HSR) system, which rates products from 0.5 (least healthy) to 5 stars (most healthy) based on their nutritional profile. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics for packaged/unpackaged foods, calculating mean health star rating values and comparing them using Welch’s t-test, and analyzing sodium content using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: Packaged foods and beverages (n = 6636) were more available than unpackaged foods (n = 507). Overall, unpackaged foods had a higher mean HSR than packaged foods (4.6 vs. 3.4, p < 0.001). Packaged meat and meat alternatives had significantly higher sodium (760.0 mg/100 g, IQR 560.0) compared to unpackaged (74.0 mg/100 g, IQR 45.0) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Packaged foods and beverages in Nigeria were less healthy and contained higher sodium levels than unpackaged foods. To encourage healthier diets, the Nigerian government should implement policies such as reformulation and front-of-pack nutrition labeling to improve the healthiness of packaged foods.