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Shaping food system governance: mapping the national food and nutrition legislation landscape across Europe.

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Title: Shaping food system governance: mapping the national food and nutrition legislation landscape across Europe.
Authors: Scarsi N; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.; Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy., Taha A; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Lacalaprice D; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Perazzoni G; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Soru L; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Grande SD; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., D'Anna D; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Staffieri A; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy., Geantǎ M; Center for Innovation in Medicine, Bucharest, Romania., Pastorino R; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.; Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy., Villani L; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.; Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.; UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy., Boccia S; Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.; Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Source: Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2026 Jun 05; Vol. 14, pp. 1850537. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 05 (Print Publication: 2026).
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Frontiers Editorial Office Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101616579 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2296-2565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22962565 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Lausanne : Frontiers Editorial Office
MeSH Terms: Nutrition Policy*/legislation & jurisprudence , Food Supply*/legislation & jurisprudence , Legislation, Food*, Food Labeling/legislation & jurisprudence ; Europe ; Humans
Abstract: Introduction: National nutrition policies play a pivotal role in promoting healthier dietary choices and reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods, thereby contributing to improved public health outcomes. Understanding their scope and implementation is essential for guiding regional health policies and strategies to improve food systems.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review to map national-level nutrition policies, legislation, and regulatory instruments related to food production, labeling, marketing, pricing, and consumption across 31 European countries. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, FAOLEX, Google, and the Global Database on the Implementation of Food and Nutrition Action for records published between 2014 and 2024. Policy actions were categorized according to the NOURISHING framework.
Results: Out of 6,299 screened records, we identified 379 national food and nutrition policy actions. Finland, France, Spain, and Sweden showed the broadest domain coverage, with policy actions identified in nine or more of the 10 NOURISHING policy areas, whereas Cyprus, Poland, and Latvia showed limited coverage, with five or fewer areas represented. The most regulated domain was food supply chain governance (32%), followed by nutritional quality of the whole food supply (19%) and labeling (15%). In contrast, the integration of nutrition services in healthcare settings (1%), and the use of economic incentives (1%), were underrepresented.
Conclusion: European countries showed marked variation in the adoption of nutrition policies. While progress has been made in food safety and information provision, significant gaps remain in behavior-shaping policies. These disparities may reinforce existing health inequalities. Coordinated EU-level strategies, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and broader uptake of evidence-based interventions are needed to support a more equitable and effective transformation of food systems across the region.
(Copyright © 2026 Scarsi, Taha, Lacalaprice, Perazzoni, Soru, Grande, D'Anna, Staffieri, Geantǎ, Pastorino, Villani and Boccia.)
Competing Interests: The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: food environments; food systems; nourishing; nutrition policy; policy mapping; public health nutrition; scoping review
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260622 Date Completed: 20260622 Latest Revision: 20260813
Update Code: 20260813
PubMed Central ID: PMC13279532
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1850537
PMID: 42326950
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:2296-2565
DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1850537