A global overview on sustainability representation in iconographies from food-based dietary guidelines and other institutional sources

This study aims to evaluate the graphical representation of sustainability dimensions in food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) or, when unavailable, in other institutional sources. Sustainability indicators were identified and grouped in four dimensions: nutrition/health (<i>n</i> = 11), socio-cultural (<i>n</i> = 13), environment (<i>n</i> = 9), and economic (<i>n</i> = 3). A total of 112 iconographies were collected and analysed: 72 from FBDGs and 40 from other institutional sources. The nutrition/health and economic dimensions were respectively the highest (100%) and the least (10%) represented. The most common nutrition/health indicator was diet diversity (96%), while traditional products (80%) were the most depicted within the socio-cultural dimension. No statistically significant correlation was observed between the representation of sustainability and either the income level of the country or the year of publication. Alternative designs are the most used (36%) and some of them reveal more indicators and dimensions than classic designs (i.e. pyramid, circle, plate, poster).