Perspectives of European Nutrition Professionals on Healthy Eating Policies: An International Comparative Study of Implementation Gaps and Information Credibility

Background/Objectives: This study compared the opinions of nutrition professionals from Poland, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany regarding the perceived importance and perceived use of policy instruments, audience characteristics affecting policy effectiveness, and credibility of nutrition information sources. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was completed by 131 nutrition professionals (56 Poland, 36 France, 26 UK, 13 Germany), who rated 14 policy instruments, 11 audience characteristics, and 9 information sources. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, ANCOVA, post-hoc tests with Bonferroni correction, and analysis of open-ended responses. Results: Across policy instruments, perceived importance consistently exceeded perceived use, most strongly for nutrition education for children/adolescents (4.59 vs. 2.76, p < 0.001), information on product processing (3.92 vs. 2.44), dietitian recommendations (3.86 vs. 2.94), higher taxes on less healthy foods (3.46 vs. 2.50), and social marketing (3.60 vs. 3.19). After Benjamini–Hochberg correction, in ANCOVAs adjusted for age and professional experience, cross-national differences were observed in the assessment of credibility for health claims, nutrition claims, social marketing campaigns, cooking blogs, and nutrition apps. Qualitative findings emphasized the need for compulsory school-based nutrition education, better access to qualified professionals, and stricter regulation of food marketing and labelling. Conclusions: Nutrition professionals perceive a clear underutilization of key policy instruments, particularly educational and fiscal measures. Greater involvement of dietitians in context-sensitive policy design and implementation is recommended to bridge the gap between policy intentions and real-world effectiveness.