Tailane Scapin1, Ana Carolina Fernandes1, Adilson Dos Anjos2, Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença1. 1. 1Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição - PPGN) and Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE),Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC),Health Sciences Centre,Reitor João David Ferreira Lima Campus,Florianópolis-SC,88040-900,Brazil. 2. 3Department of Statistics (Departamento de Estatística),Federal University of Paraná (Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR),Curitiba,PR,Brazil.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown that the consumption of added sugars may be associated with harmful health effects. The present study investigated the presence and types of added sugars in packaged foods. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the presence and types of added sugars in the ingredients lists of packaged foods sold in a major Brazilian supermarket. The nomenclature of ingredients classified as added sugars and their frequency were identified. Data were organised and analysed through descriptive statistics: absolute and relative frequencies of the presence of added sugars categorised by food groups were calculated, and ingredients were analysed by text mining using R statistical environment. SETTING: A supermarket in Florianópolis, a metropolis in southern Brazil. SUBJECTS: Packaged food products (n 4539) classified into eight groups. RESULTS: Of the 4539 products, 71 % had some type of added sugar. The group with the highest frequency of added sugars was 'products in which carbohydrates and fats are the main energy source' (93 %). Food groups containing predominantly salty foods had a high frequency of added sugars, such as 'meats and eggs' (61 %). In total, 179 different terms for added sugars were identified, of which sugar, maltodextrin and glucose syrup were the most frequent. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the packaged foods sold in Brazil contain added sugars, which may hamper adherence to the recommendation of limiting added sugars intake. The data may be useful for monitoring tendencies in the use of added sugars in packaged foods and as supplementary information to support the improvement of food label regulations.
OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown that the consumption of added sugars may be associated with harmful health effects. The present study investigated the presence and types of added sugars in packaged foods. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the presence and types of added sugars in the ingredients lists of packaged foods sold in a major Brazilian supermarket. The nomenclature of ingredients classified as added sugars and their frequency were identified. Data were organised and analysed through descriptive statistics: absolute and relative frequencies of the presence of added sugars categorised by food groups were calculated, and ingredients were analysed by text mining using R statistical environment. SETTING: A supermarket in Florianópolis, a metropolis in southern Brazil. SUBJECTS: Packaged food products (n 4539) classified into eight groups. RESULTS: Of the 4539 products, 71 % had some type of added sugar. The group with the highest frequency of added sugars was 'products in which carbohydrates and fats are the main energy source' (93 %). Food groups containing predominantly salty foods had a high frequency of added sugars, such as 'meats and eggs' (61 %). In total, 179 different terms for added sugars were identified, of which sugar, maltodextrin and glucose syrup were the most frequent. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the packaged foods sold in Brazil contain added sugars, which may hamper adherence to the recommendation of limiting added sugars intake. The data may be useful for monitoring tendencies in the use of added sugars in packaged foods and as supplementary information to support the improvement of food label regulations.
Authors: Tailane Scapin; Ana Carolina Fernandes; Maria Shahid; Simone Pettigrew; Neha Khandpur; Greyce Luci Bernardo; Paula Lazzarin Uggioni; Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença Journal: Front Nutr Date: 2022-06-16