Evaluation of the Accurateness of the Nutritional Labels of Processed and Ultra-Processed Products Available in Supermarkets of Ecuador

Abstract

Nutrition labeling is a public health tool that allows consumers to choose healthier foods and beverages. For this reason, there are protocols in place to monitor the food environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consistency of nutrition labeling on packages for processed and ultra-processed products (UPPs) found at the main supermarkets in Cuenca, Ecuador. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in which we identified label components on the packages of 1725 foods and beverages—including the nutrition table, statement on sweeteners, ingredient list, and the traffic light (TL) label—and determined the degree of consistency between the indicators reported on the traffic light label and those obtained from the information in the nutrition table. We found that 24% of products had inconsistencies in the traffic light label, and 10.9% of products had inconsistencies in the indicator for sugar specifically. The majority of inconsistencies were in the medium indicators for sugar (K = 0.68) and fat (0.75). The products with a medium indicator for sugar had a 1.98 (p < 0.05, 95% CI 1.15, 3.39) times higher chance of having inconsistencies in comparison with the low indicator. Health authorities must create new guidelines to allow for continued monitoring of the nutrition and traffic light labels on products accessible to consumers.

Rotulagem frontal de embalagem de alimentos da América do Sul: Uma revisão de escopo

“…Reyes et al 2020 Avaliar a reformulação de alimentos e bebidas após a implementação inicial da lei chilena de rotulagem. Morales-Avilez et al 2020 Avaliar a consistência da rotulagem nutricional nas embalagens de produtos processados e ultraprocessados encontrados nos principais supermercados de Cuenca, Equador. Explorar o tipo específico de mensagens que as pessoas consideram mais adequadas para uma campanha de comunicação de massa destinada a promover uma alimentação saudável no contexto da implementação de advertências nutricionais.…”