Fidedignidade de rótulos de alimentos comercializados no município de São Paulo, SP

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To assess reliability of information about nutritional facts stated on labels of industrialized foods. METHODS:A total of 153 industrialized foods, usually consumed by children and adolescents and marketed in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2001 and 2005, were analyzed. Nutrient contents stated on labels were compared to the results obtained from offi cial (physical-chemical) analytical methods, considering the 20% variability tolerated by the current legislation to approve or reject samples. Means, standard deviations, 95% confi dence intervals for the nutrients analyzed, and the distribution of percentage frequency of samples rejected were calculated. RESULTS:All salty products analyzed showed non-compliance of dietary fi ber, sodium and saturated fat content. Sweet products showed variation between zero and 36% of rejection due to their dietary fi ber content. More than half (52%) of cookies were rejected due to their saturated fat content. Nutrients associated with obesity and its health problems were those showing the highest proportions of non-compliance. Lack of reliability of label information in the samples analyzed violates the regulations of the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors RDC 360/03 and the rights guaranteed by the Nutritional and Food Safety Law and Consumer Protection Code. CONCLUSIONS:High indices of non-compliance of nutritional data were found on labels of foods aimed at children and adolescents, indicating the urgent need for surveillance practices and other nutritional labeling measures.

Proximate and mineral composition of industrialized biscuits

“…In a study on sandwich and wafer biscuits, the percentage of non-compliant samples with the 20% tolerance limit of RDC 360 (BRASIL, 2003) was 36% and 6%, respectively (LOBANCO et al, 2009). Lee et al (2008) found a value of 2.52 g/100 g of total fiber in cream crackers, which is similar to the value found in the present study for cream cracker brand A.…”

“…This large difference may be related to the inevitable varying composition of the raw materials, the different methods of analysis, and also because, sometimes, information in the FCDB of other countries' can be used instead of that from the food's country of origin, which would be more accurate. Lobanco et al (2009), studying Brazilian food products, found that all of the sandwich and wafer biscuit samples evaluated were compliant with the legislation previously mentioned; Kus et al (2011) found the same results in samples of infant formulas.…”

“…Lobanco et al (2009) found non-compliance with the current legislation (BRASIL, 2003) in 10% of sandwich biscuit samples and 20% of wafer biscuits when comparing the laboratory analysis with the data described on the labels. In the present study, the levels of protein ranged from 3 g/100 g in the cheese snack to 14.6 g/100 g for cream cracker brand B, which differed from those described by Rodrigues et al (2007) that varied from 5.7 g/100 g to 10.0 g/100 g among four types of industrialized biscuits.…”

“…It should also be pointed out that nutritional labeling, besides representing an important instrument in the context of healthy diet promotion, is compulsory. Therefore, faithful and clear information should be widely available and strictly regulated (LOBANCO et al, 2009;LANFER-MARQUEZ, 2007;SCAGLIUSI;MACHADO;TORRES, 2005).…”

Dietary intake and blood lipid profile in overweight and obese schoolchildren

“…These labels in Brazil did not provide information concerning monounsaturated or polyunsatured fat; therefore, their intake may have been underestimated, particularly for the children who consumed large amounts of industrualized foods (high percentage of saturated fat). A recent Brazilian study [43] showed nutritional information inadequacy on the labels of snacks (saturated fat, fiber and sodium) and cookies (saturated fats); these foods were largely consumed by the children that participated of this study. Another possible limitation related to dietary intake was the underreporting, that is more frequent in overweight children compared to eutrophic ones [21].…”