Sugar, fat, saturated and trans fatty acid contents in Iranian cereal-based baked products

Abstract

The intake levels of sugar and fats, including unsaturated fatty acids (USFs), trans-fatty acids (TFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SFAs), should be monitored to prevent the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Cereal-based bakery products are one of the significant sources of dietary fat and sugar intake throughout the world. This study evaluates the trend of fat and sugar in Iranian bakery products, focusing on saturated and TFAs and their implication for public health. In this regard, 132 industrial and traditional cereal-based-backed products were randomly collected from the Tehran market. The total fat, SFAs, TFAs, unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), and sugar of each bakery product were determined. The fatty acid compositions of these products were evaluated according to the direct methylation method. Our results indicated that total fat in Iranian bakery products ranged from 8.99±2.95% (sponge cake) to 24.92±7.86% (puffed product). Total sugar varied from 11.12±1.89% (pirashki) to 30.38±13.11% (funnel pastry). Among fifteen different types of bakery products, the highest TFAs and UFAs levels were detected in simple biscuits (0.52±0.50%) and (17.20±8.71%), respectively. The present study indicated that bakery products' sugar and fat content as risk factors of non-communicable diseases was not higher than those of other countries.

Sugar Reduction Initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Systematic Review

“…Few countries in the EMR (6/22 countries; 27%), including Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Tunisia, have evaluated sugar levels in local foods and commodities ( Table S6 ) [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 ]. While the majority of available sugar content data were based on the chemical analysis of food products [ 75 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 82 ], few were derived from software analysis (such as ESHA and NutriComp) [ 76 ] or nutrition information labels [ 80 ]. High levels of sugar were reported in bakery products, ready-to-eat cereals, chocolate and biscuits [ 80 , 82 ].…”

“…While the majority of available sugar content data were based on the chemical analysis of food products [ 75 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 82 ], few were derived from software analysis (such as ESHA and NutriComp) [ 76 ] or nutrition information labels [ 80 ]. High levels of sugar were reported in bakery products, ready-to-eat cereals, chocolate and biscuits [ 80 , 82 ]. The lowest levels of sugar (<10 g per 100 g of food) were found in traditional dishes, mayonnaise and salad dressings [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ].…”