Characterizing ingredients in commercially packaged baked products sold in the U.S.: An application of IngID

Abstract

Commercially packaged baked products such as breads and rolls, cookies, crackers, and pastry/doughnuts are an integral part of the American diet. However, there is general lack of information in scientific literature on the ingredients used in these foods. A prototype of IngID, a framework for parsing and systematically reporting ingredients used in commercially packaged foods, was recently developed, using ingredient statements of baked products mainly from USDA’s Global Branded Food Products Database. Our results show that baked products sold in the U.S. mainly use refined wheat flour, non-hydrogenated oils, nutritive sweeteners, and additive-type ingredients including emulsifiers, coloring agents, and fortificants. Only 5% of the top-selling baked products are wheat-free; hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils continue to be used; baked products use on average 16 additive-type ingredients (includes sweeteners and table salts) and majority use multiple sweeteners. Fortificants, lecithin, salt, sucrose, water, and wheat flour are the top co-occurring ingredients and the core of the ingredient network. Not all baked products are the same. For example, pastry/doughnuts have the highest proportions of use of refined grains, hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils, additive-type ingredients including coloring agents and emulsifiers. IngID enables characterization of what is in the food we eat in a systematic manner, beyond nutrient profiles.