Determinação Quantitativa da Concentração de Sódio em Pães Tipo Bisnaguinha Comercializados na Cidade do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

For the human body to work properly, it is estimated that 200-500 mg of sodium should be consumed per day. However, if consumed in excess, sodium causes an increase in blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Following guidelines established by the WHO, initiatives have been taken by several countries to reduce the consumption of foods containing high sodium concentrations. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health signed the Term of Commitment 004/2011 with entities representatives of the food industry to establish national targets for reducing the sodium content (mg/100 g) in various products, including bisnaguinha, a type of bread. Owing to the lack of studies about quantifying the concentration of sodium in bisnaguinha, this element was quantified in four brands (A, B, C, and D) of bisnaguinha by flame photometry. The concentrations of sodium found in mg/100 g of the product were as follows: A, 302.90; B, 419.60; C, 430.80; D, 308.22. The concentrations of sodium in all brands were below those declared on the product labels and in accordance with the Terms of Compromise established for the year 2014 (430 mg/100 g of the product).