Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the labeling and classification of breads, biscuits and toasts declared as wholegrain and to compare them. The cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried in Uberaba, in 2016. Products sold in five supermarkets were classified as processed or ultra-processed according to the NOVA system, which considers the industrial processing employed. The Pan American Health Organization Nutritional Profile Model was used to classify products with excessive amounts of critical nutrients. The products were evaluated for the carbohydrate:fiber ratio recommended by the American Heart Association. A total of 147 products were analyzed: 99 biscuits, 36 breads and 12 toasts. The average number of ingredients in the formulations was 17.3±5.4, so that 100% of the products were classified as ultra-processed. The majority, 64.6%, did not present wholegrain flour as the first ingredient. The declaration of supplementary nutritional information on dietary fiber was present in 49% of the products and 100% complied with the mandatory requirements. Despite that, 53.7% presented excessive levels of sodium and 22.4% and 56.5% had excessive levels of total and saturated fat, respectively. For the criterion of carbohydrate:fiber ratio, 38.7% had a ratio of ≥10:1, mainly biscuits, which is undesirable. All biscuits, breads and toasts sold as "wholegrain" were ultra-processed, with excessive sodium content (breads and toast in general) and fats (most biscuits). Wholegrain flours only accounted for 35.4% of the products and half of the toasts, and most of the biscuits (66.7%) could not be considered a source of fiber.
Highlights
While guidelines recommend increasing the consumption of whole grains (Karl et al, 2017; World Health Organization, 2003), the prevalence of inadequate fiber consumption in Brazil is noticeably high (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, 2010)
Reduced fiber intake reflects a diet based on ultra-processed foods and moderated amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, 2010)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the labeling of breads, biscuits and whole toasts available in the Brazilian market and to classify them according to the NOVA food classification system, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Nutritional Profile Model, identifying products with excessive levels of critical nutrients and according to the integral criterion, recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA)
Summary
Ultra-processed food are typically unhealthy products with high calorie density, elevated levels of sugar, salt and fats, and normally present depleted content of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Consumption of this ultra-processed food contributes to an unhealthy dietary nutrient profiles and several diet-related non-communicable diseases (Machado, Claro, Martins, Costa, & Levy, 2018). Most of the proclaimed wholegrain products are more expensive and have very low grain and fiber content (Ferruzzi et al, 2014) These products may contain significantly high levels of sugar, sodium, total fat, saturated and trans-fat, since Brazilian labels do not yet carry frontal warnings regarding these nutrients (Ghodsian & Madden, 2018; Pan American Health Organization, 2016). When there is no specific regulation, as in the case of whole foods in Brazil, these benefits may not be achieved
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