Pre-packaged Food Products Research Articles

Industrially Produced Plant-Based Food Products: Nutritional Value and Degree of Processing.

The plant-based food market is rapidly growing, offering innovative options to meet consumer expectations. However, a comprehensive analysis of the nutritional quality of these foods is lacking. We aimed to characterize industrial plant-based food products' nutritional value and degree of processing. A cross-sectional study was conducted on two market-leading Portuguese food retail chains by assessing the nutritional composition of all the available pre-packaged plant-based food products (n = 407). These products were categorized into meal alternatives, dairy alternatives, and other products containing dairy/meat alternative ingredients including ready meals and desserts. The products' nutritional quality was assessed according to the cut-offs established by the Portuguese Directorate General of Health [DGS] on total fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and considering the degree of processing using NOVA classification. One-tenth of the products were classified as having a high total fat, saturated fat, sugars, or salt content. In some sub-categories, half of foods were classified as high in saturated fat, and over two-thirds were considered high salt products. Less than one-third exhibit a good nutritional profile based on the national cut-offs. A total of 84.3% of plant-based food products were ultra-processed. These findings emphasize the need to improve the nutritional profile of plant-based options.

Concerns Arise: Wheat Allergy Risk in Pre-packaged Food Products from China

Concerns Arise: Wheat Allergy Risk in Pre-packaged Food Products from China

Monitoring sodium content in processed and ultraprocessed foods in Argentina 2022: compliance with National Legislation and Regional Targets.

To assess the current Na levels in a variety of processed food groups and categories available in the Argentinean market to monitor compliance with the National Law and to compare the current Na content levels with the updated Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) regional targets. Observational cross-sectional study. Argentina. Data were collected during March 2022 in the city of Buenos Aires in two of the main supermarket chains. We carried out a systematic survey of pre-packaged food products available in the food supply assessing Na content as reported in nutrition information panels. We surveyed 3997 food products, and the Na content of 760 and 2511 of them was compared with the maximum levels according to the Argentinean law and the regional targets, respectively. All food categories presented high variability of Na content. More than 90 % of the products included in the National Sodium Reduction Law were found to be compliant. Food groups with high median Na, such as meat and fish condiments, leavening flour and appetisers are not included in the National Law. In turn, comparisons with PAHO regional targets indicated that more than 50 % of the products were found to exceed the regional targets for Na. This evidence suggests that it is imperative to update the National Sodium Reduction Law based on regional public health standards, adding new food groups and setting more stringent legal targets.

Study of Consumer Awareness of Pre-packaged Food Products Labelling in Benghazi/Libya

Food label is one of the most important direct means of communication of product information between consumers and food manufactures. The current study aims to determine level of awareness on pre-packaged food label information, and to determine the associated socio-demographic variables that associated with level of awareness. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted at supermarkets and malls in Benghazi city. Study included four hundred participants, data were collected by questionnaires. Data were analysed by using descriptive statistics. Chi-Square test used to examine the significant differences in the sample. The majority of participants were male, young and most of them were married, employers with high education level and middle-income level. Awareness level of pre-packaged food labels was found to be low among consumers in Benghazi city.

Uptake of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling Scheme after 5 Years of Adoption in Thailand: An Analysis of New Launched Pre-Packaged Food and Beverages Products.

In 2016, Thailand introduced voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling, the 'Thailand Healthier Choice' logo (THCL), in order to help consumers make informed, healthier food choices in each food category. This study aimed to assess the uptake of the THCL scheme in Thailand after five years of implementation by analyzing a newly launched product database. Data on the nutritional composition and labeling were obtained from the Mintel Global New Products Database between 2017 and 2021. The product's healthfulness was determined using the Health Star Rating (HSR) algorithm. The numbers and proportions of total, eligible, and labeled products bearing the THCL logo were analyzed and classified by food category, by HSR value, and by manufacturer. After 5 years of implementation, THCL uptake as a proportion of total products and eligible products continues to increase by 3.0% and 10.2% per annum, respectively. The logo has correspondingly appeared on 10.7% and 39.5% of total and eligible products. As a voluntary implementation, 76.1% of products displaying the THCL logo belonged to the 'non-core' group, i.e., non-alcoholic beverages and instant foods. This food category (HSR < 3.0) was more likely to register to bear THCL rather than those 'core' food scoring an HSR ≥ 3.5, which might reflect economic considerations and benefits. The present analysis also found that only 10% of manufacturers in Thailand launched 'healthier' products that display the THCL logo with varied product numbers. To summarize, the initial five-year implementation of the THCL program shows promise, but its adoption remains limited and inconsistent, thereby restricting its influence on public health. Our discoveries highlight the limitations of commercial goodwill in applying THCL voluntarily in Thailand and offer potential suggestions to enhance its adoption in the coming years.

Comparative safety analysis of newly prepackaged backed food products and those approaching the expiry date in Bangladesh

Purpose: The enrichment of microbial growth in prepackaged, frozen food goods from the day of manufacturing to the day of expiration has been the subject of recurrent concerns. These fortified foods are widely consumed by individuals of all ages in poor nations due to their ability to satisfy even the smallest of appetites. People often disregard the expiration dates printed on food packaging despite the fact that manufacturers are required by law to do so. This research looked into whether or not it was safe to consume packaged foods that were getting close to their expiration date. Finding out if people are exposed to hazardous microorganisms and how much bacteria is created daily on them.Materials and methods: We collected six prepackaged backed food products samples of three types separately, where three were collected around manufacturing days and three were nearly expired days from different companies. We have assayed and identified the foodborne microbial communities among the samples by morphological study and different types of biochemical tests. After that, we tested how well various popular antibiotics worked against those isolates.Results: It showed that there are more bacterial communities that grow gradually day by day on prepackaged backed food products and nearly expired products that contain a large number of food-borne disease-causing bacteria that show mostly resistance against commonly used antibiotics.Conclusion: Although nowadays the demand for prepackaged backed food products is increasing as ready-to-eat processed foods, mostly in developing countries, there's a serious health risk if we take the products that were produced a long time ago.

Precautionary Allergen Labeling: What Advice Is Available for Health Care Professionals, Allergists, and Allergic Consumers?

In most countries, the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) is not governed by regulation. PAL was initially identified as a judicious risk management measure to address instances of « unavoidable » cross-contact with priority food allergens during food processing. However, PAL has gradually been devalued, in part due to overuse and inconsistent application by the food industry. Currently, most food products do not contain detectable allergen residue or contain only low concentrations of residue of the allergens declared using PAL; however, occasionally high concentrations of allergen residue are reported, rendering it an ineffective risk communication tool for allergic consumers. In this context, several reasons exist which make the consumption of products bearing a PAL statement not advisable for people with food allergies. The main reason is that the risk is generally not correlated with the statement used by manufacturers. Due to the increased use of PAL on prepackaged food products, and in order to maximize food choices for allergic individuals, healthcare professionals increasingly advise some patients considered to be "not highly allergic" to consume products bearing a PAL statement. This article explains why consumption of products with PAL is not advisable without having a full clinical evaluation and knowledge that an allergen risk assessment has been conducted. It also discusses the perspectives for a better use of PAL on the basis of the recent FAO/WHO recommendations on food allergens.

Identification of Marketing Strategies Influencing Consumers’ Perception of Healthy Food Products and Triggering Purchasing Decisions

(1) Background: Marketing and advertising strategies for food products are very diverse and have a differential effect on consumers’ behaviours and attitudes towards products. (2) Objectives: To examine the influence of point-of-purchase (PoP) marketing and advertising strategies and the promotion of products employing opinion leaders (celebrities) on the healthy perception of pre-packaged food and buying behaviour of young consumers. (3) Methods: Online survey (N = 130) of 18–31 years old participants. (4) Results: “Price” was the most influential factor when purchasing a snack (66.2%), although “salt and macronutrient content” had a major influence on females (x2(1,N=129) = 14.02, p &lt; 0.001). Participants with low or no weight satisfaction were more prone to consider “low fat” (x2(1,N=130) = 5.02, p = 0.025) and chose “green” as the most suitable colour for healthy snack packaging. Male celebrities were more picked by males than female participants (x2(1,N=129) = 6.41, p = 0.011). (4) Conclusion: Using green packaging, nutritional claims related to low-calorie intakes or accentuating salt and macronutrient content, and using opinion leaders with whom consumers can relate to, were the most influential factors in fostering a healthy perception of pre-packaged food products. These results highlight the need for policies to limit marketing strategies to avoid misleading consumers’ opinion of a product as healthy when it is not.

Compliance of Pre-Packed Juice to Labelling Requirements and Use of Food Labelling Information for Purchasing Decision Among Consumers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

With the changing in consumers’ lifestyles and industrialization, pre-packaged food products have become standard. Information on food labels on pre-packaged food products is considered a means to help consumers make informed food choices. In Ethiopia, there has been a limited information on food labels' compliance with food labeling requirements and customers' use of labeling information for purchasing decision making. This study was designed to fill this information gap. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa in 2019. Thirty-one juice products and 403 consumers from 15 supermarkets were included in the study. Compliance was assessed using the 17 standard requirements for food labeling information. On the other hand, the use of food labeling information by consumers was measured by considering the ten essential food labeling information, and frequent use of labeling information was considered as a "good practice". Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and a checklist. Data were entered into Epi data entry and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were performed. From the consumers included in the study, 204 (50.6%) were males, 248 (61.5%) attended college, and 105 (26.1%) reported frequently using food labeling information. Sex, marital status, monthly income, and level of awareness were associated (p &lt; 0.05) with the use of food labeling information. Only 6 (19.4%) pre-packed juice products fulfilled all standard labeling requirements, while 1 (3.2%) fulfilled only 50% of the requirements. In consideration of the increasing use of pre-packed food products and associated public health risks, the study demonstrated the need for improving public awareness about the use of food labeling information, and strengthening regulatory enforcement practices.

Automation of the Updated Food Label Information Program (FLIP 2020): A Comprehensive Canadian Branded Grocery and Restaurant Food Composition Database

ObjectivesTraditional methods for creating food composition databases struggle to cope with the large number of products and the rapid pace of turnover in the food supply. The objective is to overview the updated Food Label Information Program (FLIP2020), a big data approach for the evaluation of the Canadian food supply and present the latest methods used in the development of this database.MethodsThe University of Toronto's Food Label Information Program (FLIP) is a database of Canadian prepackaged and chain restaurant foods and beverages collected since 2010. FLIP 2020 was developed using website “scraping” and machine learning (ML) coupled with artificial intelligence-enhanced optical character recognition (AI-OCR) to collect and manage food labelling information (e.g., nutritional composition, price, product images, ingredients, brand, etc.) on all foods and beverages available on seven major Canadian e-grocery retailer websites and 201 Canadian chain restaurants between May 2020 and February 2021.ResultsFLIP 2020 is comprised of 74,445 prepackaged food products and 21,225 menu items available on websites of seven retailers, 2 location-specific duplicate retailers and 141 chain restaurants. Food products were classified under multiple national and international categorization systems, in order to analyse similar foods under different systems. Of 57,006 food and beverage products available on seven retailers’ websites, nutritional composition data were available for about 60% of the products and ingredients were available for about 45%. Data for energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, sugar, sodium and saturated fat were present for 54–65% of the products, while fibre information was available for 37%. Of the 201 eligible chain restaurants with ≥ 20 national outlets, 70% provided nutritional information. All provided energy, 84% provided saturated fat, total sugar and sodium, and 50% provided all 13 required nutrients listed on the Nutrition Facts table.ConclusionsFLIP, with its comprehensive sampling and granularity and use of ML/AI-OCR, is a powerful tool for evaluating and monitoring the Canadian food supply environment.Funding SourcesThis research was supported by funds from a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant.

Nutrition and health-related information disclosure on pre-packaged food products from local retail shops in Accra

The prevalence of obesity and diet related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rapidly increasing in Africa. Consumption of pre-packaged foods is one of the main drivers of these NCDs. Pre-packaged foods tend to contain high levels of energy, fat, sugar, and salt, which are known risk factors for NCDs. Food labels can guide consumers to make informed healthy food choices. Therefore, it is important to analyze how health-related information is communicated on food labels. In Ghana, there is paucity of evidence on what health-related information is available to consumers of pre-packaged foods. This study describes health-related information on labelled pre-packaged foods sold in local retail shops in Accra. A cross-sectional survey and quantitative content analysis of food label information were employed in this study. Pre-packaged food labels photograph data were sourced from shops and content analyzed to describe their health-related information. Nutrition and health-related information were classified using the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) system. Three hundred and fifty-one (N=351) pre-packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages were sampled, out of which 2.3% products were unlabelled. Out of 343 labelled products, 92% disclosed ingredient list information and 68.8% had nutrition declaration. Between the two nutrition labelling formats: Back-of-Pack (BOP) and Front of Pack (FOP), BOP was the dominant (87.3%) format. Various types of FOPs were identified however, Guidelines Daily Allowance (GDA) was the most common format. The study found that 18% of labelled pre-packaged foods carried nutrition claim and about 7% had a health claim. Most of the claims were written and the others were a combination of words, numbers, and pictures/symbols. This study has shown a high disclosure of health-related label information on pre-packaged food but information presentations on labels were not consistent. The insight gained from this study shows that the presentation of health-related label information does not meet the current recommendations of Codex and the benchmarks set out by INFORMAS in promoting a healthy food environment. Key words: Pre-packaged Foods, Food/Nutrition labels, health-related information, retail shops, Accra

Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Serbia: Market Audit and Consumers' Perception.

Background:Precautionary allergen labels (PAL) should be used to indicate the possibility of allergen presence in the food. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of precautionary labeling statements on different pre-packaged food products in retail stores in Belgrade, Serbia, as well as to assess consumers’ attitudes and behavior towards PAL statements.Methods:This was a descriptive study. The following characteristics of 1404 pre-packaged foods were analyzed: prevalence of PAL, listed food allergens on PAL, and the types of the advisory terminology. In the group of 275 participants (94 with food allergies, and 181 persons who purchasing food for a household member with food allergy) reading practice of PAL, purchasing practice based on PAL, and the opinion about PAL statements credibility were evaluated.Results:Overall, 33.9% of products had precautionary statements for one or more allergens. “Tree nuts” were the most common allergens listed in the PAL. The most common type of PAL was “May contain traces of x [allergen]” (52.7%). The PAL was always read by half of the participants. Less than half (43.3%) of the participants incorrectly believed that PAL is regulated by national law. A quarter of participants thought that the PAL statements are trustworthy.Conclusion:PAL statements frequently are not user-friendly and are not providing sufficient protection for food allergic patients. To gain buyers’ confidence, protect health and provide security, the necessity for the strategies that would regulate PAL by the law exists.

Consumers’ Knowledge and Use of Nutritional Labelling Information in Lagos, Nigeria

Nutrition labelling is a topical issue, being a vital aid that shapes consumers’ food choices and could be an efficient tool for the prevention of consumer vulnerability to diet-related diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, hypertension, and obesity. However, data on the public use of nutritional labels as an information source on nutritional properties of foods and health claims, especially as it relates to Nigeria, are not popular in the literature. This study seeks to examine consumers’ use of labelling information: knowledge; attitude, and practice. A cross-sectional study with the aid of a survey elicited information from 374 randomly selected shoppers in five shopping malls in Lagos State. Data were analysed using the T-test method. Findings show that while the majority of the respondents (70.6%) read the nutritional information, only 64.9% understand the information presented on food labels. The study also reveals that the majority of the respondents (57.5%) do not know that information on food labels should be presented in the English language before any other language as recommended by the National Agency Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). While 57.9% of consumers have a positive attitude towards using food labels, 58% of the respondents’ buying decisions are influenced by food labels. The study concludes that consequent upon the importance of nutritional knowledge and wellbeing, consumers of Fast Moving Goods in Nigeria are beginning to consciously pay attention to nutritional labels. The study recommends that producers of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products in Nigeria should adopt the total disclosure of ingredients and nutritional content of their products. Also, regulatory bodies in charge of pre-packaged food products in Nigeria (NAFDAC) should go the whole way and make nutritional labelling mandatory.

Nutrition and Health Claims Spectra of Pre-Packaged Foods on Serbian Supermarket Shelves: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.

Nutrition and health claims (NHCs) are a powerful tool that influence consumers’ final decision on the choice of food products. The purposes of this repeated cross-sectional study were to (i) assess the prevalence of pre-packaged food products containing nutrition and health claims among different food categories, (ii) to determine the type of NHCs labelled on the examined food products, and (iii) to evaluate the trend in the use of NHCs in comparison to the 2012 survey. The survey was conducted immediately before the full enforcement of the new national legislation on NHCs in 2020. It comprised 3141 pre-packaged food products from 10 product categories. In total, 21.2% of food products contained any claim (19.4% contained any nutrition claim; 8.2% contained any health claim). In comparison to the 2012 survey, we observed a rising trend in the presence of NHCs; the use of nutrition claims on food products increased three times and the use of health claims increased 1.3 times in the 2020 survey. Bearing in mind that NHCs are a powerful tool guiding consumers’ food purchase decisions, NHCs should be supported by precise legislation and strict surveillance by the public health authorities.

Consumer awareness on pre-packaged food labelling information towards the purchase of the pre-packaged food products

This study determined the level of awareness on pre-packaged food labelling information among consumers. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather information from respondents. Purposively sampling method was used to select the TFDA registered supermarkets, provision shops and other pre-packaged food corner outlets. A systematic randomly sampling was used to interview respondents from the main outlets of the shops. A questionnaire with both close and open ended questions was used to collect information from 150 consumers who were found in the supermarket, provision shops and other pre-packaged food outlets purchasing pre-packaged food products. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square tests of significance were employed to determine the association between variables. The findings revealed that consumers were moderately aware on the use of pre-packaged food labelling information. The findings further revealed some difficulties encountered by consumers while reading food labels include technical language used, small font size when reading food label, unfamiliar language as well as incomplete labelling information. Circumstances in which consumers purchase pre-packaged food without consulting the respective labels include time constraint and purchase of routine food products. The findings revealed that respondents level of education was significantly associated with respondents awareness on the use of pre-packaged food labelling information. The findings further revealed that respondent level of education and their occupation were significantly associated with the importance of using pre-packaged food labelling information. Due to public health concern on human being, it is therefore recommended that deliberate efforts should be taken to use educational activities in order to raise consumer awareness on reading and using of pre-packaged food labelling information prior to purchase.

A simplified approach to assist process development for microwave assisted pasteurization of packaged food products

The purpose of this study was to develop a convenient method to assist the food industry in developing process schedules for production of ready-to-eat meals using microwave assisted pasteurization system (MAPS). An analytical model was applied to estimate the temperature increase in the cold zone in packaged foods during heating in a 915 MHz single-mode microwave system. This model was validated in a pilot-scale four-cavity MAPS using mashed potato-gellan gum model food with different thicknesses (22 to 36 mm) and salt contents (0.0 to 1.0%). Mobile sensors were placed in the packages to measure temperature at the pre-determined cold spots. For 2.48 min of microwave heating with 5, 5, and 8.7 kW 915 MHz microwave powers, the highest temperature increase at the cold spot during microwave heating was 33.2 °C in the 22 mm thick model food with 0.6% salt content, whereas the lowest temperature increase was 10.3 °C in the 36 mm thick model food with 1.0% salt content. There was a deviation of 1.9 ± 1.2 °C between experimental and predicted data with an R2 of 0.89. A simplified chart was developed based on the validated analytical results to allow rapid prediction of temperature increases in MAPS as influenced by food dielectric properties and package thickness. Examples were used to illustrate how the chart could assist in process scheduling. The chart can help assess the heating rates of various pre-packaged food products in a specific industrial MAPS or guide product development for desired heating uniformity.

A survey of food allergen labeling and undeclared allergen residues in pre-packaged food products imported from Thailand

This product survey aims to critically assess the allergen label status on Thai prepacked food products imported in Australia and their potential risks to allergic consumers through the risk assessment of undeclared allergens. Of 549 Thai products surveyed, 527 products (96%) provided original labels in both Thai and English with no discrepancies. Two hundred fourteen products (39%) stated the precautionary allergen label (PAL) statements in English on the original label provided by the manufacturers. A total of 65 products analyzed by ELISA for egg, milk, wheat and peanut residues revealed that 22 products (33.8%) contained at least one allergen residue, ranging from 1.1 to 806.6 ppm. Fifteen of these (23.1%) contained allergen residue levels exceeding the Voluntary Incident Trace Allergen Labeling (VITAL®) Action Level 2, which recommended PAL statements. Among them, 7 products (46.7%) did not contain PAL statements and 1 out of 8 products with PAL statements (12.5%) had inaccurate allergen information. Based on the VITAL® system, among 13 products with PAL statements that were tested positive, 8 products (61%) had used PAL correctly, and 5 products (39%) had overused PAL. The risk assessment indicated that 10.8% of the tested products were deemed unsafe and highly risky to allergic consumers. These findings, therefore, call for the establishment of a globally agreed framework for allergen labeling using evidence-based risk assessment tools such as VITAL®, particularly amongst trading countries in developing a more trustworthy risk communication for allergic consumers.

A comprehensive survey of allergen labeling on pre-packaged food products imported from Mainland China

This study investigated the prevalence, type and accuracy of allergen labeling information on 429 imported pre-packaged food products imported from Mainland China sold in Sydney, Australia. Overall, 93.5% of the products complied to the FSANZ's Food Standards Code and included English labels. The 73% of the surveyed products complied with Australian mandatory allergen labeling requirements and stated the presence of allergens in the ingredient lists and allergen summary statements. The 22% of the products contained PAL statements and overall, the wording “may contain traces of” (28.4%) was commonly used. While most PAL statements (69.5%) were in English, a considerable number of PAL statements were only in Chinese (19%). The ELISA analysis revealed that 51.5% of the tested products contained at least one allergen residues, ranging from 0.7 to 297.3 ppm. The 30% of the tested products contained allergen residue levels exceeding the VITAL® Action Level Two (i.e. high risks of allergens) that recommends PAL, where milk (45%) was the most prevalent allergen followed by egg (40%), wheat (35%), and peanut (10%). Among them, 55% did not contain PAL statements and 30% of the positive products with PAL statements contained undeclared allergens (i.e. not specified in the PAL statements). This study deemed 25.8% of the products imported from Mainland China pose potential risks for allergic consumers. This study highlights the necessity of implementing mutually acceptable or harmonized allergen labeling requirements including PAL and risk assessment plans globally.

Nutrition Food Labeling in the Saudi Market between Compliance and Relaxing Policy

Background: With increased demand for prepackaged food, the nutrient content of those products has increased especially fat, sugar, and sodium. We aimed to assess the compliance of nutritional labeling and to analyze the stated nutritional components as presented on prepackaged food products in Saudi market.&#x0D; Methods: A total of 1153 foods were randomly sampled from fourteen stores. Nutritional information was taken from nutrient declarations present on food labels and assessed through a comparison of mean levels and assess compliance with Saudi Food and Drug Authority regulations.&#x0D; Results: Overall, of the total number of products surveyed, 88% displayed nutritional facts, while 12% did not. Of the total products that had nutritional facts, only 38% met SFDA requirements while 97% disclosed the four key nutritional elements (energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat). In total, almost one third of the products had a high fat content, 40% were high in sugar and 20% were high in Sodium. We found also, 20% listed hydrogenated fat in their ingredient information, 90% of which was fully hydrogenated, while 10% was partially hydrogenated.&#x0D; Conclusion: There was a high percentage of products that displayed nutritional facts, but only a small percentage complied with SFDA's recent regulations. Food reformulation could have an extraordinary potential to overcome the increase in nutrition-related chronic disease in Saudi Arabia, and the information acquired from this paper provides an overview of thinking about the food supply as a major source needed for a national intervention.

Lack of nutrient declarations and low nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods sold in Guatemalan supermarkets.

To assess the presence of nutrition declarations and nutritional quality in pre-packaged food products sold in Guatemala. We photographed nutrition labels of pre-packaged foods. We extracted information about declaration of energy, total/saturated/trans-fats, total/added sugars and Na content (critical nutrients). We classified all products according to their degree of processing (NOVA classification) and nutritional quality (PAHO and WHO-Europe nutrient profile models). Pre-packaged foods for sale in seven supermarkets in Guatemala City. This study did not involve human subjects. We assessed 3459 pre-packaged foods, including 80 % ultra-processed, 7 % processed and 13 % unprocessed/minimally processed foods or culinary ingredients. Nutritional information was available in 3021 products (87·3 %). Energy content was declared in 87·0 %; total fats in 86·1 %; saturated fats in 81·5 %; trans-fats in 48·9 %; total sugars in 70·3 %; added sugars in 0·5 % and Na/salt in 85·5 % of products. Insufficient nutrient information made impossible to assess nutritional quality in 36·6 and 17·1 % of products with the PAHO and WHO-Europe models, respectively. Using PAHO and WHO nutrient profiles, we found that 66·2 and 50 % of food products did not meet the model's nutritional criteria. A high proportion of pre-packaged foods with nutritional information available in Guatemalan supermarkets do not meet the nutritional criteria recommended by WHO and PAHO. Furthermore, a high proportion of products did not declare critical nutrients and many did not even provide any nutritional information. National regulations should consider making critical nutrient declarations (including trans-fats and sugars) mandatory for all products.