Processed foods aimed at children and adolescents: sodium content, adequacy according to the dietary reference intakes and label compliance

Revista de Nutrição

Vera Favila Ribeiro²  Marisilda De Almeida Ribeiro¹  Margarida Angélica Da Silva Vasconcelos¹  Samara Alvachian Cardoso Andrade¹  Tânia Lúcia Montenegro Stamford¹ 

[1] ,Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Centro Acadêmico de Vitória Núcleo de NutriçãoRecife PE ,Brasil

关键词: Food labeling;    Processed foods;    Sodium chloride;    Rotulagem de alimentos;    Alimentos processados;    Cloreto de sódio;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-52732013000400002

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the sodium content of processed foods aimed at children and adolescents and the adequacy of its content in relation to the dietary reference intakes, and verified label compliance. METHODS: The sodium content of 17 food samples (instant noodles, breaded items, hamburger patties, hot dogs and bologna sausages) was determined by flame photometry and chloride titration, and the results were compared with nutritional data. The labels were checked for compliance with the pertinent laws. RESULTS: According to flame photometry and chloride titration, 13 and 5 products, respectively, had sodium contents that exceeded those reported on the nutrition facts label by more than 20%. All samples had more than 480mg of sodium per serving. The tolerable upper intake level for sodium for children aged 4-8 years was exceeded in 8 instant noodles and 3 breaded items according to flame photometry, and in 9 items according to chloride titration. Regarding the legislation, 5 products used a daily reference intake other than that provided by the legislation to report their percent sodium content per serving. Moreover, the serving sizes of 3 instant noodles, the terminology used in 1 instant noodles and the protein content of 1 breaded item were also not compliant with the legislation. CONCLUSION: The sodium contents in the study samples were high and there was no regard for the legislation.

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