A study by the Institute of Nutrition of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj) in partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense (Idec) examined the use and labeling of food additives in various products available in Brazilian supermarkets. The research identified flaws and non-conformities in the information present in the lists of ingredients. In the work, labels of 9,856 foods and beverages were analyzed, noting that one fifth of the items did not contain any food additive, while a fourth had six or more in their formulation. In addition, the existence of groups of additives that were repeated in different food groups, especially in ultra-processed foods, was verified. Even in a situation of regularity, it was possible to prove the lack of information about the ingredients on the packaging. According to the survey, flavorings, for example, represent one of the categories of additives in which more flaws were identified, both in their description and in their compliance with legislation. According to the Brazilian norm, it is not necessary to declare the name of each substance that composes the aroma, being enough to identify its classification as “natural”, “identical to natural” or “artificial”. However, in several cases, only the mention of “flavoring agents” or “flavors” was found in the description of the item, which suggests that these products contain a mixture of unidentified or typified additives. Daniela Canella, associate professor of the Department of Applied Nutrition and the Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health at the Institute of Nutrition at Uerj, says that some foods do not contain food additives in the list of ingredients, but are composed of foods that typically contain them. “By ingesting this product, the individual is exposed to a combination of additives without knowing it. This often happens with ready-to-eat meals or snacks: pizza, lasagna, stuffed pasta, sandwiches and snacks, among others”, said Daniela, study advisor. “From a consumer information point of view, packaging does not inform enough for people to make decisions. The ideal would be that in the list of frozen pizza ingredients, when the item ham appears, for example, open a parenthesis to include all the components of the ham”, added the teacher. Additives are generally used in ultra-processed foods and beverages and are intentionally added during manufacturing, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, storage, transport or handling, without the purpose of nourishing, but with the aim of modifying the physical, chemical, biological or product sensory. “Ultra-processed products are industrial formulations made with little or no in natura or minimally processed food. They need the additives to make them palatable and to last on the shelves”, explained the researcher. Regulation In Brazil, the use of these additives is regulated by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which is also based on criteria supported by regional regulations, such as those of Mercosur, and on suggestions issued worldwide by expert committees of the World Organization of Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, according to the study, although several food additives are authorized, their effects on consumer health have been questioned by specialists. “Questioning these effects becomes even more important when one notices a variation in the condition of consumption of these substances, since, in practice, they are not consumed in isolation, but combined with other additives, either in the same food or in foods consumed over a period of time. of a day. Therefore, this problem must be considered critical in a scenario of growth in the intake of ultra-processed foods and beverages”, explained the professor. According to the researcher, ultra-processed foods are related to a series of chronic diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease. “My recommendation is the same as the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population of the Ministry of Health: avoid the consumption of ultra-processed foods, prefer fresh and minimally processed foods and analyze the list of ingredients”. The article about the research was published in February in Revista de Saúde Pública, a scientific journal edited by the University of São Paulo (USP). The work began as part of the PhD student of Nutrition at Uerj Vanessa Montera and, as a result, a partnership with Idec emerged, which was conducting research on food labeling and building an extensive database with more than 10,000 products found in supermarkets.
Agência Brasil
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