Ultra-processed foods in institutional food services: what are diners eating?

Introduction. Frequent use of ultra-processed foods (UPF) leads to poor health outcomes, and the population must avoid their consumption. Objective. To assess the occurrence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in culinary lunch menus from various institutional food services. Materials and methods. Over one month, the five institutional food services analyzed served 1,128 culinary preparations; and a total of 3,863 ingredients were classified according to the extent and purpose of processing using the NOVA classification system. Associations between the occurrence of UPFs and the type, size, and management of food service establishments were analyzed. Five institutional food services in three municipalities (Bauru, Limeira, and Campinas), Brazil. Results. We found 8.4 % up to 12.6 % UPF ingredients used in culinary preparations. The highest frequency of UPFs was associated with private cafeterias (p = 0.002). Most UPFs were part of the recipe or the main ingredient in protein dishes and desserts (p < 0.05) and in university and hospital food services, respectively. UPF use was associated with food service size and type of management (p ≤ 0.003) and was more prevalent in protein dishes (p = 0.003) and large-size institutional food services (28.8 %). Self-managed units (p = 0.03) also use high amounts of UPFs in protein dishes (20.3 %). Conclusions. The presence of UPF rounded 10%; the validity of this value needs further studies. There are no comparative data in the scientific literature regarding the use of these ingredients in institutional food service culinary preparations. Therefore, it is necessary to stimulate reflection to promote healthy food habits and adequate nutrition for diners(AU)

Introducción. El uso frecuente de alimentos ultraprocesados (UPF) conduce a complicaciones de salud, y la población debe evitar su consumo. Objetivo. Evaluar la presencia de alimentos ultraprocesados (UPFs) en los menús de almuerzos de diversos servicios de alimentación institucionales. Materiales y métodos. Durante un mes, los cinco servicios de alimentación institucionales analizados sirvieron 1.128 preparaciones culinarias; y se clasificaron un total de 3.863 ingredientes según el alcance y el propósito del procesamiento, utilizando el sistema de clasificación NOVA. Se analizaron las asociaciones entre la ocurrencia de UPFs y el tipo, tamaño y gestión de los establecimientos de servicio de alimentos. Cinco servicios institucionales de alimentación en tres municipios (Bauru, Limeira y Campinas), Brasil. Resultados. Se encontró entre un 8,4 % hasta un 12,6 % de ingredientes UPF utilizados en las preparaciones culinarias. La mayor frecuencia de UPF se asoció a cafeterías privadas (p = 0,002). La mayoría de los UPFs formaban parte de la receta o eran el ingrediente principal en platos proteicos y postres (p < 0,05) y en los servicios de alimentación universitarios y hospitalarios, respectivamente. El uso de UPFs se asoció con el tamaño del servicio de alimentación y el tipo de gestión (p≤ 0,003) y fue más frecuente en platos proteicos (p = 0,003) y servicios de alimentación institucional de gran tamaño (28,8 %). Las unidades autogestionadas (p = 0,03) también utilizan altas cantidades de UPF en platos proteicos (20,3 %). Conclusiones. La presencia de UPF ronda el 10 %; la validez de este valor necesita más estudios. No existen datos comparativos en la literatura científica sobre el uso de estos ingredientes en las preparaciones culinarias de los servicios de alimentación institucional. Por ello, es necesario estimular la reflexión para promover hábitos alimentarios saludables y una adecuada nutrición de los comensales(AU)

Front-of-package nutrition labeling as a driver for healthier food choices: Lessons learned and future perspectives.

This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of front-of-package nutritional labeling (FOPL), identify and characterize the major existing FOPL systems, examine the impact of FOPL systems on consumer behavior, and discuss future perspectives. The searched databases were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and papers in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French were considered. The integrative review method was used, comprising 68 papers. The FOPL system from more than 47 countries from North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia was included in this study. The two main ways to characterize FOPL are the level of interpretation and the type of information provided. Interpretive schemes (such as warning labels, multiple traffic lights, and Nutri-Score) appear to lead to better consumer understanding and support healthier food purchases. However, due to the differences among the results and the specificity of the contexts in which they are used, it is impossible to define one FOPL interpretation scheme superior to the others. Some potential factors that influence the effectiveness of FOPL on consumer attitudes have been identified, such as food taste, as a major intrinsic factor. Extrinsic factors, such as price, food category, cultural diversity, politics, and economics, were also relevant. The lack of availability of similar alternatives, lack of understanding of the importance of FOPL, and lower levels of income and education were also some cognitive and social aspects impairing FOPL effectiveness. Prospects for the United States, Europe, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina were discussed.