Estimativa da exposição alimentar a edulcorantes de alta intensidade pela população brasileira e população brasileira autodeclarada diabética.

Abstract

Non-sugar sweeteners are food additives that have been constantly discussed and studied in relation to safety for human health. Recent studies on the intake of sweeteners by the self-reported diabetic population are unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the intake of sweeteners present in the diet of the Brazilian population and by the portion of this population that declared themselves diabetic in the Family Budget Survey (POF) 2017/2018. The occurrence of sweeteners was evaluated through the labeling of foods obtained in physical stores and online. Two sweetener intake scenarios were considered in relation to the occurrence of additives: representative of the general consumer population and the brand loyal consumer profile. Food consumption data were from the national survey carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2017/2018. Estimates were derived for the general Brazilian population and the self-declared diabetic Brazilian population in three consumption scenarios: general, consumers only and high consumers (90th percentile - p90 of consumption), divided into subgroups: sex, household status, regions of Brazil and age strata. The estimated intake of sweeteners for the self-reported diabetic population was below the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) in all scenarios. Diabetic population subgroups were more exposed to cyclamate and sucralose sweeteners. Among them, the most exposed were consumers only, loyal to the brand (reported maximum concentrations of sweeteners) and women (69.61% and 59.41%), in urban areas (71.64% and 61.26%), from the Southeast region (67.82% and 54.83%) and the elderly (79.24% and 70.07%). On the other hand, for the general Brazilian population, consumers only, loyal to the brand, the intake of sodium cyclamate and steviol glycosides exceeded the ADI, mainly for adolescents (131.2% and 122.9%) and sucralose for women (133.4%). The Brazilian population, especially consumers only, brand loyalists, adolescents and women, presented higher exposure to sweeteners than the diabetic population.