Produtos alimentícios voltados para o público infantil no cenário pré e peri-implementação da norma de rotulagem nutricional frontal brasileira: frequência de produtos “alto em”, reformulação e comparação do perfil nutricional brasileiro e argentino.

Abstract

Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is one of the biggest health concerns of the 21st century. The prevention and treatment of these diseases require the participation of the government, but also the enrollment of the food industry and civil society. Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling (FoPNL) has the role of informing consumers in a simplified way about the presence of nutrients of public health concern, making food choices more conscious and promoting the improvement of food environments. Product reformulation has already been observed in countries that have implemented FoPNL. Brazil and Argentina have recently implemented FoPNL’s standards, and in neighboring countries, products with FoPNL can’t have persuasive marketing elements, such as children's characters. The objective of this work was to evaluate ultraprocessed foods aimed at children according to the Brazilian (BNP) and Argentine (ANP) Nutritional Profile, as well as the reformulation of these products in the pre- and post-implementation scenario of the Brazilian FoPNL legislation. This is a longitudinal study on which ultraprocessed food products and drinks, with children’s marketing appeal, were collected between March and April 2023 (n=275), and compared to the same products collected between August and September 2018 (n=194), in supermarkets from Belo Horizonte-MG. Products from eight food categories consumed by the Brazilian child population (sandwich cookies, fruit drinks, jellies, corn snacks, cakes, dairy drinks, yogurts, and breakfast cereals) with marketing appeal to child consumers, had their labeling data collected. Total, free and added sugars were estimated. The nutrients/additives of public health concern and the percentage of products that received FoPNL according to the BNP (added sugars, saturated fat and sodium) and the ANP (free sugars, total fats, saturated fats, sodium, calories, sweeteners, and caffeine) were determined and compared. In 2023, 63.9% of products would receive some FoPNL according to the BNP, 51.3% for added sugars, 28.0% for saturated fats and 17.1% for sodium. According to the ANP, 100% would receive at least two warnings for excessive nutrients (88.7% for calories, 86.2% for sugars, 43.6% for total fats, 49.1% for saturated fats and 40% sodium), and /or warning phrases for additives (16% for sweeteners and 0.4% for caffeine). Considering the evaluated products in 2018, 11.3% of the products would not receive FoPNL in 2023, and 10.8% would receive it from 2018 to 2023. The presence of FoPNL for sodium dropped 20% in the last five years. No statistical differences were found for the presence of FoPNL for added sugars andsaturated fats between these years. There was no difference in the frequency of sweeteners in food products over time. Most ultraprocessed products with children's appeal have at least one excessive nutrient according to the BNP. The ANP is wider and more rigorous than the BNP, providing a greater number of products with FoPNL on the market. There was a reformulation only to stop receiving the sodium FoPNL. A regulatory measure leading to the prohibition of marketing strategies for 'high in' products would result in the removal of child appeal for most products analyzed according to the BNP and all products analyzed according to the ANP.