scholarly journals Identification of foods to monitor the sodium content of processed foods for developing a sodium reduction program in the Philippines

Author(s):  
Maria Sofia Amarra ◽  
Mario Capanzana ◽  
Glen Gironella ◽  
Francisco de los Reyes

Abstract Background In response to the global target for reduction in salt intake, several countries have implemented population sodium reduction strategies. These strategies include identification of major sources of sodium in the diet and reformulation of a set number of products available on the market. This study aimed to identify processed foods that can be targeted for reformulation and whose sodium content can be monitored over time in order to reduce sodium intake in the Philippines. The objectives were to: 1) Estimate per capita sodium intake from minimally processed and processed food groups by income quintile and urban/rural location; 2) Identify foods that contribute to the variance in per capita sodium intake that can be used as indicators for monitoring the sodium content of Philippine processed foods. One-day household food weighing data covering 4880 households from the 2008 National Nutrition Survey was used. Per capita sodium consumption from processed and minimally processed food categories and percentiles of sodium intake from these categories by income quintile and urban/rural location were obtained. The percentage contribution of different food categories to mean per capita sodium intake was calculated. Specific foods that contributed to the variance in sodium intake among Filipinos were identified. Results Foods which significantly accounted for 99.4% of the variance in sodium intake were 13 types of processed foods and 2 types of minimally processed foods. The category Processed Soup, Sauces, and Flavor Enhancers contributed the greatest proportion to per capita sodium intake. Specific processed foods that contributed to the variance in per capita sodium intake were instant noodles, traditional fermented condiments and sauces, dried and processed meat, fish, and poultry products, salted eggs, white bread and pan de sal (a traditional Filipino bread), wheat and egg noodles, crispy cereal chips and extruded snacks, butter and margarine, cheese, and chocolate-based beverages. Conclusion Identifying processed foods that significantly contribute to sodium intake, followed by reformulating and monitoring the sodium content of these foods over time should be considered as one strategy to reduce sodium intake in the Philippines.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Sofia Amarra ◽  
Mario Capanzana ◽  
Glen Gironella ◽  
Francisco de los Reyes

Abstract Background In response to the global target for reduction in salt intake, several countries have implemented population sodium reduction strategies. These strategies include identification of major sources of sodium in the diet and reformulation of a set number of products available on the market. This study aimed to identify processed foods that can be targeted for reformulation and whose sodium content can be monitored over time in order to reduce sodium intake in the Philippines. The objectives were to: 1) Estimate per capita sodium intake from minimally processed and processed food groups by income quintile and urban/rural location; 2) Identify foods that contribute to the variance in per capita sodium intake that can be used as indicators for monitoring the sodium content of Philippine processed foods. One-day household food weighing data covering 4880 households from the 2008 National Nutrition Survey was used. Per capita sodium consumption from processed and minimally processed food categories and percentiles of sodium intake from these categories by income quintile and urban/rural location were obtained. The percentage contribution of different food categories to mean per capita sodium intake was calculated. Specific foods that contributed to the variance in sodium intake among Filipinos were identified. Results Foods which significantly accounted for 99.4% of the variance in sodium intake were 13 types of processed foods and 2 types of minimally processed foods. The category Processed Soup, Sauces, and Flavor Enhancers contributed the greatest proportion to per capita sodium intake. Specific processed foods that contributed to the variance in per capita sodium intake were instant noodles, traditional fermented condiments and sauces, dried and processed meat, fish, and poultry products, salted eggs, white bread and pan de sal (a traditional Filipino bread), wheat and egg noodles, crispy cereal chips and extruded snacks, butter and margarine, cheese, and chocolate-based beverages. Conclusion Identifying processed foods that significantly contribute to sodium intake, followed by reformulating and monitoring the sodium content of these foods over time should be considered as one strategy to reduce sodium intake in the Philippines.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1474
Author(s):  
Lorena Allemandi ◽  
Maria Victoria Tiscornia ◽  
Leila Guarnieri ◽  
Luciana Castronuovo ◽  
Enrique Martins

Sodium intake in Argentina has been estimated to be at least double the dose of 2000 mg/day recommended by WHO, mostly coming from processed foods. Argentina is one of the few countries in the world that have regulated sodium content in certain food products. This study presents an assessment of sodium content in a selection of food groups and categories as reported in the nutrient information panels. We surveyed 3674 food products, and the sodium content of 864 and 1375 of them was compared to the maximum levels according to the Argentinean law and the regional targets, respectively. All food categories presented high variability of sodium content. Over 90% of the products included in the national sodium reduction law were found to be compliant. Food groups with high median sodium, such as condiments, sauces and spreads, and fish and fish products, are not included in the national law. In turn, comparisons with the lower regional targets indicated that almost 50% of the products analyzed had sodium contents above the recommended values. This evidence suggests that enhancing sodium reduction in processed foods may be a necessity for public health objectives and it is also technically feasible in Argentina.


2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 874-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela da Costa de Oliveira ◽  
Amanda Cristina Cristina Andrade ◽  
Jéssica Guimarães ◽  
Jéssica Ferreira Rodrigues ◽  
Mariana Mirelle Pereira Natividade ◽  
...  

Purpose Excessive sodium intake is associated with several diseases. Accordingly, several measures, including microparticulate salt, have been adopted to reduce the salt contents of food products. However, no studies have reported the effectiveness of microparticulate salt in semisolid and liquid products. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the application of microparticulate salt to reduce sodium contents in semisolid products. Design/methodology/approach The optimal salt content to be added in butter was defined by the just-about-right-scale test. Butter samples were prepared using microparticulate salt to achieve 25, 50 and 75 per cent reductions in conventional salt concentrations. Multiple comparison tests were performed to evaluate sample taste. Findings The ideal concentration of conventional salt to be added to butter was 2.16 per cent. Discriminative tests showed that samples with 25 and 75 per cent salt reduction showed significant differences (p ⩽ 0.05) compared with butter prepared at the ideal salt content, whereas the sample with 50 per cent salt reduction had no significant difference (p > 0.05). Thus, microparticulate salt showed higher salting power than conventional salt. These results indicated the effectiveness of microparticulate salt in the preparation of semisolid products with sodium reduction. Research limitations/implications More detailed studies about the reduced-sodium butter shelf life are necessary to verify the microparticulate salt application in the product preparation. Moreover, microparticulate salt application in semisolid and liquid products elaboration must be more investigated to better elucidate its practicability of reducing sodium content in these kinds of products. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications Microparticulate salt has been successfully applied to reduce sodium in solid products, being added to the finished product surface. However, there are no studies that report its effectiveness in semisolid and liquid products, such as the butter, in which the salt is added during the product preparation. Thus, this research provides new scientific information to the food industry and research fields, to expand the knowledge of reduced-sodium products development using microparticulate salt with sensory quality. Originality/value No studies have evaluated the application of microparticulate salt for semisolid product preparation. Therefore, the findings will support the development of healthy products.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2226
Author(s):  
Jaritza Vega-Solano ◽  
Adriana Blanco-Metzler ◽  
Karla Francela Benavides-Aguilar ◽  
JoAnne Arcand

High blood pressure is a leading cause of death in Costa Rica, with an estimated mortality rate of 30%. The average household sodium intake is two times higher than the World Health Organization recommendation. The consumption of processed foods is an important and growing contributor to sodium intake. The objective of this study was to describe the sodium content of packaged foods (mg/100 g) sold in Costa Rica in 2015 (n = 1158) and 2018 (n = 1016) and to assess their compliance with the national sodium reduction targets. All 6 categories with national targets were analyzed: condiments, cookies and biscuits, bread products, processed meats, bakery products, and sauces. A significant reduction in mean sodium content was found in only 3 of the 19 subcategories (cakes, tomato-based sauces, and tomato paste). No subcategories had statistically significant increases in mean sodium levels, but seasonings for sides/mains, ham, and sausage categories were at least 15% higher in sodium. Compliance with the national sodium targets among all foods increased from 80% in 2015 to 87% in 2018. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to reduce the sodium content in packaged foods in Costa Rica, but more work is needed to continually support a gradual reduction of sodium in packaged foods, including more stringent sodium targets.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Celso De Souza Cardoso ◽  
Cristiane Vanessa Quandt-Berlanda ◽  
Eder Adriano Cavali Stolberg ◽  
Naieli Mücke ◽  
Daneysa Lahis Kalschne ◽  
...  

The high sodium intake has been related to the increase of non- transmissible chronic diseases, especially hypertension. As in Brazil sodium consumption is still above the recommended, it is necessary to develop food products with low addition. The aim of this study was produce Tuscan sausage with lemon flavor with reduced content of sodium, evaluate the microbiological and physico-chemical quality and sensory acceptance. Three formulations were developed, one control (T1), one with 20% (T2) and one with 30% (T3) of sodium reduction, based on the partial substitution of sodium chloride by PuraQ Arome NA4. Sodium content in formulation T1 was 976 mg /100g, while the formulation T2 was 835 mg/100g and T3 761 mg/100g. The samples produced met the microbiological criteria for research of Salmonella, count of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, sulfite-reducing Clostridium and Coliforms at 45 °C. The parameters of humidity, lipid, calcium and residual nitrite were in accordance with the legislation for all formulations, but the protein content was attended only by T3 formulation. Hedonic scale test showed no difference between the samples and all were accepted for the sensory attributes color, aroma, texture, flavor and overall acceptance. Acceptability levels were greater than 78.9%, indicating that consumers appreciate the Toscana sausage with lemon flavor, and it is possible to reduce sodium maintaining the sensory quality of the product.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2008
Author(s):  
Claudia Nieto ◽  
Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo ◽  
Catalina Medina ◽  
Eric Monterrubio-Flores ◽  
Edgar Denova-Gutiérrez ◽  
...  

Background: Sodium intake is related to several adverse health outcomes, such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Processed foods are major contributors to the population’s sodium intake. The aim of the present study was to determine sodium levels in Mexican packaged foods, as well as to evaluate the proportion of foods that comply with sodium benchmark targets set by the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (UK FSA) and those set by the Mexican Commission for the Protection of Health Risks (COFEPRIS). We also evaluated the proportion of foods that exceeded the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) targets. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that comprised data collected from the package of 2248 processed foods from selected supermarkets in Mexico. Results: Many processed food categories contained an excessive amount of sodium. Processed meats, ham, bacon and sausages, had the highest concentrations. The proportion of foods classified as compliant in our sample was lower for international targets (FSA UK and PAHO) compared to the Mexican COFEPRIS criteria. Conclusions: These data provided a critical baseline assessment for monitoring sodium levels in Mexican processed foods.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1990-2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siri Løvsjø Solberg ◽  
Laura Terragni ◽  
Sabrina Ionata Granheim

AbstractObjectiveTo identify the use of ultra-processed foods – vectors of salt, sugar and fats – in the Norwegian diet through an assessment of food sales.DesignSales data from a representative sample of food retailers in Norway, collected in September 2005 (n150) and September 2013 (n170), were analysed. Data consisted of barcode scans of individual food item purchases, reporting type of food, price, geographical region and retail concept. Foods were categorized as minimally processed, culinary ingredients, processed products and ultra-processed. Indicators were share of purchases and share of expenditure on food categories.SettingSix geographical regions in Norway.SubjectsThe barcode data included 296 121 observations in 2005 and 501 938 observations in 2013.ResultsUltra-processed products represented 58·8 % of purchases and 48·8 % of expenditure in 2013. Minimally processed foods accounted for 17·2 % of purchases and 33·0 % of expenditure. Every third purchase was a sweet ultra-processed product. Food sales changed marginally in favour of minimally processed foods and in disfavour of processed products between 2005 and 2013 (χ2(3)=203 195,P<0·001, Cramer’sV=0·017,P<0·001).ConclusionsUltra-processed products accounted for the majority of food sales in Norway, indicating a high consumption of such products. This could be contributing to rising rates of overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases in the country, as findings from other countries indicate. Policy measures should aim at decreasing consumption of ultra-processed products and facilitating access (including economic) to minimally processed foods.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 967-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Vieira dos Santos Kraemer ◽  
Renata Carvalho de Oliveira ◽  
David Alejandro Gonzalez-Chica ◽  
Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the Na content reported on the labels of processed foods sold in Brazil that are usually consumed as snacks by children and adolescents.DesignCross-sectional study that assessed Na content and serving size reporting on processed food labels.SettingA supermarket that is part of a large chain in Brazil.SubjectsAll foods available for sale at the study’s location and reported in the literature as snacks present in the diets of Brazilian children and adolescents.ResultsOf the 2945 processed foods, 87 % complied with the reference serving sizes, although variability in reporting was observed in most of the food subgroups. In addition, 21 % of the processed foods had high Na levels (>600 mg/100 g) and 35 % had medium Na levels (>120 and ≤600 mg/100 g). The meats, oils, fats and seeds groups as well as the prepared dishes had higher percentages of foods classified as high Na (81 %, 58 % and 53 %, respectively).ConclusionsMost of the processed foods had high or medium Na content. We emphasize the importance of revising Brazilian nutrition labelling legislation to standardize reference serving sizes to avoid variation. Besides, we point out the potential for reducing Na levels in most processed foods, as evidenced by the variability in Na content within subgroups. Finally, we have identified the need to develop a method to classify Na levels in processed foods with specific parameters for children and adolescents.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 555-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Eyles ◽  
Jacqueline Webster ◽  
Susan Jebb ◽  
Cathy Capelin ◽  
Bruce Neal ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Laura da Costa Louzada ◽  
Ana Paula Bortoletto Martins ◽  
Daniela Silva Canella ◽  
Larissa Galastri Baraldi ◽  
Renata Bertazzi Levy ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of consuming ultra-processed foods on the nutritional dietary profile in Brazil.METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted with data from the module on individual food consumption from the 2008-2009 Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF – Brazilian Family Budgets Survey). The sample, which represented the section of the Brazilian population aged 10 years or over, involved 32,898 individuals. Food consumption was evaluated by two 24-hour food records. The consumed food items were classified into three groups: natural or minimally processed, including culinary preparations with these foods used as a base; processed; and ultra-processed.RESULTS The average daily energy consumption per capita was 1,866 kcal, with 69.5% being provided by natural or minimally processed foods, 9.0% by processed foods and 21.5% by ultra-processed food. The nutritional profile of the fraction of ultra-processed food consumption showed higher energy density, higher overall fat content, higher saturated and trans fat, higher levels of free sugar and less fiber, protein, sodium and potassium, when compared to the fraction of consumption related to natural or minimally processed foods. Ultra-processed foods presented generally unfavorable characteristics when compared to processed foods. Greater inclusion of ultra-processed foods in the diet resulted in a general deterioration in the dietary nutritional profile. The indicators of the nutritional dietary profile of Brazilians who consumed less ultra-processed foods, with the exception of sodium, are the stratum of the population closer to international recommendations for a healthy diet.CONCLUSIONS The results from this study highlight the damage to health that is arising based on the observed trend in Brazil of replacing traditional meals, based on natural or minimally processed foods, with ultra-processed foods. These results also support the recommendation of avoiding the consumption of these kinds of foods.


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