Nutritional evaluation of branded bakery and pastry products available in the Portuguese market

Albuquerque, T.G.; Ferreira, J.; Silva, M.A.; Costa, H.S.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8927

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Abstract(s)

Branded bakery and pastry products are greatly appreciated by the population, especially by the youngest ones. However, these products are often considered poor from a nutritional quality point of view because they are a source of fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt. A high intake of these foods is considered a major risk factor for the development of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, among others. This study aimed to develop a branded food database for bakery and pastry products, to assess the current situation on nutritional quality and to define further needs in terms of reformulation. Between January and March of 2023, a branded food database with data for 1062 products was developed by compiling the existing information on the websites of major supermarket chains available in Portugal and websites of manufacturers and retailers. The collected information was analysed regarding: i) evaluation of nutritional adequacy; ii) application of traffic light system; and iii) application of Nutri-score. After data cleaning and checking the absence of nutrition declaration, 966 foods were evaluated. Salt was above 0.3 g/100 g in 88.7% of the products and sugars were higher than 5 g/100 g in 79.1% of the products, which are goals of the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, in Portugal. In the traffic light label analysis, the following percentages of foods are marked with red, meaning a high content: 53.5% for fat, 56.8% for saturated fatty acids, 53.9% for sugars and 9.4% for salt. According to Nutri-Score, 34.6% of the products are classified as “E” and 36.7% as “D”, indicating the poorest nutritional foods. It is of utmost importance to follow up this study and include other categories of foods. Moreover, strategies for the reformulation of bakery and pastry products to promote public health are still needed.