Assessment of sodium content and labelling of commercial snack in accordance with RDC 26/2015 on allergens

Abstract Extruded snack foods are consumed worldwide due to the variety of shapes, textures and flavors, in addition to the convenience in consumption. However, most formulations have a reduced biological value and high levels of sodium chloride (NaCl). Currently, in Brazil, in addition to nutritional information, it is necessary to inform the consumer about the presence of allergenic foods. Some requirements on this subject were established by RDC No. 26 of July from 2015. Since the regularization of RDC No. 26/2015, there has been a lack of studies focusing on the evaluation of the labeling of various foods, including snacks. Thus, the present study had two objectives: to verify the labels of snacks of different commercial brands according to RDC No. 26 of 2015 on allergens, and to determine the sodium content and compare it with the description in the nutritional information provided on the packaging of products. The evaluation of the labelling of extruded snacks found non-conformities in four brands of the sixteen analyzed. Based on RDC No. 26 of 2015 on food allergens, it was found that there was a lack of mandatory information related to allergenic ingredients, such as wheat flour. It was found that 87.5% of snacks contained some allergens and that only 68.75% of the labels were in accordance with RDC No. 26/2015. In addition, it was identified that most of the labels lacked information on cross-contamination by allergens in the processing of the products. Regarding the sodium analysis, the results obtained by flame atomic absorption spectrometry showed that in most samples, the sodium concentration was high and that it differed from the values indicated in the nutritional table of the packages. Therefore, the high addition of sodium in the form of sodium chloride in the extruded snacks may contribute to exceeding the recommended daily intake and, consequently, increase the availability for risks of cardiovascular and coronary diseases, among others, associated with the excessive consumption of NaCl.

摘要：挤压膨化零食因造型多样、口感丰富、风味各异且食用便捷，在全球范围内广受欢迎。但多数配方的生物学价值偏低，且氯化钠（sodium chloride, NaCl）含量较高。目前在巴西，除需标注营养信息外，还须向消费者告知致敏食品的存在。2015年7月发布的RDC第26号决议就此制定了相关要求。自RDC第26/2015号决议正式施行以来，针对包括零食在内的各类食品标签合规性评估的研究仍较为匮乏。因此本研究设置两大目标：一是依据2015年RDC第26号决议，对不同商业品牌零食的过敏原标签合规性进行核查；二是测定样品的钠含量，并将其与产品包装营养信息中标注的数值进行比对。对挤压膨化零食标签的评估显示，16个受检品牌中有4个存在标签不合规问题。依据2015年RDC第26号关于食品过敏原的规定，研究发现部分产品缺失小麦粉等致敏成分的强制标注信息。结果表明，87.5%的零食含有致敏成分，仅68.75%的标签符合RDC第26/2015号决议要求。此外，多数标签未标注产品加工过程中因交叉污染带来的致敏原风险信息。采用火焰原子吸收光谱法对钠含量进行分析后发现，多数样品的钠浓度偏高，且与包装营养表中标注的数值存在偏差。综上，挤压膨化零食中以氯化钠形式添加的过量钠元素，可能导致消费者每日摄入量超标，进而增加罹患心血管疾病、冠状动脉疾病等与过量摄入氯化钠相关疾病的风险。