Ultra-processed foods and the nutritional dietary profile in Brazil

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.

研究目的：评估超加工食品（ultra-processed foods）摄入对巴西居民膳食营养结构的影响。
研究方法：本研究为横断面研究，采用2008-2009年巴西家庭收支调查（Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares，POF）的个体食物消费模块数据。研究样本覆盖巴西10岁及以上人群，共纳入32898名受试者。采用两份24小时食物记录（24-hour food records）评估食物摄入情况。将摄入食物分为三类：天然或最低限度加工食品（natural or minimally processed foods，包括以此类食物为基底的烹饪制品）、加工食品以及超加工食品。
研究结果：巴西居民人均每日能量摄入均值为1866千卡，其中69.5%的能量由天然或最低限度加工食品提供，9.0%由加工食品提供，21.5%由超加工食品提供。与天然或最低限度加工食品摄入组分相比，超加工食品摄入组分具有更高的能量密度、总脂肪含量、饱和脂肪与反式脂肪含量以及游离糖水平，而膳食纤维、蛋白质、钠与钾的含量更低。相较于加工食品组，超加工食品整体营养特征更不利于健康。膳食中超加工食品占比越高，整体膳食营养结构越差。摄入较少超加工食品的巴西居民（钠摄入除外），其膳食营养指标更接近健康膳食的国际推荐标准。
研究结论：本研究结果凸显了巴西当前将以天然或最低限度加工食品为基础的传统膳食替换为超加工食品的趋势对健康造成的损害。本研究结果同样支持避免摄入此类食品的健康建议。