Relationship among serving size information, household measurements and trans fat on the labels of food products

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.2013373299311

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the presence of trans fat, serving size information and household
measurements reported on the labels of processed and ultra-processed food products. We analyzed the nutritional information
on the labels of food products sold in a supermarket in Florianópolis-SC, Brazil. The presence of trans fat was
assessed in the nutritional information and verified by the citation of components with trans fat in the ingredients list,
making it possible to calculate the prevalence of false negatives. We estimated the prevalence of foods with trans fat and
false negatives. We also analyzed the association between the fractionalization of household measurements, the presence
of trans fat and serving size with the chi-square test, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant. The results showed that
half of the 1,855 foods analyzed presented trans fat in the ingredients list. The percentage of false negatives was 32.8%. A
higher prevalence of household measurement fractionalization was observed in foods with trans fat in the ingredients list
and in the false negatives, especially among foods with appropriate serving sizes or those < 70% of the size recommended
by Brazilian legislation. Very small serving sizes and household measurement fractionalization may be being used to mask
the presence of trans fat in nutrition information. Thus, there is a need to revise Brazilian legislation to reflect the recommendation
of eliminating trans fat and to improve serving size and household measurement information on the labels of
processed foods.