Alimentos à base de cereais industrializados destinados a crianças menores de 36 meses: uma análise da rotulagem

Abstract

It is estimated that cereal-based foods intended for infant nutrition are the second most available industrialized food for children under 36 months. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the labeling of these foods in the city of Natal-RN, aiming to determine whether these foods comply with the guidelines that regulate products intended for baby food. In this study, processed cereal-type foods intended for children under 36 months available in stores in Natal-RN were evaluated. The data extracted from the label was analyzed according to the type of processing using the Nova classification and based on current Brazilian legislation on composition, messages on labels and other regulations. Of the 25 cereal-based foods for children under 36 months analyzed, all were ultra-processed and presented inadequacies regarding the presence of humanized images. Inadequacies were also found regarding the absence of the list of ingredients headed by the phrase “ingredients after preparation” and protein content for dehydrated cereals without milk. These results suggest the need for continuous monitoring of industrialized products, with the aim of establishing strategies to protect breastfeeding and the introduction of healthy foods, as advised by the Ministry of Health.