Impact of a Cooking Intervention on the Cooking Skills of Adult Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To investigate the impact of the Nutrition and Culinary in the Kitchen (NCK) Program on the cooking skills of Brazilian individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A randomized controlled intervention study was performed, with intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in weekly sessions of the NCK Program for six weeks (including two in-person practical cooking and three online cooking workshops).

Market-driven fortification of vitamins and minerals in packaged foods targeted at children in Brazil.

This study aimed to characterise the market-driven fortification of vitamins and minerals in packaged foods targeted at children in Brazil. We analysed 535 food labels using data collected in a census-type method (n = 5620) of food labels in a Brazilian supermarket in 2013. Micronutrients declared in nutrition claims and the ingredients list (synthetic compounds) were considered to be added for commercial purposes.

Use of the term whole grain on the label of processed and ultra-processed foods based on cereals and pseudocereals in Brazil.

There has been an increasing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, accompanied by growing concerns about the relationship between diet quality and health. Whole-grain foods, composed of cereals and pseudocereals, are recommended as part of a healthy diet, and food labeling is an important tool for consumers to identify the presence of whole grains in packaged foods. This study aimed to analyze the use of the term whole grain on the label of processed and ultra-processed foods based on cereals and pseudocereals (amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat) in Brazil.

Consumers' Response to Sugar Label Formats in Packaged Foods: A Multi-Methods Study in Brazil.

Providing information about the sugar content of packaged foods on product labels is an important strategy to lower consumers' sugar intake. This study assessed the effect of exposure to different sugar labels on consumers' understanding of the sugar content of foods and their food choices. In the first phase, five focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of Brazilian adults to explore their perceptions about food labelling in general and sugar labelling in particular.

University Students' Knowledge and Perceptions About Concepts, Recommendations, and Health Effects of Added Sugars.

It is recommended to limit added sugars to below 10% of the daily energy intake, as excessive consumption has been associated with several chronic non-communicable diseases. This exploratory qualitative study used focus groups to investigate the knowledge and perception of Brazilian university students about added sugars concepts, consumption recommendations, and health effects. Focus groups were led by a moderator using a semi-structured discussion guide.

Trans-Fat Labeling in Packaged Foods Sold in Brazil Before and After Changes in Regulatory Criteria for Trans-Fat-Free Claims on Food Labels.

Consumption of industrially produced trans-fat acids (TFA) is a public health concern. Therefore, it is important that information on TFA in packaged foods be clearly informed to consumers. This study aimed to assess the evolution of TFA information presented in packaged foods sold in Brazil in 2010 and 2013, before and after the introduction of stricter regulatory requirements for TFA-free claims on food labels.

Food additives in childhood: a review on consumption and health consequences.

Objective: To discuss the context of scientific publications on the consumption of food additives by children and the possible health consequences in this age group.

Methods: A literature review, with a search carried out between April 2020 and April 2021 in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar databases, as well as in websites of Brazilian and foreign official bodies. Official documents and studies published since 2000 were selected.

How was the cooking skills and healthy eating evaluation questionnaire culturally adapted to Brazil?

The study described the cross-cultural adaptation process of the American Cooking Skills and Healthy Eating questionnaire to Brazil. Six stages were followed: Translation; Synthesis of translations; Back-translations; Expert Committee; Synthesis of final version; and the Pretest (self-administered online questionnaire in a Brazilian University). Participants responded to the translated questionnaire twice for test-retest.

The adaptation, validation, and application of a methodology for estimating the added sugar content of packaged food products when total and added sugar labels are not mandatory.

Nutrition policies recommend limiting the intake of added sugars. Information about added sugar content is not provided on packaged foods in Brazil, and even total sugar content information is often absent. This study aimed to (i) adapt a systematic methodology for estimating added sugar content in packaged foods when information on total and added sugar contents is not mandatory on labels, (ii) apply the adapted methodology to a Brazilian food composition database to estimate the extent of added sugar content in the national food supply, and (iii) assess the validity of the adapted methodology.

Vegetable Consumption and Factors Associated with Increased Intake among College Students: A Scoping Review of the Last 10 Years.

Vegetable consumption is a predictor for improved health outcomes, such as reduced obesity and likelihood of food-related noncommunicable diseases. Young adults are a key population, being in a transitional stage-of-life: Habits gained here are taken through the lifespan. This review establishes insight into the consumption of vegetables among young adults during their college/university years, and factors associated with increased consumption.

Use of added sugars in packaged foods sold in Brazil.

Objective: Studies have shown that the consumption of added sugars may be associated with harmful health effects. The present study investigated the presence and types of added sugars in packaged foods.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the presence and types of added sugars in the ingredients lists of packaged foods sold in a major Brazilian supermarket.

Positive impact of a cooking skills intervention among Brazilian university students: Six months follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the Nutrition and Culinary in the Kitchen (NCK) Program to evaluate the improvement of cooking skills and healthy eating of university students.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with six months follow-up was used incorporating an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG participated in the NCK program over a six-week period, three hours weekly, based on five hands-on cooking classes and one food market visit, while CG continued their usual activities.

A label survey to identify ingredients potentially containing GM organisms to estimate intake exposure in Brazil.

Objective: To identify ingredients from products and by-products derived from GM crops in packaged food products and to analyse the presence of these ingredients in the foods most commonly consumed by the Brazilian population.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A search of the scientific literature to identify the use of products and by-products derived from GM crops in foods in Brazil and a study of food labels in a supermarket belonging to one of the ten largest supermarket chains in Brazil.

Nutrition and Culinary in the Kitchen Program: a randomized controlled intervention to promote cooking skills and healthy eating in university students - study protocol.

Background: Community-based intervention studies that aim at developing cooking skills have increased in the scientific literature and are related to healthier food practices. However, methodological limitations are observed and only a few studies have university students as the target. The university entrance period has been related to negative changes in eating habits among young people and it represents an important period for developing interventions for health promotion.

Where are the low-calorie sweeteners? An analysis of the presence and types of low-calorie sweeteners in packaged foods sold in Brazil from food labelling.

Objective: Studies have shown that consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) may be associated with harmful health effects. The current study investigated the presence and types of LCS added to packaged foods.

Design: Cross-sectional study analysing the presence and types of LCS in the ingredients lists of packaged foods sold at a major Brazilian supermarket.

Comparison of the nutritional content of products, with and without nutrient claims, targeted at children in Brazil.

Many children's food products highlight positive attributes on their front-of-package labels in the form of nutrient claims. This cross-sectional study investigated all retailed packaged foods (n 5620) in a major Brazilian supermarket, in order to identify the availability of products targeted at children, and to compare the nutritional content of products with and without nutrient claims on labels. Data on energy, carbohydrate, protein, fibre, Na and total and SFA content, along with the presence and type of nutrient claims, were obtained in-store from labels of all products.

Sodium content on processed foods for snacks.

Objective: To assess the Na content reported on the labels of processed foods sold in Brazil that are usually consumed as snacks by children and adolescents.

Design: Cross-sectional study that assessed Na content and serving size reporting on processed food labels.

Setting: A supermarket that is part of a large chain in Brazil.

Sodium content and labelling of processed and ultra-processed food products marketed in Brazil.

Objective: To analyse the Na content and labelling of processed and ultra-processed food products marketed in Brazil.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A large supermarket in Florianopolis, southern Brazil.

Nutritional variables and work-related accidents: a case-control study.

Background: Nutritional aspects are important for the prevention of diseases and disorders, and few studies have focused on the relationship between risk of work injury and nutritional variables.

Objective: This study aimed to verify whether nutritional variables constitute risk factors for work-related accidents.

Participants: 1,422 industrial workers (600 cases plus 822 controls).

[Profile of the rice and beans food option when eating away from home at a buffet-by-weight restaurant].

The scope of this cross-sectional study was to describe the prevalence and factors associated with the choice of rice and beans (CRB) among diners in a buffet-by-weight restaurant. Data on anthropometric, socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics as well as weight and photographic record of the dishes chosen by the diner were collected. The representative sample consisted of 675 luncheon diners, aged between 16 and 81.

Availability and price of food products with and without trans fatty acids in food stores around elementary schools in low- and medium-income neighborhoods.

The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between the price and availability of food products with and without trans fatty acids in food stores near elementary schools located in low- and medium-income neighborhoods of a Brazilian city. The supply of products containing trans fatty acids was higher in both regions, and these products were also cheaper. It is noteworthy that this availability may influence food choices and, consequently, the health status of children and adolescents, since this population is more likely to buy less-healthy foods when these are more available, accessible, and financially attractive.

[Intake recommendations and labeling of trans fat in processed foods in Brazil: analysis of official documents].

Consumption of trans fat has been proven to be harmful to human health. This lipid is found mainly in partially hydrogenated vegetable fat, which is widely used in processed foods. The aim of this study was to analyze official publications on maximum limits for consumption of trans fat and the regulations for its mandatory notification on the nutritional labeling of processed foods in Brazil.

Gauging food and nutritional care quality in hospitals.

Background: Food and nutritional care quality must be assessed and scored, so as to improve health institution efficacy. This study aimed to detect and compare actions related to food and nutritional care quality in public and private hospitals.

Methods: Investigation of the Hospital Food and Nutrition Service (HFNS) of 37 hospitals by means of structured interviews assessing two quality control corpora, namely nutritional care quality (NCQ) and hospital food service quality (FSQ).

Overweight/obesity is associated with food choices related to rice and beans, colors of salads, and portion size among consumers at a restaurant serving buffet-by-weight in Brazil.

The present study investigated the prevalence of overweight/obesity and its relationship with behavioral and food choice characteristics among consumers at a restaurant serving buffet-by-weight in the city of Florianopolis, southern Brazil, during lunch time. An analytical cross-sectional survey of 675 consumers aged 16-81 years was conducted. The measures included anthropometric, socio-demographic, and behavioral characteristics, as well as portion size and a photographic record of the plate chosen by the consumer.