Use of the term whole grain on the label of processed and ultra-processed foods based on cereals and pseudocereals in Brazil.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational audit of product packaging (design analogy).
PubMed 36046127 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.875913
What was done
The authors performed a census of food labels from 1,004 processed and ultra-processed cereal- and pseudocereal-based packaged foods (including amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat) in a Brazilian supermarket. Foods were categorized into eight regulatory groups, and labels were evaluated for the presence of the term "whole grain" or related claims on front packaging. The order of whole-grain ingredients in the ingredients list (which by Brazilian law reflects descending order by weight) was assessed and analyzed across groups using Pearson's chi-squared test.
What was found
Of the 1,004 evaluated foods, 156 (15.6%) carried whole-grain claims on the front label: 98 (9.8%) used "whole grain," 25 (2.5%) used analogous terms, and 33 (3.3%) used both, primarily within bakery/bread/cereal goods and sugary foods/snacks. Among foods featuring whole-grain claims on the front label, 50% did not have a whole-grain ingredient listed as the primary (first) ingredient, with whole grains appearing even less frequently in the second and third positions.
Why it matters
Front-of-package whole-grain claims frequently do not correspond to whole grains being the predominant ingredient in processed foods. These findings highlight regulatory gaps in front-of-pack claims that may mislead consumers seeking healthier whole-grain dietary choices.
Limits
Data were collected from a single supermarket census, which may not capture the entire Brazilian packaged food market or regional retail variations. The study assessed ingredient order rather than precise quantitative percentages of whole-grain content.
Cited by
- supports Ingredients on packaged food ingredient lists are legally ordered by weight, with the predominant ingredient listed first.