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Added sugars and ultra-processed foods in Spanish households (1990–2010)

Abstract

Background/objectives

To study the association between ultra-processed foods acquisitions and added sugar content of total food purchases in Spanish households in 2010. Changes over time (1990–2000–2010) in ultra-processed food purchases and added sugars content of total food purchases are also compared.

Subjects/methods

We used data from three nationally representative Household Budget Surveys (HBS) conducted in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Number of studied households was 21,012, 33,730 and 22,116, respectively. Purchased foods and drinks were classified according to NOVA food groups as ultra-processed foods, processed foods, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, or processed culinary ingredients.

Linear and Poisson regressions were used to estimate the association between quintiles of energy contribution of ultra-processed foods and added sugars contents of total food purchases in 2010.

Changes over time were assessed using tests of linear trend and Student’s t test.

Results

In 2010, ultra-processed foods represented 31.7% of daily energy acquisitions and 80.4% of all added sugars. Added sugars content of food purchases raised from 7.3% in the lowest to 18.2% in the highest quintiles of energy contribution of ultra-processed foods. The risk of exceeding 10% energy from added sugars quadrupled between the lowest and highest quintiles.

The percentage of ultra-processed foods on all food purchases almost tripled between 1990 and 2010 (from 11.0 to 31.7%), paralleling the increase of added sugars content (from 8.4 to 13.0%).

Conclusions

Cutting down exceeding added sugars availability in Spain may require a reduction in ultra-processed food purchasing.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Larissa Galastri Baraldi, Renata Bertazzi Levy, Ana Paula Bortoletto Martins for their help in data management and analysis.

Funding

This research received funding from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Edital MCTI/CNPq/Universal (Processo CNPq nº 443477/2014-0) and from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Processo FAPESP nº 2015/14900-9).

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Correspondence to C. A. Monteiro.

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41430_2017_39_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Supplementary Table 1. NOVA food classification based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing (adapted from 1,2)

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Latasa, P., Louzada, M., Martinez Steele, E. et al. Added sugars and ultra-processed foods in Spanish households (1990–2010). Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 1404–1412 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-017-0039-0

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