Processed foods: from where we are to where we need to go?

Comunicação oral a conviteIntroduction: In the last decades, with the industrialization and globalization of food systems, food processing has grown rapidly, contributing to the wide variety of foods, with different health impacts. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly looking for processed foods, which are practical, tasty, attractive, and economic. The inadequate consumption of this type of food is associated with the early development of noncommunicable diseases. It is estimated that inadequate eating habits contribute, in the Portuguese population, to the loss of 15.4% of healthy life years. The Portuguese population has an average salt intake of 10.3 g/day, which is more than the double of WHO recommendations, and it is linked with hypertension, a Public Health concern. Regarding trans fats, since the nineties, the occurrence data for Portuguese foods was not updated. The main objectives of this work were to develop and deepen the scientific knowledge regarding the nutritional quality and safety of processed foods; to deepen knowledge about the formation, occurrence and mitigation of potentially carcinogenic and toxic compounds; and to contribute with fundamental information for the implementation of food and nutrition policies aiming to improve the health and nutritional status of the population. Materials and Methods: Around 300 processed foods were acquired in the main commercial surfaces, fast-food restaurants, pastries and bakery stores of Portugal. The selected foods were evaluated concerning salt, fat and fatty acids composition; influence of cooking methods on overall nutritional quality, accuracy of labelling information and potentially carcinogenic and toxic compounds occurrence. Results: The obtained results allowed to conclude that trans fats content decreased over the years; the contents of salt and saturated fat are still high; more data on the influence of cooking methods on the nutritional quality and safety of processed foods is needed. Nevertheless, it is notable that food industry is making efforts to enhance the overall quality of their products and the information provided to consumers by means of the label. Discussion and Conclusions: The results reported wherein will be used as a starting point to know the current amount of salt, saturated and trans fats in processed foods commercialized in Portugal, as well as to monitor how their reduction in processed foods is being achieved, or to evaluate the current intake of these nutrients by the Portuguese population. Due to the high consumption of processed foods by the different age groups of the population, and their impact on health, it is fundamental to promote strategies that involve the food industry and authorities with responsibilities in Public Health and Human Nutrition, aiming to contribute to safer and nutritionally balanced processed foods.This work was funded by INSA, I.P. under the project “PTranSALT (2012DAN828)” and UID/QUI/50006/2019 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds. T. G. Albuquerque is grateful for PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/99718/2014) funded by FCT, FSE and MEC.N/