Eleventh International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This is a descriptive study in which 200 products were selected and bought in supermarkets and small shops. The products were classified in four groups: cereal snacks, tuber snacks, nut snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Our results show that beverages had an average of 8.9 mg of sugar/100 ml, and more than 40% had more than 10g per 100ml. The average sugar content in cereal snacks was 22.06 g/100 g and the average sodium content was 311.91 mg /100 g. Thirty percent of these cereal-based snacks provided more than 10 g of sugar. The average content in fruit and nut snacks was 12.6 g of sugar/100 g and the average sodium content was 250.6 mg /100g. Twenty percent provided up to 456.4 kcal/100 g, while other 20% exceeded the total caloric reference values. The average content in tuber snacks was 10.2 g of fat /100 g and 451.00 mg/100g of sodium. Forty percent of these products provided 408 mg of sodium, the other 60% exceeded the minimum limit allowed by Peruvian standards for Fats Sodium Sugar nutrients (400 mg per 100 g of product). Most of the analysed snacks were high in sodium. Based on our results, there is an urgent need to continue public health efforts to help consumers consider and improve their choices.