Increased contribution of ultra-processed food products in the Brazilian diet (1987-2009)

Martins, Ana Paula Bortoletto; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Moubarac, Jean Claude; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

doi:10.1590/S0034-8910.2013047004968

OBJECTIVE

To establish temporal trends in household food and drink consumption in Brazil, taking into account the extent and purpose of its industrial processing.

METHODS

Data was obtained from Household Budget Surveys conducted in Brazil in 1987-1988, 1995-1996, 2002-2003 and 2008-2009. In all surveys, probabilistic samples of households in the metropolitan areas were studied and, for the last two surveys, the scope was national. The units of analysis were food purchases records of clusters of households. The purchased food items were divided according to the extent and purpose of their industrial processing into: ‘in natura’ or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients and ready-to-consume, processed and ultra-processed food and drink products. The quantity of each item was converted into energy. For each survey, the daily availability of calories per capita and the caloric share of the food groups were estimated. For the national surveys, estimates were calculated by income quintiles. Temporal trends were assessed using linear regression models and difference of means tests.

RESULTS

The caloric share of ready-to-consume products significantly increased between 2002-2003 and 2008-2009 (from 23.0% to 27.8% of total calories), mainly because of the increase in the consumption of ultra-processed products (20.8% to 25.4%). In the same period, there was a significant reduction in the caloric share of foods and culinary ingredients. The increase in the ultra-processed products caloric share occurred across all income quintiles. There was an uniform increase in the caloric share of ready-to-consume products in the metropolitan areas, mostly in place of ultra-processed products, accompanied by a decrease in the share of ‘in natura’ or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients.

CONCLUSIONS

The share of ultra-processed products significantly increased in the Brazilian diet, as seen in the metropolitan areas since the 1980s, and confirmed at a national level in the 2000s.

Food Consumption; Prepared Foods; Fast Foods; Diet Surveys

[1] Correspondence
: Ana Paula Bortoletto Martins. Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715. 01246-904 São Paulo, SP, Brasil. E-mail: anapbmartins@gmail.com

Food items	Period

	2002-2003		2008-2009

	Mean	SE	Mean	SE

In natura or minimally processed	41.8	0.4	40.2 ^a	0.3
Rice	16.8	0.5	15.6	0.3
Beans	6.0	0.2	5.0 ^a	0.1
Meat (not fish)	8.8	0.2	8.9	0.1
Milk and natural yoghurt	5.0	0.1	4.5 ^a	0.1
Fruit	1.9	0.1	2.2 ^a	0.0
Roots and tubers	1.0	0.0	1.0	0.0
Vegetables	0.7	0.0	0.7 ^a	0.0
Fish	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.0
Eggs	0.3	0.0	0.7 ^a	0.0
Other in natura or minimally processed item ^b	0.7	0.0	0.6	0.0
Processed culinary ingredients	35.2	0.6	32.0 ^a	0.5
Table sugar	11.8	0.3	10.8 ^a	0.2
Vegetable oil	11.4	0.3	10.8	0.2
Cassava flour	3.5	0.4	2.7	0.2
Wheat flour	2.6	0.3	1.9 ^a	0.1
Pasta	2.5	0.0	2.3	0.0
Animal fats (butter, lard and cream)	0.9	0.1	0.7 ^a	0.0
Other processed culinary ingredient ^c	2.4	0.2	2.3	0.1
Ready-to-consume products	23.0	0.7	27.8 ^a	0.6
Processed	2.2	0.1	2.4 ^a	0.1
Cheese	1.0	0.1	1.1 ^a	0.0
Cured/salted meat	1.0	0.0	1.0	0.0
Preserved fruit and vegetables	0.1	0.0	0.2 ^a	0.0
Ultra-processed products	20.8	0.6	25.4 ^a	0.6
Bread	7.3	0.3	8.4 ^a	0.3
Biscuits, cakes and tarts	2.6	0.1	3.1 ^a	0.1
Ice-cream, chocolate and other sweets	1.7	0.1	2.2 ^a	0.1
Crackers and savory snacks	1.5	0.1	1.6	0.0
Soft drinks	1.5	0.1	1.6	0.0
Other sugary drinks	0.4	0.0	0.8 ^a	0.0
Sausages	1.9	0.1	2.4 ^a	0.1
Ready meals and tinned, frozen or dried foods	1.5	0.1	2.4 ^a	0.1
Sauces and stocks	2.0	0.1	2.2 ^a	0.1
Breakfast cereal	0.5	0.0	0.7 ^a	0.0
All items	100.0		100.0

Group	Income quintile	Period

		2002-2003		2008-2009

		Mean	SE	Mean	SE

In natura or minimally processed foods
	1 ^st quintile	43.5	1.2	43.6	1.0
	2 ^nd quintile	44.5	0.8	41.9 ^a	0.7
	3 ^rd quintile	42.0	0.8	40.7	0.7
	4 ^th quintile	41.1	0.6	38.4 ^a	0.6
	5 ^th quintile	37.6	0.1	36.1 ^a	0.6
Processed culinary ingredients
	1 ^st quintile	41.7	1.0	38.2 ^a	0.8
	2 ^nd quintile	37.6	1.0	33.6 ^a	0.6
	3 ^rd quintile	36.9	1.0	30.0 ^a	1.2
	4 ^th quintile	31.7	1.2	31.6	0.7
	5 ^th quintile	28.2	0.9	26.5 ^a	0.8
Processed and ultra-processed products
	1 ^st quintile	14.7	0.9	18.1 ^a	0.9
	2 ^nd quintile	17.9	1.1	24.4 ^a	0.9
	3 ^rd quintile	21.1	1.0	29.3 ^a	1.2
	4 ^th quintile	27.2	1.0	30.0 ^a	0.7
	5 ^th quintile	34.2	1.0	37.4 ^a	0.9
Processed products
	1 ^st quintile	1.5	0.1	1.5	0.1
	2 ^nd quintile	1.5	0.1	2.1 ^a	0.1
	3 ^rd quintile	1.8	0.2	2.3 ^a	0.1
	4 ^th quintile	2.4	0.2	2.3	0.1
	5 ^th quintile	3.5	0.2	3.7 ^a	0.2
Ultra-processed products
	1 ^st quintile	13.2	0.9	16.6 ^a	0.9
	2 ^nd quintile	16.4	1.1	22.4 ^a	0.9
	3 ^rd quintile	19.3	1.1	26.9 ^a	1.1
	4 ^th quintile	24.8	0.9	27.7 ^a	0.7
	5 ^th quintile	30.7	0.9	33.8 ^a	0.8