Browsing by Author "Corvalan, Camila"

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    Food additives in Latin America: a descriptive analysis of the packaged food supply in five countries
    (2025) Zancheta, Camila; Grilo, Mariana; Ayala, Salvador; Duran, Ana; Canella, Daniela; Mora, Mercedes; Ulloa, Victoria; Tolentino, Lizbeth; Reyes, Marcela; Corvalan, Camila
    Background: Latin America is distinguished by diverse regulatory frameworks and evolving dietary patterns, including the weakening of traditional diets and the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Predominantly produced by transnational corporations, UPFs rely heavily on food additives to achieve desirable sensory properties (e.g., flavor, color), ensure food safety, and extend shelf life. ​Over the past decade, research has increasingly shown that higher consumption of UPFs is associated with poor health outcomes, and food additives have emerged as a potential mechanism underlying this association. However, few studies have systematically analyzed the presence of food additives in the food supply. This study aimed to assess the distribution and patterns of food additives in packaged foods from five Latin American countries. Methods: Data were obtained from packaged foods and beverages sold in supermarkets in Brazil (2017; n = 9,673), Mexico (2017; n = 15,846), Chile (2018; n = 13,913), Colombia (2018; n = 8,282), and Ecuador (2019; n = 2,083). We used the list of ingredients to search for food additives described in the Codex Alimentarius. We assessed the prevalence of specific food additives, categorized their functional classes, and applied exploratory factor analysis to identify patterns of food additive use, overall and in each country. Results: Food additives were present in over 75% of the studied products, ranging from 76.1% in Colombia to 84.0% in Ecuador. Food categories with the highest prevalence of additives (> 90%) included confectionery, dairy products, bakery items, and meat products. Most products contained two or more additives (64.3%); nearly 10% contained ten or more. We observed consistent results on the most used additives (i.e., flavorings, citric acid, phosphates, and lecithin) and patterns of food additives used across countries, although differences were observed in the use of specific additives, particularly low-calorie sweeteners and colorings. Conclusion: Food additives are widely used in the packaged food supply of Latin American countries, and variations in the use of specific food additives likely reflect differences in regulatory frameworks, industry practices, and consumer preferences across countries. Given the increasing concern about the potential health effects of food additives, there is an urgent need to strengthen monitoring efforts and further investigate population-level exposures and associated health outcomes.
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    Uso de la información del envase de alimentos en Chile: análisis nacional con enfoque en responsables de niñas y niños menores de 5 años
    (2025) Orellana, Romina; Soto, Carla; Quintiliano-Scarpelli, Daiana; Pemjean, Isabel; Corvalan, Camila; Zancheta, Camila
    Objetivos: Describir el uso de información del envase para selección de alimentos por personas adultas en Chile y verificar su asociación con varia- bles sociodemográficas y con ser responsable de niños/as. Métodos: Estudio transversal basado en datos secundarios de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud (ENS) 2016-2017. Fueron incluidas las personas mayores de 18 años e identificadas las responsables de niños/as de entre 7 meses y 5 años. Se analizó el uso de ingredientes, información nutricional, sellos de advertencia, mensajes saludables, marca y precio en la decisión de compra de alimentos (SÍ: siempre, casi siempre, algunas veces; NO: rara vez, nunca). Las asociaciones fueron verificadas con modelos de regresión logística, ajustados por variables sociodemográficas. Resultados: Las informaciones más utilizadas fueron el precio (71,3%) y la marca (62,2%), seguidas de los sellos de advertencia (55,4%). La tabla nutricional fue la menos utilizada (43,3%). El uso frecuente de las informaciones del envase se relacionó con el sexo femenino, mayor educación y renta y con residencia en zona urbana. El 11,2% de los/as participantes eran responsables de niños/as, mayo- ritariamente mujeres (85,2%). No se observaron diferencias en el uso de las informaciones del envase entre las personas responsables de niños/as. Conclusiones: Tras la implementación de la ley, los sellos de advertencia se convirtieron en una fuente importante de información para la compra. Aunque la legislación se enfoca en la protección de menores de 14 años, no se encontró uso diferencial del envase por responsables de niños/as, lo que puede relacionarse con factores intrafamiliares y sociales que influyen en esas decisiones.

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