You may have already started to see a magnifying glass on the labels of processed foods warning about their high content of saturated fat, added sugar or sodium. But do you know what that is?
The food label is the manufacturer's main way of communicating with you, the consumer. That's where he tells you what's inside this little package that you're going to take home. But a lot of people don't read labels because they think it's too complicated.
To make our lives easier, after years of discussion with scientists, nutritionists and others interested in helping people make healthier choices, ANVISA decided to change the legislation on food labels. These changes came into effect in October 2022, and now, a year later, there are still many people who don't understand these changes.
The most visible change is the presence of this magnifying glass with black rectangles, which draws attention to excess saturated fat, added sugar or sodium in food. We already know that these three can be the biggest villains in our diet if consumed in excess, right? The purpose of the magnifying glass is precisely to draw your attention so that you can better reflect on your diet.
According to the new rules, a food product must present this magnifying glass for each component if the food has more than the limit shown in the table below:
Saturated fat is a more rigid type of fat that can increase the level of bad cholesterol and, when in excess, has been linked to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. 6g of saturated fat is equivalent to a dessert spoon of lard.
Added sugar means it is not the natural sugar in food, cane sugar has been added, like when we make a cake at home. Its excess consumption has been linked to diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, cancer and diabetes, in addition to increasing the general level of inflammation in the body, causing chronic pain, fatigue, digestive problems and skin problems. 15g of sugar is equivalent to 1 full tablespoon.
Sodium, found in table salt, when consumed in excess can cause high blood pressure, stroke, dementia, osteoporosis, swelling in the body and can also increase the risk of various diseases. 600 mg of sodium is equivalent to 1 ½ sachet of 1g of salt.
Remember that these quantities are a recommendation per 100g of processed food. But, what is the daily recommendation for these components? How do you know if you are eating well, without excesses of these dangerous components?
The most used table for daily nutrient recommendations is the table from the FDA - Food and Drug Administration, the US government body that controls food and medicines, and the Americans' ANVISA. The latest update to this table recommends the following values for daily recommendations:
To have a healthy diet we need to know what we are eating. Read the label! Processed foods are not always bad. The main objectives of food industrialization are to preserve food for longer periods and make people's lives easier. Nowadays, a third objective is to do this by offering healthy, quality food.
Potybá products do not need a magnifying glass because they do not contain excess sugar, fat or sodium.
Remembering that a healthy diet combined with an exercise routine is the secret to a long and comfortable life.
Comment if you read the label of the food you eat!
Recommended readings:
Guia alimentar para a população Brasileira – Ministério da Saúde
FDA Recommended Daily Values
A importância de ler o rótulo dos alimentos – Análise crítica de uma nutricionista
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