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- Examining the relationship between sugar content, packaging features, and food claims of breakfast cerealsPublication . Prada, Marília; Saraiva, Magda; Viegas, Cláudia; Cavalheiro, Bernardo; Garrido, MargaridaExcessive free-sugar intake has become highly prevalent in numerous countries, and Portugal is not the exception. One product category that contributes to the daily intake of free sugars is breakfast cereals. In the current work, we identified 289 exemplars from two major retailers in Portugal and collected information on their nutritional profile (e.g., sugar, salt, fiber per 100 g), price, packaging features, type of food claims present (e.g., statements about the composition, sensory features, the origin of the product), and ingredients list. Overall, the sugar content of breakfast cereals was high (Mean = 19.9 g), and less than 10% of the products complied with the current national guidelines (i.e., 5 g of sugar per 100 g of product). Sugar (or other sugar sources) was listed in the top three ingredients for over 85% of the products. On average, each product included about four claims (Mean = 3.9), and sugar content was lower when the claims were related to the product composition. Critically, the sugar content was particularly high for children-oriented products (Mean = 26.4 g). Correlation analysis showed that breakfast cereals with higher sugar content also were cheaper and had lower quantities of fiber, proteins, and salt. Our findings suggest the need to implement strategies to reduce sugar in this product category (e.g., incentivize manufacturers to reformulate products). Also, our results may inform strategies aimed at promoting consumers' awareness about the sugar content in breakfast cereals and other processed foods, facilitating healthier decision-making.
- Nutritional profile and consumers’ perceptions of cereal barsPublication . Saraiva, Magda; Garrido, Margarida Vaz; Viegas, Cláudia; Prada, MaríliaThe fast pace of our daily lives often prompts consumers to seek convenient and ready-to-eat snacks, such as cereal bars. This work aims to characterize the cereal bars available in the Portuguese market (Study 1), as well as consumers’ perceptions of different types of these products (Study 2). First, we collected data (e.g. nutritional information, price) on 277 cereal bars from two major Portuguese retailers. The results indicated that most of these products do not comply with the current guidelines for key nutrients like sugar, fat, and salt. Second, using an online survey, we asked participants (N = 373) to evaluate cereal bars from different categories (e.g. “energy/protein”) across eleven dimensions. Overall, the bars were rated as tasty but also unhealthy, highly caloric, processed, and unsuitable for athletes, children, and weight loss. Interestingly, participants overestimated the content of most nutrients contained in cereal bars. A content analysis revealed that participants indicated more reasons for not consuming (e.g. excessive sugar content) than consuming (e.g. convenience) these products. Given the increasing popularity of cereal bars, our findings call for action from multiple stakeholders toward improving cereal bars’ nutritional profile and advancing our understanding of consumers’ perceptions of these products to facilitate healthier choices.
- Relationship between objective and perceived sugar content on consumers perceptions about breakfast cerealsPublication . Prada, Marília; Saraiva, Magda; Viegas, Cláudia; Cavalheiro, Bernardo P.; Garrido, Margarida VazIn Portugal, about one-fourth of the adult population exceeds the recommended daily amount of free sugars intake. This excessive consumption may be due to a lack of awareness of the sugar content of commonly available processed products. In two studies, we explored this assumption by asking participants (convenient samples) to evaluate the sugar content of breakfast cereals based on the front-of-packaging images and analyzed the correspondence between subjective and objective sugar content. In Study 1 (n = 90), all the exemplars were high in sugar, whereas in Study 2 (n = 85), exemplars contained low, moderate, or high sugar content. Study 1 revealed that participants accurately perceived all exemplars as containing high sugar. Study 2 showed that participants were able to distinguish between different levels of sugar content, which impacted how they evaluated the products in other dimensions. Specifically, besides being rated as having more sugar, products with objective high (vs. moderate or low) sugar content were perceived as tastier, as having more fat and calories, but also as less healthful. Notably, participants who perceived the exemplars as containing more sugar also reported using nutritional information more often and consuming these products less frequently. These findings suggest that awareness of products' sugar content may not be sufficient to address the problem of excessive sugar intake. Intervention should also focus on building up consumers' knowledge about sugar intake guidelines and its negative health outcomes.