Composition, nutritional labeling and compliance of packaged foods with sodium regulations: a longitudinal Brazil-Australia analysis (2021-2026)

• Grant number: 25/22394-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Natalie Marinho Dantas
• Grantee: Jenisson Linike Costa Gonçalves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/04046-2 - Impacts of sodium reduction policies on the reformulation of food products: a comparative analysis of sodium content and additive use in Brazil and Australia, AP.R

Abstract

Sodium intake is considered a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. To reduce this risk, the World Health Organization recommends a maximum intake of 2,000 mg of sodium per day, aiming to decrease overall consumption by up to 30%. Brazil and Australia, both with high sodium intake among their populations, have adopted public policies such as Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling and voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods, respectively. These initiatives have driven the food industry to reformulate products. In this context, the objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of these regulatory strategies on the composition and labeling aspects of food products between 2021 and 2026. Food categories included in the national sodium reduction commitments of both countries will be analyzed, considering the evolution of sodium content and the use of additives, based on the Mintel-GNPD database (2021-2024 and 2025-2026). Brazilian products with sodium levels close to the critical thresholds for FOPNL will be purchased and analyzed at the Food Analysis Laboratory by Spectroscopy (FEA-Unicamp) to verify compliance between labeling and actual composition. Australian products will be evaluated to simulate the application of the Brazilian FOPNL model, in order to identify the prevalence of foods eligible to receive high-sodium warnings, should the country adopt this labeling system.