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The aim of this study was to characterize the sodium content in commonly consumed away-from-home food in three areas of Metropolitan Lima. We conducted a cross-sectional study, in which twenty frequently consumed foods were identified according to the place of sale. Sodium content was determined through atomic absorption spectroscopy in preparations collected in 2019. The median sodium content in street food products was 492.36 mg/100g (IQR: 83.93 - 918.78), 471.37 mg/100 g in artisanal food (IQR: 76.04 - 765.39) and 471.06 mg/100 g in fast food (IQR: 115.31 - 695.18). Sixty-five percent of the foods were classified as having high sodium content according to Peruvian regulations, while 30% of the preparations had high sodium content, according to UK parameters. Most food sold and consumed away from home have high sodium content. It is essential to engage all stakeholders involved in food preparation for away-from-home consumption in order to raise awareness and involve them in the promotion of policies aimed at reducing sodium intake.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased alarmingly, representing a risk to children's health. Different techniques in marketing to kids (M2K) used on food labels are influencing the purchasing decisions of these products. This study aims to provide useful information about M2K found in labeling of food products sold in a supermarket chain in Lima, Peru and to determine its relationship with critical nutrient content. This was an observational, correlational, descriptive study. Data were collected by photographing the front-of-pack (FoP) of 2747 product labels sold in three supermarkets in Lima, but only those that met all the inclusion criteria were evaluated ( n = 1092). A relationship was found between the use of techniques in marketing to kids and the level of critical nutrient regarding saturated fat (PR = 0.56; CI95%: 0.52-0.63), total sugar (PR = 1.70; CI95%: 1.64-1.77), and sodium (PR = 1.05; CI95%: 1.03-1.07). Particularly with sugar, the presence of M2K is a risk factor. New regulatory policies for the use of these food labeling techniques should be implemented to improve children's health at the population level.