QUALIDADE NUTRICIONAL DE ALIMENTOS PARA CONTROLE DE PESO (SHAKES): ANÁLISE DE ROTULAGEM.

Introduction: Partial meal replacement beverages are foods specially designed to partially meet the nutritional needs of the individual, to promote the reduction, maintenance or gain of body weight. Also known as shakes, these beverages must comply with National Health Surveillance Agency (in Portuguese, Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária or ANVISA) legislation, providing enough energy, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Objective: To evaluate the nutritional quality of weight reduction foods by partial meal replacement (shakes). Materials and Methods: Existent nutritional information available on the labels of four different shakes in the flavor's strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, have been analyzed. The information collected were: energy value, macro and micronutrients, food additives and presence of allergenic substances. Mandatory labeling information have been compared to the current law specification. Data analyses were descriptive, and the results are presented in tables and charts. Results: The evaluation showed inadequacies for energy value in proteins, macro and micronutrients (vitamin B1, B 2, Niacin and B12 and calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium minerals). All products presented food additives. Allergenic substances such as soybean, rye, barley, wheat, oats and peanuts were found in all products. Product labels are not allowed to mention quantity and speed of weight loss, parameter not respected by two of the analyzed brands. Conclusion: None of the brands of shakes evaluated presented full compliance with the nutritional and labeling requirements required by the legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]