Salted food bars are an alternative in order to reach sugar reduction consumption. The challenge to create this type of bar is to substitute sweet binding agents. This study intended to evaluate the technological and nutritional aspects of salted food bars elaborated with different concentrations of binding agents (modified starch, hydrolyzed collagen and acacia gum) with low caloric value. The basic ingredients (oats, linseed, soybean, sesame, quinoa, dehydrated tomato, seasonings such as garlic, onion and dehydrated parsley and NaCl) were added to the binding agent solutions. The food bars were analyzed chemically, physically and physicochemically. The results demonstrated that the three binding agents tested presented technical viability of agglutination of the ingredients. The food bars presented high content of dietary fiber, low caloric value, and high mineral (Fe, Zn, Mn and Mg) contents. Cereal bars produced with acacia gum presented higher texture values related to the chewability parameter, which had a positive influence.

Pereskia grandifolia Haworth (PGH) and Pereskia aculeata Miller (PAM) are recognized sources of proteins; dietary fiber; vitamins and minerals make this plant leaves, raw, cooked, and braised, an important ally against protein and micronutrient deficiencies. One of the main problems is the presence of antinutritional factors that may interfere in the digestibility and bioavailability of some nutrients. The objective was to evaluate the amino acid profile and the chemical score of the raw leaves and the effects of heating media and time on the total dietary fiber, minerals, trypsin inhibition, oxalic acid and tannins of leaves of PGH and PAM. The samples had similar amino acid profiles and total dietary fiber. With regard to antinutritional compounds, heating the leaves of PGH led to a decrease in trypsin inhibition, primarily after the first minutes of wet cooking. Oxalic acid and tannins predominated in both species.Considering the interaction with time, the variables related to iron and zinc minimized the tannin responses in PGH and PAM, respectively. Heating media and times interfered with the chemical components present in the leaves of Pereskia species and led to high antinutrient retention after heat treatment.

The search for high nutritional value, convenience, low-calorie foods with pleasant sensory characteristics which provide health benefits, makes food bars a promising product in the food sector, and they are already being considered as healthy alternatives according to common sense. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the interest and the way in which consumers understand the information on food labels; (ii) to determine consumer habits; and (iii) to determine the sugar contents of commercial food bars (conventional, sugar-free and light) to confirm the veracity of the information available on the labels of these products. Regarding the consumption of food bars, the majority of the respondents consumed this product and, although most of them considered them to be a healthy product due to the allegation of being rich in fibre and cereals, even with the knowledge of the presence of sugar, the main reasons taken into consideration when buying them were convenience and practicality. Socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, income and educational level influenced the standards and behaviours of consumption of the product. The quantification of sugar in commercial food bars indicated that these products could be considered as foods with intermediate to high amounts of sugar. The results obtained for sugar-free bars were even more worrying because the concentrations of sugar found indicated a lack of compliance with applicable regulations for this category for all the brands evaluated. Keywords: Consumer knowledge; Nutrition information; Sugar content. ResumoA busca por alimentos de alto valor nutritivo, convenientes, de baixo valor calórico e que possuam características sensoriais agradáveis e com benefícios à saúde faz da barra alimentícia um produto promissor no setor de alimentos, já sendo considerada pelo senso comum como alternativa saudável. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivos: (i) avaliar o interesse e a forma de entendimento dos consumidores em relação às informações veiculadas nos rótulos de alimentos; (ii) determinar os hábitos de consumo, e (iii) determinar a quantidade de açúcares totais em barras alimentícias comerciais dos tipos comuns, diet e light, de forma a confirmar a veracidade das informações disponíveis nos rótulos destes produtos e correlacioná-las com as percepções dos consumidores sobre este produto. Quanto ao consumo de barras alimentícias, pode-se perceber que grande parte da amostra em estudo consome este produto e, apesar de a maioria considerar este um produto saudável pela alegação de ser rico em fibras e cereais, mesmo com o conhecimento da presença de açúcar, a conveniência e a praticidade são os principais motivos que são levados em consideração no momento da compra. Pode-se concluir ainda que variáveis sócio demográficas, como sexo, idade, renda e escolaridade, influenciaram em padrões e comportamentos de consumo relacionados ao tema avaliado. Já a quantificação de açúcar nas barras alimentícias