OBJECTIVE:To assess reliability of information about nutritional facts stated on labels of industrialized foods. METHODS:A total of 153 industrialized foods, usually consumed by children and adolescents and marketed in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2001 and 2005, were analyzed. Nutrient contents stated on labels were compared to the results obtained from offi cial (physical-chemical) analytical methods, considering the 20% variability tolerated by the current legislation to approve or reject samples. Means, standard deviations, 95% confi dence intervals for the nutrients analyzed, and the distribution of percentage frequency of samples rejected were calculated. RESULTS:All salty products analyzed showed non-compliance of dietary fi ber, sodium and saturated fat content. Sweet products showed variation between zero and 36% of rejection due to their dietary fi ber content. More than half (52%) of cookies were rejected due to their saturated fat content. Nutrients associated with obesity and its health problems were those showing the highest proportions of non-compliance. Lack of reliability of label information in the samples analyzed violates the regulations of the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors RDC 360/03 and the rights guaranteed by the Nutritional and Food Safety Law and Consumer Protection Code. CONCLUSIONS:High indices of non-compliance of nutritional data were found on labels of foods aimed at children and adolescents, indicating the urgent need for surveillance practices and other nutritional labeling measures.

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OBJECTIVE:To assess reliability of information about nutritional facts stated on labels of industrialized foods. METHODS:A total of 153 industrialized foods, usually consumed by children and adolescents and marketed in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2001 and 2005, were analyzed. Nutrient contents stated on labels were compared to the results obtained from offi cial (physical-chemical) analytical methods, considering the 20% variability tolerated by the current legislation to approve or reject samples. Means, standard deviations, 95% confi dence intervals for the nutrients analyzed, and the distribution of percentage frequency of samples rejected were calculated. RESULTS:All salty products analyzed showed non-compliance of dietary fi ber, sodium and saturated fat content. Sweet products showed variation between zero and 36% of rejection due to their dietary fi ber content. More than half (52%) of cookies were rejected due to their saturated fat content. Nutrients associated with obesity and its health problems were those showing the highest proportions of non-compliance. Lack of reliability of label information in the samples analyzed violates the regulations of the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors RDC 360/03 and the rights guaranteed by the Nutritional and Food Safety Law and Consumer Protection Code. CONCLUSIONS:High indices of non-compliance of nutritional data were found on labels of foods aimed at children and adolescents, indicating the urgent need for surveillance practices and other nutritional labeling measures.

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Um planejamento fatorial foi aplicado para avaliar o conteúdo de cinzas em mel pela termogravimetria bem como para estabelecer as condições de análise ótimas que produzem conteúdos de cinzas em concordância com aqueles obtidos pelo método oficial (gravimetria). Os efeitos de taxa de aquecimento e papel de fibra de vidro foram significativos bem como o efeito de interação entre estas variáveis. Taxas de aquecimento e o emprego do papel de fibra de vidro são recomendados para obter a incineração completa de mel pela termogravimetria. Para confirmar estes resultados e estabelecer as condições otimizadas foi executado um planejamento completamente aleatorizado em blocos investigando três procedimentos: termogravimetria com papel de fibra de vidro a 5 e 10 ºC min -1 e gravimetria. Somente o método termogravimétrico realizada à 5 ºC min -1 apresentou conteúdos médios de cinzas em concordância com aqueles obtidos pelo método oficial. Assim, a TG/DTG pode ser indicada como um método alternativo à gravimetria para esta determinação em mel.A factorial design to evaluate ash content in honey by thermogravimetry as well as to establish the optimum analysis conditions that produce ash values in agreement with those obtained by the official method (gravimetry) was executed. Heating rate and use of fiber glass paper effects were significant as was the interaction effect between them. Lower heating rates and the use of fiber glass fiber paper are recommended to provide the complete incineration of honey samples by thermogravimetry. To confirm these results and to establish the optimized conditions a completely randomized two block design was executed investigating three procedures: thermogravimetry with fiber glass paper at heating rates of 5 and 10 ºC min -1 and standard gravimetry. Only the thermogravimetric method carried out at 5 °C min -1 presented ash content averages in agreement with those obtained by the official method. In this way, TG/DTG can be indicated as an alternative method to gravimetry for this determination in honey samples.