Evaluating Trans‐Fatty Acids Labelling in Packaged Foods Sold in Brazil Before and After National Policy Changes

ABSTRACT Introduction The elimination of industrial trans‐fatty acids (i‐TFA) is a global public health priority. In Brazil, food regulatory changes were implemented in 2012, limiting the use of TFA‐free claims and in 2019, restricting i‐TFA content in food. This study analysed i‐TFA declarations on labels of packaged foods sold in Brazil in 2010, 2013 and 2020, before, during and after food policy changes. Methods This repeated cross‐sectional study analysed labels of packaged foods from an outlet of a large supermarket chain in Brazil ( n = 2327 products in 2010; n = 3176 in 2013, n = 4397 in 2020). The i‐TFA terms listed in the ingredient list, content of trans‐fatty acids (TFA) declared on nutrition information panels (NIPs), and TFA‐free claims were examined. Descriptive and comparative analysis over time were conducted using binary and multinomial logistic regressions. Results The percentage of foods containing potential i‐TFA ingredients was 50.6% in 2010, 36.4% in 2013 and 28.5% in 2020. Overall, the likelihood that NIPs declared TFA decreased over time (OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.40; 0.53, p < 0.001), but this was not consistent across all food groups and years. The likelihood of using TFA‐free claims also decreased (OR: 0.12; 95%CI: 0.10; 0.15, p < 0.001) over time. However, in 2020, 24.1% of foods labelled as containing 0 g TFA in their NIPs still listed ingredients that could be sources of i‐TFA. Conclusion This is the largest study to analyse TFA labelling in Brazil, informing regulatory discussions and offering a basis for assessing compliance with TFA‐focused labelling regulations. Our findings suggest that the 2019 regulation on i‐TFA restrictions contributed to amplifying and sustaining the impact of the 2012 labelling regulations in reducing i‐TFA packaged food sold at the retail level.