Fernanda Rauber

University of São Paulo | USP · Núcleo de Pesquisas Epidemiológicas em Nutrição e Saúde (NUPENS)

Background Dietary shift towards more plant-based options is increasingly popular, but the quantity of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) they contain is largely unknown. This study assessed the level of UPF and minimally processed food consumption among regular and low red meat eaters, flexitarians, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans in a large datase...

OBJECTIVE To describe two low-burden diet quality scores and evaluate their performance in reflecting the dietary share of the least and most processed foods defined within the Nova food system classification. METHODS This cross-sectional study included data from the NutriNet-Brasil cohort. Participants answered the Nova24hScreener, a 3-minute sel...

Background The Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) policy was introduced in 2014/15 in England and Scotland for schoolchildren aged 4–7 years, leading to an increase in school meal uptake. UK school meals are known to be healthier and less industrially processed than food brought from home (packed lunches). However, the impact of the UIFSM po...

Recent epidemiological studies have suggested a positive association between ultra-processed food consumption and breast cancer risk, although some studies also reported no association. Furthermore, the evidence regarding the associations between intake of food with lower degrees of processing and breast cancer risk is limited. Thus, we investigate...

Purpose (i) Characterize ultra-processed food (UPF) intakes in toddlerhood and mid-childhood, including identifying principal UPF sub-groups and associations with nutrient profile; (ii) explore stability and change in UPF intake between toddlerhood and mid-childhood. Methods Data were from children in the UK Gemini twin cohort at 21 months (n = 2,...

The aim of this study was to describe the dietary intake of British vegetarians according to the Nova classification and to evaluate the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the nutritional quality of the diet. We used data from the UK national survey (2008/2019). Food collected through a 4-d record were classified accor...

Background Comprehensive research evidence is lacking on the role of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the relationship between the consumption of plant-sourced foods and their impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. This study aims to assess CVD risk associated with the dietary contribution of food groups that consider both plant or animal o...

Objectives: We investigated the association of ultra-processed food (UPF) intake with mortality risk using alternative methods of assigning Nova classification. Methods: Our study population included 318,889 men and 221,607 women in the US NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study who were 50 to 71 years of age at baseline in 1995-1996. To increase study rig...

The Nova system categorizes foods according to processing levels, and dietary intake instruments not developed to assess this criteria may introduce bias in epidemiological studies. To address this gap, we developed and validated the Nova Food Frequency Questionnaire (NovaFFQ) for Brazilian adults. The NovaFFQ includes commonly consumed foods and d...

Objective:This study evaluated the independent and combined environmental impacts of the consumption of beef and ultra-processed foods in Brazil. Design:Cross-sectional study. Setting:Brazil. Participants:We used food purchases data from a national household budget survey conducted between July 2017 and July 2018, representing all Brazilian househo...

Nesta coletânea de fôlego, os organizadores e autores oferecem uma poderosa ferramenta de trabalho aos pesquisadores e interessados na epidemiologia nutricional brasileira. Ampliando os horizontes tradicionais desse campo de estudo, o livro vai além de avaliação de dietas e da relação entre alimentação e doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Os 38 c...

Purpose To investigate the role of adiposity in the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and head and neck cancer (HNC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Methods Our study included 450,111 EPIC participants. We used Cox regressions to inves...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the performance of food consumption markers of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (Sisvan) in assessing the overall dietary quality. METHODS The study was carried out based on the reproduction of responses to markers in 24-hour recall data from 46,164 individuals aged ≥ 10 years, from the 2017–2018 Household Budget...

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are becoming dominant in the global food and supply. Prospective cohort studies have found an association between UPF dietary pattern and increased risk of several non-communicable diseases and all-cause mortality. In this study, we (1) estimated the risk of all-cause mortality associated for each 10% increa...

OBJECTIVE Evaluate changes in the Brazilian population’s diet and its determinants during the covid-19 pandemic. METHODS We used diet data collected by the Datafolha Institute in 2019 (n = 1,384), 2020 (n =1,214), and 2021 (n = 1,459) from independent and representative samples of the adult population (aged 18 to 55 years) from all socioeconomic c...

Objective: This paper describes the first web-based self-completed 24-hour recall designed to categorize food intake according to Nova groups - Nova24h - and its agreement with a reference tool in estimating the dietary relative contribution of the four Nova food groups (% of total energy intake). Design: Comparisons of estimates of dietary rela...

The assignment of foods to one of four categories proposed by the Nova framework may be challenging in the absence of information on how these foods were prepared and their specific composition. A three-step iterative approach can make the categorization process more efficient and transparent, thereby increasing the accuracy of Nova estimates.

Background and objectives: The consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed whole plant foods and of ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova food classification system, are associated in opposite ways with diet quality and risk of diseases. However, it can be difficult to evaluate and monitor the consumption of these foods in some contex...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1035580.].

Objective This paper describes the first web-based self-completed 24-hour recall designed to categorize food intake according to Nova groups - Nova24h – and its agreement with a reference tool in estimating the dietary relative contribution of the four Nova food groups (% of total energy intake). Design Comparisons of estimates of dietary relative...

Background Food processing has been hypothesised to play a role in cancer development; however, data from large-scale epidemiological studies are scarce. This study investigated the association between dietary intake according to amount of food processing and risk of cancer at 25 anatomical sites using data from the European Prospective Investigati...

Objective: To evaluate sociodemographic factors associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the temporal evolution of their consumption in Brazil between 2008 and 2018. Methods: The study used food consumption data of individuals aged ≥ 10 years from 2008-2009 and 2017-2018 Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares (POF - Household Bud...

Background: Global dietary patterns are increasingly dominated by relatively cheap, highly palatable, and ready-to-eat ultra-processed foods (UPFs). However, prospective evidence is limited on cancer development and mortality in relation to UPF consumption. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and risk of cancer and associated...

Objective To develop and validate a protocol for the use of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP) in the individual dietary advice for pregnant women assisted in primary healthcare (PHC). Methods Methodological study that involved the elaboration of a protocol in six steps: definition of the format, definition of the instrument...

Background Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between the degree of food processing in our diet and the risk of various chronic diseases. Much of this evidence is based on the international Nova classification system, which classifies food into four groups based on the type of processing: (1) Unprocessed and minimally processe...

OBJETIVO: Analisar padrões alimentares de crianças brasileiras menores de dois anos e verificar a sua associação com características sociodemográficas e de utilização de serviços de saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) de 2013. A identificação dos padrões foi realizada em dois grupos etários por meio da a...

Background Effective interventions to promote healthy sodium intakes require understanding factors driving liking for salt taste. Objective To examine effects of an early feeding intervention among low-income mothers on their children’s energy and sodium intake and salt taste preferences at 12 y; and to identify age-related changes in dietary sodi...

Purpose This study aims to describe micronutrient intake according to food processing degree and to investigate the association between the dietary share of ultra-processed foods and micronutrient inadequacies in a representative sample of Portuguese adult and elderly individuals. Methods Cross-sectional data from the National Food, Nutrition and...

Background British children have the highest ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in Europe, concerning as UPF is linked to adverse health outcomes. Schools are a potential setting for intervention, yet the rate of UPFs consumed at schools is currently unknown. This study aimed to describe the UPF content of school food in the UK and to explore differ...

Background Dietary patterns worldwide are increasingly displaced by many cheap, highly palatable, and ready-to-eat ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Higher UPF consumption has been linked to increased risk for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases, but prospective evidence is limited on cancer outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association betwee...

Although ultra-processed foods represent more than half of the total energy consumed by the UK population, little is known about the trend in food consumption considering the degree of food processing. We evaluated the trends of the dietary share of foods categorized according to the NOVA classification in a historical series (2008-2019) among the...

Background & aims: Industrial foods have been associated with increased risks of several chronic conditions. We investigated the relation between degree of food processing, and risks of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Methods: Analyses included 41...

Background and aims The negative effect on dietary nutrient profiles is the most obvious mechanism explaining the higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases associated with increased dietary share of UPF observed in large cohort studies. We estimate the proportion of diets with excessive energy density, excessive free sugars or saturated fat contents...

Objective: To evaluate the trend of household food acquisition according to the NOVA classification in Brazil between 1987-1988 and 2017-2018. Methods: We used household food acquisition data from five editions of the Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares (Household Budget Surveys), conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (...

British children have the highest levels of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in Europe. Schools are posited as a positive setting for impacting dietary intake, but the level of UPFs consumed in schools is currently unknown. This study determined the UPF content of school food in the UK. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of primar...

Objectives Determine whether dietary counseling on breastfeeding and healthy eating for mothers during the early postpartum period interacted with or was independent of sodium intake and pubertal development in predicting the concentration of salty taste most preferred by adolescents. Methods We conducted follow-up assessments of children aged 12...

This study aimed to investigate the association between consumption of ultra-processed foods, whole foods and breast cancer risk in black women from Soweto, South Africa. A population-based case (n 396)-control (n 396) study matched on age and residence, using data from the South African Breast Cancer study. Dietary intake was assessed using a vali...

To describe the methodology of development of a protocol for application of the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines by primary healthcare professionals in individual dietary advice. A five-step approach was followed: (1) format definition; (2) definition of the instrument for assessment of individuals’ food consumption; (3) Dietary Guidelines’ content ext...

Urinary metabolic profiling is a promising powerful tool to reflect dietary intake and can help understand metabolic alterations in response to diet quality. Here, we used 1H NMR spectroscopy in a multicountry study in European children (1147 children from 6 different cohorts) and identified a common panel of 4 urinary metabolites (hippurate, N-met...

Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), la hipertensión arterial, la hiperglucemia en ayunas, el sobrepeso y la obesidad se encuentran entre los principales factores de riesgo de muerte de la población mundial. Estas alteraciones fueron responsables de 23% de las muertes en el mundo en el 2004 y de 31% de las registradas en las Américas en...

Este quinto fascículo da série Protocolos de Uso do Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira tem como objetivo apresentar o protocolo direcionado à pessoa na adolescência (10 a 19 anos), como um instrumento de apoio à prática clínica no cuidado individual na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS).

Studies indicate that eating locations can influence food choices. However, the relationship with ultra-processed foods has been little explored. The objective was to assess the association between eating locations and ultra-processed foods consumption in the UK in 2014-2016. Data from 2,449 individuals aged 4 years or older from the NDNS were anal...

This study assessed associations between ultraprocessed food consumption and dietary nutrient profile linked to obesity in children and adolescents in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States using nationally representative data collected between 2004 and 2014. Linear regression models were us...

This study aimed to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and their associations with sociodemographic factors and diet quality in Portuguese adults and the elderly. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2015–2016), with two non-consecutive dietary 24 h recalls. Food items were classified accor...

Background The consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased worldwide and has been related to the occurrence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases. However, little is known about the environmental effects of ultra-processed foods. We aimed to assess the temporal trends in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), water footprint, and ecologic...

Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto ambiental da dieta brasileira e a influência que o consumo de carne bovina e de alimentos ultraprocessados exerce naquele impacto. Métodos: Utilizou-se dados de aquisição domiciliar de alimentos da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2017-2018. Foram calculadas as pegadas de carbono e hídrica da aquisição total de alimento...

Considering the nature, extent, and purpose of food processing, this study aims to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and their associations with sociodemographic factors and diet quality in Portuguese children and adolescents. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2015–2016) of the Portugue...

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are common worldwide and associated with poorer health outcomes. This work aimed to explore the UPF consumption associated factors and its main dietary sources, by sex, in Portugal. Participants from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF) 2015–2016, aged 3–84 years, were included ( n 5005). D...

Urinary metabolic profiling is a promising powerful tool to reflect dietary intake and can help understand metabolic alterations in response to diet quality. Here, we used ¹ HNMR spectroscopy in a multi-country study in European children (1147 children from 6 different cohorts) and identified a common panel of 4 urinary metabolites (hippurate, N -m...

Background Based on a classification that considers the nature, extent and purpose of food processing, this study aims to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and their associations with diet quality. Methods Sample from the 2015-2016 National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (n = 1153;3-17y). Dietary intake from 2 non-consecutive 24h-recal...

Objective To analyse the trend of social inequality in food consumption among Brazilians from 2008 to 2019. Design Time series analyses using cross-sectional annual data from the Telephone Surveillance System (VIGITEL 2008–2019). Food consumption was evaluated through: (1) consumption of five or more portions of fruits and vegetables in ≥5 d/week;...

Objective to assess the association between the consumption of school meals offered by the National School Feeding Program (PNAE, in the Portuguese acronym) and the diet quality of adolescents aged 11 to 19 years from Brazilian public schools Design Cross-sectional Setting Public schools in Brazil Participants A sample of 12,260 adolescents aged...

Background There is a worldwide shift towards increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with concurrent rising prevalence of obesity. We examined the relationship between the consumption of UPF and weight gain and risk of obesity. Methods This prospective cohort included 348 748 men and women aged 25-70 years. Participants were recruite...

The current pilot study explored food insecurity, food waste, food related behaviours and cooking confidence of UK consumers following the COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected from 473 UK based consumers (63% female) from in March 2020. A cross-sectional online survey measured variables including, food insecurity prevalence, self-reported food wa...

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the associations between ultra-processed food consumption and risk of obesity among UK adults. Methods Participants aged 40–69 years at recruitment in the UK Biobank (2006–2019) with dietary intakes collected using 24-h recall and repeated measures of adiposity––body mass index (BMI), waist circ...

Objectives This study aimed to analyze behavioral patterns of protective and risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adults and to explore the association between these patterns and sociodemographic characteristics using data from the National Health Survey 2013. Study design This was a cross-sectional study. Methods This...

This study aimed to verify the association between adherence to meals from the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and obesity indicators among adolescents. Data from 12,373 students attending public schools from the 2015 National Survey of School Health were used. Adherence to school meals was assessed using a self-administered questi...

Cross-sectional nutritional survey data collected in eight countries were used to estimate saturated fatty acid intakes. Our objective was to estimate the proportion of excessive saturated fatty acid intakes (>10 % of total energy intake) that could be avoided if ultra-processed food consumption was reduced to levels observed in the first quintile...

This study aimed to evaluate the association between eating context patterns and ultra-processed food consumption at two main meal occasions in a representative sample of UK adolescents. Data was acquired from four-day food records of adolescents aged 11–18 years, who participated in the 2014–2016 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (n=542). The...

Este estudo descreve modificações no peso corporal de participantes da coorte NutriNet Brasil (n = 14.259) ocorridas durante a pandemia de covid-19. Foram analisados dados informados em período anterior ao início da pandemia (26/01/2020 a 18/03/2020) e cerca de 6 meses após (14/09/2020 a 19/10/2020). O ganho de peso ≥ 2 kg alcançou 19,7% dos partic...

This study describes body weight changes among participants of the NutriNet Brasil cohort (n = 14,259) during the covid-19 pandemic. We analyzed data reported before the pandemic onset (01/26/2020 to 03/18/2020) and about six months after (09/14/2020 to 10/19/2020). Our results show that 19.7% of the participants gained ≥ 2 kg. Weight gain was dire...

In this paper, we discuss the use of natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse nutritional and sustainability aspects of recipes and food. We present the state of the art and some use cases, followed by a discussion of challenges. Our perspective on addressing these is that while they typically have a technical n...

This study aimed to investigate the patterns of eating context and its association with ultra-processed food consumption by British children. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of UK children aged 4–10 years old (n = 1772) from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008/2014. Data on food consumption, meal contex...

Este estudo descreve modificações no peso corporal de participantes da coorte NutriNet Brasil (n=14.259) ocorridas durante a pandemia de covid-19. Foram analisados dados de peso informados em período anterior ao início da pandemia (26/01/2020 a 18/03/2020) e cerca de 6 meses após (14/09/2020 a 19/10/2020). O ganho de peso ≥ 2 kg alcançou 19,7% dos...

Objective Develop and validate a protocol for the use of the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population (FGBP) in the dietary guidelines for elderly people during individual clinic appointments in Primary Health Care (PHC). Methods The elaboration followed six methodological steps, namely: (1) protocol format definition; (2) definition of the instrume...