Evaluation of a multi-national dietary sodium research program in Latin America

This is a summative evaluation of the project “Scaling up and Evaluating Salt Reduction Policies and Programs in Latin American Countries.” The project generated knowledge and research innovations to drive policies and programs for dietary sodium reduction. Knowledge on the sodium content of over 8300 packaged foods and 100 street, artisanal and fast foods has been generated. Quantification of the number of packaged foods that exceed regional and/or national sodium reduction target levels was established. Several innovations were created as part of this research and are available for future use including the Food Label Information Program (FLIP) interface and database

Sodium levels in packaged foods 2017-2018 : an analysis of four Latin American countries

The report provides a country breakdown of sodium content per 100g/ml of packaged foods in Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Peru, as well as the proportion of packaged foods that meet Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) regional and lower targets. The Food Labeling Information Program for Latin America (FLIP-LAC) was used for data collection and registration. FLIPLAC is a smartphone-based technology and methodology developed by the University of Toronto, Canada. Foods were classified into eighteen commonly consumed packaged food categories established by PAHO and endorsed by the multi-sectorial Salt Smart Consortium

Facilitators and barriers of research adoption to policy action in five Latin American countries : preliminary results

The study aims to determine the facilitators and barriers of implementing sodium reduction policies and programs in five Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Peru. The findings of the research are categorized according to the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS), which are factors that promote or impede research uptake into policy decision making. The factors are: content, process, actor, and context, which are described with illustrative examples. A Table of Results provides “Key facilitators to research uptake into political action.” Appendices provide details of the methodology and interview/survey materials

Protocol for FLIP study of project IDRC 108167 scaling-up and evaluating salt reduction policies and programs in Latin American countries

This guide assists researchers in cataloguing food ingredients by using the Food Label Information Program (FLIP) interface and database. It includes steps for downloading the “Food Collector App” which can scan information (including both text and image) on food labels. A step by step process is outlined for entering the data for compilation and analysis. Examples are provided for tinned food such as fruit and vegetables, and dry food packaging such as cereals

Protocol for FLIP pilot study

This protocol includes a training guide to assist researchers in cataloguing food ingredients through use of the Food Label Information Program (FLIP) interface and database. It includes steps for downloading the “Food Collector App” which can scan information (including both text and image) on food labels. A step by step process is outlined for entering the data for compilation and analysis. Examples are provided for tinned food such as fruit and vegetables, and dry food packaging such as cereals

Program evaluation of a dietary sodium reduction research consortium of five low- and middle-income countries in Latin America

Excess dietary sodium is a global public health priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease are high. The International Development Research Centre funded a research consortium of five Latin American countries (LAC) to inform public health policy for dietary sodium reduction (2016-2020). The objective of this study was to determine the outcomes of this funding on short-term (e.g., research, capacity building) and intermediary outcomes (e.g., policies). A summative program evaluation was conducted, using a logic model and multiple data sources including document review, surveys, and interviews. Researchers from Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, and Paraguay produced a significant amount of scientific evidence to guide decision making on sodium policy related to its content in foods, consumer behaviors (social marketing), and the health and economic benefits of dietary reduction. A substantive number of knowledge translation products were produced. The funding enabled training opportunities for researchers who developed skills that can be scaled-up to other critical nutrients and health issues. It was unexpected that intermediary policy changes would occur, however several countries demonstrated early policy improvements derived from this research. A funded research consortium of LAC is a practical approach to invoke policy innovations

An evaluation of the sodium content and compliance with the national sodium reduction targets among packaged foods sold in Costa Rica in 2015 and 2018

Results of the study demonstrate the feasibility of reducing sodium content in packaged foods in Costa Rica. More work is needed to continually support a gradual reduction of sodium in packaged foods, including more stringent sodium targets. Compliance with the national sodium targets among all foods increased from 80% in 2015 to 87% in 2018. A significant reduction in mean sodium content was found in only 3 of the 19 subcategories of packaged food (cakes, tomato-based sauces, and tomato paste)

Sodium levels in packaged foods sold in 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries : a food label analysis

This study examined sodium levels in 12 categories of packaged foods sold in 14 Latin American Countries (LAC). Sodium levels were compared to regional sodium reduction targets. In this baseline analysis, 82% of foods met the regional target and 47% met the lower target. Baseline data suggest that sodium reduction targets may need to be more stringent to enable effective lowering of sodium intake. Population-wide sodium reduction is a cost-effective approach to address the adverse health effects associated with excess sodium consumption

FLIP-LAC user guide

This is version 6.4 of the FLIP-LAC manual. The Food Labeling Information Program for Latin America (FLIP-LAC) for data collection and registration is a smartphone-based technology developed by the University of Toronto, Canada. The FLIP iPhone app is meant for quickly capturing a limited amount of information about a food product - most importantly the product barcode and photos of product. Once this information is captured, the data and the photos are later uploaded to the FLIP website where the rest of the data entry can be completed based on photos of the product