Aporte nutricional de alimentos procesados sin gluten de alto consumo en personas con enfermedad celíaca

Introduction: The food industry has explored various ingredients to develop gluten-free (GF) products that meet consumers organoleptic expectations. This has led to differences in the nutritional composition between GF products and their gluten-containing counterparts. Objective: To compare the energy, total sugars, saturated fats, and sodium content of commonly consumed processed gluten-free foods in individuals with Celiac Disease in Chile with their gluten-containing equivalents. Material and methods: The nutritional content of 159 gluten-free products frequently consumed by individuals with Celiac Disease was compared with 161 gluten-containing counterparts. Products were selected from supermarkets and online sales platforms. Energy, total sugars, saturated fats, and sodium contents were extracted from the nutritional labels of both GF and gluten-containing products. Results: The most consumed GF food groups included flour, sliced bread, flour premixes, pastries and cookies, pasta, and sauces. GF products showed significantly lower levels of protein, fiber, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, available carbohydrates, and total sugars. In contrast, GF foods contained higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Notably, GF flours had higher content of protein, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. Conclusions: Commonly consumed processed gluten-free foods in Chile contain lower energy and total fat levels compared to gluten-containing products.