(P10-007-24) Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Intake and Its Association With Sugars Intake Among Chilean Toddlers

Objectives: We aimed to describe the intake of non-nutritive sweeteners by Chilean toddlers after the initial implementation of the structural food labeling and advertising regulation. Also, we wanted to study whether non-nutritive sweeteners intake was associated with a lower dietary sugars intake, which, as far as we know, have not been studied among young children.

Methods: We obtained sociodemographic, anthropometric, and dietary data (24-hour-recalls) from 450 toddlers of the Chilean Infant Nutrition Randomized Controlled Trial (ChiNuT). For packaged foods, we obtained the energy, nutrients, and non-nutritive sweeteners information from nutrition facts panels. We estimated non-nutritive sweeteners dietary intake and dietary sources for each participant. We used three linear regression models to study crude and adjusted associations.

Results: Mean total energy intake was 1,006±351kcal/day, with 27% of those calories coming from total sugars. Seventy-six percent of the toddlers consumed at least one NNS: 63% sucralose, 35% acesulfame-K, 32% aspartame, 27% steviol glycosides, < 1% saccharine and < 1% cyclamate. Beverages were the top contributors to NNS intake. Total sugars intake was significantly greater among NNS consumers vs non-consumers only for sucralose (β=1.8, 95%CI=0.1-3.5).

Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of NNS intake in our sample, with sucralose being the most consumed and positively associated with total sugars intake. These results support new recommendations discouraging NNS intake among healthy populations, being particularly relevant in young children.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile (ANID), and Scholarship Program 2019 of the International Cooperation Agency of Chile (AGCI). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.