# Brazilian advertising study shows how nutrient rules change policy reach

> Applying two nutrient profiles to social-media food promotions produced markedly different results; the analysis models possible restrictions rather than recording legal violations.

URL: https://foodradar.org/brazil-food-advertising-nutrient-profile-comparison
Language: en
Author: FoodRadar Editorial
Published: 2026-10-07T11:34:14.626Z
Updated: 2026-10-07T11:34:14.626Z
Source publication date: 2026-07-17
Category: Regulation
Türkçe: https://foodradar.org/tr/brazil-food-advertising-nutrient-profile-comparison

## The chosen nutrient model changes the answer

Which food advertisements would be covered by a nutrition-based restriction depends heavily on the criteria used. A July study applied Brazil’s front-of-pack nutrient profile and the Pan American Health Organization model to social-media promotions associated with products marketed to children and adolescents. The broader PAHO criteria identified substantially more food items and posts than the Brazilian labelling criteria.

The comparison is an analytical exercise about potential policy design. Its use of the term non-compliant means that a food exceeded a model’s criteria; it does not establish that every identified advertisement broke an existing law. The paper examines how labelling and advertising rules could be connected, rather than announcing a newly enacted advertising restriction.

## Products and posts were counted separately

The sample included 623 Instagram posts, 257 TikTok posts and 114 YouTube posts from selected ultra-processed food brands or products. Researchers identified the promoted foods and collected nutrition information from labels, brand sites or retailers between August and October 2024. Items without available nutritional information were excluded, leaving 1,498 food items for analysis.

At the food-item level, 61.28% exceeded at least one Brazilian-model criterion, compared with 93.86% under the PAHO model as applied. At the advertisement level, 49.53% of posts contained at least one item exceeding the Brazilian criteria, against 74.13% for PAHO. A post can contain several products, so those percentages answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable measures of advertising exposure.

## Sugar definitions limit the comparison

Added sugar was the most common reason for exceeding the evaluated criteria. The study also makes an important methodological adaptation: PAHO’s model calls for free-sugar information, but the available Brazilian nutrition labels provided added sugar. The researchers therefore used added sugar in that application, which limits how directly the results represent the full PAHO specification.

The sample was selected through products and branding signals aimed at younger audiences. It does not measure every food advertisement encountered by every child, actual viewing frequency or subsequent purchasing and eating behaviour. Nor can the analysis establish a health outcome from the difference between the two models. It describes how the selected content would be classified under stated nutritional rules.

## A policy-design question for brands and regulators

The authors view Brazil’s implemented labelling framework as a possible starting point for connecting policies, while the PAHO approach would cover a larger share of the analysed material. That is a recommendation about regulatory design, not evidence that broader restrictions have already taken effect. Decisions about scope, audience and enforcement remain separate from the classification exercise.

For food-brand teams, the useful lesson is to examine both the product and the whole advertisement when assessing a proposed nutrient-based policy. A multi-product post can be captured because of one item, and changing the nutrient model changes the potential coverage. The study provides a transparent comparison for that discussion, with its data period, sample selection and sugar substitution kept visible.

## Sources and rights

- [Applying Brazilian front-of-pack nutrition labeling and PAHO nutritional criteria to digital food advertising: regulatory implications for protecting children and adolescents.](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13379089?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=brazil-food-advertising-nutrient-profile-comparison-en). PLOS. Matos JP, Araújo BLSG, Ribeiro M, Mais LA, Horta PM. Applying Brazilian front-of-pack nutrition labeling and PAHO nutritional criteria to digital food advertising: regulatory implications for protecting children and adolescents. PloS one. 2026. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0354180. © 2026 Matos et al [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=brazil-food-advertising-nutrient-profile-comparison-en-license).

Adapted by FoodRadar.

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