AUTHOR=Corrêa Rezende Júlia Laura , de Medeiros Frazão Duarte Maria Carolina , Melo Giselle Rhaisa do Amaral e , Santos Luana Caroline dos , Toral Natacha 

TITLE=Food-based dietary guidelines for children and adolescents

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1033580

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1033580

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=ABSTRACT
Objective 
This study aimed at reviewing Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) with content targeted at children and adolescents to present their main characteristics, thus enabling comparisons among countries. 
Design
The first part of the study was a search of the FBDGs available in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) website and the second part comprehended a systematic review to reach FBDGs for children or adolescents non-listed in FAO’s website. Data extraction included the year of publication, language, and guidelines for the target group.
Results
From FAO website searches, 109 documents were found, and 17 of them could not be translated. The systematic review search resulted in 5190 articles, and none led to new guidelines. Regarding the 92 FBDG explored, 41 were specific for children and/or adolescents and 51 were for the general population with information for children and/or adolescents. Twelve percent of the general FBDG and 35% of the specific ones have food icons. All of the guidelines were published after 2001. Latin America and the Caribbean was the region that presented more specific FBDGs, and the majority of countries with guidelines for fruits and vegetables. The information about fat (15 countries) and sugar (26 countries) consumption reduction is frequent. Reduction of sodium intake appears to be in the majority of guidelines after 2015. Food hygiene guidelines are recurrent in Latin America documents. NOVA classification was adopted in five countries and 21 countries approach recommendations for mealtimes. Both exclusive and continued breastfeeding guidance, and healthy complementary feeding orientation are present in over 50% of the specific FBDG for group 1. 
Conclusions 
FBDGs are diverse, due to both nutritional and political aspects of each region. Latin America stands out for its orientations for the studied group. Further studies should measure the possible impacts and comprehension of FBDGs.