Objective:

To evaluate the nutrient profile and marketing techniques (MT) of processed wheat and maize foods (PWMF) sold in food retail outlets of Mexico City.

Materials and methods:

We collected information on nutrient content and MT for PWMF across twelve food categories from 58 retail outlets in high and low income areas of Mexico City.

Results:

Roughly 8.5% and 10.7% of PWMF, in low and high income areas were healthy, respectively. The ≤12% of PWMF were healthy, except for flours (~33%) and pastas (≥95%). Across both income areas, 28.3%-31.9% of WMPF employed characters, 46.5%-50.1% promotions and 38.2%-41.3% claims. A significant association (p<0.001) was found between the use of MT and unhealthy PWMF in both areas.

Conclusion:

The majority of PWMF available in the food retail sector were considered unhealthy, which were being more offered in low income areas. Across income areas, the majority of unhealthy WMPF employed MT to encourage consumption.