Should you be afraid of processed foods?
I feel like processed foods are heavily demonised. To be honest, the majority of foods we eat are processed. The health gurus who tell you to avoid them, don’t tell you the whole story.
The 4 types of food processing:
Processed food just means that the food has been altered in
some way when it was being prepared. This could be anything freezing, drying, preserving,
fortifying, or heating. Technically, any time you cook a meal or bake
something, you’re processing the food.
There are 4 categories of food processing, and this helps us
define how processed the food is.
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: these foods have been slightly changed in order to preserve them and ensure they’re edible. This could be things like washing, cleaning, or removing inedible parts. Foods like fruit, vegetables, meat, grains, and nuts fall into this category.
- Processed culinary ingredients: these foods are also minimally processed and typically undergo milling, grinding, or refining. They are not eaten on their own but are used in cooking. Foods like flour, vegetable oils, and salt are processed culinary ingredients
- Processed foods: these are foods from the previous 2 categories that have other ingredients added. They typically contain a few ingredients and come ready to eat. Things like fresh bread, fresh cheese, and canned fruit and veg are all examples.
- Ultra-processed foods: these foods are one above from processed foods. They often have sugar, salt, or fat added, along with artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. They undergo multiple stages of processing and tend to be shelf stable. They’re normally ready to eat once bought. Foods like cakes, breakfast cereals, and biscuits fall into this category.
However, the same food could be also in 2 categories, depending on how it's made. I'll use yoghurt as an example, a
plain natural yoghurt with no added sugar would be minimally processed. But a
flavoured yoghurt with added sugar/sweetener and other additives becomes
ultra-processed.
As you can see, there are levels to food processing and it’s
not all bad.
Food processing can make food more nutritious and last longer:
It might surprise you, but food processing is also really useful.
Food fortification:
Fortifying food means adding nutrients to it. This is a type
of food processing. An example of this is bread. In the UK, wheat flour has to
be fortified with calcium, iron, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and, B3 (niacin). This
is a significant source of nutrients for everyone. For instance, flour accounts
for 35% of the population’s calcium intake.
Another example is non-dairy milks. These are often
fortified with calcium, iodine, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Again, this is a
great way to get nutrients in, particularly if you follow a vegetarian or vegan
diet.
Preserving:
Food preservation is another crucial form of food processing.
Preservation stops the growth of harmful microbes and keeps food safe to eat for
longer. Fruit and vegetables are processed and preserved by freezing or
canning.
Another example is milk, which goes through pasteurisation.
The milk is gently heated and then cooled to kill any microbes. So, all the
milk you drink is processed.
What about ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed or ‘junk’ foods have the highest level of
processing. These are the foods that health gurus are talking about when tell
you to avoid all processed foods. Foods like pastries, crisps, and chicken
nuggets are ultra-processed.
A diet high in ultra-processed foods can contribute to weight
gain and obesity as these foods tend to be higher in calories, fat, sugar, and
salt. They are also linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. If
you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, it can be helpful to try and reduce this.
You can aim to eat ultra-processed foods in moderation, but other processed foods don’t have to be.
As you can see, there is more to processed foods than simply
avoiding them like the plague. A lot of the foods you eat are processed, so blanket
diet statements don’t work.
I hope this post has given you the facts to make informed
choices about your food.
Key points:
- There are different types of processed foods from minimally processed to ultra-processed. You don't have to avoid all processed foods.
- Food processing is really useful to make food more nutritious and to make it last longer.
- Eating lots of ultra-processed foods can contribute to obesity and heart disease. Eating these in moderation would reduce the risks.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post! I’d love to hear your
thoughts in the comments below.
Bye for now! 👋
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/what-are-processed-foods/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/processed-foods/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_is_ultra-processed_food
https://www.ukflourmillers.org/nutritionalcontributionofflour
https://www.dairycouncil.co.uk/consumers/industry/what-is-pasteurisation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7946062/
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