So, the next time you head to the grocery store, remember that not all “processed” foods are necessarily bad for you. Attaching positive or negative labels to foods hasn’t necessarily changed what we consume.įood is more than fuel and filler - it’s a relationship. Thanks to years of exposure to diet culture, we have already read about which foods have been socially labeled as “bad” and “good.” But it’s really not that simple. Excess sugar, salt, and oils in the diet are known to play a role in the development of numerous health conditions. Though they may add flavor and texture, all these “extras” are likely to increase our risk for health conditions. “I like the definition as being the addition of sugar, salt, oils, and fats to aid in flavor and preservation,” Gabriel says. The study authors went on to include anything that used additives to imitate the qualities of “real” foods. Like the NOVA classification system, many authorities agree that a long list of ingredients is a primary indicator of an ultra-processed food.Ī 2016 study examining how common they are in the American diet called them formulations that “besides salt, sugar, oils, and fats, include substances not used in culinary preparations.” In short, ultra-processed foods are probably what many of us already think of simply as processed foods - those shiny, packaged, nothing-to-do-with-nature products found at fast-food restaurants and gas station mini-marts.
The third stage turns the grains into edible products. Secondary processing includes baking, freezing, fermentation, and frying. The primary stage involves basic preparations such as removal of inedible parts of the grain, cleaning cereals, and parboiling. Understanding these stages can help you independently determine how processed a food is and what your standards are. Typical food processing happens in different stages. In essence, pinning down the exact nature of ultra-processed food is still, well, in process.ĭespite this problem of semantics, some common features shape the concept of ultra-processed foodsīy most definitions, the changes that turn a “regular” processed food into an ultra-processed food occur in the final stage of food production, called tertiary processing. “I would love to say there is consensus on the definitions of processed and ultra-processed foods,” says Carrie Gabriel, a registered dietitian nutritionist, “but I’ve seen plenty of arguments on what qualifies as one or the other.” It seems there’s no single accepted set of criteria. Since that 2018 study, other studies on the effects of ultra-processed foods have used different definitions of them. On the other end are ultra-processed foods, defined as “industrial formulations with five or more ingredients.” On one end of the NOVA spectrum are unprocessed or minimally processed items such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs - foods you might see included on the Whole30 diet or Mediterranean diet. Then in 2010, Monteiro and a team of Brazilian researchers went a step further and broke processed foods into a classification system, which is now called NOVA. The idea of ultra-processed foods was first introduced by a Brazilian nutrition researcher, Carlos A. Exactly what this term refers to depends on who is being asked.
After all, timely research suggests ultra-processed foods specifically can cause health problems, including increased risk of obesity and cancer.īut the parameters around ultra-processed foods are less clear than those around processed food in general. Perhaps, then, it’s time to rethink our mentality about processed foods and direct more attention to so-called ultra-processed foods. So, unless we’re plucking apples directly off a tree or drinking milk straight from a cow, the vast majority of foods we eat are technically processed.īut basic preparation and preservation techniques certainly don’t turn wholesome foods (such as whole grains and frozen vegetables) into “junk.” Just because something has gone through a process doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy to eat. Some definitions even include refrigeration in the mix. Heating, pasteurizing, canning, and drying are all considered forms of processing. The International Food Information Council defines processing as “any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it is ready for us to eat.” So, what’s the difference between ‘regular’ processed foods and ‘ultra’-processed foods? And what does that mean for your health?īy definition, a processed food is simply one that has been altered from its original form.
0 kommentar(er)
