The Truth About Processed Foods
Content Approved by Dr. Anthony Marotta, Ph.D
Food processing has increased due to industrialization and globalization of food systems. The food supply of high-income countries including Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom consist predominantly of packaged, ready-to-eat, convenience foods. Between 1938 and 2001, there was a large shift from home cooking to ready-to-consume ultra-processed foods. Due to the increased variety and availability of ultra-processed food, there is a large decline in the consumption of whole foods. Consequently, Canadians are consuming calorie-rich yet nutrient-poor food. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada defines healthy eating as being based on freshly prepared dishes and meals, and avoidance of highly processed foods, confectionaries, sugary drinks, processed meats and snack foods.
Food processing “involves physical, biological, and chemical processes applied to foods after their separation from nature and before they are prepared for cooking and consumption”. Ultra-processed foods are composed of industrial ingredients, other substances derived from foods, and additives. They hardly contain any intact nutrient-rich food, because the main purpose is to create a product that is profitable for companies to sell and convenient for consumers to purchase. Ultra-processed foods satisfy these requirements for both sides because they are ready-to-eat, hyperpalatable, profitable (made from cheap ingredients), and have a long shelf life.
Ultra-processed food is often at eye-level at supermarkets, packaged in an attractive fashion, and marketed to consumers in a manipulative manner making them believe it is a healthy option. These include nutrient-poor products such as soft drinks, sweetened juices, salty packaged snacks, chocolate and candies, industrialised breads, cakes, biscuits, pastries and desserts and ice-cream, sweetened breakfast cereals, sweetened and flavoured yogurts, packaged soups and noodles, margarine, burgers, hot dogs, poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ or ‘sticks’, pre-prepared ‘ready meals’ such as pizza, pasta dishes, and french fries.
According to data collected in 2004, Canadians were the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world “with an average of at least 230 kilograms per person per year”. Several population studies have been carried out and show that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked with obesity and related chronic diseases. “A cross-sectional time-series analysis shows a strong correlation between changes in sales of ultra-processed foods and changes in body mass between 2000 and 2013 in 12 Latin American countries”. “Another cross-sectional study based on 19 European countries found a significant positive association between national household availability of ultra-processed foods and national prevalence of obesity among adults”.
Overall it is important for consumers to understand that there is a trade-off in the form of health risks involved when choosing to eat ultra-processed foods for the sake of convenience. Individuals need to make eating healthy a priority in their lives and schedule time to prepare healthy meals at home. Individuals can make fresh meals at home using limited amounts of sugars, salt, oil, and butter to cook and season healthy meals. Peqish steps in to responsibly offer nutritious on-the-go breakfast, snack, and lunch options for consumers at affordable prices. Peqish understands that today's 1st world problem is low quality diets and processed foods and has created products that enable customers to eat tasty and nutritious foods altogether.
I NEED TO STAY INFORMED SO I CAN BE BETTER. LIVE BETTER AND DO BETTER.
Citation
Jean-Claude Moubarac, M. Batal, M.L. Louzada, E. Martinez Steele, C.A. Monteiro, Consumption of ultra-processed foods predicts diet quality in Canada, Appetite, Volume 108, 2017, Pages 512-520, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.006. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666316306973)
Moubarac, J., Martins, A., Claro, R., Levy, R., Cannon, G., & Monteiro, C. (2013). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and likely impact on human health. Evidence from Canada. Public Health Nutrition, 16(12), 2240-2248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012005009