Recently, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding ultra-processed foods. A recent episode of the BBC's Panorama hit the headlines after it investigated into the links between ultra-processed foods and chronic illnesses.
In the UK, diabetes' rates have hit record levels and cancers in young people are rising steeply. According to the investigation programme, there was growing evidence suggesting that such chronic illnesses could be linked with the food that we eat.
Ultra-processed foods are products that typically have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life.
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Ultra-processed convenience foods contain chemicals that UK regulators say are safe, but Panorama's investigation showed an emerging scientific evidence of a link between some of these chemicals and cancers, diabetes and strokes. According to the British Heart Foundation charity, more than half of the energy or calories an average person in the UK eats and drinks comes from ultra-processed foods.
The charity also says that these types of foods are often convenient, appealing and are heavily marketed to us. But researchers have shown that ultra-processed foods can impact our health, with experts saying you should cut these types of food from your diet.
What are ultra-processed foods?
The term "ultra-processed foods" comes from the NOVA food classification system, which was developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. The system places food into four categories based on how much they have been processed during their production.
They are:
Group 1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
This includes produce such as fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts and seeds that have no added ingredients and have been little altered from their natural state.
Group 2. Processed ingredients
This includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt, sugar and oils.
Group 3. Processed foods
These are foods that are made by combining foods from groups 1 and 2, which are altered in a way that home cooks could do themselves. They include foods such as jam, pickles, tinned fruit and vegetables, homemade breads and cheeses.
Group 4. Ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods typically have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life.
What are the most common ultra-processed foods?
The most commonly eaten ultra-processed foods in the UK are:
- Industrialised or mass-produced bread (11 per cent)
- Pre-packaged meals (7.7 per cent)
- Breakfast cereals (4.4 per cent)
- Sausages and other reconstituted meat products (3.8 per cent)
These are then closely followed by various confectioneries (3.5 per cent), biscuits (3.5 per cent), pasties, buns and cakes (3.3 per cent) and industrial chips (2.8 per cent).
Soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices make up 2.5 per cent of the average calorie intake. Salty snacks, including Britain’s favourite crisps, make up 2 per cent of our calories, as do sauces, dressings and gravy (2.1 per cent).
Other ultra-processed foods include baked beans, tinned soups, meat alternatives, soy and drinks used as dairy milk substitutes. Also added on the list are ice cream and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum.
Should I be cutting out ultra-processed foods?
As it stands, we don't fully know yet how ultra-processed foods affect our health and therefore it is not clear that it is necessary to completely exclude them from our diets. With restricted time and budget as well, it isn't an option for most of us.
British Heart Foundation has suggested that instead of trying to completely cut out these foods, people should consider a balance in their diets. For example, making sure that there are minimally processed foods in your diet, eating fruit and vegetables with your meals, drink water instead of sugary drinks and ensuring that you fit in time over the week for home cooking.
It's important to note as well that not all ultra-processed foods are equal, for example, some have nutritional benefits such as whole grain bread, certain cereals and baked beans. It's better to choose these more nutritional foods with your meals rather than foods such as crisps, sweets or pizzas.
BHF also suggests that people get in the habit of reading food labels so that they can easily identify and cut back on foods that have a higher percentage of sugar, salt or saturated fat.
