Ultra processed cause health issues. But nutrition charity, British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) clarified that not all processed foods are unhealthy. Some of them do contain nutrients and people can consume these products.
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Ultra processed foods
Ultra processed foods are those that are industry manufactured and contain additives such as thickeners, flavoring agents, coloring agents, emulsifiers, preservatives etc. These are defined by a classification system called NOVA.
Ultra processed foods (Source: Everyday health)
This category has a large number of foods and drinks that we purchase in supermarkets of grocery shops. These include deep fried chicken, deep pan made pizza, sweets, pastries, and sugary drinks. Additionally, wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, tomato-based pasta sauces, fruit yogurts abd baked beans are also ultra-processed by the definition of the word.
British Nutrition Foundation survey
The British National Foundation or BNF conducted a survey recently to know the awareness in people of ultra processed foods. It showed that 33% of them knew about it and were trying to reduce it in their daily diet. In 2021, this figure was 25%. So there is an improvement in knowledge of the general public on it.
Most of these knew that ready meals, cereals with added sugars, and vegetarian meat alternatives were ultra processed. But very few people were aware that sliced bread, low fat fruit yoghurts and baked beans also fell in the ultra processed foods category.
British Nutrition Foundation (Source: FM News daily)
Studies have revealed that processed foods can increase risk of type 2 diabetes, heart ailments, irritable bowel syndrome and even cancer. All these are observational studies. These foods can cause body inflammation and deteriorate gut health. But 49% of those surveyed said that these foods saved cooking time. And hence they purchased them. Moreover, they were affordable too.
BNF spokesperson Bridget Benelam said:
‘It’s great if you can cook from scratch when you have time, but I know for me, as a working parent, it’s often not an option,’
All processed foods are not unhealthy
BNF wants to assert that not all ultra processed foods are unhealthy. Some of them contain important nutrients and hence one should eat them. One should avoid generalizing that all ultra processed foods are bad. Bridget opined:
‘For many of us, when we get home after a busy day, foods like baked beans, wholemeal toast, fish fingers or ready-made pasta sauces are an affordable way to get a balanced meal on the table quickly,’
Baked beans (Source: Recipe Tin Eats)
‘These may be classed as ultra-processed but can still be part of a healthy diet.’
The charity issued a statement:
‘While support to reduce intakes of less healthy processed foods is important, blanket advice to avoid UPFs may have unintended consequences that have not been fully investigated for different groups within the population.’
They specify that these ultra processed foods should be present in every kitchen. They are wholemeal bread, baked beans, tomato based sauces, fish fingers, wholemeal breakfast cereals and fruit yoghurts.
Baked beans (Source: Recipe Tin Eats)