Should Ultra-Processed Foods Redefine Sound Dietary Advice?
Evidence is mounting linking ultra-processed foods (UPF) to risk of chronic disease. Typically, UPF are foods that are energy-dense, high in fat, sugar, and salt, low in fibre, and with a long shelf life. Examples include biscuits, chips, candy, instant noodles, mass-produced bread, sweetened breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat meals, and reconstituted meats.
Dietary recommendations encourage people to eat foods that are “whole” or less processed. This can be a challenge when our food environments and food supply systems are dominated by UPF.
Acknowledging a Tension
Categorizing foods according to the type and extent of processing can help us understand the healthfulness of individual foods, diets, and the food supply system. However, we must still consider the nutritional value, affordability, accessibility, sustainability, and cultural acceptability of foods. And in some cases, foods classified as UFP may still be a component of a well-balanced dietary intake – for example, wholegrain bread.
While acknowledging this tension on the margins, there remains a strong case for promoting the consumption of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, and minimally processed foods.
What This Briefing Adds
This Briefing brings together diverse perspectives on UPF in order to outline a common way forward for nutrition and public health researchers and advocates.
Implications for Policy
Promoting consumption of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, and minimally-processed foods remains the most sensible advice for a healthy dietary intake.
Public health researchers and advocates need to continue to advocate for policy to improve the food environment and shift the balance of available and affordable foods away from energy dense ultra-processed foods high in fat, sugar, and salt.
This is an abstract of a PHCC Briefing published under a Creative Commons License. You can find the full Briefing here. The authors are Cristina Cleghorn, Tegan McGowan, Victoria Egli, Emma Shields, Fa’asisila Savila, and Sally Mackay
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September 29, 2024
October 01, 2024 at 8:47 am, David Brown said:
The Ultra-processed food debate is an exercise in futility. Steve Blechman explains where the problem lies. “This year, U.S. News & World Report (January 2nd, 2019) selected the Mediterranean diet as the best overall diet and healthiest diet for 2019. It was also rated the best diet for preventing heart disease and diabetes. These results were based on a panel of 23 experts, and 41 diets based on the scientific literature. The expert panel consisted of the country’s top nutrition experts and physicians specializing in weight loss, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Mediterranean diet is low in arachidonic acid and rich in healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats found in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), nuts and omega-3 fatty acids from fish, which has been shown to lower the risk of inflammation, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity, and other degenerative diseases. https://advancedmolecularlabs.com/blogs/news/new-red-meat-study-controversy