What does processed foods actually mean?

One of my goals of being a Nutritionist is to help people understand food better so that they can make the right choices for optimum health. I think that the topic of processed food is worth exploring today as it can be misunderstood. We are encouraged to avoid these foods, but what does processed food actually mean ? Don't nearly all foods undergo some form of processing?

Let's start with the definition of processed foods:

a processed food is any raw agricultural commodity that has been altered from its natural state, this could be- washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurising, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging, or other procedures that alter the food from its natural state (1). The food may contain other additional ingredients such as food additives, preservatives, colours and flavourings.

According to this standard then most foods can be classed as processed. This is the reason why it is helpful to distinguish between the different degrees of food processing.

1. Unprocessed food include foods from plants and animals that are edible. Minimally processed foods are ones that have been slightly altered for preservation but do not substantially change the nutrition content of the food. Examples of this include cleaning, removing its inedible parts, grinding, pasteurisation refrigeration, and vacuum packing. This typically allows the food to last longer and to be safer to eat. These foods are fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, meats, nuts and milk.

2. Processed culinary ingredients obtained form minimally processed foods such as olive oil are extracted from the olive; however it is still considered a healthy option.

3. Processed foods are foods from the above category that are generally made from 2-3 ingredients and have added salt, sugars and fats. These include canned fruit and vegetables, freshly baked bread, some cheeses and canned fish.

4. Ultra processed foods or highly processed foods are the foods that belong to the previous group but also have the addition of artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives which increase their shelf life, preserve texture and increase palatability. These foods include sugary drinks, biscuits, cakes, frozen ready meals, fast foods, breakfast cereal.

Are all processed foods bad for you?

No, minimally processed foods can be healthy for you.

For example freezing vegetables do not make them less nutritious as freezing can retain the vitamin C found in the vegetable.

Some foods need to be pasteurised before they are safe to eat as this processing kills off bacteria. An example of this is pasteurising milk.

Cooking food is a form of processing and this is vital for the consumption of many food groups and can result in food poisoning if it isn't carried out.

Processing can have its drawbacks depending on the type as it can destroy many nutrients within the food. Ultra processed food is best avoided as there is growing evidence that a diet high in ultra processed foods will increase the risk of various health conditions such as cardiovascular disease (2).

How do we know that a food has been ultra processed?

If the answer to these following questions are yes then the food is probably ultra-processed.

1. Does it contain lots of ingredients?

2. Does it have a higher levels of fat salt and sugar?

3. Do the ingredients have unrecognisable names?

4. Does the food have a long shelf life?

How can I avoid processed foods?

It is nearly impossible to avoid processed foods as even if you are eating fresh foods and cooking from scratch you will still be washing, chopping and cooking the food which is all a form of processing. And remember some processed foods are a vital part of a healthy diet. Avoiding ultra processed foods can be challenging as the manufacturers succeed in making these foods convenient and delicious!

Here’s some ideas to swap out the ultra processed foods:

1. Swap ultra processed cheese slices for minimally processed cheddar

2. Swap ultra processed breakfast cereals for whole oats

3. Swap fizzy drinks for water with added fresh fruits

4. Swap ultra processed biscuits for mixed nuts and seed mixes.

5. Swap chocolate bar with long ingredient list for organic dark chocolate

Conclusion

A moderate amount of processing is required to make food safe. It's when the matrix (structure) of the food is altered too much and then too many additional substances are added that makes it not good.

References

1. Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Moubarac, J. C., Levy, R. B., Louzada, M., & Jaime, P. C. (2018). The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public health nutrition, 21(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017000234

2. Pagliai, G., Dinu, M., Madarena, M., Bonaccio, M., Iacoviello, L., & Sofi, F. (2021). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 125(3), 308-318. https://doi:10.1017/S0007114520002688