THE LESS PROCESSING THE BETTER

Here's why we need to cut down on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), and the red flags to look out for on food labels.

- RUTH MARCUS

The dreaded ‘P’ word again. Most of us have heard of the dangers of processed foods and how they can have detrimental effects on our health. We try our best to avoid them, but what is it exactly that we need to avoid – and why?

The truth is, describing food as ‘processed’ can cause some confusion because most foods are processed in some way or another. Mechanical processing is a technique used in food production all the time, for instance, grinding beef and pasteurising dairy products. This form of processing doesn’t necessarily make foods unhealthy. That said, there is a big difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing, and that’s where we need to be careful.

Chemically processed foods often contain refined ingredients and artificial additives with little nutritional value, such as flavourants, colourants, stabilisers, preservatives, and sweeteners like aspartame and tartrazine.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) also tend to contain natural additives such as sugar and salt to make the food taste good. UPFs can be addictive – wholefoods like fruits and vegetables often taste bland in comparison.

A FEW EVERYDAY EXAMPLES OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS

• breakfast cereals

• crackers and chips

• sweets and chocolates

• instant noodles and soups

• frozen ready-made meals

• reconstituted meats like fish fingers and chicken nuggets

• Sugar-sweetened cooldrinks

Health risks