Removing whole food groups has consequences

Despite being blamed for the nation’s poor general health, not all HPFs need to be avoided, writes Ro Collingborn

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HIGHLY processed foods (HPFs) are increasingly being blamed for the current state of the nation’s poor health, together with obesity. But what is a highly processed food?

It’s a foodstuff with added ingredients, generally industrially produced, calorie rich, nutrient poor and it's engineered to make us want more. It tends to have sensory-related additives that enhance the texture, flavour and appearance. Examples are sweets and chocolates, sweetened drinks, some ready meals and processed meat, together with packaged cakes and biscuits. Generally ultra-processed foods involve large scale processing of cheap commodities that replace nutrient-rich foods. However, not all HPFs need to be avoided - healthier examples would be wholemeal bread, baked beans and higher fibre breakfast cereals.

There appears to be an association between highly processed foods and adverse health outcomes like problems with weight, heart disease and diabetes. The world has sleepwalked into a system where at least half our food is made up of ultra-processed foods. A report published in the Lancet last week, points out how aggressive marketing by international companies has come to dominate the market, at the expense of locally sourced, affordable and natural foods. It says that “a global response is needed to break the grip of the UPF on food systems worldwide.”

It’s up to processors to cut back on sugar and salt, but in a way that doesn’t add ingredients that might be just as bad for us.