High cost of convenience

Checking the substance of processed food

- Jennifer Bowden

Question:
"Buyer beware" (July 8) on ultra-processed food risks left me anxious to avoid them. But that's difficult if "83% of foods" in supermarkets are ultra-processed. The worst examples are relatively easy to spot. But other foods may fit somewhere in between, such as bread, "gourmet" soups or a family pie. How do I avoid the main problems of ultra-processing?

Answer:
Like many things in life, food processing is not black and white, processed or unprocessed. Foods range from those that have zero or minimal processing to the ultra-processed with associated health risks. Between the extremes is a plethora of foods that are processed to varying degrees.

Many processed foods make our lives more convenient without compromising our health.

Indeed, imagine a world where pasta had to be made from scratch with flour, eggs and olive oil on the day it was eaten. The trusty weeknight staple of spaghetti bolognese would probably be dethroned, given that many of us do not have the time, energy or inclination to make pasta on demand.