Home > Vigil on Ultra-Processed Foods

Classification of Foods:

Before getting into the details, let us understand how the food items are classified based on the processing techniques. A food classification system, foods and beverages are classified into four groups based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing:

• Unprocessed and minimally processed foods
• Processed culinary ingredients
• Processed foods
• Ultra-processed foods

We know almost large quantity of the food items are processed to some extent, at least by preservation, so we cannot criticize the foods as being processed.

Examples of Ultra-processed Foods:

Some common ultra-processed products are:

• Carbonated soft drinks
• Packaged sweet, fatty, or salty snacks
• candies (confectionery)
• Mass produced packaged breads and buns, cookies (biscuits), pastries, cakes and cake mixes
• Margarine and other spreads; sweetened breakfast ‘cereals’ and fruit yoghurt and ‘energy’ drinks
• Pre-prepared meat, cheese, pasta and pizza dishes
• Poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ and ‘sticks’; sausages, burgers, hot dogs and other reconstituted meat products
• powdered and packaged ‘instant’ soups, noodles and desserts & many other types of product

How is it different from a Normal Balanced Food?

Consumption of ultra-processed foods combined with poor physical activity has a meaningful relationship with non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Normal food contains balanced amount of required nutrients whereas ultra processed foods contain less amounts of proteins, vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals, and dietary fiber but are rich in fat, salt and sugar and high in calories.

These are typically nutritionally unbalanced and liable to be over-consumed. It also has a negative impact on health if consumed regularly or in excessive amounts. Few experimental studies stated that ultra-processed foods have high glycemic responses and low satiety potential.

How to identify that a food is Ultra processed Foods?

The presence of one or more food substances not used in kitchens or rare culinary use & Presence of “cosmetic additives” can help to identify a product as ultra-processed.

How did this shift from traditional to processed happen?

There is a universal shift from consumption of traditional home cooked food to more processed foods due to the following.

• Rising income
• Increased purchasing power
• Urbanization & Globalization of food trade
• Growth of the modern food sector & Marketing strategies
• Changing consumer interests, food habits, food processes & lifestyle

Where are we now?

The processed food industry emerges as an important sector & also vital for reducing food loss and to the shelf-life of agricultural produce. India was the third-largest retail market in the world. In the past, we focused on achieving food security, now on nutrition security. Studies have raised concerns related to the adverse health impact of ultra-processed foods and their correlation to growing cases of non-communicable diseases.

How can we manage this?

Globally, countries have adopted policy interventions to promote healthy diets or reduce the consumption of unhealthy food such as

• Comprehensive nutrition policy
• Higher taxes on unhealthy food and lower taxes or subsidies/incentives for healthy food products
• Nutrition labelling for guiding consumers towards right purchases
• Awareness programmes
• Regulations on limiting advertising/marketing of ultra-processed foods
• Placing reasonable restrictions on marketing, especially to children on television and other media, like prohibiting junk food commercials between 6 am to 10 pm

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