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Human Nutrition - Y2S1 > Food Processing > Flashcards

Food Processing Flashcards

1
Q

What is food processing?

A

Processed food generally describes any food that has been altered from its natural state

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2
Q

Why is food processing important?

A

It’s integral to providing safe, edible and nutritious foods to the pop.

  • useful for increasing shelf life of foods, optimising nutrients availability + food quality as well as to reduce losses + waste
  • around 75% of food sales globally are processed to some degree
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3
Q

What are the key benefits of food processing (just list)

A
  1. Preservation
  2. Food safety
  3. Variety
  4. Convenience
  5. Nutrition
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4
Q

How is preservation done and why is it a benefit of food processing?

A

Via pasteurisation (treated with mild heat to eliminate pathogens + extend shelf-life), pickling or canning + salting

  • distributors can ship products over greater distances
  • retailers can stock products for longer
  • consumers can keep foods longer
  • combats food waste
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5
Q

How is food safety done and why is it a benefit of food processing?

A

Via washing, pasteurising, cooking, drying and freezing

  • consumers are at a lower risk of foodborne illnesses
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6
Q

What is variety and why is it a benefit of food processing?

A

Milling grains, mixing ingredients, adding flavours, colours or preservatives

  • manufacturers can gain higher profits + traction in market
  • access to wider variety of products
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7
Q

What is convenience and why is it a benefit of food processing?

A

Fast-foods + accessible wherever

  • higher sales by responding to consumer demand for convenience food
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8
Q

How is nutrition done and why is it a benefit of food processing?

A

Fortifying milk with vitamin D, salt with iodine and grains with B vitamins, iron and folic acid etc

  • fortification as a selling point
  • lower risk of certain nutrient deficiencies
  • tailoring to certain dietary needs
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9
Q

What is required to be done to non-wholemeal wheat flour in UK?

A

There is a mandatory fortification process using folic acid

  • All non-wholemeal flour must be fortified with folic acid to reduce neural tube defects by 20% in pop. (spina bifita in babies etc)
  • wholemeal flour already has folic acid so fortifying this would lead to an ‘overdose’, therefore it’s not required
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10
Q

What are the drawbacks of food processing? (just list)

A
  1. Nutrient loss + structural changes
  2. Additives + preservatives
  3. Increased sodium, sugar + unhealthy fats
  4. Risk of contamination
  5. Environmental impact
  6. Chemicals in food packaging
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11
Q

Drawback 1

Explain nutrient loss + structural changes

A
  • degradation of heat-sensitive vitamins + minerals
  • refining process can strip essential nutrients
  • processing induces sig. changes to food matrix
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12
Q

Drawback 2

Explain additives + preservatives

A

Potential health concerns or issues for individuals with sensitivities or allergies

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13
Q

Drawback 3

Explain increased sodium, sugar + unhealthy fats

A

Excessive consumption is linked to various health issues

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14
Q

Drawback 4

Explain risk of contamination

A

Contaminants such as bacteria, moulds, toxins + chemicals can pose health risks

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15
Q

Drawback 5

Explain environmental impact

A

Food packaging poses an environmental concern

  • air + water pollution
  • greenhouse gas emissions
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16
Q

Drawback 6

Explain chemicals in food packaging

A

Bisphenol A (BPA) - is commonly used in food containers

  • there is a link between BPA and CVD, T2D, cancers and changes to immune function
17
Q

What is the NOVA diet classification system of food processing?

Explain the groups

A

It’s a framework for grouping foods + drinks based on the extent and purpose of food processing applied to them

Group 1 - un/minimally processed = fresh, dry or frozen veg, fruit, grains, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, nuts + seeds
Group 2 - processed culinary ingredients = plant oils, animal fats, maple syrup, honey, sugar + salt
Group 3 - processed foods = canned/pickled veg, meat or fish or fruit, artisanal bread, cheese, salted meats, alcohol
Group 4 - ultra-processed = sugar-sweetened bevs, sweet + savoury packaged snacks, pre-prep frozen meals, canned soups etc

18
Q

Evidence on association between ultra-processed food (UPF) and health

What were the key findings of (1) meta-analysis and (2) systematic review (Lane et al, 2020)

A

Meta-analysis - higher intake of UPF was associated with greater risk of obesity, all-cause mortality, metabolic syndrome + depression in adults

Systematic review - positive association between T2D, frailty, IBS, CVD risk, cancers (but not CVD mortality or colorectal / prostate cancer

19
Q

What are the limitations of observational studies on UPF intake?

A
  1. Use of non-validated food-frequency questionnaires
  2. Association vs causation - these studies identify associations, also lack indications of underlying mechanisms driving the relationship
  3. Potential confounding factors - UPF consumption often linked with higher intake of energy, added sugars, sodium, saturated fat etc
    - sedentary behaviour + socioeconomic status also correlate with UPF intake
20
Q

STUDY - the effect of increased calorie intake using UPFs

What did they find?

A

A UPF diet consisting of consuming a mean energy intake of 500kcal higher

  • Body weight increased by 0.9kg following a 2 week UPF diet (opposite for unprocessed)
  • no reported differences in pleasantness or appetite sensations

Therefore…limiting UPF may be an effective strategy for obesity prevention + treatment

21
Q

Explain what ‘not all UPFs are equal’ means

A

It’s important to know the classification scheme - as it does not assess nutritional values and only takes into account general UPFs

e.g. some NOVA 4 category foods (ultra-processed) include fish fingers, beans on toast, wholemeal bread + cereals + fruit yoghurts

  • but these can actually be used as part of a balanced diet
22
Q

In the UK, what proportion of food intake is UPF?

Are there differences across Europe?

A

50-57% of the food intake the UK population consume is from UPFs

  • in the south of Europe, intake is much lower (could be due to higher number of promotional deals UK has on UPFs)
23
Q

So what can be done about this… what is food reformulation?

A

Re-designing an existing processed product with the objective of making it healthier

  • can target specific nutrients
  • goal is to contribute to a better food environment for consumers
24
Q

What are some key reformulation strategies?

A
  1. Decreasing salt + sugar content
  2. Decreasing saturated / trans-fat
  3. Decreasing energy content
  4. Increasing fibre content

Changing the composition of foods whilst changing consumers eating habits + choices but need to be accepted by consumers (key driver in changing diets)

25
Q

Why is the food environment seen as a global issues?

A

Non-communicable diseases (including CMD) are the leading causes of death

  • an unhealthy diet, as well as other lifestyle factors, are key contributors however they are modifiable!
26
Q

Describe the importance of the food environment for healthier habits

A

A healthy environment has been shown to be a stronger driver of healthy eating than health promotion and education efforts

27
Q

So what is a solution to creating a healthy food environment?

A

Reformulation of packaged and processed foods can play a key role in improving environments

28
Q

Whilst food reformulation is a good idea, what are some challenges that could be faced?

A
  1. Technical challenges - changing ingredients may affect taste, texture + appearance of food (less appealing?)
  2. Cost considerations - may be more costly for healthier ingredients (both for manufacturer + consumer) + less widely available - not good for price-sensitive environments
  3. Consumer acceptance - may resist changes due to strong preferences for familiar flavours + textures + sceptical about benefits
29
Q

How could this be overcome?

A

Balancing consumer demand + public health

Food industry navigates tension between offering consumer-preferred products + promoting healthier options by…

  • ‘Choice-editing’ = curating available choices to steer consumers toward better options
30
Q

Expanding on this, what is silent reformulation?

A

Making gradual + subtle changes to improve the nutritional profile of food products without explicitly informing consumers

31
Q

How is silent reformulation a good option?

A
  • can help maintain consumer acceptance whilst improving nutritional content
  • helps reduce the intake of energy
  • proven effective or improving salt + trans-fat profile in processed food
32
Q

Why do the population need to reduce their sodium (salt) intake?

A

Recommended that we consume no more than 6g of salt per day (1tsp)

  • however, on average, we consume 8.5g per day in whcih 4/5th of salt we consume is in foods we buy
33
Q

What are the effects of too much salt?

A
  1. Raise BP
  2. Damage blood vessels
  3. Hormonal changes
  4. Inflammation
  5. Damage stomach lining
  6. Calcium lost from bones
34
Q

What are industrially-produced trans fatty-acids (TFAs)?

A

Artificial trans-fats that are created during an industrial process that adds hydrogen to unsaturated vegetable oil

Partial hydrogenation process - turns liquid oil into a more solid form at room-temp (suitable for cooking, frying + baking etc)

35
Q

Why are industrially produced TFAs good?

A

Good for improving stability, melt profile, resistance to oxidation and shelf-life of vegetable oilsW

36
Q

What’s the impact of industrially produced TFAs on health?

A

SACN recommends no more than 2% of energy intake from trans-fats (however currently at 0.5% on pop. level)

  • but replacing 2% energy from SFAs with TFAs was associated with an increased risk of CHD
37
Q

Overall a multifaceted approach is need to improve public health.

Alongside food reformulation, what other actions can be put in place?

A
  1. Food taxes + subsidies
  2. Restrictions of food advertising + marketing
  3. Front-of-pack labelling
  4. Changes to food environment that improve availability, affordability + demand for whole and minimally processed foods
  5. Consumer education

Human Nutrition - Y2S1 (8 decks)

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