Ultra Processed Foods Flashcards
What makes a food ultra-processed?
a) If it’s made mostly from ingredients that you won’t find in a kitchen at home
b) If it’s made by sophisticated manufacturing techniques involving expensive machinery
c) If it includes additives like colours, flavours and preservatives
d) All of the above
d
The usual classification system for deciding whether foods are processed or ultra-processed is called NOVA. It defines foods according to the processes and ingredients used to make them.
According to NOVA, ultra-processed foods are:
Made by industrial processes
Mostly made of ingredients that would only be seen in industrial food processing (such as modified starch or hydrogenated oils) as well as:
Sugar, fats and salt in combination and additives like flavourings, colours, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, thickeners and gelling agents.
They are also often very appealing to us as consumers due to their taste and texture as well as the packaging they come in.
Which of these foods is ultra-processed?
Beer
Sliced Bread
Butter
Tinned Vegetables
Sliced Bread
Mass-produced bread is classed as ultra-processed (according to the NOVA system) because it’s made by a series of industrial processes and includes additives like emulsifiers and preservatives in addition to the ingredients you might expect to find in a loaf.
That doesn’t mean you have to avoid bread or that it’s all ultra-processed but bear in mind that bread is also one of the biggest sources of salt in our diets in the UK.
To limit your salt intake and help keep your blood pressure healthy, choose wholegrain bread with the lowest salt per 100g and reduce the amount you eat by switching to other starchy foods without added salt. A jacket potato instead of a sandwich at lunch, or porridge instead of toast in the morning are good ways to start.
All ultra-processed foods are unhealthy
TRUE
FALSE
FALSE
Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in salt, sugars, fats and calories which can cause issues like high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, weight gain and diabetes. However, this system classifies foods based on their levels of processing, not their nutritional content. So, there are lots of foods within the ultra-processed category and some are more nutritious than others.
It would be hard for us to get rid of processed and ultra-processed foods completely. While it might be helpful to be aware of the ultra-processed foods in your diet and cut back on the less nutritious ones if you can, you don’t need to throw them all out.
The NOVA system has been criticised by some experts because the nutritional value of a food isn’t always related to how processed it is. For example, a sunflower or olive-oil based spread is classed as ultra-processed, but because this is an unsaturated fat, it’s likely to be better for your heart health than butter, which is not classed as ultra-processed but is a saturated fat.
What amount of our daily calories come from consuming ultra-processed food and drinks on average in the UK?
Around Half
Nearly One Third
A Quarter
Around Half
A study published in the British Medical Journal found that ultra-processed foods make up more than half (56.8%) of our total energy intake (calories) and 64.7% of total free sugars (sugars added to food or drink and sugars in honey and syrup) in the average daily UK diet.
True or false: ultra-processed foods have low nutritional value
TRUE
FALSE
FALSE
A lot of foods are ultra-processed and that means they can’t be lumped together when discussing their nutritional value. While many are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, others can be a source of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibre. For example, soya milk is ultra-processed but fortified with vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
It’s still not known if the nutrition content of ultra-processed foods is the main cause of poor health outcomes found in studies or if it’s more about other factors like processing and additives.
Do ultra-processed foods cause health issues?
Yes
No
Maybe
Maybe
It’s regularly reported in the media that ultra-processed food can cause health issues like heart disease, cancer and early death. These reports come from studies that claim to show a relationship between eating ultra-processed foods and increased risk of disease.
However, most studies on this topic are observational studies, meaning that they look at people’s diets and health outcomes to try to understand whether differences in what they eat could be causing differences in their health. This kind of study can’t prove cause and effect, meaning that we can never be sure whether there could be other factors influencing the results.
So, while most eating more processed and ultra-processed foods increases your risk of certain health issues. Some can be healthy, e.g. Soya Milk
How much ultra-processed food should you be eating?
No more than 30% of your diet
No more than 10% of your diet
None of these
None of these
Currently, there are no guidelines on how much processed and ultra-processed food you should eat. There are some UK national guidelines about other nutrients often found in ultra-processed foods. For example; free sugars shouldn’t make up more than 5% of the calories you get from food and drink and you shouldn’t consume more than 6g of salt a day as an adult.
The BHF recommends taking a whole diet approach to your eating rather than focusing on individual foods or nutrients. A Mediterranean style diet, which includes plenty of minimally or unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrains is an example of a dietary pattern which has been associated with benefits to our health.
This, along with exercising regularly and not smoking, has been shown to be beneficial for lowering risk of heart and circulatory disease.
Minimise UPFs, if you choose UPFs be sure you understand ingredients and why you consume them.
How can you tell if a food is ultra-processed?
Ask of a member of staff in the supermarket
Check the ingredients
Check the nutrition label
Check the ingredients
The easiest way of finding out if a food is processed or ultra-processed is by checking the list of ingredients on the back of food and drink packaging. Look for ingredients you wouldn’t usually find in your kitchen like modified starch, hydrogenated oils, flavours, colours, sweeteners, emulsifiers and thickeners. A long ingredient list could also be a sign.
The nutrition label, which uses a traffic light system for fat, saturates, sugars and salt, isn’t necessarily the best guide to whether a food is ultra-processed, but is a useful way of helping you make healthy choices. Looking for foods with as many “green” scores as possible is likely to be more helpful for your health than focusing on whether it’s ultra-processed.
How can you eat less processed and ultra-processed food?
Plan your supermarket shop
Prepare your meals
Cook from scratch
All of the above
All of the Above
All three options are a good way to cut down on ultra-processed foods.
Before you go shopping, it’s a good idea to make a list and of what you need and not stray from it. It’s tempting to grab an unhealthy ultra-processed food if you don’t have a plan or turn down the wrong aisle. Online shopping can also help you stick to what you need if it’s an option.
Try swapping sugary, processed snacks out with healthier options such as plain, homemade popcorn, fresh or dried fruit or vegetable sticks, or unsalted nuts. For your evening meal, use fresh or frozen vegetables, meat and vegetarian alternatives like beans and lentils and make enough to eat over a few days so you’re not cooking every evening. If you make too much, remember to freeze leftover portions so you’ll have a quick home-made meal when you need it.
Which of these foods is ultra-processed?
A Ready-made meat, fish and vegetable dishes
B Salted, dried, smoked or cured meat or fish
C Freshly made cheese
A
Ready-made meat, fish and vegetables are foods that have typically been moulded into shape, cooked and come with added preservatives and flavour enhancers. Examples include wafer ham, fish fingers or fishcakes and vegan meat substitutes.
Salted, dried, smoked or cured meat and fish, as well as freshly made cheese are often processed foods but not necessarily ultra-processed. You can tell if they’re processed, rather than ultra-processed, because they’re made from natural or minimally processed foods and only contain two or three ingredients. They’ve had substances like salt and sugar added to them so they might still be worth cutting down on.
