How many food additives and substances have been approved in the US versus the EU
Ode To Joy intensifies
I’m curious what definition they were using for what constitutes ‘ultra-processed’. I’ve been having a really hard time narrowing down what an ultra processed food actually is, but this isn’t to take away from the study. Some researchers class them as anything with a ‘non-EU GRAS’ in it, some define it by number of listed ingredients or processing steps, some of them use a definition so strict that even butter or pasteurized milk counts. I think its really important that were finally seeing what the health effects of our hyperprocessed diets are having on us, but I just wish that there was a broadly accepted definition so I didn’t have to look up the source study every single time to find out what they’re talking about.
I’d go with the amount of additives compared to the “real” thing.
Like basic bread is water, yeast, flour and salt.
If your bread has 20 ingredients - it’s ultra processed.
That probably captures many such things but it’s not fool proof. I like to make bread with 2-4 different kinds of flour, 4-8 different kinds of seeds, a teaspoon or two of sugar to get the yeast going, sometimes milk or olive oil or another fat source. At it’s most complex it could get pretty close to 20 ingredients but I don’t feel that should be classified as ultra-processed. The kinds of ingredients used and the actual process also matters.
Yeah, bread can get complicated depending on what you want to make. Excluding flour, I have in my pantry to make bread these:
- espresso powder
- cocoa powder (multiple varieties)
- barley malt syrup
- oats
- variety of seeds (shitload of carroway mainly)
- variety of spices
- variety of nuts
- variety of oils/fats (olive oil, peanut oil, ghee, sticks of butter, etc)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
Salt is flavoring. Ultraprocessed.
Me putting ingredients into my food processor called Ultra. ULTRA PROCESSED!!
The article references another article that references this paper that gives the following definition with reference to this paper for this definition:
Ultra-processed foods are ready-to-eat/heat industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, including flavors, colors, texturizers, and other additives, with little if any intact whole food.
It seems like the last referenced paper is the deep dive: Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. It’s based on the NOVA classification system
I wish every article that talks about “ultra-processed” foods would just link to the NOVA system or some other reference. Otherwise it just makes their statements seem so empty.
The NOVA system is bad science, in my opinion.
When asked to classify centuries-old staples like cheese or jam or bread or pickles, the experts struggle to find a consensus on which category any given food is. And so the classification system itself is so imprecisely defined that studies based on the system will rest on a shaky foundation.
It’s better to identify what specific foods and what specific cooking techniques are bad and how they might be bad, rather than trying to say that the act of chopping, blending, mixing, cooking, or fermentation automatically makes a food less healthy.
If certain additives are bad, say that those are bad. Don’t try to lump in the other processing techniques into one basket.
Great link, thanks.
That’s bread or really any seed derived foods.
Yep, bread isn’t necessarily in the ultra-processed category but most of the common brands are.
Doesn’t mean you have to stop eating bread. Reading those NOVA guidelines and comparing the foods you eat will give you a lot to think about though.
How Ultra-Processed Bread Took Over America
Corpos decide a ton in this country. I hope this loophole gets fixed.
The mini documentary in the article: https://youtu.be/r03hB_xk5xs
You say loophole, I say feature, potato potato.
People don’t want to eat healthy. Nearly every American has access to multiple farmer markets and grocery stores with cheap as fuck, healthy, and diverse food.
They make a choice to buy easy to make garbage.
Unless you’re a single parent working 60 hours a week the responsibility is on the parent here. It’s easy to not be shitty and cook them a good meal.
That’s very much victim blaming in my opinion.
When you’re on a busy schedule because of work and don’t have a lot of free time, which is increasingly the case in today’s society, going to only one grocery store that’s closest to home is often the only option.
Not everyone has the luxury of having the free time to seek out farmers markets. Nor are these available everywhere.
The problem is this self regulation capitalist bullshit and a lack of government regulation with people’s well-being in mind.
I included grocery stores which have just as good selection and quality. Very few Americans don’t have access to inexpensive (relative to processed garbage) high quality food.
Yes I am blaming the people. There isn’t a victim. They have voluntarily choosen to skip inexpensive healthy food for convenience. It is their fault and no one else’s.
Don’t forget you also have to take the time to cook that food.
It’s much more time saving to cook something that’s already half prepared, like a taco kit, hamburger helper, or chicken nuggets than it is to prepare a whole dinner from scratch on a weekday to feed your kids.
Also, even the best grocery stores around my place have pretty bad produce that are either half rotten or too unripe to eat right away and have no taste.
Blame the victims all you want. But you’re wrong.
Again, laziness. It takes a half hour to cook a meal. An hour if you do something complex.
This has been done by adults forever. I am blaming you and the “victims” 🤣 and I’m not wrong. It takes 6 or 7 hours a week to run meals for a family and very few people don’t have that kind of time. And I am empathetic to those in that situation it’s a different conversation.
You come across as a huge douche.
Hahahaha I love how they deleted all their comments after being called out. It’s a shame though. Now no one will ever know what they said.
I still see all their comments.
Very few Americans don’t have access to inexpensive (relative to processed garbage) high quality food.
This is patently false. I would really recommend you read up on food deserts (or watch a video about them). These are very common, especially in poorer areas.
Spoken like a rich snob who has never had to work 3 jobs to make ends meet.
Prepping fresh food takes time most Americans don’t have. Our system is set up so only the wealthy have time to cook.
We need better safety nets and higher pay in order for people to simply have enough time to eat.
