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A Deep Dive on Ultra-Processed Foods
(This gets pretty detailed and complex, but hang on until
the end where we boil it down and make it helpful.) The term Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) emerged out of the Nova food classification system developed at a Brazil university in 2009, which had as its purpose classification of foods depending solely on the "extent and purpose of food processing" applied to them, and not on their nutrients. The term "Nova" comes from the Portuguese for "new." This classification is now reportedly being widely used in research and nutrition. The Nova classification consists of four groups: Nova Group 1. Unprocessed or minimally processed food such as eggs, nuts, beans, milk, plain yogurt, frozen fruit or vegetables, fresh meat: foods that may be modified by drying, crushing, pasteurization, freezing, but maintain the integrity of the foods with no additives. Nova Group 2. Processed culinary ingredients such as vegetable oils, butter, sugar, salt, vinegar, honey: these are foods that are obtained through milling, drying, refining, pressing, are free from additives, and are primarily used in cooking. Nova Group 3. Processed foods, such as canned or bottled fish or vegetables, beans, or fruit, unpackaged cheese or bread from bakeries: foods made or preserved through canning, bottling, baking, which often use additives to enhance shelf life, or prevent the spread of microorganisms, or simply to make foods taste better. Nova Group 4. Ultra-processed foods such as packaged bread, cereals, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, cakes, frozen pizza, hot dogs, instant soup, noodles: foods that involve processes such as pre-frying, extrusion, or have color or flavor additives. The aim of the classification was to present a simple way to think about nutrition. Again, a higher value placed on fresh meat, for example, in Group 1 "unprocessed," is because the food contains no additives, but does not take into account the saturated fat in meat. Carlos Monteiro, the original researcher, sought to sustain traditional food culture in Brazil, and curb the growing obesity rate by warning against the motives of the food industry which he saw as maximizing profit by producing ultra-processed foods. The recommendations generated by the classification were: 1. Use minimally processed foods, in great variety, preferably plant and obtained from proper agricultural methods, as the basis for your diet. 2. Use only small amounts of culinary ingredients such as oils, and salt. 3. Limit processed foods or use them only as part of an overall meal of natural foods. 4. Avoid ultra-processed products.
The Nova classification has its detractors. In an October 2021 commentary in Trends in Food Science and Technology, the authors (Food Engineers and Research Professors, again at a university in Brazil) criticize the classification because it doesn't accurately categorize food by the level of processing but simply by the number of ingredients in each product, a too simplified approach in their opinion, which does not take into account any knowledge of food engineering. They point out that any food that has been cooked or combined with other foods has technically been processed and thus has been part of the human diet since "ancient times" (think bread, olive oil and wine in Greece). And, they add, many crops such as soy or coffee or wheat could not be a part of the human diet if not processed. They highlight the fact that processing in early times solved storage and transportation problems, and that even then, increased palatability was a goal. If food was not palatable it would not be eaten. While they acknowledge that nutrition-related illnesses are caused by misuse of food (particularly salt and sugar), they point out that these same ingredients may be part of food preservation and safety and that additives overcome problems of a limited food supply of natural ingredients, "increase shelf life of food, and simplify...cooking tasks," thus producing "sustainability of food supply for the global population." They go on, but believe that a catchword such as "ultra-processed" is confusing to the general public, imprecise, and not accurate, although well meaning.
Bonnie Liebman, M.S. in nutritional science from Cornell University, and longtime formulator of nutritional policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the publisher of the Nutrition Action newsletter, enters this discussion in the September/October/2023 issue by using the term ultra-processed from the Nova study in a more general way, stating that more than half of the average American's diet consists of these foods, but some of them are not typical junk foods. She points to a study of 200,000 health professionals that showed that the category of breads and breakfast foods was the biggest food category consumed, followed by the fats, condiments and sauces category. And while the third and fourth categories of "snacks and desserts, and beverages" could qualify as junk foods, she points out that the definition of ultra-processed was not based on harm, and while it is not "clear which of their many features might be harmful, it is clear that studies have linked them to disease." She enlarges the discussion by a consideration of many of the issues now being discussed within the nutritional field about possible causative disease factors: Are ultra-processed food eaters different, why ultra-processed foods may pile on the pounds, does the food's structure matter, could additives or contaminants be to blame, and finally an issue that is getting more general notice now of whether ultra-processed foods alter your gut microbes. My Take My number one rule stated in our first book, RIPPED, published in 1980, is to avoid processed foods. And regardless of the semantics being discussed in the nutritional field (which are of interest), it remains the same. Choose as many whole foods as you can for your daily diet, and add in those foods which are necessary for food preparation and eating enjoyment, such as oils. I never diet. I follow an eating style, and believe the key to permanent body fat control (and ultimately health) is eating satisfaction. There is no need to eat foods you don't like - I never do - and there is no need to leave the table feeling hungry. If you want more, get up and get it, giving yourself time to decide if you really want it. That does not mean there is no discipline involved. It takes some effort and planning to eat this way, but if you sit down and think about a diet that is sustainable in your own life, and put it into practice, it becomes simple. * * * Being the chef in our family, Carol was the one taking the deep dive into the details of this topic. I didn't have the patience to do it. Hopefully we made it helpful by working together.
January 1, 2024 Comment on this article: FEEDBACK Ripped Enterprises, P.O. Box 51236, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-1236 Home | Products Index | Ripped Bks | Lean Adv. Bks | Lean For Life | Recommended Bks | |Consultations | Tapes | To Order | Feedback] Copyright © 2024 Clarence and Carol Bass. All rights reserved.
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