This number is even higher in children. Unfortunately, diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
These risks are serious, so why are we eating so much of them?
Because, simply put, ultra-processed foods are everywhere! And that’s on purpose.
They contain ingredients, like extra salt, sugar, and fats or oils, to make them tastier, more appealing, and addictive. They also contain chemicals to stop them from spoiling. They often contain very little of the original food product – for example, chicken nuggets that contain only 20% chicken.
Coupled with attractive packaging, effective advertising, low prices, and convenience,
make buying ultra-processed foods an easy and convenient choice.
So, what exactly are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods are foods that have ingredients in them that we don’t have in our kitchens. These include unnatural food dyes in juices and pastries, emulsifiers in yogurts, and chemical preservatives in imported store-bought baked goods.
Have you ever noticed that imported store-bread can last for weeks on the counter while freshly baked local bread spoils after a day or two? The preservatives stop the bread from spoiling. It is these preservatives that make the imported store-bought bread an ultra-processed food.
Processed food is okay, ULTRA-processed food is not.
Some forms of food processing are actually good for us, such as:
- Cooking – to kill harmful bacteria in food, making it safe to eat
- Pasteurization – to kill harmful bacteria in milk and juices
- Adding vitamins and minerals – like Vitamin B1 added to flour
- Canning of vegetables and fruits – to allow them to last longer
Remember, If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label, it’s likely an ultra-processed food!
So, what can I do to eat less ultra-processed food?
There are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of ultra-processed food you and your family eat:
Make good choices at the supermarket – If you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it
Always check the labels! If it has ingredients that you don’t use in your kitchen, like red dye 40, or carboxymethylcellulose, then it’s an ultra-processed food.
Make good choices at home – being mindful is key
- Aim for more home-made meals. These would have natural ingredients and are better for you than ready-made store-bought foods. For example, consider making pizza at home, occasionally, instead of buying it ready-made.
- Meal proportions are key. At every meal, ½ the plate should be fruits and vegetables, ¼ should be a protein like chicken or fish, and ¼ should be a starch like yam or pasta. Eating balanced meals will reduce the amount of ultraprocessed foods on your plate.
What else can be done?
At the policy level – ensuring visible and readily identifiable labels are placed at the front of food packages to help us to quickly identify which foods are ultra-processed at the supermarket is important. That way, we don’t have to skim the label of each product we wish to buy, and it allows us to make an informed decision.
Some countries with “mandatory front-of-package (FOP) labeling for ultra-processed foods include Chile, Peru, Israel, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.” It would be great if countries in the Caribbean could do the same in the near future, for the public’s health.
Remember,
Everything in moderation – You can’t avoid ultra-processed food entirely, but you can try to reduce the amount you eat each day, for your health and the health of your family.
Dr Rachel Thwaites-Williams,
Family Physician and Public Health Specialist
