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They're cheap, convenient, and come ready-made with a bad reputation. Some countries have advised inhabitants to stay away from UPFs, or ultra-processed foo,ds in their new dietary guidelines. While others, including the US and Australia, are debating whether to follow suit. UPFs include products such as microwave meals, cereals, and sandwich meats, as well as healthier-appearing options, such as low-fat yoghurts, protein bars, and meat alternatives.
In recent years an increasing number of health experts have warned that UPFs are quite simply bad for us and that consuming them raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes, according to just two recent studies. UPFs are produced industrially and require little to no domestic preparation apart from heating. They contain preservatives, nitrates, emulsifiers, and other hard to pronounce chemicals, and are associated with global increases in conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Concerns about their effect on human health have been growing steadily. Chile and Mexico have introduced tobacco-style black labels to junk food packaging to deter consumers. Some researchers, however, have cautioned that health warnings about UPFs could have unintended consequences. Food industry advocacy group, the American Society for Nutrition, argues there are still too many unknowns about ultra-processed foods.
The organisation, which has accepted funding from food giants, is keen to point out that there is no universally-adopted definition of what they are or of how UPFs impact human health. They highlight that while research suggests that a diet heavy in UPFs is associated with a greater risk of obesity, the causal factor is still a mystery. Others say blanket warnings against UPFs could also lead to dietary deficiencies as they provide vital nutrients to people's diets, especially children - up to 75 per cent of US infants and toddlers' iron and 48 per cent of their zinc intake, according to one recent study.
And because ready meals and ultra-processed products often cost less than whole foods, telling people not to eat them is a thorny issue. As lower income households or time-poor consumers rely on them for the lion's share of their calorie intake. So although governments are mulling over how to advocate for more balanced diets featuring more whole foods, kicking the ultra-processed habit is going to take some time.
