Processed meals, particularly ultra-processed meals (UPF) is, for many individuals, one of many present demons of the meals business. Nevertheless, in keeping with a brand new white paper by the Institute of Meals Technologists (IFT), there are vital upsides to meals processing, particularly in the case of bolstering meals safety.
Stemming from the outcomes of a roundtable carried out by the IFT, the white paper aimed to deal with a few of the advantages of meals processing. For instance, how meals processing is significant for the preservation of meals, and has the power to reinforce sure dietary elements of meals, reminiscent of nutrient bioavailability. The paper aimed to assuage what it noticed has misconceptions about processed meals being linked to poor well being.
“Meals processing is underneath intense scrutiny within the public well being area and because of confusion with formulation, processing is usually considered as unfavourable for well being,” Anna Rosales, Senior Director of Authorities Affairs and Diet for the IFT, informed FoodNavigator.
“Nevertheless, processing of meals is crucial and might improve nutrient bioavailability, enhance meals security, and make meals extra reasonably priced and obtainable. Rising applied sciences that use much less power, reduce nutrient loss, and enhance shopper acceptability are being developed, however larger funding is required, notably for top impression applied sciences, to convey these applied sciences to scale.”
Misunderstanding processed meals
The white paper grapples with the widespread conception of processed meals as dangerous for well being. Processing, it states, is how the meals is made, which is totally different from formulation, which consists of the substances which make up a meals.
The NOVA classification system, states the white paper, is based on formulation, particularly the definition given for group 4 (ultra-processed meals), somewhat than the variety of steps concerned in processing. Moreover, it differentiates between manufacturing unit and residential processing even though, in keeping with the IFT’s reviews, the processes are comparable and solely the size and the gear used is totally different.
“The dietary high quality of a meals is predominately impacted by the formulation of the meals,” Rosales informed us. “Consider a recipe in dwelling cooking. The formulation is identical because the substances whereas processing is the equal of the directions. Whereas the method of baking, mixing, roasting, drying, and many others., does impression the diet of a meals, it will probably each improve and protect the dietary availability of some vitamins, minimising pure losses and at instances can scale back some vitamins (like nutritional vitamins).”
Reasonably than focusing solely on such formulation, the white paper suggests, we should think about the position of meals processing know-how in rising meals’s dietary profile. For instance, it will probably change the meals matrix and improve bioavailability. ‘Antinutritional elements,’ reminiscent of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, phenolic compounds, and saponins, may also be minimised via processing, in flip bettering bioavailability.
For instance, fermentation can improve bioavailability by simplifying advanced proteins. “Conventional fermentation has been demonstrated to extend protein digestibility by degrading advanced proteins into easier peptides and amino acids for digestion and absorption,” Rosales informed us.
“It has additionally been proven to enhance starch digestibility by activating starch hydrolyzing enzymes, reminiscent of alpha-amylase and maltase. Additional, micronutrient bioavailability could also be improved via fermentation by bettering anti-oxidative attributes and enhancing phytase manufacturing that releases free mineral ions.
“Novel protein sources developed via rising applied sciences, reminiscent of precision fermentation, also can meet rising calls for for extra plant-based consuming patterns with much less demand for animals, power, and carbon.”
Protecting meals protected
One other key advantage of meals processing is preserving meals to maintain it protected for consumption, which the white paper suggests is a serious facet of meals safety, and all the time has been, since meals processing meant solar drying, roasting, and preserving with salt.
“Meals processing has been round for the reason that prehistoric age,” Rosales informed us. “These applied sciences have been vital on the time to make sure meals was edible, preserved, and protected.
“Right this moment, applied sciences proceed to develop to protect and improve the dietary high quality and security of meals whereas minimizing the impression on the surroundings. Processing applied sciences permit us to protect meals, scale back meals loss and waste and guarantee an reasonably priced, obtainable, accessible, and acceptable meals provide. Continued innovation in applied sciences and processes will probably be important to make sure our rising inhabitants is effectively fed for growth and longevity.”
Rising applied sciences in heating, drying and cooling meals are each meals processing and meals preservation, the white paper suggests. One instance of that is Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization and Pasteurization, which the white paper says is a extra power environment friendly approach of preserving meals than conventional strategies.
“Rising meals preservation applied sciences are being developed that may use much less power, reduce nutrient loss, and enhance style and texture high quality, with out compromising meals security,” Rosales informed us.
Meals processing know-how can be utilized to mitigate starvation in creating international locations. For instance, rice extrusion may help mitigate hidden starvation, and photo voltaic meals dehydrators can minimise post-harvest losses.
There are, nonetheless, obstacles to the adoption of recent applied sciences. “A problem to adopting these novel applied sciences is the substantial analysis funding that have to be dedicated to idea growth, pilot-scale testing, regulatory acceptance, and scale-up and manufacturing, which might take a number of a long time and thousands and thousands of {dollars},” Rosales informed us.
“Moreover, uptake of recent and disruptive know-how is usually sluggish because of lack of awareness, coaching, and sources, notably in small companies and start-ups which are sometimes the early adopters of recent applied sciences. There’s additionally a scarcity of correct and clear knowledge to find out engineering feasibility, financial viability, and sustainability of recent applied sciences.”
