Processed meals, particularly ultra-processed meals (UPF) is, for many individuals, one of many present demons of the meals trade. Nonetheless, in response to a brand new white paper by the Institute of Meals Technologists (IFT), there are important upsides to meals processing, particularly relating to bolstering meals safety.
Stemming from the outcomes of a roundtable performed by the IFT, the white paper aimed to deal with a number of the advantages of meals processing. For instance, how meals processing is important for the preservation of meals, and has the power to reinforce sure dietary points 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 on account of confusion with formulation, processing is usually considered as unfavorable for well being,” Anna Rosales, Senior Director of Authorities Affairs and Vitamin for the IFT, informed FoodNavigator.
“Nonetheless, processing of meals is crucial and may improve nutrient bioavailability, enhance meals security, and make meals extra reasonably priced and accessible. Rising applied sciences that use much less vitality, decrease nutrient loss, and enhance client acceptability are being developed, however better funding is required, significantly for prime affect applied sciences, to carry 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 completely different from formulation, which consists of the components 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), quite than the variety of steps concerned in processing. Moreover, it differentiates between manufacturing unit and residential processing even though, in response to the IFT’s studies, the processes are related and solely the size and the gear used is completely different.
“The dietary high quality of a meals is predominately impacted by the formulation of the meals,” Rosales informed us. “Consider a recipe in residence cooking. The formulation is similar because the components whereas processing is the equal of the directions. Whereas the method of baking, mixing, roasting, drying, and many others., does affect the vitamin of a meals, it will possibly each improve and protect the dietary availability of some vitamins, minimising pure losses and at occasions can scale back some vitamins (like nutritional vitamins).”
Reasonably than focusing completely on such formulation, the white paper suggests, we should contemplate the function of meals processing know-how in rising meals’s dietary profile. For instance, it will possibly change the meals matrix and improve bioavailability. ‘Antinutritional elements,’ reminiscent of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, phenolic compounds, and saponins, can be minimised by means of 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 less complicated 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 by means of fermentation by bettering anti-oxidative attributes and enhancing phytase manufacturing that releases free mineral ions.
“Novel protein sources developed by means of rising applied sciences, reminiscent of precision fermentation, can even meet rising calls for for extra plant-based consuming patterns with much less demand for animals, vitality, and carbon.”
Retaining meals secure
One other key good thing about meals processing is preserving meals to maintain it secure for consumption, which the white paper suggests is a serious side 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 because the prehistoric age,” Rosales informed us. “These applied sciences had been vital on the time to make sure meals was edible, preserved, and secure.
“Right now, applied sciences proceed to develop to protect and improve the dietary high quality and security of meals whereas minimizing the affect on the surroundings. Processing applied sciences permit us to protect meals, scale back meals loss and waste and guarantee an reasonably priced, accessible, accessible, and acceptable meals provide. Continued innovation in applied sciences and processes shall be important to make sure our rising inhabitants is nicely fed for improvement 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 vitality environment friendly means of preserving meals than conventional strategies.
“Rising meals preservation applied sciences are being developed that may use much less vitality, decrease 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 nations. For instance, rice extrusion can assist mitigate hidden starvation, and photo voltaic meals dehydrators can minimise post-harvest losses.
There are, nevertheless, obstacles to the adoption of recent applied sciences. “A problem to adopting these novel applied sciences is the substantial analysis funding that should be dedicated to idea improvement, pilot-scale testing, regulatory acceptance, and scale-up and manufacturing, which may take a number of a long time and hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” Rosales informed us.
“Moreover, uptake of recent and disruptive know-how is usually sluggish on account of lack of information, coaching, and assets, significantly in small companies and start-ups which are sometimes the early adopters of recent applied sciences. There may be additionally a scarcity of correct and clear knowledge to find out engineering feasibility, financial viability, and sustainability of recent applied sciences.”
