Make Food Great Again

 

Please sign my petition to force big food companies tell us how much poison they are adding to our food.

 

You know how social media algorithms work… you express a mild interest in something, and the next thing you know, you're frantically digging a bunker in your backyard while screaming at your neighbour, "The end is nigh!"

 

That's exactly what happened to me after I read Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken and got sucked into the UPF (ultra-processed food) algorithm.

 

Two things happened: firstly, our food bills doubled, as it turns out removing UPFs from your shopping cart is very expensive, so we had to make cutbacks in other areas to compensate, and secondly, I started to see UPFs everywhere I looked.

 

I was shocked to learn that UPFs make up almost two-thirds of school meals in the UK.

 

But it was one particular line in the book that really hit me: "Most of what people eat isn't actually food; it’s an industrially produced edible substance." How delicious.

 

How did it come to this? Why are we feeding ourselves and our children this nasty crap cobbled together in a lab? Well, that is where the rabbit hole really begins.

 

While your taste buds might be throwing a party in honor of UPF's tasty deceit, your gut health isn't as happy about it.

 

Two massive studies recently crashed the party, revealing that UPF consumption is related to heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and a suite of other health nightmares.

 

But it doesn’t stop there; you can thank UPFs for the rise in obesity, depression, and even tooth decay.

 

Shockingly, a 2019 study found that UPFs make up a staggering 57% of the average UK diet, soaring to 80% among kids and less the affluent.

 

UPF's extend the shelf life of food, they add additives like sugar, salt, and fat, along with flavor enhancers and colorants, make these foods highly palatable and visually appealing.

They make food easy to prepare, catering to busy lifestyles.

And they are cheap to make, they can be made in large quantities at a lower cost due to the use of cheap ingredients and additives.

 

How can I eat less UPFs?

 

Carlos A. Monteiro, a professor specializing in nutrition and public health at the University of São Paulo, has provided a helpful reference.

 

In his academic paper titled "Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them," he notes that ingredients not commonly found in home cooking typically appear near the beginning or middle of the list, arranged by weight. 

 

These ingredients encompass various categories such as protein sources (hydrolyzed proteins, soy protein isolate, gluten, casein, whey protein, mechanically separated meat), sugars (fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, invert sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, lactose), soluble or insoluble fiber, and modified oils (hydrogenated or interesterified oil).

 

Additives are usually listed towards the end. These include cosmetic additives aimed at enhancing the product's taste or appearance, such as flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and agents for anti-foaming, bulking, carbonation, foaming, gelling, and glazing.

 

Indeed, while understanding the implications of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is crucial, the real challenge lies in easily identifying their presence and proportion in our daily diet.

 

Wouldn't it significantly benefit consumers to have labels on food products that quickly and clearly indicate the level of UPFs?

 

This would empower individuals to make informed choices at a glance, steering them towards healthier dietary habits.

 

Well we're going to get to that shortly.

 

But are they really that bad for us? If so, why?

 

Let’s break it down (as an '80s kid, I absolutely adore saying that):

 

• High Levels of Saturated Fat, Salt, and Sugar: Ultra-processed foods typically contain excessive amounts of saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Consuming these ingredients in abundance can lead to various health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, and increased risk of heart disease.

 

• Nutrient Deficiency: By consuming ultra-processed foods, individuals may allocate a significant portion of their diet to less nutritious options, leaving little room for essential nutrients found in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This can result in nutrient deficiencies and overall poor diet quality.

 

• Additives: Many ultra-processed foods contain a plethora of additives, including preservatives, flavor enhancers, and colorings. While these additives are considered safe for consumption in regulated quantities, there are concerns that long-term exposure to these substances could have adverse health effects. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of these additives on human health.

 

• Processing Effects: The processing techniques used to manufacture ultra-processed foods can alter their nutritional composition and how our bodies metabolize them. For example, studies suggest that the body may absorb fats differently depending on whether they are consumed in whole foods or as part of processed products. Additionally, there is emerging evidence suggesting that diets high in ultra-processed foods may negatively affect gut health.

 

Here's a breakdown of common ultra-processed foods:

 

Ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps (potato chips), mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks (sodas), instant soups, and some alcoholic drinks, such as whisky, gin, and rum.

 

Contrastingly, unprocessed or minimally processed foods include fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, and grains. Processed culinary ingredients encompass sugar, salt, butter, lard, oils, and vinegar. Processed foods may consist of freshly made, unpackaged bread, canned fruits and vegetables, salted nuts, ham, bacon, canned fish, and cheese.

 

Spotting ultra-processed foods involves looking for:

 

• More than five ingredients, especially uncommon ones.
• Extracted substances like lactose, whey, or gluten.
• Additives like flavors, colors, sweeteners, thickeners.
• Derived substances like maltodextrin, corn syrup.
• Sweeteners such as aspartame or stevia derivatives.
• Protein sources like hydrolyzed proteins or soy isolate.
• Modified oils like hydrogenated oils.
• Preservatives like ascorbic acid or sodium benzoate.
• Emulsifiers like soy lecithin.
• Thickeners like xanthan gum or pectin.
• Colors and stabilizers like tartrazine or caramel color.

 

For those who find label scrutiny as appealing as a root canal, the Open Food Facts app is well worth a download. It will let you scan a barcode and tell you how much UPF junk is in it.

 

You might be wondering why food doesn’t display a simple label system that informs us of how processed it is?

 

Don’t look up because you’ll find yourself even deeper down the rabbit hole.

 

There is such a system; it’s called NOVA - The NOVA system categorizes foods based on their degree of processing, helping identify ultra-processed foods linked to health risks, such as obesity and heart disease.

 

 

This is what my change.org pertition is for - The mandarty labeling of NOVA on all foods and beverages in the UK

 

 

If I were to put on my tinfoil hat, I’d say the big food companies want to avoid this label being displayed at all costs because keeping the general public in the dark about all this stuff.

 

After all, the Ultra Processed Food Market size is projected to increase by USD 594.71 billion at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.39% between 2023 and 2028.

 

There is little profit to be made in an apple, but the profits in a packet of highly processed biscuits tell a different story.

 

In the end, the battle against UPFs isn't about demonising food choices but about empowering individuals with knowledge, enabling them to navigate the industrial food complex with discernment.

 

In the words of Eddie Abbew, It's time to wake the f**k up. 

 

Anyway, please sign my petition and let's make food great again.