What is ultra-processed food? - The Food Chain podcast, BBC World Service

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Күн бұрын

What is ultra-processed food, and how can you spot it?
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In 2010, a group of Brazilian scientists said we should be focusing less on the nutritional content of food, and more on the form of processing it undergoes. They created the Nova system, a way of categorising foods based on how processed they are. It identifies ultra-processed foods as generally industrially manufactured, containing ingredients such as emulsifiers, stabilisers and other additives that would not be found in an average home kitchen.
A growing body of scientific research suggests a link between this category of ultra-processed foods and ill health, although there’s still some uncertainty around why this could be.
In this programme, we look at what ultra-processed food is, how you spot it, and how practical it is to avoid it, should you wish to.
Ruth Alexander speaks to listener Jen Sherman in California who is trying to reduce the amount of ultra-processed food her family eats. Ruth also hears from one of the public health scientists behind the Nova classification, Jean-Claude Moubarac at the University of Montreal in Canada, and from Pierre Slamich, co-founder of the Open Food Facts app and website, a database of foods that can help you identify products that are ultra processed. Kate Halliwell, Chief Scientific Officer at the Food and Drink Federation in the UK, which represents manufacturers, says evidence of harm from ultra-processed foods is not yet strong enough.
0:00 What exactly is ultra-processed food?
05:41 Is there a risk to our health?
06:30 How listener Jen feeds her family
09:38 Trying to avoid ultra-processed foods
11:54 What some countries are doing
14:11 Chile's food labelling scheme
18:17 Is food labelling the answer?
21:03 Is the food in my fridge ultra-processed?
25:12 The view from food manufacturers
29:16 Could buyers' habits bring about change?
Check out more episodes of The Food Chain here 👉🏽 • The Food Chain
If you’d like to contact the programme you can email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.
Additional reporting by Jane Chambers in Chile.
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Пікірлер: 443

@Nicole-lj2iz 20 күн бұрын

I think the secondary issue here too is that people don’t cook their meals.

@josiahcole3186 19 күн бұрын

Over a million households in the UK don’t have a stove-top cooker or fridge. We really take for granted when saying how easy food is to make, that at some point we bought a chopping board and knife and pots and pans and so on. It’s very out of reach for so many people to home cook meals. It’s really important that we don’t stigmatise the people eating these foods. We live in such an evil food environment where we are bombarded and surrounded by all these foods in a way never before seen in human history.

@magrathean0 18 күн бұрын

To cook your own meals you need a certain amount of private space. The biggest issue is likely people being space-poor, the second biggest is people being time-poor. Importing a third of a million homeless people every year probably doesn't help the former.

@HOPEfullBoi01 17 күн бұрын

Capitalism. Overworking. Underpay.

@user-of2co3ke5p 17 күн бұрын

So cook processed meals😮?

@paladinsmith7050 14 күн бұрын

Take always cooked in seed oils and microwaves meals are a big problem. Add cooking in plastic which adds BPA and Phthalates to your food, non stick coatings are also poisonous. Not only is it healthier to cook from scratch it's a lot cheaper, people unfortunately want convenience and will happily sacrifice their health to save 1 hour of cooking a day.

@jaynecutrone3610 18 күн бұрын

I was someone who ate ultra processed food every single day. Last September I watched a few food documentaries and I was done. I’ve been cooking 90% of my meals since then. The other 10% is only ordering from local owned businesses. So far I lost 40 pounds. And it’s not a diet. It’s just cooking.

@swan2736 12 күн бұрын

Congrats, well done! Thanks for your real inspiration!🎉❤🎉

@msbluejay3 22 күн бұрын

I had stage 4 breast cancer in 2000. Since then, I haven’t eaten processed food or sugar…for the most part. I eat oatmeal, berries, with hemp (for protein), walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flax, sunflower seeds, pecans and pumpkin seeds on top. For my late lunch, I eat a protein, ( fish, eggs, quinoa, lentils) with kale or spinach, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower etc. I add olive oil and turmeric on top. I usually don’t eat any dinner because I’m so full from lunch. I’ve read that cancer loves sugar, so I try to stay away from processed and sugary foods. The non sugar yogurt is 3 times as expensive, but I buy it because it doesn’t have sugar. So far this diet has worked for me.

@ashmeyer21 21 күн бұрын

So glad you survived it and are able to lead a healthier lifestyle

@deadeyes4626 21 күн бұрын

Same hear it’s so expensive and nearly impossible to find anything with no sugar in

@msbluejay3 21 күн бұрын

@@ashmeyer21 🩷🩷🩷

@BridgeStamford 20 күн бұрын

Don’t be caught in the “cause and effect” cycle

@happycook6737 20 күн бұрын

Get Japanese green tea. Make sure it isn't Chinese. Breast cancer protective.

@TessaAvonlea 19 күн бұрын

Ultra processed food is the result of a culutre and lifestyle where 2 full time working adults in a family is an expected standard. When women didn't work, they would stay at home and have the time to make food by scratch. Someone juggling work, childcare and the rest does not have the capacity to cook a healthy meal and then also make their own mayonnaise from scratch.

@ambbergrantham5686 19 күн бұрын

I agree but I would also include that the culture of "buying" for convenience is fueled largely by -marketing- that convince starting in about the 1950s... Marketing today will often claim something is 'a part of a healthy diet' aka this is the indulgence. Claiming things like cereal are healthy when they are actually ultra processed.

@shannonpierre8714 18 күн бұрын

Women have always worked. Homemaking is work.

@MarkWongMD 18 күн бұрын

@@shannonpierre8714You literally just proved his point. NPC

@roseadiaz 17 күн бұрын

Interesting point

@cliveargyle5237 14 күн бұрын

@@shannonpierre8714that depends on how you view your love ones/family. It's not work in a loving house hold.

@BrendonBoshell 22 күн бұрын

The major problem is the supermarket. It's 80% UPF. Shop in the fruit and veg aisle, 1 fresh aisle (meat +milk) and 1 frozen (whole frozen veg only). Outside of those 3 aisles, almost everything is UPF.

@surlespasdondine 20 күн бұрын

Where I live those aisles are huge and the make out the biggest part of the supermarket. I barely ever look at the rest.

@RJAH355 20 күн бұрын

Milk is ultra processed

@BrendonBoshell 20 күн бұрын

@@RJAH355 milk is only processed, not ultra processed.

@RJAH355 20 күн бұрын

@@BrendonBoshell I’d look that up.

@peacelove7437 19 күн бұрын

Yup. That’s all I eat; meat, veggies, and my carbs has to be UPF, rice or noodles.

@PaulShantanu 19 күн бұрын

This is such a rich country problem. I was introduced to this plethora of packaged ready to eat or just assemble and eat food after moving to Germany from India. In most of India (apart from some big cities), you can only find whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, the only products that are packaged is sugar, salt and spices.

@marijuanahi 9 күн бұрын

I disagree. I'm from the global south too, and yes it is quite easy to find fresh fruits and vegetables, even fresh meat and dairy products, but most of times it's way more expensive to cook all of these fresh products than buying tacos, pizza, or any kind of street or fast food. Eating healthy is a rich people thing here, most people work way too many hours a day and barely have time to grab a snack, so it's way more difficult to find the time to cook. There is so much more to see when it comes to issues related to food consumption than the availability of fresh products.

@robertkattner1997 8 күн бұрын

At present, India has 100 million diabetes cases. Sugar, sugar, sugar.

@joelonsdale 9 сағат бұрын

Nope. Poor areas of South America have terrible problems with commercial sugary soda.

@edl6398 22 күн бұрын

It literally takes me 10 minutes to make butter. It takes the same to make mayonnaise. I think we are programmed to believe so much of these things are convenient when in reality, they are really fast and cheap to make.

@happycook6737 20 күн бұрын

What about salmonella and raw egg? I'm asking because I'd like to DIY Mayo but worry.

@dbwhab4150 20 күн бұрын

@@happycook6737 it is only on the outside, and rarely in Europe. Wash them beforehand and you're good

@edl6398 20 күн бұрын

@@happycook6737 All I know is that mayonnaise is made with raw egg, like Caesar salad dressing. If you keep refrigerated it it’s ok but use it within the time the recipe says. I am not a food safety expert so do your own research.

@violetviolet888 20 күн бұрын

@edl6398: Cut your 10 minutes down to ONE with an immersion in the appropriate sized wide mouth mason jar to make mayonnaise. Look it up.

@exploringim6191 19 күн бұрын

Would life be so bad without mayonnaise 🤔... I hear people saying healthier things taste better. And making dinner sauces sounds tricky enough. Perhaps I'm still at the start of my story, but I wonder if some thing the industry feeds us are just meant to go. As a mayo lover, I wonder what that would be like. 🥲

@clover309 20 күн бұрын

I really liked the speakers takes on how to live with ultra processed food. It was realistic, in that they do their best to eat non-highly processed food but accept it is going to happen in special occasions because it’s a huge part of our society. I think this is the balanced sane way to be.

@sv3216 20 күн бұрын

When I taught in Germany, I could immediately tell which students grew up in the former DDR. The were always 20 lbs slimmer than the ones that grew up in West Germany. The snacks that they were exposed to were not as processed and not as plentiful. They were also not interested in dieting unless it was part of their occupation- ballet dancer or athlete for example.

@bonaku20 5 күн бұрын

Can it also be because, they are poorer and have less food to eat ? Can this is one more reason ?

@sv3216 5 күн бұрын

@@bonaku20 not in the case of my students. They were all either middle class or wealthy. There was just less access to high processed foods and they were less advertised so people just ate less in the DDR. By the time they were adults and able to work anywhere in Germany, they just cared less about eating garbage so they remained slim. I’m sure it will not be the same for their grandchildren.

@smartguy9101 20 күн бұрын

I used to eat lots of this ultra processed food up to 4 years ago, I was over weight, depressed, stressed, had low self esteem, eczema and the food was easy assessable relatively cheap and gave me a temporary high. Then 1 day I said enough was enough and went total cold turkey and changed my diet completely, 1st 3 weeks were awful with sugar and fat cravings so I started to go running. I now don't eat any ultra processed food and my life is 1000 times better, complete transformation. Just remember that UPF is made for profit and not for your benefit.

@ambbergrantham5686 19 күн бұрын

I'm glad to hear a legitimate source include bread in ultra-proccessed food! Whole wheat germs vs sourdough you made at home vs any 'bread' you buy at the grocery store are not the same. Perfect depiction of whole, processed and ultra-proccessed. 👍

@embracinglifeinthecountryside 24 күн бұрын

We try to make everything from scratch if possible. Cakes, bread, sauces, cookies, crackers, meals, stock/broth/soup and even body moisturiser. Our vegetables are grown in the garden, so we cut buying from the supermarket to a minimal. That being said, it is only for families with time as it requires a lot of work. The husband is the sole breadwinner of the family. I contribute this way to cut expenses. It is beneficial for us to avoid UPF as much as possible. For the sake of our health. Also because I don't believe the food corporations need to be any more richer.

@KS0102 20 күн бұрын

I feel the same way!

@user-eb9ns8fk3d 22 күн бұрын

Removing UPF food from your every day diet is a chore. I downloaded the Open Foods app and found it really informative. My dark chocolate was UPF so I will look for an alternative. Tested 2 brands of peanut butter, one of them was UPF the other not, 3 brands of gluten free pasta, one was UPF, 3 brands of stock, one was not. I think it is worthwhile testing a few common everyday foods that you use, perhaps one or 2 categories each time you shop to see if you can make a better choice. The app will tell you what is the UPF component so over time you will recognise what is UPF and avoid it, it is a great educational tool. Thanks so much for this content, it will improve my health with not too much effort. ❤

@OnebagNomad 21 күн бұрын

Keep it simple, so many high quality videos on youtube and TikTok from legit Chefs

@ditsygirl5409 20 күн бұрын

I live in Singapore and I usually only take two meals a day. I keep it simple by having rice, a meat and a vegetable dish for lunch which usually cost around $5.50-6 Singapore dollars at the nearby coffee shop and then for dinner, it’s a hot meal of rice or noodles with meat and vegetables again with around the price of $6. I wouldn’t say I stay clear of processed food, but I try my best to eat my meals as cleanly as possible even when I know somethings processed food are hard to avoid. I occasionally indulge in ice creams, chocolates, potato chips and bubble tea once or twice a fortnight.

@ManlyHK1 20 күн бұрын

Hawker Centre foods are crap n none are healthy! I once had famous fried noodles for lunch with colleagues and the whole afternoon I had stomach ache from the excessive animal fat

@ditsygirl5409 19 күн бұрын

@@ManlyHK1 I mentioned the coffee shop, i often get economic rice and zi char as it’s considered healthiest.

@pynn1000 25 күн бұрын

Thanks for this. UPFs are hard to avoid. I like the idea of warnings on packaged UPFs. They may have to change as we know more - so what's new? Eggs have changed on the simple, clunky "A-E" system from "D" to "A" with clear explanations available about why. At the moment both real bread and UPF versions are "A".

@NCHLTII 19 күн бұрын

Looking at the ingredients on the back is a good way to identify

@PetLover-Kh 15 күн бұрын

Try to eat fresh veggies and fruits. Also avoid those UPFs as much as possible. Luckily I do not like to eat those strong processed food.

@pieinsky3142 23 күн бұрын

A more helpful label would be one that certifies "no ultra processed foods", like we have for organic foods.

@russbuttypennyblackblade 21 күн бұрын

Around 12%, or one in eight, US adults have now tried a weight-loss drug like Wegovy / Ozempic, Zepbound or Mounjaro, according to a new poll, and about 6% are currently taking one. Over 40% of adults in the US are now obese. The majority of those using the drugs (61%) are using them to treat a chronic condition like diabetes or heart disease. Just over 40% are diabetics.

@VamanosLetsgo 20 күн бұрын

A friend of mine shared that she tried one of these GLP-1 drugs (I don't remember which) and quickly came off. She couldn't tolerate the side effects. People are singing their praises (because some achieve weight loss), but that's only one aspect of using these drugs.

@rich1217 19 күн бұрын

I lost 2 stone in 2 months on semaglutide building the dose up when I needed to. The first two weeks give stomach cramps but a minor sacrifice for the long term health goals

@teresamurray9344 18 күн бұрын

Ozempic is not a drug. It is a peptide that your body produces itself.

@operamom3303 16 күн бұрын

We need to retrain ourselves to stop scrolling on social media and take time to prepare whole fresh foods

@DarthCarnivore 12 күн бұрын

Good job again on the continued improvements, Lynn! In terms of salt, I tried a full week without any electrolytes several months ago and felt not not as alert; felt better with the (unflavored Re-Lyte) electrolytes but I find I dont need as much now (4 scoops now vs 8 scoops daily months ago). I also made my own copycat Re-Lyte to save on costs and decided to play around with the sodium to potassium ratio from Re-Lyte's 2-to-1 to the Salt Fix author's recommended 1-to-1 ratio but noticed for a few straight nights doing this my heart racing at night and not getting as good of sleep, so i went back to the original 2-to-1 ratio, and everything went back to normal for me.

@MarijkeWillemsen990 18 күн бұрын

I realize that all my life I ate almost no processed foods! Without difficulty. The main processed food that I ate was bread, sometimes pasta. I always cook from scratch what by the way can be very quick and easy if you stick to meat, fish, chicken and beans, (frozen) vegetables and eggs, chess, fruit (no fruit juice, no sugars). You can stew meat or slow cook in the oven for days at the time and vacuum the portions but also quick meat, 5 minutes on the stove. I also use a bread machine.

@KS-vj1te 23 күн бұрын

Anything made from scratch without processed ingredients would not have UPF. Example growing up that’s how Indian food is made at home. I have achieved this now but it needs lot of pre-prepping of ingredients to save time

@anglo-dutchsausage344 19 күн бұрын

What cooking oil do you use?

@justrosy5 21 күн бұрын

PFAS. Look it up. Weep. Get angry. Then look for safer replacements for the things/foods you use the most.

@ManlyHK1 20 күн бұрын

No pictures??

@lindafreudiger8022 2 сағат бұрын

Where are the people reporting this? Is this your program, red circles with some blue ones, and a picture of someone ? I can't!

@janethm1530 21 күн бұрын

Thank you for this amazing beneficial program

@Canq9133 25 күн бұрын

❤thank you very much for this

@w3s77 22 күн бұрын

Processed food = Obesity. I lose about 15 pounds when I move from a UPF country to a country with minimal UPF. Almost impossible to avoid UPF in the US, it's everywhere.

@jacksonj3082 19 күн бұрын

Big Food (Heinz, Nestle, Pillsbury, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Mars), Big Supermarkets (Krogers, Albertsons, Walmart) owe huge thanks to the US FDA for its approval guidelines and ridiculous nutritional labeling and RDA & average serving size. Medical & health insurance industry is grateful for the high obesity rates and resulting medical conditions due to UPF. I blend as much as possible - veg fruit smoothies, soups for meals - impossible to completely avoid UPF, but blending helps to cut down the volume of UPF. Looking at other consumers in the supermarket, they have nothing but UPF in their shopping cart.

@haveyoueaten_ 18 күн бұрын

I enjoyed this programme

@donaldwhittaker7987 22 күн бұрын

BBC is an outstanding service. My dad listened to it for most of his 90 years.

@bartoszbrown1322 19 күн бұрын

The next time you are in a supermarket, compare the number of ingredients on polish bread and sour cream vs what the popular brands... The polish products have very few ingredients compared to the rest...

@ashelfey7677 15 күн бұрын

I lived in a SRO in the SF we had a shared kitchen we were not allowed to store food or dishes in we had mini fridges and microwaves in our room but we were not allowed to rules in our HUD lease to a hot plate. Basically haul your food to kitchen and back including your dishes or buy pre packaged food for your microwave. What do you think most residents did ?

@gmmobassir8044 25 күн бұрын

Outstanding

@rockinathens 21 күн бұрын

We can complain all we want, but when one buys pasta sauces, frozen lasagna and cold cuts, it's simply a matter of choice.

@roaldruss4211 20 күн бұрын

You've forgotten two key variables: availability and price. It's not always as clear cut as you'd like to believe...

@rockinathens 20 күн бұрын

@roaldruss4211 Well, if you find pasta sauce, you can find simple tomato sauce and make your own. If you can find cold cuts, you can find a piece of meat. As a rule, it's better to buy as simple and raw as possible. If tomato sauce is much more expensive than pasta sauce, we have a big problem!

@LondraCalibro9 20 күн бұрын

yes. or intelligence.

@peacelove7437 19 күн бұрын

@@roaldruss4211 Veggies can be cheap

@TorBoy9 21 күн бұрын

Here in Canada I would welcome a Chile-style black label for UPFs. If Chile can do it then other countries like Canada can as well. There will be huge pushback from Big Food. Food companies cannot make huge profits through addictive products without UPFs. There is huge profit in making the vast majority of the population obese. Unfortunately society and our health care system as well as individuals must pay the price.

@dmt340 20 күн бұрын

I like the nova classifications , make this a legal requirement !!

@ashleyambrose1216 19 күн бұрын

Amazing visuals

@SamYoungnz 25 күн бұрын

What a pity that the industry is so reluctant to be transparent. A pity, but not surprising.

@user-ge2qd5pv6j 24 күн бұрын

This is intellectual property rights When you stand in her position

@TheSimArchitect 25 күн бұрын

I think the problem, like you mentioned, is that most ultra processed foods have high levels of carbs (including sugar) and fat, because they're addictive, filling and, above all, cheap and with longer shelf life. They could release healthy variations but only proper regulation to provide better labeling and a classification of items based on the percentage of each macro/micro nutrient would help people change behavior, as well as policy that taxes bad food and use the extra revenue to subsidize healthy variations. I personally like processed food for the convenience. If I were wealthy and had someone to cook for me I'd want everything from scratch, but even considering I like to cook, it's just too much to do it for yourself, alone, even when you prepare several meals in advance. The problem also happens with restaurant food. Even less processed food is sometimes bad because restaurants want profit margins and they'll load your plate with cheap carbs, fat and sauces, maybe some vegetables as fillers and only a little bit of animal protein.

@frusia123 24 күн бұрын

Unless you cook for yourself, and from good quality ingredients, you'll pay a very high price for the convenience of UPFs. It's okay when you're relatively young, but with age you may notice that you're unusually exhausted, dragging through the day, needing coffee a lot, but it no longer makes much difference. Then your joints start hurting, the pain makes you feel even more tired. You're overweight and have no energy to do anything, you go to work just to survive, but apart from that all you want to do is to eat, watch telly and sleep. Then your doctor tells you that your stats are bad, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes. The meds lower the stats but you don't feel better, because they come with a set of side effects, so now you have to deal with that too. Then, perhaps depression creeps in, but guess what, there's a tablet for that too... So that's a story of life potential wasted in the name of convenience...

@zazhou 22 күн бұрын

@@frusia123 true, that is the lifestyle cycle of modern society.

@JasS19362 22 күн бұрын

This isn’t necessarily the problem though - people have been eating a lot of carbs and fat in various parts of the world for a long time and are not seeing the impacts that we are in countries like the UK and the US. Not just in restaurants, but if you go to eat with normal families in places like Italy and Greece; the fresh, homemade bread and extra virgin olive oil and cheeses are always being piled liberally onto everyone’s plates! The thing with macro nutrients is that UPF breaks down food into components and then puts them back together again or uses additives to mimic ‘real’ food, but making it very soft and ultra-palatable. For example - if you’ve ever made sourdough bread at home: one slice is filling and takes a while to eat. Contrast with supermarket sandwich bread, which most people could eat slice after slice of with no issue. Also, the stripping out of fibre is an issue - many cheap supermarket pastas and of course fruit juices strip out what allows us to digest the food and to feel full from the calories we’ve consumed.

@gringreen6649 19 күн бұрын

@@frusia123r

@95AP 18 күн бұрын

So so happy UPF is getting more coverage now. Let’s push for more affordable healthier options, more expensive UPF items to discourage consumption.

@Canq9133 25 күн бұрын

Some children won't eat Mango because of its texture....but they love mango ice cream...

@jolenethiessen357 21 күн бұрын

My kids love frozen mango. Just let it sit long enough to soften slightly. Yum!

@Innesb 19 күн бұрын

That’s understandable; flavour and texture are different experiences. I’m an adult, and there are some foods I don’t particularly enjoy because of the texture, but I like the flavour.

@romanyimesgen6136 20 күн бұрын

Sorry to say this I wanted to watch this. I guess it’s made for listening, that little bubble after , while it is annoying( I’m going to listen while I’m doing my walking to the loo )

@hayleywarden6315 24 күн бұрын

Why do kids need to take 2 snacks to school?? We never did.

@zapfanzapfan 22 күн бұрын

2 kids, 2 snacks. Some less developed countries don't provide free meals in school...

@cassieoz1702 21 күн бұрын

@zapfanzapfan yes, but that's not the comment was about. This woman's children go to school in California

@Haliya. 20 күн бұрын

I would guess her kids don't eat much lunch or breakfast. I heard a few years ago that eating smaller portions spread out through the day is healthier than eating the same amount in 3 meals.

@SeanClarke 20 күн бұрын

Why can't the kids eat carrot sticks, homemade snacks, drink only water, small pieces of fresh fruit, homemade oatmeal pots. There are dozens of healthy options.

@zapfanzapfan 20 күн бұрын

@@cassieoz1702 I had to read up on it, 6 US states now apparently offer free school lunches to all students. Welcome to the civilized world if you live in one of those 6 states!

@JustFiddler 24 күн бұрын

matur suksma😊

@chrisw3311 3 күн бұрын

Wish they would have defined ultra processed, or cited the studies, or done anything to give me somewhere else to research. Oh well, I'll just keep up with the idea that calories is ultimately the important factor, while monitoring macro nutrients.

@Kate.Sangalang 7 күн бұрын

“Lay’s Simply” 😊

@danseddon4319 21 күн бұрын

Most crisps are full of seed oil hence UPF.

@Kate.Sangalang 7 күн бұрын

It would be helpful to put label “Not Ultra Processed” similar to All Natural, Organic.

@donrobertson4940 5 күн бұрын

I used to take my kids to play centre and it used to amaze me - all these kids ripping into packets of bright orange snacks or two crackers and some 'cheese' sludge. Everything was flavoured and coloured with extra salt and oil and stuff. And every second day someone would have a cake. Then their parents would complain they couldn't get their kids to eat vegetables. No kidding, Sherlock. Everywhere we went, half the kids would be sucking on a plastic pouch of mush or a sweetened softdrink. Library story time, parks, playgroups .... everywhere. We used to eat our share of biscuits and muesli bars, but mostly carrots, water, celery, apple or orange pieces. And not all the time - kids don't need to be permanently attached to a food bag. Food is marketed as being fun - but it's not. Playing with blocks or on a swing is fun, not sucking down obesity in a plastic packet. It is like tablets - yes we use tablets and watch videos, but not all the time. But sometimes I think parents use food, expensive toys and devices to make themselves feel like they are 'parenting' without having to actually engage with their kids.

@yasko62 23 күн бұрын

What’s the difference between buying a processed food which already has salt/sugar in it versus cooking a raw produce with salt/sugar yourself? The latter is better for our health? How?

@CaponeCabin 22 күн бұрын

It's depends, is your sugar organic? Also, when you make it, you are putting in just the ingredients. Processed food, read the label. There are fillers, preservatives, added ingredients for shelf stability

@JasS19362 22 күн бұрын

It’s important to note that ‘processed’ is not the same as ‘ultra-processed’. A tin of chopped tomatoes is very different to a jar of pasta sauce with additives, colours, flavourings, preservatives. Some pasta sauces might not have these additives (and usually have a shorter shelf life) and they’re fine in moderation, but I would still say it’s better to be able to control how much of everything you’re putting in.

@agnediciuniene9861 21 күн бұрын

I never add that much sugar. For egzample Heinz ketchup has 22,8% sugar. If I make homemade tomato sauce, I never add 1/5 sugar to the tomatoes.

@Twinrehz 20 күн бұрын

When you make the food from scratch, there’s things you don’t add yourself. When you make a soup, do you add sugar? No, because that doesn’t make sense. In UPFs they add sugar to EVERYTHING. Then you have all the other things they put in it; emulsifiers, modified starches, numerous preservatives. Starches are used because they’re cheap, can be moulded into any shape you want, and can be given any texture and flavour you can think of. The bottom line is this: UPFs are nutritionally deficient, makes you hungrier so you eat more, and the ingredients used don’t match what the body expects so it gets confused - for example a certain chemical that occurs naturally in meat signals to your body that meat is coming, but because it’s an additive in a pack of crisps, no meat shows up.

@Joyceee54 20 күн бұрын

When I make vegetable soup, I don't add half the sodium as a can of soup vegetable soup and mine tastes better. They add way more sugar and salt than needed in ultra processed food. They say it's in order to give it a longer self life. But you can buy a can of the so called healthy lower sodium soup, and it costs more. I can't understand that.

@OMG-seriously 12 күн бұрын

Many of us have known and have been avoiding foods which are full of additives and preservatives for years , they haven't coined this

@dagam1633 19 күн бұрын

I have lived in the UK for the last 7 years. The amount of upf here is insane. People dont cook. The lifestyle here, long working hours exhaustion influences people choices ( IT is morę convenient and faster to buy already prepared meal)

@toni4729 19 күн бұрын

I cook everything, absolutely everything. It takes me little time, makes little mess in an air fryer and microwave. I don't even use a frypan anymore.

@KaCaro38 24 күн бұрын

Slow Food Movement forever 💪💚👩🏻‍🍳✨

@russbuttypennyblackblade 21 күн бұрын

A little over a quarter of users have heart disease. In March, Wegovy became the first weight-loss medication to be given FDA approval as a treatment to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Less than a quarter, or 22%, are taking the drugs because they have been diagnosed as being overweight, but 38% say they take the drugs to lose weight.

@ageoflove1980 18 күн бұрын

Just buy vegetables and potatoes, wholegrain rice or pasta. The best carbs are fresh potatoes because they naturally contain vitamines and even a bit of calcium. Its just a solid base for every lunch or dinner. And you can easily mix things up by getting whats on sale or whats in season. I usually stirfry my veggies to keep them nice and crispy. And add protein to flavour. I like ovenroasted chicked the best, because it basically cooks in its own fat keeping it nice and lean. Just normal legs are great for that. But somedays ill just fry up some eggs. And you can make it as exciting as you want: Go asian with the rice? Just mix in some garlic, soy sauce and ginger etc... Having this type of flexible base concept really helps with keeping costs down. If you make a shopping list with precise ingredients, it can get really expensive if you really want to follow this one specific recipe. If you think more in line with : Veg, carbs, proteine and mix and match on the go you can save a lot of money by taking advantage of deals. This is all kind of obvious but for me this base concept is what I use 90% of the time. And my pro tip: Cook in large batches and save a meal or two in de fridge or even the freezer. First of all, almost everything is cheaper when you buy more. Secondly, having a meal ready for you after a long day really helps with staying away from delivery food saving you money and an unhealthy meal. It takes some discipline to prepare everything yourself from scratch but after a while when you build it in to your daily routine it becomes enjoyable. Often I just peel a large batch of potatoes on the couch in front of the telly. One of the supermarket chains in my area have a special on wednesday where they sell big 4kg bags for just 2.49. It almost becomes a sort of sport to hunt for these type of deals and really try to make something very nice from these humble ingredients. What you put in to your body is quite important so its probably a good idea to spend some time and energy on it. And im not a zealot by any means. Sometimes I enjoy a nutella sandwich or use a packaged sauce, things like that, but all in all its a very small percentage of my total diet.

@Jabamski 12 күн бұрын

It’s good that you’re reporting about it, but what are people going to do about it?

@janechapman7619 17 күн бұрын

Also food hygiene externally and whether foods are organic or not can affect our health, when consuming foods so it's actually better to make your own meals in bulk then freeze them to eat later in the week, as much as possible.

@swedemartyrsonswade 24 күн бұрын

I've been hearing a lot about this UPF but not until now did I know what they really are.

@happycook6737 20 күн бұрын

And I thought I knew what was UPF but never considered condiments!

@TheDaspiffy 19 күн бұрын

I don't understand why yogurt, beer, and xanthan gum aren't all classified the same or at least beer and xanthan gum. All three are fermentation products. Yogurt is milk fermented by bacteria and is 'minimally proceed', xanthan gum and beer are both made from sugars being fermented by bacteria, but beer is 'processed' and xanthan gum is 'ultra processed'. Randomly grouping foods together based on feelings and then trying to determine if one of the groups is worse than the other seems like the wrong direction.

@AJ-oy5iv 6 күн бұрын

Just a guess, but I can make beer at home if I wanted to but not xanthan gum. Also xanthan gum isn't necessary to make a product, beer and yogurt require fermentation to make them. Its specifically made to alter a food product.

@TheDaspiffy 6 күн бұрын

@@AJ-oy5iv the only reason you can make beer at home and not xanthan gum is because you can easily purchase brewer's yeast but cannot easily purchase the microbe that makes xanthan gum because nobody cares about making unique xanthan gums at home. Per my original point, all 3 products are produced by microbes breaking down sugar. One is a milk sugar fermentation and two are glucose fermentations. Note that if you want to make xanthan gum at home, there are recipes on the Internet, but it will probably take a lot of practice unless you can find a source to purchase the concentrated microbe.

@AJ-oy5iv 6 күн бұрын

@@TheDaspiffy Beer has been made by ancient societies long before you could purchase brewers yeast. Buying it makes the process easier but isn't necessary. Sourdough starter could be the source. When you finish fermenting for yogurt, kimchi, beer etc., you get a processed edible product. When you ferment X. campestris you get sludge not used in food until a scientist figured it out in the 1960s. Other processes are needed to use it as an additive for food that can be made without that product. I understand it being a sign of UPF and don't think it was an emotional decision (sorry if Ive misquoted you). However, the bacteria is found on brassicas, its the pathogen causing black rot disease. So if you want to try to ferment that and use it as a food product I'd love to know how it goes! I don't feel comfortable using it as of now. I can't think of anything its necessary in besides a Starbucks Frappuccino.

@TheDaspiffy 5 күн бұрын

@@AJ-oy5iv the other processing is drying and grinding, which is far less processing than beer typically, though not necessarily, takes. Most beers have additives to coagulate everything floating around in it for easy filtration, so arguably beer is more processed than xanthan gum. It is true that xanthan gum has not been used nearly as long, but if the argument is that it hasn't been used as long then rather than discussing the processing level of food, there should be a length of consumption. The problem with that is that the authors want to group some foods, such as sugar, into the processed or ultra processed category because they know that some foods are bad for us. But that is poisoning the well in order to get a desired outcome. My point is that the research and determination should be done on a case by case basis.

@AJ-oy5iv 5 күн бұрын

@@TheDaspiffy I think you may be "missing the forest for the trees" here. Beer filtration being more processing is grasping at straws. (which you could use to avoid filtering the beer :)) I honestly think this group is doing putting in the work for the classifications here and not scare-mongering. I'm not trying to argue anything, I just thought you were genuinely curious as to why they made the decision to separate foods made by fermentation from an additive put into foods that don't require them. I'm just offering a different perspective. Time is irrelevant but I think that is evidence of it being unnecessary. My argument is that the process required for xanthan gum doesn't leave you with a food product. We don't eat the sludge created. We do consume the end product of fermentation when it comes to beer, yogurt, etc.

@tyffanypoudrier2826 21 күн бұрын

Yessss omg it's horrendous ! I make my own cupcakes cookies brownies dough and cut my own meat for cold cuts ! I have been way healthier since I started to do that along with my children! Everything at the store now a days is over processed

@exploringim6191 19 күн бұрын

I started eating a lollipop part way through this. It said "something something acids- and more acids" in it. Oof. I wish that there was a list of all the bad ingredients and how they contributed to UPFs somewhere. That would be cool.

@CharmyCharmCharm 19 күн бұрын

What the hell. This might have well been an audio. I didn't watch/listen as a result after fastforwarding

@andymoss4285 20 күн бұрын

I’m not sure I’m bothered about stock cubes tbh. If that’s the only source of upf in your diet I’m sure you can sleep easy.

@PraveenSriram 20 күн бұрын

Watched 14 minutes of this video on my 15 minute break while walking 🚶 around the store 🏬 at 4.1 mph.

@bobsthea 25 күн бұрын

veggie these days had all sort of pesticide and herbicide that kinda linger even after we wash it, so, every cheap veggie we have might have "dirty farmers" hand on it

@frusia123 24 күн бұрын

Still better than your KFC.

@bobsthea 24 күн бұрын

@@frusia123 better have my veggie from my own plastics covered green house at home

@OnebagNomad 21 күн бұрын

There are companies, what do you expect, only the bottom line counts at the end of the day

@rafaelgelpi2718 8 күн бұрын

Are sardines canned in olive oil or in their own juices ultra processed?

@NeedMoarRage 13 күн бұрын

The UK has the highest amount of processed foods in the EU. You can clearly see the difference in your typical supermarkets. And it all reflects in the obesity rate and health of the people.

@Neophema 20 күн бұрын

9:39 How is not eating any UPFs drastic? 😂 This shit didn't even exist until very recently in human history. I decided to cut it out (even though I never ate that much of it), and I did it 100% from day one. Only problem is it's more expensive, but my health is worth it.

@judithwood6419 15 күн бұрын

Apple bread and pasta are processed food. I like bread I’ve cut that drastically on the pasta and I have 40 pounds. But I do eat pastries as long as they’re made by an individual bakery, not an industrialized company and unlimited the amount.

@Emily-ww6jr 21 күн бұрын

I would love to know how much restaurant (not fast food) is UPF!

@happycook6737 20 күн бұрын

In the USA nearly all restaurant food is UHP unless they scratch cook. Very few places scratch cook.

@MrProfessionaldj2003 12 күн бұрын

Why can't we see the video

@liamogorman3312 11 күн бұрын

Back when one parent could stay at home to cook and clean this wasn't a problem. Now both parents need to work in order to survive so they don't have time to cook and have no choice but to buy the ultra processed stuff.

@krista-kv 25 күн бұрын

What is the name of the app?

@EvilGrinUK 25 күн бұрын

It's called Open Food Facts

@SonnyDarvishzadeh 11 сағат бұрын

You do realize that 8 hours of work is really too much. Even if your office is just 30 minutes away door to door, there are an hour of preparing to go to work and resting after arriving back at home (that's squeezing it really). That's 8 hours sleep, 10 hours work related time. We are left with 6 hours with grocery shopping, cooking fresh meal, eating 3 meals. 4-5 hours in total? 1 hour to spend time with friends and family? Can you lie down on your bed and instantly go to sleep? So winding down needs its own time too. All of these take so much time and energy that people naturally eat "convenient foods", it's not always that these foods are evil and purely made addictive. Now keep wondering why men around the world say women should stay at home and be housewives.

@twchau326 22 күн бұрын

On what grounds we should equate ultra processed food as bad food?

@the_narrative_tv 22 күн бұрын

@ parties 😂😂

@yaxkuk9602 12 күн бұрын

In Uk is very expensive and difficult to eat healthy with no ultra procces food.

@waelqudimat6892 10 күн бұрын

“How do you know which foods are processed?” You’ve got to be kidding… I guess in this day and age you can’t blame urban dwellers for not knowing what natural foods look like

@yvonne495 19 күн бұрын

It is really hard to find real food in the store. As a petson trying ro drastically reduce upfs. I stand in the stores and don't know what to buy on s budget.

@martinlewis807 3 күн бұрын

In Sydney about 5-10 years ago I was busking in a tunnel that led away from a festival for young people in a park .I had never seen so many obese adolescents in my life .l was staggered but I especially the girls. I will never forget that day. I was horrified .The government has sat back and allowed it to happen. Exercise at school?, parental control, fast food ?

@nick_vash 23 күн бұрын

A darn interesting program But I'm going to grill some meat now 😂

@raystaar 21 күн бұрын

Shop in the produce aisle. Don't buy anything packaged ready-to-eat. Don't buy anything which contains ingredients you don't recognize. Most baked goods are hyperpalatable, including most bread. And, of course, stay away from fast food like pizza, burgers, fries and fizzy drinks.

@tragicevans4157 18 күн бұрын

Everything that is in sealed package it's not food.

@kimboslice921 19 күн бұрын

If you already haven’t heard of deliciously Ella, she has created a brand and foods to buy with minimal and all natural ingredients, defo worth it if you want a reasonably health snack, ready food

@NeedMoarRage 13 күн бұрын

Brits love snacks and their health is reflected

@xspicynori 12 күн бұрын

I feel bad watching this while eating my instant noodle

@Elspm 24 күн бұрын

They make i seem like UPF is really complicated to work out. I don't think it's so difficult to understand when you frame the question as whether the product is primarily for the purpose of making ever increasing amounts of money for shareholders. If it is, you should be treating it with the assumption that it is UPF until proven otherwise. The heavier the marketing (including health claims), probably the more this is true. This mechanism is simple - if I eat more of this food, I buy more of it. So large corporations are motivated to get me to eat as much as possible, for the least cost to them. And their commercial strategy is very effective at achieving this outcome. The nutrition labels in the UK were developed with the industry, so it's easy to see that they can find ways to make the nutrition work for them. After all, diet coke gets all greens in the traffic light system- implying that it's basically the same as drinking water. But I think we all know these are not the same. All that said, the difficulty is the making good choices in this societal environment. To make whole food cheaply at home you must have time, a resource the poorest in society do not have. Or you need plenty of money.

@M123OCT 19 күн бұрын

People seem confused about what UPF is. I like a simple life - if it's made in a factory, it's not food, and I don't eat it. And it is NOT more expensive - once you stop buying biscuits and crisps and cakes etc., and once you stop paying someone else to make your food for you, there's plenty money left for proper food.

@sv3216 20 күн бұрын

When I went to school (150 years ago) we only got lunch, that we couldn’t even eat in school until we were in high school. You went home for lunch and then went back to school. No snacks. Only the really rich kids bought chips or chocolate bars for recess. The rest of us just played. There was only one overweight kid in our school and I think that was a glandular problem.

@user-rl4vi9wi7v 18 күн бұрын

Pray before you eat

@jeancanestri5572 19 күн бұрын

I can't get a straight answer from my food scientist friends on what constitutes ultra processed foods when I ask them. Is it a matter of the number of processes, the types of processes, both? Almond milk goes through a lot of processing, you need to deshell, heat it up, blend it, stabilized it, correct it with extra fat or sugar or whatever is missing for that particular harvest, then you rapidly cool it and bottle it. That is a lot of processes, yet it is not considered ultra processed by most of them. It is 'healthy milk alternative'. This does not sit right in my head and I gave up trying to understand it.

@CaponeCabin 22 күн бұрын

The US, it's probably 98% of what people eat

@LuckyStarhun 23 күн бұрын

Using stock cubes is more problematic because of the salt content and not because it is UPF. Reducing UPF for me is about reducing calories from UPF, and not about eliminating specific ultraprocessed foods from m'y diet. A stock cube has hardly any calories but a bag of chips, upf pizza or mayonnaise has a lot... and obviously that contribues to health problems. I pay attention to harmful additives too.

@happycook6737 20 күн бұрын

For me, eating hyperpalatable foods like a stock cube ratchet up my cravings astronomically! If I avoid stock cubes my cravings are less. How do I know? I went whole foods minimally processed plant based no added oil, no sugar. I got near my goal weight but still suffered from cravings. Then I quit stock cubes. It was hard but helped me eat less naturally. Not sure if is true for everyone.

@GTOOtt 19 күн бұрын

I remember a time when we were told that 1 in 4 would get cancer, now it's 1 in 2. Need I say more.

@kalatapie 19 күн бұрын

Maybe if people were not being economically coerced to waste half of their day or more at the workplace just to have a place to sleep and some cancer inducing slop to fill their bellies, they would have enough time to stay informed and cook/prepare/shop for 3 healthy meals a day! But alas, the cogs just have to keep spinning, don't they? Mr. Posh needs his new yacht now and not later!

@lozanojavier 19 күн бұрын

During the pandemic our health markers went up bc we were forced to cook, even if it wasn’t all whole foods. Now we are back to our old behaviours and markers are down again. Time is the key ingredient and most people can’t afford it. Our society is designed to keep us busy and unable to find time to cook, learn and improve the was we eat everyday. We are what we eat, and what we eat is making us sick and in some cases killing us. Do what you can and grow from there.

@martinlewis807 6 күн бұрын

Take it seriously but not too seriously 😊

@nefertitib4313 5 күн бұрын

You would think this will be common knowledge that you should not eat ultra processed food, but nooo everyone eats them 😳 I cannot eat chips, fries, coke, donuts, store bought cookies or cakes anymore - they are repulsive, way too sweet, greasy, and don’t make me feel good. I prep my own food, and I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen prepping, but luckily i live alone so I have no issue cutting it completely. I know it might be impossible for people who have families to feed… can’t imagine cooking for 4 or more people.

@sainiamarjeet 20 күн бұрын

children should be made to involved in making thr food with ur hands/support is the best way to make them respect the food instead of unknow food made smwhere