8 ms·

America’s packaged food supply is ultra-processed

68 points by xbeta 7y ago

hairytrog 7y ago
Would be interesting to see the fractions by mass rather than number of products. The latter could just be that we have many many varieties of chips and soda and only a few varieties of flour.
lota-putty 7y ago
Consequence of food choices purely based on taste, looks & colours? Edit: Forcing poor towards unhealthy food choices.
- tyfon 7y ago
  Also price. I don't think it's as bad here as in the US, however I see more and more of this type of foods in the store and it's usually quite cheap compared to food made from fresh produce at home. And this should really be an alarm bell as there is far less processing needed for fresh foods and it should be cheaper. Personally I stay away from them and make almost all of my food from scratch. It seems quite scary to radically change the diet of the human in this way in so short of a time.
  - benrbray 7y ago
    I think there's something missing from the equation and I'm not sure what. In Tokyo, for example, I'm astonished by the amount of cheap, fresh food is available at grocery and convenience stores. Certain items (like imported fruits) are more expensive than in the US, but locally-produced vegetables / meats / etc seem to be widely available. It's possible that Tokyo is an example where due to the high density of people / restaurants, the "economy of scale" takes over and makes good food much cheaper. I might go one step further and make the claim that fresh food is so expensive in the US precisely because infrastructure is designed for cars, rather than people.
    - nicoburns 7y ago
      > It's possible that Tokyo is an example where due to the high density of people / restaurants, the "economy of scale" takes over and makes good food much cheaper. I don't think it's just Tokyo, you get this all across Europe too. I think there might be an economy of scale just in the fact that almost everyone in Japan/Europe buys fresh food as the primary component of their diet. I live in the UK, and the idea that you could live somewhere where there isn't a local (aka walking distance) grocery store or supermarket that sells reasonably priced fresh produce is completely alien to me (if you live a rural area, then I suppose you might have to drive, but then you would need to do that to get to any shop at all).
  - humanrebar 7y ago
    > ...there is far less processing needed for fresh foods and it should be cheaper. Fresh food has significantly higher storage and shipping costs. It tends to go bad. You can reasonably expect to sell a pallet of mustard before any of it expires. How much of a pallet of bananas will end up unsellable?
    - kaybe 7y ago
      Frozen vegetables and fruit can work pretty well too. Some will have a different texture after thawing (eg berries) and cannot be used for everything but in cooking it's almost the same as fresh. How is the frozen food situation in the US?
      - Junk_Collector 7y ago
        Preserved fruits and vegetables are extremely cheap and available in the US. Food in general of any type is actually very cheap in the US unless you live in NYC or downtown SF. These prices are for average chain grocers, HEB, Krogers, Wegmans, etc. Not bulk shops like Sam's or Costco. Some grocers also tend to focus on lower costs and will be cheaper than this such as Fiesta. Frozen typically runs between $1 and $2 a lb depending on what you want. Some cheaper mixes can be had around $0.50/lb. Canned typically comes in between $0.25 and $1.00 a can depending on brand. The chain grocer near me also routinely has sales on canned vegetables for $0.15/can if you buy 20 or more. A can is typically about 15 ounces. It can make up the bulk of a meal for 1 person, or serve as a side for about 3. Dried bulk products such as rice or pinto beans are also reasonably cheap though more expensive now than they used to be. Beans run about $0.25 to $0.50/lb depending on how much you buy at once and rice is about half of that. Fresh produce varies a lot by time of year and location but can typically be had for under $1/lb if you aren't choosey. Double to triple for anything labeled organic. Meats start around $1 to $2/lb for chicken thighs and pork shoulder and goes up to about $20/lb for premium beef cuts. I routinely make stuffed bellpeppers (bell pepper, rice, hamburger, tomato, and spices) for lunch and then end cost comes out to around $1.50/lb.
    - tyfon 7y ago
      I think some of the reason is that we have become pickier. Most of the food that is counted "bad" is not really, like apples that have shrunk a bit. You can use them perfectly for something like an apple pie or ingredients in a dish. Fish is an issue because it can become "fishy", i.e. you get a strong taste of fish blood if not kept properly. I try to buy them from companies that freeze on the boat and transport around in trucks and sell directly to people. Most meats though is usually better tasting after the expiration date (to a certain extent!) But none of that can last for years in storage, I guess that lowers the cost a bit. Also the processed foods have more filler ingredients like corn starch etc which is cheap.
- dpau 7y ago
  An increasingly large percentage of Americans live in "food deserts" where the only options are small convenience stores or somewhat larger Dollar Generals where there are no fresh foods except perhaps milk and eggs. We can blame people for making bad decisions but a lot of times the only decision they can make is between one package and another..
  - spaceisballer 7y ago
    You make a great point, plus in the US we use fast food as a substitute for a lot of meals. It’s been eye opening once you start looking at ingredients, made me rethink what we feed our kids.
open-source-ux 7y ago
Related: statistics on consumption of 'ultra-processed' foods across 19 European Countries (from Feb 2018) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/02/ultra-processed-products-now-half-of-all-uk-family-food-purchases https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/02/ultra-proces... The countries consuming the most ultra-processed foods are UK, Germany, Ireland and Belgium.
- C1sc0cat 7y ago
  What the flipping heck a digestive biscuit is "ultra processed" its not like chicken nuggets made of mechanically recovered meat or CMOT Dibbler brand beef burgers is it. I think the previous commenter who thought this was hyperbolic click bait - which is actually counter productive is right.
  - senorjazz 7y ago
    As long as hobnobs get a clean bill of health, it's all good
- collyw 7y ago
  I am curious if there is a correlation with the amount of overweight people.
  - rsynnott 7y ago
    Not consistently, no. The UK and Ireland have the highest levels of obesity in the EU15, but Germany and Belgium are low-ish.
TheAlchemist 7y ago
It's really simple - good food is food prepared by yourself from raw ingredients (some exceptions for pasta, bread etc - use whole grain). If you do that, you will be good - it's really hard to eat bad with food you prepare yourself. On the contrary, it's extremely hard to eat well with eating processed food. I've traveled recently to US and the amount of shit food available was amazing. I've seen several small grocery shops without a single fresh veggie available. What a contrast with France (where I live) !
- balfirevic 7y ago
  > some exceptions for pasta, bread etc - use whole grain Why should we use whole grain? They have more nutrients, but if your nutrient needs are met from other ingredients, what are the benefits of whole grain?
  - PeterSmit 7y ago
    Fibers. They are good for your digestive system, and make you feel full for longer. So less craving for snacking.
    - magic_beans 7y ago
      Get your fiber from vegetables.
      - 24gttghh 7y ago
        If it's naturally occurring in a food, and not in pill form, whats the difference between oat fiber and say, celery fiber?
      - senorjazz 7y ago
        I believe that in general(, the more fibre you get whilst eating the better. So sure if you are getting most of your fibre during other meals and are about to eat a sandwich. It is better to also have fibre during that eating session. As with anything it is just general, but less processed / higher fibre / whole grain food is better and (subjectively) much tastier. After only eating higher whole grain food, going back to the more processed version, you realise just how lacking it is (opinion)
chmod775 7y ago
What is "ultra processed" food? According to [1] it is stuff like: Soft drinks Packaged bread and buns Chips Candy Store-bought ice cream Boxed cake mix Instant noodles Infant formula Breakfast cereal Energy bars Flavored yogurt Chicken nuggets Fast food burgers Hot dogs Some of these make sense... other don't. But clearly the actual degree of processing required to obtain a given food item isn't the main factor to label it "ultra processed". You're gonna tell me my muesli energy bar is "ultra-processed"? It's literally just a bunch of grain sticking together. Besides, those qualifiers are really weird: linking the category of an item to the place it was purchased instead of its actual ingredients (Fast food burgers, store-bought ice cream, packaged bread and buns)? This smells like bullshit, clickbait, and health-craze pseudoscience. [1]: https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/what-is-ultra-processed-food https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/what...
- orf 7y ago
  Some grain bars are museli stuck together, others are akin to a paste mixed with all kinds of binding agents, sugar and other things to improve their shelf life. I’d cal those ultra processed. Sure, you can find exceptions to each of those groups, but most people are not eating whole-foods handmade-by-grandmothers 100% natural foods, are they.
- Angostura 7y ago
  Note - it said 'Energy Bars'. Here are the ingredients for the first Tesco branded energy bar I clicked on (Tesco is the UKs largest food retailer). " literally just a bunch of grain sticking together" is perhaps not typical. INGREDIENTS: Milk Chocolate Coating with Sweetener (25%)[Sweetener (Maltitol Syrup) , Cocoa Butter, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins), Vanilla Extract], Milk Proteins, Hydrolysed Beef Protein, Caramel layer with fibre (11%)[Polydextrose, Condensed Milk, Cocoa Butter, Humectant (Sorbitol Syrup), Emulsifier (Mono- and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavouring, Salt, Colour (Plain Caramel)], Humectant (Glycerol), Whey Protein Concentrate (Milk), Peanut (6%), Water, Coconut Oil, Peanut Paste (1.5%), Tripotassium Citrate, Tricalcium Citrate, Magnesium Hydroxide, Flavouring, Colour (Plain Caramel), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Vitamin C, Ferric Diphosphate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Folic Acid, Biotin.
swarnie_ 7y ago
What did you guys managed to do to bread? Every time i go to America' toast / sandwiches are inedible because it tastes closer to what i call cake.
- zapita 7y ago
  Most industrial bread sold in the US has high fructose corn syrup added.
  - swarnie_ 7y ago
    Flour, yeast, water, and salt - maybe a stabilizer for commercial sales. Why corn syrup?
    - larssorenson 7y ago
      Sweeteners are addictive, leads to more sales.
FerretFred 7y ago
As a UK home baker I was surprised to see that the majority of US bread recipes i found seem to need sugar as a substantial ingredient (see https://www.thebrewerandthebaker.com/archives/17796 https://www.thebrewerandthebaker.com/archives/17796) . Bearing in mind that bread basically consists of flour, water and usually yeast, the need for sugar is puzzling, especially as it doesn't really add to the flavour.
- JustSomeNobody 7y ago
  It depends on the recipe. Most breads I make are flour, water, salt and yeast. But if I make something like a honey-wheat bread, I'll use, well, honey. Also, there are still a lot of people in the US who like to use soft white bread for sandwiches and, yeah, the traditional recipes for that style contain some sugar. A lot of us try and avoid that style of bread because it is really not much better for you than cake.
  - FerretFred 7y ago
    The honey-wheat bread sounds interesting and although honey's a sugar it's very different to the refined stuff. I did make a Hokkaido Milk Loaf out of curiosity though and it was delicious. Mind you, with 60 g (scant 1/3 cup) sugar it should be!

68 points by xbeta 7y ago

Would be interesting to see the fractions by mass rather than number of products. The latter could just be that we have many many varieties of chips and soda and only a few varieties of flour.

lota-putty 7y ago

Consequence of food choices purely based on taste, looks & colours? Edit: Forcing poor towards unhealthy food choices.

tyfon 7y ago
Also price. I don't think it's as bad here as in the US, however I see more and more of this type of foods in the store and it's usually quite cheap compared to food made from fresh produce at home. And this should really be an alarm bell as there is far less processing needed for fresh foods and it should be cheaper. Personally I stay away from them and make almost all of my food from scratch. It seems quite scary to radically change the diet of the human in this way in so short of a time.
- benrbray 7y ago
  I think there's something missing from the equation and I'm not sure what. In Tokyo, for example, I'm astonished by the amount of cheap, fresh food is available at grocery and convenience stores. Certain items (like imported fruits) are more expensive than in the US, but locally-produced vegetables / meats / etc seem to be widely available. It's possible that Tokyo is an example where due to the high density of people / restaurants, the "economy of scale" takes over and makes good food much cheaper. I might go one step further and make the claim that fresh food is so expensive in the US precisely because infrastructure is designed for cars, rather than people.
  - nicoburns 7y ago
    > It's possible that Tokyo is an example where due to the high density of people / restaurants, the "economy of scale" takes over and makes good food much cheaper. I don't think it's just Tokyo, you get this all across Europe too. I think there might be an economy of scale just in the fact that almost everyone in Japan/Europe buys fresh food as the primary component of their diet. I live in the UK, and the idea that you could live somewhere where there isn't a local (aka walking distance) grocery store or supermarket that sells reasonably priced fresh produce is completely alien to me (if you live a rural area, then I suppose you might have to drive, but then you would need to do that to get to any shop at all).
- humanrebar 7y ago
  > ...there is far less processing needed for fresh foods and it should be cheaper. Fresh food has significantly higher storage and shipping costs. It tends to go bad. You can reasonably expect to sell a pallet of mustard before any of it expires. How much of a pallet of bananas will end up unsellable?
  - kaybe 7y ago
    Frozen vegetables and fruit can work pretty well too. Some will have a different texture after thawing (eg berries) and cannot be used for everything but in cooking it's almost the same as fresh. How is the frozen food situation in the US?
    - Junk_Collector 7y ago
      Preserved fruits and vegetables are extremely cheap and available in the US. Food in general of any type is actually very cheap in the US unless you live in NYC or downtown SF. These prices are for average chain grocers, HEB, Krogers, Wegmans, etc. Not bulk shops like Sam's or Costco. Some grocers also tend to focus on lower costs and will be cheaper than this such as Fiesta. Frozen typically runs between $1 and $2 a lb depending on what you want. Some cheaper mixes can be had around $0.50/lb. Canned typically comes in between $0.25 and $1.00 a can depending on brand. The chain grocer near me also routinely has sales on canned vegetables for $0.15/can if you buy 20 or more. A can is typically about 15 ounces. It can make up the bulk of a meal for 1 person, or serve as a side for about 3. Dried bulk products such as rice or pinto beans are also reasonably cheap though more expensive now than they used to be. Beans run about $0.25 to $0.50/lb depending on how much you buy at once and rice is about half of that. Fresh produce varies a lot by time of year and location but can typically be had for under $1/lb if you aren't choosey. Double to triple for anything labeled organic. Meats start around $1 to $2/lb for chicken thighs and pork shoulder and goes up to about $20/lb for premium beef cuts. I routinely make stuffed bellpeppers (bell pepper, rice, hamburger, tomato, and spices) for lunch and then end cost comes out to around $1.50/lb.
  - tyfon 7y ago
    I think some of the reason is that we have become pickier. Most of the food that is counted "bad" is not really, like apples that have shrunk a bit. You can use them perfectly for something like an apple pie or ingredients in a dish. Fish is an issue because it can become "fishy", i.e. you get a strong taste of fish blood if not kept properly. I try to buy them from companies that freeze on the boat and transport around in trucks and sell directly to people. Most meats though is usually better tasting after the expiration date (to a certain extent!) But none of that can last for years in storage, I guess that lowers the cost a bit. Also the processed foods have more filler ingredients like corn starch etc which is cheap.
dpau 7y ago
An increasingly large percentage of Americans live in "food deserts" where the only options are small convenience stores or somewhat larger Dollar Generals where there are no fresh foods except perhaps milk and eggs. We can blame people for making bad decisions but a lot of times the only decision they can make is between one package and another..
- spaceisballer 7y ago
  You make a great point, plus in the US we use fast food as a substitute for a lot of meals. It’s been eye opening once you start looking at ingredients, made me rethink what we feed our kids.

open-source-ux 7y ago

Related: statistics on consumption of 'ultra-processed' foods across 19 European Countries (from Feb 2018) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/02/ultra-processed-products-now-half-of-all-uk-family-food-purchases https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/02/ultra-proces... The countries consuming the most ultra-processed foods are UK, Germany, Ireland and Belgium.

C1sc0cat 7y ago
What the flipping heck a digestive biscuit is "ultra processed" its not like chicken nuggets made of mechanically recovered meat or CMOT Dibbler brand beef burgers is it. I think the previous commenter who thought this was hyperbolic click bait - which is actually counter productive is right.
- senorjazz 7y ago
  As long as hobnobs get a clean bill of health, it's all good
collyw 7y ago
I am curious if there is a correlation with the amount of overweight people.
- rsynnott 7y ago
  Not consistently, no. The UK and Ireland have the highest levels of obesity in the EU15, but Germany and Belgium are low-ish.

TheAlchemist 7y ago

It's really simple - good food is food prepared by yourself from raw ingredients (some exceptions for pasta, bread etc - use whole grain). If you do that, you will be good - it's really hard to eat bad with food you prepare yourself. On the contrary, it's extremely hard to eat well with eating processed food. I've traveled recently to US and the amount of shit food available was amazing. I've seen several small grocery shops without a single fresh veggie available. What a contrast with France (where I live) !

balfirevic 7y ago
> some exceptions for pasta, bread etc - use whole grain Why should we use whole grain? They have more nutrients, but if your nutrient needs are met from other ingredients, what are the benefits of whole grain?
- PeterSmit 7y ago
  Fibers. They are good for your digestive system, and make you feel full for longer. So less craving for snacking.
  - magic_beans 7y ago
    Get your fiber from vegetables.
    - 24gttghh 7y ago
      If it's naturally occurring in a food, and not in pill form, whats the difference between oat fiber and say, celery fiber?
    - senorjazz 7y ago
      I believe that in general(, the more fibre you get whilst eating the better. So sure if you are getting most of your fibre during other meals and are about to eat a sandwich. It is better to also have fibre during that eating session. As with anything it is just general, but less processed / higher fibre / whole grain food is better and (subjectively) much tastier. After only eating higher whole grain food, going back to the more processed version, you realise just how lacking it is (opinion)

chmod775 7y ago

What is "ultra processed" food? According to [1] it is stuff like: Soft drinks Packaged bread and buns Chips Candy Store-bought ice cream Boxed cake mix Instant noodles Infant formula Breakfast cereal Energy bars Flavored yogurt Chicken nuggets Fast food burgers Hot dogs Some of these make sense... other don't. But clearly the actual degree of processing required to obtain a given food item isn't the main factor to label it "ultra processed". You're gonna tell me my muesli energy bar is "ultra-processed"? It's literally just a bunch of grain sticking together. Besides, those qualifiers are really weird: linking the category of an item to the place it was purchased instead of its actual ingredients (Fast food burgers, store-bought ice cream, packaged bread and buns)? This smells like bullshit, clickbait, and health-craze pseudoscience. [1]: https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/what-is-ultra-processed-food https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/what...

orf 7y ago
Some grain bars are museli stuck together, others are akin to a paste mixed with all kinds of binding agents, sugar and other things to improve their shelf life. I’d cal those ultra processed. Sure, you can find exceptions to each of those groups, but most people are not eating whole-foods handmade-by-grandmothers 100% natural foods, are they.
Angostura 7y ago
Note - it said 'Energy Bars'. Here are the ingredients for the first Tesco branded energy bar I clicked on (Tesco is the UKs largest food retailer). " literally just a bunch of grain sticking together" is perhaps not typical. INGREDIENTS: Milk Chocolate Coating with Sweetener (25%)[Sweetener (Maltitol Syrup) , Cocoa Butter, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins), Vanilla Extract], Milk Proteins, Hydrolysed Beef Protein, Caramel layer with fibre (11%)[Polydextrose, Condensed Milk, Cocoa Butter, Humectant (Sorbitol Syrup), Emulsifier (Mono- and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavouring, Salt, Colour (Plain Caramel)], Humectant (Glycerol), Whey Protein Concentrate (Milk), Peanut (6%), Water, Coconut Oil, Peanut Paste (1.5%), Tripotassium Citrate, Tricalcium Citrate, Magnesium Hydroxide, Flavouring, Colour (Plain Caramel), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Vitamin C, Ferric Diphosphate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Folic Acid, Biotin.

swarnie_ 7y ago

What did you guys managed to do to bread? Every time i go to America' toast / sandwiches are inedible because it tastes closer to what i call cake.

zapita 7y ago
Most industrial bread sold in the US has high fructose corn syrup added.
- swarnie_ 7y ago
  Flour, yeast, water, and salt - maybe a stabilizer for commercial sales. Why corn syrup?
  - larssorenson 7y ago
    Sweeteners are addictive, leads to more sales.

FerretFred 7y ago

As a UK home baker I was surprised to see that the majority of US bread recipes i found seem to need sugar as a substantial ingredient (see https://www.thebrewerandthebaker.com/archives/17796 https://www.thebrewerandthebaker.com/archives/17796) . Bearing in mind that bread basically consists of flour, water and usually yeast, the need for sugar is puzzling, especially as it doesn't really add to the flavour.

JustSomeNobody 7y ago
It depends on the recipe. Most breads I make are flour, water, salt and yeast. But if I make something like a honey-wheat bread, I'll use, well, honey. Also, there are still a lot of people in the US who like to use soft white bread for sandwiches and, yeah, the traditional recipes for that style contain some sugar. A lot of us try and avoid that style of bread because it is really not much better for you than cake.
- FerretFred 7y ago
  The honey-wheat bread sounds interesting and although honey's a sugar it's very different to the refined stuff. I did make a Hokkaido Milk Loaf out of curiosity though and it was delicious. Mind you, with 60 g (scant 1/3 cup) sugar it should be!