The food industry is fighting back against scientific research linking consumption of ultra-processed foods to obesity, cancer and diabetes. Photograph: iStockWhen the Brazilian nutritional scientist Carlos Monteiro coined the term “ ultra-processed foods ” 15 years ago, he established what he calls a “new paradigm” for assessing the impact of diet on health.
Studies of ultra-processed foods shows that these processes create food – from snack bars to breakfast cereals to ready meals – that encourages overeating but may leave the eater undernourished. A recipe might, for example, contain a level of carbohydrate and fat that triggers the brain’s reward system, meaning you have to consume more to sustain the pleasure of eating it.
Analysis of US lobbying data from non-profit Open Secrets found that food and soft drinks-related companies spent $106 million on lobbying in 2023, almost twice as much as the tobacco and alcohol industries combined. Last year’s spend was 21 per cent higher than in 2020, with the increase driven largely by lobbying relating to food processing as well as sugar.
As researchers have learned more about the link between ultra-processed foods and poor health outcomes, companies have remained largely silent about these risk Food processing has allowed the reformulation of recipes to add wholegrains and fibre to food while reducing sugar, salt and saturated fat, said Nestlé in a statement. “We should not lose sight of the vital role it plays in providing safe, nutritious, high-quality and affordable products all over the world.”
David Chavern, president of the US’s Consumer Brands Association, says food companies were “trying to bring rationality to the debate”. The research, Chavern says, has an “anti-corporate wrapper around it”, and creates a false sense that companies are hiding something from consumers. “The industry views itself as incredibly transparent. There is extensive disclosure about ingredients on packaging,” he adds.
“We work with the food industry so that we can do more research that has an immediate impact on people’s diet and health,” says Robert Van de Noort, vice-chancellor of the University of Reading. “We want our work to be on the shelves of the supermarket, not just the library.” Scientists at the US government’s Agricultural Research Service led another study demonstrating it is possible to build a healthy diet with 91 per cent of the calories coming from ultra-processed foods. The authors had connections to the soy industry, sauces and flavouring company McCormick, and Atkins diet food owner Simply Good Foods.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)
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