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Processing

Some degree of food processing is necessary to extend shelf life, prevent spoilage, to kill harmful pathogens 1, and for palatability 2. Food process can broadly be divided into three levels.

ProcessingExamples
PrimaryLivestock butchering, grinding wheat into flour 3, milling 4, jerky 5
SecondaryFermenting, drying, salting, smoking, canning 3, bread baking 4, batter, grape juice, hot dogs 5
TertiaryReady-to-eat meals 3, canned soup, frozen dinners 4, corn chips, frozen pizza, bundled snacks 5

In 2009, Carlos Monteiro proposed the four-level Nova classification of food processing 6.

ProcessingExamples
Unprocessed / Minimally ProcessedFresh or dried fruit, fresh or pastueurized milk, culinary herbs and spices 7
Processed Culinary IngredientsVegetable oil, iodized salt 7
Processed FoodsFruit in syrup, canned or bottled vegetables in brine 7
Ultra-Processed FoodsCarbonated soda, ready-to-eat frozen meals 7

There is not a universally agreed-upon definition of "ultra-processed foods", and while more highly processed foods tend to be higher in sodium, sugar, and fat, the level of processing is a highly imperfect proxy for a food's healthiness 8.

NutrientRecommended Daily IntakeActual Daily Intake for American adults
SodiumNo more than 2300 millgrams, ideally 1500 or less 93400 milligrams 10
SugarFor men, 150 calories, and for women, 100 calories 11270 calories 12
Trans Fat0 135.6 grams 14

References

  1. Institute of Food Science + Technology. "Food Preservation". Accessed July 16, 2024. ↩

  2. Lauden, R. "In Praise of Fast Food". Excerpted from The Gastronomica Reader, Utne Reader. August 2010. ↩

  3. Institute of Food Science + Technology. "IFST Food Processing Knowledge Hub". Accessed July 16, 2024. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Bulk inside. "Food processing". Accessed July 16, 2024. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. Food Research Lab. "Various types and methods involved in food processing". Accessed July 16, 2024. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Monteiro, C.A. "Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing.". Public health nutrition 12(5), pp. 729-731. May 2009. ↩

  7. Monteiro, C.A., Cannon, G., Levy, R.B., Moubarac, J.C., Louzada, M.L., Rauber, F., Khandpur, N., Cediel, G., Neri, D., Martinez-Steele. E., Baraldi, L.G. "Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them". Public health nutrition 22(5), pp. 936-941. April 2019. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  8. British Nutrition Foundation. "British Nutrition Foundation position statement on the concept of ultra-processed foods (UPF)". May 2024. ↩

  9. American Heart Association. "Shaking the Salt Habit to Lower High Blood Pressure". May 2024. ↩

  10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Sodium in Your Diet". March 2024. ↩

  11. American Heart Association. "How Much Sugar Is Too Much?". May 2024. ↩

  12. T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Added Sugar". Harvard University. April 2022. ↩

  13. Jones, K. B. "Trans Fats (Bad Fats)". Family Doctor. August 2023. ↩

  14. Monical, A. "What Are Trans Fats?". Northwest Health Services. May 2018. ↩