Question:
Are there no rules or regulations controlling the sale of ultra-processed foods? Surely, if they are such a danger to health, as articles I have read in Nutrition and elsewhere suggest, they should be regulated. Does responsibility for buying such foods lie solely with the consumer?
Answer:
Greater consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, according to a review published in January in eClinical Medicine. Yet the portion sizes and popularity of these highly profitable food products continue to grow globally, leading to tangible effects on our health.
Ultra-processed foods contain few wholefood ingredients found in a kitchen pantry. Instead, they are formulations containing processed ingredients such as protein isolates, modified starches, flavours, colours, emulsifiers, added sugar, salt, fats, preservatives and other additives.
These ingredients somehow make them convenient, affordable, tasty and microbiologically safe. Examples include sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, packaged snacks, instant soups and noodles, processed meat and various ready-to-eat/heated meals.
However, the ultra-processing method removes beneficial nutrients and bioactive compounds while adding non-beneficial nutrients and food additives. So, these foods tend to have less protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients and other biochemicals and instead are high in saturated fats, sugar and salt.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.