4/12: Processed Food

FDA defines processing of food as…

• making food from 1+ ingredients 

• Synthesizing, preparing, treating, modifying, or manipulating food 

So it's basically literally anything you can think of. Some examples are: 

• Baking 

• Boiling 

• Bottling 

• Canning 

• Cutting 

• Dehydrating 

What is food processing good for?

sustainability

What are the downsides to processed food?

• Large calorie density and serving size 

• Large levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fats 

• Reduced fiber content 

Why wouldn’t labelling foods as “ultra-processed” be a good solution?

• There's confusing terminologies 

• Lots of exceptions 

• Impact of labelling on consumer behavior is still being studied 

What are the benefits of food processing?

• Reducing/eliminating foodborne pathogens/spoilage 

• Extend shelf-life 

• Prevent oil/water separation 

• Enhance flavors/prevent off flavor development 

• Improve/mimic texture 

How to evaluate safety of food additives?

• Long history of safe use 

• Toxicological evaluation of ingredients 

• Epidemiological/animal model studies 

• Including safety margins (~100x) 

What are glutamates

natural amino acid used to provide meat/umami flavor

Glutamate serving reqs.

• EFSA reasssesd the safety and determined an ADI of 0.03 g/kg body weight per day 

• A typical serving contains <0.5g 

• Small proportion of consumers can be more sensitive to glutamate 

What is sodium nitrate?

used in cured meats to stop mold/bacteria and provide red color

Sodium Nitrate characteristics

• Long history of use 

• When used in excess amounts, it is shown to form tumors  

• Safe levels are 0.07 mg/kg bw/day (previous ADI was 0.06 mg/kg bw/day) 

• FDA restricts level sof nitrites to 200 ppm 

• Fruits and vegs contain these naturally