3 days Ago By Steffan Rhys
Ultra-processed foods (or UPFs) have become anathema for some people. From pre-packaged bread to breakfast cereals and flavoured yoghurts, there has been growing exposure of the industrial ingredients and processes that go into creating them and a growing consensus among scientists that they may be harming our health in ways we don’t yet fully understand. Despite this, they still make up a massive proportion (60% according to estimates) of what we eat.
The NHS defines ultra-processed foods as those which often "include ingredients you would not usually have at home, such as preservatives, sweeteners and emulsifiers". It says many are "high in calories, saturated fat, salt or sugar". But new research released today claims that there is a big difference in the extent of the harm, if any, being done by different processed and ultra-processed foods — and that some may even be good for us on balance.
And this research comes from the very scientists who have been at the forefront of spreading the message of the dangers UPFs are doing to our health. Today, science and nutrition firm Zoe, which is led by Professor Tim Spector, says we shouldn’t lump all processed foods in the same basket and that while some remain “high risk” for our health if eaten excessively others are “low risk” or even no risk at all. In an exclusive interview with The Express, Professor Spector, who is often described as one of the world’s most-cited scientists and who was instrumental in our understanding of how Covid was affecting our bodies during the coronavirus pandemic, explains which foods we don’t need to worry about, which are good for us, and which we should only eat in moderation.
He was speaking as Zoe unveiled a new tool it says will help people understand which common processed foods and UPFs pose little or no risk to their health and which are “high risk” if central to a diet. The Express was given access in advance to Zoe’s Processed Food Risk Scale and where many of the foods which make up the foundation of our diets rank along it. Foods are ranked either no risk, low risk, moderate risk or high risk.
No risk: Sainsbury’s Unsalted British Butter, Asda Full Fat Greek Style Yoghurt, Lidl Simply Low Fat Cottage Cheese Low risk: Sainsbury’s Salted British Butter, Essential Low Fat Natural Greek Style Yoghurt, Asda Grated Mozzarella Moderate risk: Pure Dairy Free Buttery Taste High risk: Flora Buttery, Muller Corner Vanilla Chocolate Yoghurt No risk: Dorset Cereals Dorset Muesli, Weetabix, Asda Bran Flakes, Shredded Wheat Low risk: Bio & Me Super Seedy & Nutty Gut-Loving Granola Moderate risk: Kellogg’s Coco pops No risk: Green & Black's Organic 70% Dark Chocolate Bar, Aldi Speciality Selected Pure Canadian Maple Syrup Low risk: Forest Feast Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds, Bear Fruit Gently Baked Coconut Chips High risk: Cadbury Twirl, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar No risk: Sainsbury's Basmati Rice, Tesco Spaghetti Low risk: Tilda Lime & Coriander Steamed Basmati Rice Low risk: M&S Bang Bang Chicken with Satay Dip, Charlie Bigham’s Fish Pie, Asda Cook in the Bag Cod Fillet with red thai sauce High risk: Birds Eye Chicken Dippers Low risk: Jason's Seeded Protein Sourdough, Aldi Seeded Sourdough Loaf, Modern Baker Superloaf Seeded High risk: Warburtons Farmhouse Soft Bread No risk: Sainsbury's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Nescafe Decaff Instant Coffee, Heinz Tomato Ketchup Low risk: Asda Hummus, Quorn Mince Pieces, Fillippo Berio Classic Pesto, Patak’s Korma Paste Pots, Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise Moderate risk: Cauldron Hoisin Tofu Pieces, Quorn Chicken Pieces High risk: Quorn Sausages Each food’s risk level has been worked out by looking at the additives it contains, its hyper-palatability (how easy it is to keep eating more) and its energy density (calories). The higher it scores in each category, the higher risk the Zoe scale says it has of damaging our health if we consume it excessively. In an exclusive interview, Prof Spector said the new tool was important because the current classification system unfairly categorises as unhealthy some foods which might actually be part of a healthy diet.
He said the new system would make it possible for people to distinguish between different products and not to assume they are bad for you because they are made by the same large food manufacturer. In turn, he said he hoped this would make manufacturers keener on producing healthier versions of foods. Explaining why foods were classified as high risk, he said: “It will be because they contain additives shown by independent study to be harmful for us and our gut microbes, it has a mix of salt and fat and sugar to make it more hyperpalatable, the consistency of it may lack fibre so it’s super easy to eat rapidly and get more calories per minute inside you without noticing.
” It’s important to note that, as Prof Spector says, that even foods in the high risk categories are not likely to cause a major health problem if you only have them from time to time. “It’s regular consumption we’re worried about. The problem is that the majority of families in the UK are having these on a daily basis and it’s the bulk of their diet.
We’re not trying to demonise these foods or ban them, just to encourage people to have them as a rare treat.” In a bid to help you make food choices guided by simple expert advice, we also asked Prof Spector the following questions: “People who might have ultra-processed dairy or grains were found to have either no adverse effects or possibly some slight benefits epidemiologically. It’s often because these foods might contain fibre, or yoghurts contain probiotics.
Baked beans, depending on the sauce, would be a really good measure of fibre and protein and so would be a healthy food.” “The classic UPF for me is [something] like Pringles, designed brilliantly to make you continue eating them even when you feel they are unpleasant or making you sick. This is my personal experience: I actually feel nauseated but compelled to keep eating them.
“The other category would probably be children’s yoghurts and flavoured yoghurts, mainly because people are being fooled into thinking they are healthy and people are having them regularly. “And the third would probably be breakfast cereals, because they’re quite ubiquitous. Children are the ones we need to be protecting.
If you go into any supermarket you just see vitamin labels, low fat labels, healthy for all the family labels on products that are not only ultra-processed but are 30% sugar. “It’s that combination of the processing with the fact that they’ve completely changed the composition of these foods and they are addicting children to these sugar rushes.” Heinz mayonnaise is classified as low risk on the new Zoe Risk Scale.
But Prof Spector said: “Don’t get the idea that all mayonnaises are the same. If you take, particularly, low-fat or low-calorie ones, they are really horrible and are the highest risk. But it just shows that even in one range of condiments you can get zero or low risk right up to really high risk.
” “Additives and ingredients are only one part of what we believe is the processing risk. But if we focus on the additives part, it would be first looking at whether there is a long list. The longer the list, the more they are trying to disguise the lack of flavour or fool you.
“I’d be worried about emulsifiers, and there are at least a dozen of these: things like carrageenan, lecithin, CMC, Xanthan gum — all these glue the food together but also have an effect on your metabolism and gut microbes. “There isn’t really the detailed science, these are just my personal views on what I’m worried about. “The other ones would be the artificial sweeteners which are often mixed with sugar or added to keep the sugar levels down on the pack but cause similar problems and can actually increase your risk of getting diabetes.
They’re added to food as if they’re completely safe and yet all the evidence is that they’re not. “I don’t think we should demonise any one product, it’s more the whole process to make food look as if it’s real when actually it’s fake.” “When I’m looking at a bread in a supermarket, I look at two things: one is the list of ingredients that I don’t recognise and the second is how much fibre is in that bread.
If it’s got a really high fibre content then that’s really compensating for a lot of these additives. The worst kind of bread has really low fibre and a lot of these chemical additives. The fibre sugar to ratio is really important too.
” We asked the makers of Flora Buttery, Cadbury chocolate, Quorn, Muller yoghurt, Birds Eye Chicken Dippers and Warburtons bread for their response. A Birds Eye spokesperson said: “A family favourite, Birds Eye Chicken Dippers are free from artificial flavours and colours and are not classified as HFSS (high in fat, salt, and sugar). As clearly laid out in nutritional information on the packaging, they also offer a great source of protein, providing 13g per 100g, and should be enjoyed as part of a balanced and varied diet.
” A Quorn spokesperson said: "Defining foods based on their level of processing often unfairly stigmatises many foods that can be included as part of a healthy, sustainable diet, by grouping them with high fat, high sugar foods which we know are less healthy choices. Not only that, but these labels ignore the vital role processing plays across the industry in ensuring food safety, accessibility, and sustainability. "We understand that there is growing interest in the categorisation of ultra-processed foods and we keep a close watch on the scientific evidence in this space.
We firmly believe that nutritional attributes remain the best determinant of whether a food is more or less healthy. "Although the research to date has shown some associations between intakes of UPF and negative health outcomes, there remains a lack of causative and mechanistic evidence to show what it is within the wide ranging UPF category that is driving such associations. One suggestion has been that UPFs are highly palatable and can easily be consumed to excess, but Quorn products are typically high in fibre and protein, which helps to make us feel full.
"Quorn Sausages are not only high in protein and fibre, but low in saturated fat and sugar. They also have a lower energy density than typical pork sausages. "Studies have shown that plant-based meat alternatives have significantly lower energy density, less total fat, less saturated fat and significantly higher fibre compared to equivalent meat products.
We only use ingredients in Quorn products which have been deemed safe to eat by the appropriate regulatory bodies." A Flora Food Group spokesperson said: "It is impossible to comment on the classification of this product without understanding the parameters of the tool. The Flora product range offers options to suit various dietary preferences and health needs.
Made with high-quality oils, our products provide essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which support heart health and brain function. "With lower saturated fat and no more than trace amounts of trans fat compared to conventional dairy counterparts, they are also a great choice for those reducing animal fat intake for health or animal welfare reasons. We believe NOVA is not science-based and leads to misleading advice for consumers, so it’s positive that alternatives are being explored.
We are looking at several options, including the Australian Health Star Rating system." A Food and Drink Federation spokesperson said: “We believe dietary guidance for consumers should be based on robust, scientific evidence as assessed by expert independent committees. These bodies have considered the concept of ‘ultra-processed foods’ and believe the evidence is weak and should not be used in dietary guidance.
This new ‘scale’ will be extremely confusing for consumers, as it contradicts government’s healthy eating advice. “All additives that are used by food manufacturers are approved by the Food Standards Agency, who have robust processes in place to ensure that these are safe for us to eat and drink. It is irresponsible to state these ingredients are a high risk to health.
” Zoe hopes its new risk scale will be available first to its roughly 250,000 paying members. But it hopes that it may be able to make it more widely available in future. Zoe is a science and nutrition company, which says its aim is to “lead a movement to transform the health of millions”.
Its clinical trials have been published in leading scientific journals, such as Nature Medicine, Nature Metabolism and The Lancet. It is also a commercial business which provides membership for an initial fee then ongoing monthly rate, through which members can test their existing health and then track how what they eat affects their health on an ongoing basis — in the interests of transparency, it should be noted that the author of this article is a Zoe member and you can read his experience here ..
