But it’s far too simplistic to say that processed foods are simply ‘bad’. This is because how processed a food is doesn’t necessarily equate to its nutritional value, and there are so many things to consider when it comes to food and health.
So to balance the conversation, this article will highlight 5 important benefits of processed foods.
What are processed foods?
There isn’t one overarching definition for ‘processed food’, but this usually refers to food that has been altered during preparation (e.g. processed like canning, freezing or baking etc.) and/or food that has had other foods or ingredients added to them (1, 2). So this is a very broad category of food that can vary from frozen or chopped vegetables to ready meals or cheetos.
Recently there has been a lot of attention about ‘ultra-processed foods’. This is part of the NOVA classification system which categorises food into 4 groups (3):
- Group 1: Unprocessed foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk etc. or minimally processed foods that have been altered but contain no added ingredients e.g. pasteurised milk, dried fruit, frozen fruit and vegetables etc.
- Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients like oils, butter, lard, sugar, honey or salt.
- Group 3: Processed foods i.e. where culinary ingredients have been added to unprocessed foods and these foods tend to have a few ingredients such as cheese, fresh bread, canned beans, smoked meat etc.
- Group 4: Ultra-processed foods. These are “formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives, with little if any intact Group 1 food”. These foods are also created to be convenient, branded and attractive (in terms of packaging and palatability). Examples include: mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps, ready meals, pastries, chicken nuggets, powdered soups and sauces etc.
This article will refer to both proceeds and ultra-processed foods (group 3 and 4).
Processed food and health
Consuming a high intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome (combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and higher body weight), depression, certain types of cancer and all-cause mortality (4, 5).
Studies from the US have found that those who included the most ultra-processed foods in their diet consumed more sugar and saturated fat and less protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals (6, 7).
However, it’s important to note that the research related to ultra-processed foods is quite recent overall and as most of the studies are observational they tell us about associations rather than a ‘cause and effect’ relationship. This means that a number of factors can influence this, for example having a health condition may increase reliance on processed foods and at the same time may impact health by reducing ability to exercise etc. Those with a lower socioeconomic status also tend to consume more processed foods, but this group also has a higher risk of health issues related to many factors which a study can’t always fully account for such as access to healthcare, stress, trauma and lifestyle factors (8, 9, 10).
So although there does seem to be a link between a high intake of processed and ultra-processed foods and certain health risks, this is a complicated and nuanced relationship where ongoing research is needed.
Now let’s look at some of the benefits related to processed foods.
Benefit #1: Prolonged shelf life
One of the key reasons for food processing is to extend the shelf life of food, using processes such as pasteurisation, sterilisation, fermentation, drying, freezing, canning as well as specific additives.
There are so many benefits of extending the shelf life of food, such as:
- Reducing food waste - which benefits individuals, manufacturers and the environment
- Improved food safety as food is less likely to harbour bacteria
- Increasing food availability due to transporting and storing food more easily
- Vital during crisis when food aid is required
- Helpful when it comes to donating and redistributing food e.g. for food banks
- Lowering food costs as food can be produced and transported at a higher scale
- Convenience of having long shelf-life foods to hand (if you have the storage space)
Benefit #2: Food safety
Another important reason for food processing is improving the safety of food.
The risk of food poisoning can be significantly reduced by killing harmful bacteria using food processing techniques like pasteurisation and sterilisation. Techniques that extend shelf-life such as canning, freezing and drying also preserve food and reduce the risk of spoilage or contamination.
The safety regulations that are required at food processing facilities reduce the risk of foodborne illness further, as they are required to maintain a clean, pest-free, temperature-controlled environment (11). All additives included in processed foods are also subject to rigorous safety regulations by food safety authorities like the Food Safety Authority (FSA) in the UK and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Food manufacturing facilities are also required to keep detailed records of their ingredients, suppliers and production processes so that hazardous ingredients can be quickly traced in the event of a food safety issue (11). However, the fact that processed foods tend to use multiple ingredients can pose additional challenges with traceability.
Benefit #3: Extra nutrients
It may be surprising to learn that sometimes the more processed option is the more nutritious option because it has been fortified with added nutrients. For example, organic plant-based milks can’t add in important nutrients like calcium or iodine, whereas the non-organic, more processed versions can.
Similarly, when working on increasing iron intake, it can be best to go for iron-fortified breakfast cereals rather than less processed options like plain oats.
Fermenting a food can also produce probiotics and increase the digestibility and availability of certain nutrients within the food (depending on the food and how it has been fermented) (12).
Although certain food processing techniques can reduce the nutrients in a food (e.g. heat treatment and prolonged storage can reduce vitamin C), other techniques can protect the nutrients in a food. For example, freezing vegetables has been seen to preserve vitamin C content (13).
Processed foods can also increase nutritional variety by increasing access to different foods which wouldn’t otherwise be available locally or realistic to consume often.
Benefit #4: Convenience and accessibility
The convenience that processed foods can add to our lives is a really significant benefit. Modern life is so busy that most people need to rely on convenient options at times in order to keep themselves and their families fed.
In fact, processed food had a massive role in supporting the shift that happened in the early 20th century in the UK when women started to work outside the home (14). Before this, sourcing and preparing food from scratch was extremely time consuming, hence why wealthy families usually had maids and cooks.
As well as saving a lot of time when it comes to food preparation, processed food can also help with saving money. This can vary, as certain meals are cheaper to make from scratch, especially when cooking in bulk. But for those living with food poverty, buying a £1 ready meal is usually a lot more affordable in reality than buying all the ingredients to batch cook — especially if time, cooking equipment or storage options are limited.
The convenience, long shelf-life and accessibility of processed foods can be particularly important in circumstances where it’s difficult to access food due to location, or where food preparation poses additional challenges due to disability or chronic illness.
Benefit #5: Enjoyment
A lot of processed foods fall into the category of ‘fun foods’ or ‘soul foods’. These are foods that we mainly consume for taste, satisfaction and enjoyment, rather than for their nutritional content e.g. chocolate, crisps, pastries etc.
Giving yourself full permission to include processed foods in your diet that you enjoy is a vital part of maintaining (or developing) a healthy relationship with food. This flexibility takes food off the ‘treat’ or ‘off limits’ pedestal so that you can view them more neutrally and reduce food fear, as well as lowering the risk of disordered behaviours like restriction, bingeing and purging.
Unfortunately a lot of the current messages surrounding processed food and aiming to eat exclusively whole, unprocessed foods risks promoting an orthorexic relationship with food. This is where healthy eating becomes an obsessive focus to the point of being harmful to physical, mental and social well being (15).
Summary
Although there are health considerations related to a high intake of certain types of processed foods, they shouldn’t be demonised as a whole because they offer a number of significant benefits.
This is an example of why it’s so important to appreciate the shades of grey when it comes to nutrition, as viewing this as black and white isn’t the full picture and can be a slippery slope to a disordered relationship with food.
The bottomline is that although whole foods tend to be nutritious, processed foods also have an important place within a balanced, varied, realistic and flexible diet.
