Brussels, December 2024
Today, families have more safe and affordable foods and drinks thanks to processing, whether it’s done at home with products like canned vegetables and frozen foods, or on an industrial scale. Food processing can also provide public health benefits, for example recipe changes to certain products to help with specific dietary needs or to improve their nutritional quality. For example, low/no calorie sweeteners are safe ingredients that can be used to replace sugar in food and drink products, reducing their calorie content while keeping the sweet taste.
The concept of ‘Ultra-Processed Food’ (UPF) is receiving high attention in the public debate and in scientific research, even though there is not yet a universally agreed definition. Some observational studies have identified a correlation between consumption of UPFs and negative health effects, but these studies haven’t proven that UPFs actually cause these health issues. One drawback of the current systems used to classify food products according to their level of processing, like NOVA, is that they overly simplify by lumping all processed foods together, ignoring many nutrient-dense options that are good for consumers. Instead of oversimplifying, the healthfulness of foods should be evaluated based on evidence such as nutrient density and their role in a balanced diet. As stated by the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, “consumption of UPF may be an indicator of other unhealthy dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviours. Diets high in UPF are often energy dense, high in saturated fat, salt or free sugars, high in processed meat, and/or low in fruit and vegetables and fibre”.1
On this basis, such schemes are not adequate to provide dietary guidance or inform food policies, as agreed by growing scientific consensus.2,3,4 They also risk creating confusion among consumers, who might avoid safe and nutritious products solely because of a perceived negative classification as UPFs.
Finally, food and drink products containing low/no calorie sweeteners should not be automatically classified as UPFs, as low/no calorie sweeteners contribute to reformulation efforts that improve nutritional quality, in line with public health recommendations, without compromising safety or taste.
