Processed foods: contributions to nutrition

Abstract

Both fresh and processed foods make up vital parts of the food supply. Processed food contributes to both food security (ensuring that sufficient food is available) and nutrition security (ensuring that food quality meets human nutrient needs). This ASN scientific statement focuses on one aspect of processed foods: their nutritional impacts. Specifically, this scientific statement 1) provides an introduction to how processed foods contribute to the health of populations, 2) analyzes the contribution of processed foods to "nutrients to encourage" and "constituents to limit" in the American diet as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 3) identifies the responsibilities of various stakeholders in improving the American diet, and 4) reviews emerging technologies and the research needed for a better understanding of the role of processed foods in a healthy diet. Analyses of the NHANES 2003-2008 show that processed foods provide both nutrients to encourage and constituents to limit as specified in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Of the nutrients to encourage, processed foods contributed 55% of dietary fiber, 48% of calcium, 43% of potassium, 34% of vitamin D, 64% of iron, 65% of folate, and 46% of vitamin B-12. Of the constituents to limit, processed foods contributed 57% of energy, 52% of saturated fat, 75% of added sugars, and 57% of sodium. Diets are more likely to meet food guidance recommendations if nutrient-dense foods, either processed or not, are selected. Nutrition and food science professionals, the food industry, and other stakeholders can help to improve the diets of Americans by providing a nutritious food supply that is safe, enjoyable, affordable, and sustainable by communicating effectively and accurately with each other and by working together to improve the overall knowledge of consumers.

Guiding Principles And A Decision-Making Framework For Stakeholders Pursuing Healthy Food Environments

“…7 Ready-to-eat processed con-venience food and beverage products currently account for 65-75 percent of all calories purchased by US households 8,9 and 57 percent of the salt, 52 percent of the saturated fat, and 75 percent of the added sugars in Americans' diet. 10 The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has recommended that people consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (one teaspoonful) per day, but the average American consumes more than 3,600 milligrams (about 1.5 teaspoonfuls) per day. 11 The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended that a maximum of 10 percent of total daily calories come from added sugars and the same maximum come from saturated fat, but 90 percent of Americans exceed this amount.…”

Qualidade Nutricional E Tecnológica Dos Alimentos Na Ótica Dos Consumidores Da Cidade De Bragança, Portugal

“…Os alimentos processados contribuem para a segurança alimentar e nutricional, pois garantem a disponibilidade de alimentos suficiente, atendendo às necessidades nutricionais humanas (WEAVER et al, 2014). Uma alimentação segura e adequada é uma das principais metas a atingir a nível mundial e, Revista Mundi Meio Ambiente e Agrárias.…”

Influência infantil nas compras de alimentos ultraprocessados: interferência do estado nutricional

“…Estudos também demonstram que alimentos ultraprocessados são os mais consumidos no lanche por escolares brasileiros 6,7,8 , e que o consumo tem sido favorecido pela sua produção abundante, a um custo relativamente baixo 9,10,11 . O consumo frequente de alimentos com características de ultraprocessados e insuficiente de leite, suco natural, cereais, vegetais, frutas, carnes e peixes 12, 13, 14 tem sido associado com o aumento da incidência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e com as crescentes prevalências de sobrepeso e obesidade 15,16 . Na população infantil brasileira com idade entre seis e nove anos, há uma prevalência de 32% de sobrepeso e 14% de obesidade, que somados chegam a quase metade da população dessa faixa etária 17 .…”