Myths & Facts About Processed Foods

Myth: There are no benefits of processed foods.

Fact: Food processing makes many foods available that we couldn't otherwise eat (for example, most people eat bread or breakfast cereals but not unprocessed grains). Without food processing we certainly wouldn't have the large variety of food products we see on supermarket and store shelves. Food processing enables the year-round availability of foods that have limited growing seasons. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are just some examples. Processing extends the shelf life of foods. Tinned fish and UHT milk are just two examples of nutritious foods that are readily available as a result of food processing. Food processing also helps in increasing the quality and safety of many foods.

Convenience is another major benefit of foods that have been processed. Imagine not having dried noodles or tinned vegetables for that quick and easy dinner. Foods that have been processed are also used in situations where refrigeration is not possible such as camping expeditions and rations for the armed forces.

Myth: Processed foods are not as nutritious as fresh foods.

Fact: Many processed foods are just as nutritious or in some cases even more nutritious than fresh foods depending on the manner in which they are processed. Frozen vegetables are usually processed within hours of harvest. There is little nutrient loss in the freezing process so frozen vegetables retain their high vitamin and mineral content. In contrast, fresh vegetables are picked and transported to market. It can take days or even weeks before they reach the dinner table and vitamins are gradually lost over time no matter how carefully the vegetables are transported and stored.

Some processed foods, such as breads and breakfast cereals, have vitamins and minerals added for extra nutrition. In fact, the growing interest in health and nutrition has spurred the production of a whole new range of foods with added health and nutritional benefits (called "functional foods") such as fat spreads with added fibre to lower cholesterol.

Processing can also make some nutrients more available. For example, removing phytic acid from grain foods by removing the bran helps to improve the absorption of iron from a food. Processing tomatoes into a tomato paste or sauce increases the amount of lycopene (an antioxidant) that is available to the body.

Myth: The additives and preservatives in processed foods are not necessary.

Fact: Food additives play an important role in preserving the freshness, safety taste, appearance and texture of foods. Food additives are added for a particular purpose whether it is to ensure food safety, to add nutritional value or to improve food quality. For example, antioxidants prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid while emulsifiers stop peanut butter from separating into solid and liquid fractions. Food additives keep bread free of mould and allow fruit jams to "gel" so they can be spread onto bread.

All food additives in processed foods must be approved by the national regulatory body charged with food safety in each country. Strict limits are placed on the amount and types of additives in foods and any additive must be included in the ingredients listing on a food package.

Myth: All food additives are artificial.

Fact: Some of the best known food additives are salt, sugar and lemon juice. Food additives come from many different sources. Fruits and vegetables are a common source of food additives. For example, thickening agents are often extracted from seeds, fruits and seaweeds while tartaric acid taken from fruit is used to make some foods more acid and improve their keeping qualities. 

Some food additives are made from the synthesis or biosyntheses from nature-identical products such as ascorbic acid (fruits) and tocopherol (vegetable oils), both of which are used to keep foods from becoming rancid. Edible oils and organic acids are examples of natural substances that are modified to be used as emulsifiers (to stop foods separating). Modified starches and cellulose are used as thickening agents. There are, of course, also man-made additives such as some antioxidants, colours and sweeteners.