Processed Food is Unhealthy

See that title? Google it and you’ll get over 8 million hits. And, as you start the search, Google cheerfully helps with suggestions like “processed foods to avoid,” “…and obesity,” “…and cancer,” and the catch-all “…and health.” Eight of the first 10 hits follow the now-prevalent meme that processed food is bad.

Lately, the term “processed food” is mistakenly becoming synonymous with nutrition-devoid “junk food.” Or it’s unnatural and full of chemicals—with all the scary, negative connotations implying it’s unsafe.

Found on that Google search is something called CopperWiki, which defines processed foods as: “overloaded with hydrogenated oil, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and trans fats. Low in nutrients, processed foods’ main ingredients are nutrient-empty sugar, water, fat, flour, starch, artificial colorings and flavors. A diet based on processed food can lead to major illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and other ailments.”

That vibe is everywhere. Nutrition education in schools is oversimplifying the issue, implying that anything in a package is a poor choice. In academia, a study widely reported on as “processed foods cause depression” identified two dietary patterns: “whole food,” described as one heavily loaded with vegetables, fruits and fish, and “processed food,” described as one heavily loaded with sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products. As if frying is only done in processing plants, vegetables are banned from offloading in the warehouse and no one overindulges on homemade cookies.

This disinformation not only doesn’t bode well for the food industry, it doesn’t bode well for the public. Look at the increasing number of people who think a 1:1 swap of sugar calories for HFCS calories will solve all their obesity problems. Or those that think pathogens only lurk in food-processing plants. While the increased scrutiny on nutrition is great, putting all processed food on nutritional par with a Twinkie is not.

The food industry is “at fault” for creating food people want—unhealthy as well as healthy. We are also at the forefront of solving the problem. No salt, preservatives or refined grains? We can do that, but likely with tradeoffs in price, shelf life or palatability. We’re food scientists, not magicians.

But, while “doing that,” we also need to make sure the facts aren’t drowned out by people who want to make headlines or sell a few books. If you’re engaged in a conversation or see a blog that promotes the “processed foods are bad” myth, speak up. Explain the nutritional facts about frozen veggies vs. that two-week-old broccoli wilting in the crisper. Talk about the advantages of calcium added to orange juice or folic acid added to breads. Don’t be afraid to mention that it’s interesting that people in China don’t seem to suffer from Chinese restaurant syndrome when ingesting MSG. Point out that drinking 6 or 7 cans of cola a day is a bad idea no matter what the sweetener. Mention that homemade chocolate cake is just as much of an indulgence as one wrapped in cellophane. Remind people of the widely held nutritional truism, “There are no bad foods; only bad diets.”