The ultra-processed foods thread

[Lou]

This has been in the news so much. And there seems to be an emphasis on plant based ultra-processed foods.
I had already assumed (without much evidence - just sort of connecting the dots) that plant based ultra -processed foods are going to be Still a better alternative than the animal based products.
This article backs up my assumptions.

Should we be worried about vegan ultra-processed foods?

Vegan diets can contain more UPFs on average – but this might not be a problem.

www.bbc.com

 

[Lou]

More back up of my assumptions.
I love Vox. Article well worth reading.

“Vegan fake meats linked to heart disease, early death,” the New York Post declared.​

There was just one problem: The narrative was totally fake.​

​

the scientific panel that advises the creation of the federal dietary guidelines concluded that there was limited evidence on UPFs’ health effects and that “few studies were designed and conducted well.”​

​

You’re being lied to about “ultra-processed” foods

Coverage of the latest nutrition buzzword is overly broad, arbitrary, and wildly misleading. The problem goes deeper.

www.vox.com

 

[PTree15]

More back up of my assumptions.
I love Vox. Article well worth reading.

“Vegan fake meats linked to heart disease, early death,” the New York Post declared.​

There was just one problem: The narrative was totally fake.​

​

the scientific panel that advises the creation of the federal dietary guidelines concluded that there was limited evidence on UPFs’ health effects and that “few studies were designed and conducted well.”​

​

You’re being lied to about “ultra-processed” foods

Coverage of the latest nutrition buzzword is overly broad, arbitrary, and wildly misleading. The problem goes deeper.

www.vox.com

They don't mention who actually funded the study. I would not be surprised if the meat industry somehow funneled money into it.

The choice of the photo depicting vegan burgers and whatnot was interesting given that the study concluded that plant-based meat wasn't consumed all that much by the study's participants. It just goes to show how results can be manipulated to suit a specific narrative.

 

[Lou]

The article brings up a point... no that might be putting it too strongly.... it alludes to a point,
That this is the kind of stuff we are going to get with the next administration.
I imagine Musk, trump, and the GOP are going to do the best to defund EPA, FDA, and the USDA.
Promote Big Ag. And throw shade on everything else.
I'm already thinking of what the title of that Topic will be.

 

[Lou]

I posted an article yesterday and then re-discovered this thread today.
The article makes more sense here.
Instead of re-posting, I'll just put in a link to the other thread.

L

Post in thread 'The benefits of fake meat go beyond sustainability'

Apr 30, 2025

Plant-Based Meat Not Associated With Adverse Health Outcomes, Government Report Finds

A new report from the UK government has found that processed plant-based meat alternatives are not associated with adverse health outcomes

plantbasednews.org

Good article. It is like anything else. If you eat a diverse diet you wi!l be healthy.

I don't eat meat alternatives everyday, but I have some Beyond Beef burgers, Meati steaks, veggie burgers, and chik'n nuggets in my freezer right now.

• LoreD

• 

And it seems that this back pedaling on vegan ultra processed foods being bad for you is gaining some steam. Reminds me of a football safety who has taken a few steps forward thinking its going to be a run and then had to run backwards as fast as he can to get back on a receiver.

Here the press jumped at the chance to denigerate vegan foods but it turns out there are much worse choices than drinking soy milk.

So what are the four worst ultra processed foods? Two of them aren't vegan anyway. and the other two are not really part of a WFPB diet.
However I do have a soda almost daily - I use it as a replacement for regular beer. Sometimes its a Zevia Ginger Root Beer and sometimes its seltzer water with fruit juice
And my choices for breakfast cereal are not "sugary".

4 ultra-processed foods to avoid​

Ultra-processed foods are commonly defined under a classification known as NOVA, defining them as containing additives and undergoing significant alterations from their natural state. They tend to be calorie-dense, low in nutrients, and often have long shelf lives.​

​

While this study didn’t look at individual foods’ impact on premature death and mortality risk, another study from last year did. Those researchers found that the following foods were linked with the highest all-cause mortality risk:​

Anyway most of these aren't vegan anyway but certainly not part​

• Processed meat
• Sugary and artificially sweetened beverages
• Dairy-based desserts
• Ultra-processed breakfast foods like sugary cereal

Ultra-processed foods are driving premature deaths. Here are the 4 common culprits | Fortune

The news about ultra-processed foods continues to show its potential harms—including early death.

fortune.com

 

[Lou]

Not All Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad for You—These 8 Are Actually Healthy​

• Lightly salted and flavored nuts, seeds, and legumes
• Low-sodium canned beans and legumes
• Low-sodium canned tuna, salmon, or chicken, packed in water
• Unsweetened dried fruit
• Low-sodium whole grain breads and crackers
• High fiber cereal with minimal sweeteners
• Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives like soy milk and tofu
• Frozen produce

Bold text is mine.

Not All Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad for You—These 8 Are Actually Healthy

Ultra-processed foods make up the majority of what's in your grocery store. But while ultra-processed foods have been linked in studies to serious health risks, there's a wide spectrum as far as safety profile. Choose from the "green-flag" foods from the American Heart Association—including...

www.realsimple.com

 

[Mufflon]

Wait - since when are frozen produce, unsweetened dried fruits and canned vegetables UPF?

These foods are processed, yes - but not UPF.

 

[Lou]

many frozen produce, dried fruits and canned veggies are NOT UPFs. Some are and it sort of is too bad that the label sometimes get applied haphazardly.

the definition of a UPF says includes multiple processes and things need to be added and/or subtracted.
For instance, canned vegetables. Canning is a process and frequntly things are added to the canned vegetables, like salt. Some may include added sugars, colors or flavors. Other things may be added to increase shelf life or make the product more appealing.

Some dried fruits are UPFs because besides the drying process, things are added. Sugar and oil can be added. and so many dried fruits have sulfites

I'm not sure why frozen produce is listed as a UPF. But I suppose its because no all frozen produce is additive free.

 

[allindogecoin]

One of the problems with the NOVA classification system is that it only counts processing that occurs when the animal is slaughtered or when a plant is picked from the ground, and both these points in time are arbitrary. For example, suppose we slaughter a cow and then inject microplastics in it. Then we have two ingredients, namely beef and micro plastic. However, if we inject the microplastics into the cow before it is slaughtered, we simply have beef even though the beef contains microplastics in it. So looking at it from this way, the NOVA classification system is highly flawed, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the funding for UPF studies were pushed by meat and dairy industry because of fears that precision fermentation and lab-grown meat might become popular.

 

[Lou]

That's an interesting take. But I don't think the best example is that hypothetical micro plastic one. Almost all animals are dosed with all kinds of stuff before harvesting; antibiotics, vitamins, minerals, and hormones. not to mention the unintentional ingestion of herbicides and pesticides in their feed. After harvesting there are plenty of processes that might make them ultra processed in some interpretation of the word. Adding preservatives, flavor enhancers and dyes.

 

[allindogecoin]

That's an interesting take. But I don't think the best example is that hypothetical micro plastic one. Almost all animals are dosed with all kinds of stuff before harvesting; antibiotics, vitamins, minerals, and hormones. not to mention the unintentional ingestion of herbicides and pesticides in their feed. After harvesting there are plenty of processes that might make them ultra processed in some interpretation of the word. Adding preservatives, flavor enhancers and dyes.

That's what I am trying to get at. I don't mean that injection with microplastics pre-slaughter actually happens. I am just pointing out the flaw with the NOVA classification system. For meat or dairy, all the processing that occurs pre-slaughter is arbitrarily ignored.

It seems convenient that UPF scare is surging as there is some money going into precision fermentation and cellular agriculture (lab meat). I think this will weaken investor money going into these technologies as the expectation is that consumer demand will be minimal due to rising UPF scare. Even if lab meat is biologically identical to animal meat, the "ultraprocessing" framing makes it a different product in the minds of consumers even though scientifically and biologically it is the same.

 

[Lou]

I see.
A. You are mostly interested in how the UPF scare mongering affects consumers and investors.
B. I was mostly focused on how the negative press is based on false premises.

Several of us have posted some articles concerning Issue B.
If you haven't read them yet you should check them out. In this Statement B is the premise for your issue.

 

[Sovery]

Awesome thread! Thank you!
So, not much has changed since Frances Moore Lappé's less known retraction on her own "incomplete protein" theory and the pushback from the meat industry on the McGovern report in the 70s ...