One in three daily calories for Irish adults comes from ultra-processed food – should we worry?
Around a third of the calories people in Ireland eat daily are from ultraprocessed foods, experts have revealed. The data – which ranks Ireland ninth out of 32 countries for consuming ultra-processed foods, including cakes, sweets, biscuits and some ready-made meals – has been published in a British Medical Journal review, which said ultra-processed foods can raise the risk of illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The research, carried out by academics at Deakin University in Australia, reviewed 14 studies published over recent years and found ultra-processed foods make up 60pc of the daily diet in the United States and only slightly less in the UK, followed by Canada, Sweden, Australia, Barbados, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Ultra-processed foods include packaged breads, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, instant noodles, chicken nuggets, sweetened yoghurts, instant soups and ready-to-eat or heat products, which undergo multiple industrial processes and often contain colours, emulsifiers, flavours and other additives, the study said.
These products also tend to be high in added sugar, fat and salt but low in vitamins and fibre.
However, a number of international scientists have questioned whether the evidence is strong enough to back up the extent of the suggestion that these foods are linked to more than 30 illnesses.
Louise Reynolds, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, said she would be concerned if it led to people restricting their diet and feeling they might have to cut all these foods out completely.
“You need common sense interpreting it. Not all ultra-processed foods are equal and they should not be put under the one umbrella. Ultra-processed is too general in advice,” she said.
“For instance, a breakfast cereal can be a good source of fibre and is served with milk, while yoghurt has calcium.
“Also, there is fibre in dark or wholemeal bread. It is unrealistic to tell people to go back to making their own bread. It’s not clear what the one-third of calories from these foods are – they could be from wholegrain bread, yoghurt and cereals. For someone else it could be biscuits and pizza every day for lunch.
“I am not recommending people eat ultra-processed foods all the time because we know some are not a good choice. What a registered dietitian will say is make biscuits, cakes, sweets and takeaway foods a smaller part of your diet.
“If you eat a lot of these foods, the chances are you will have a less nutrient-rich diet, displacing fruit and vegetables.
“Too many of the foods at the top of the food pyramid, high in fat, sugar and salt can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes or certain types of cancer.”
The researchers in the study called for “urgent mechanistic research and public health actions” to cut down on consumption of ultra-processed foods.
In a linked editorial in the journal, the authors suggested that ultra-processed foods should have front-ofpack labels, restricted advertising and prohibited sales in or near schools and hospitals. They also recommended fiscal and other measures that would make unprocessed or minimally processed foods and freshly prepared meals as accessible and available as – and cheaper than – ultra-processed foods.
The researchers said convincing evidence showed that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with around a 50pc increased risk of cardiovascular disease related death, a 48-53pc higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12pc greater risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, the evidence was graded as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak or no evidence.
Ms Reynolds said people should focus on small healthy changes. For example, opting for a low-sugar yoghurt or natural yoghurt, adding fruit themselves, and choosing wholegrain bread as well as trying to cook more often at home.
“We need people to get more fibre, calcium for bone health along with more exercise, as well as not smoking or drinking,” she added.
“It is not practical though, to think we can eat foods with no additives or emulsifiers.”
She also acknowledged not everyone has the skills or opportunity to cook everything from scratch.
“People should not be overanxious. Tinned beans, for instance, are cheap and nutritious. Frozen vegetables are economical and don’t go off, which is important for people on a budget,” she said.
“It’s all about balance. No food is bad. Dietitians enjoy cake but just don’t have it every day. There is no food I would say to never eat. People can have an Easter egg and enjoy it.”