Processed and ultra-processed foods continue to be of great interest to society, they are part of daily purchasing options, but today we discover that there is another concern in the Ingredients Industry.
This is the largest increase we’ve recorded to date, representing a staggering 12,829% increase in searches related to Processed Culinary Ingredients.
We invite you to check it out for yourself.
After seeing these numbers, we couldn’t help but analyze this great interest in consumers.
What are Processed Culinary Ingredients?
Processed culinary ingredients are substances that are used in food preparation and have undergone some degree of processing before their use in cooking. These ingredients undergo various processing techniques, such as drying, grinding, milling, fermentation, or heat treatment, in order to improve their flavor, texture, shelf life, or ease of use in cooking. Some common examples of processed culinary ingredients include:
- Wheat flour: Wheat flour is a processed ingredient obtained from the milling of wheat grains. It is used to make bread, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
- Vegetable oils: Oils such as olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, among others, are extracted from natural sources and undergo refining processes before their use in cooking.
- Refined Sugar: Table sugar, derived from sugar cane or beets, is processed and purified to remove impurities before use in baking and beverages.
- Refined Salt: Table salt is a processed culinary ingredient obtained from sea salt or mine salt that is purified and ground into smaller particles.
- Dry Yeast: Used in baking, dry yeast is a processed ingredient consisting of dehydrated yeast strains.
- Ground Seasonings and Spices: Spices such as cinnamon, paprika, and cumin are ground into powders that are easier to use in cooking.
- Packaged Sauces: Sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard are processed products that are bottled for convenience.
Processed Culinary Ingredients:
- Nature: Processed culinary ingredients are individual components used in food preparation. These ingredients are processed separately and then incorporated into homemade recipes or cooked dishes.
- Examples: Examples of processed culinary ingredients include wheat flour, vegetable oils, refined sugar, refined salt, dried yeast, and ground seasonings. These are basic components used to cook from scratch.
- Use: They are used in the preparation of homemade recipes and traditional meal preparation. Cooks incorporate them into their dishes and recipes to improve flavor, texture, and culinary quality.
Ultra-processed foods:
- Nature: Ultra-processed foods are food products industrially produced from processed ingredients and additives. These foods often contain multiple ingredients and are the result of intensive industrial processing.
- Examples: Examples of ultra-processed foods include soft drinks, fast foods, chips, sugary cereals, packaged snacks, industrial baked goods, among others. These products often contain additives, preservatives, coloring, and other artificial ingredients.
- Use: Ultra-processed foods are end products that are purchased and consumed as is. They are usually not used as ingredients in home-cooked recipes, but are consumed directly as packaged foods.
What is the difference between processed and unprocessed foods?
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are whole foods in which the vitamins and nutrients are still intact, in their natural state. These foods may be minimally modified by removing inedible parts, drying, grinding, roasting, boiling, freezing, or pasteurizing, to make them suitable for storage and safe to consume.
Processing changes a food from its natural state. Processed foods are essentially made by adding salt, oil, sugar, or other substances. Examples include canned fish or canned vegetables, fruits in syrup, and freshly made breads. Most processed foods have two or three ingredients.
Some foods are highly processed or ultra-processed. They are most likely to have many added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, fat, and artificial colors or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are made primarily from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives such as artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods include frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and luncheon meats, fast food, packaged cookies, pastries, and salty snacks.
What are ultra-processed foods?
The term “ultra-processed foods” comes from a system that classifies foods into four categories based on how much they have been processed during production:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: This includes products such as fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, legumes, eggs, nuts, and seeds that have no added ingredients and have undergone little alteration from their natural state.
- Processed ingredients: This includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten alone, such as salt, sugar, and oils.
- Processed foods: These are foods that are made by combining foods from the above groups, which are modified in a way that home cooks could make themselves. They include foods such as jam, pickles, canned fruits and vegetables, homemade breads, and cheeses.
- Ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods typically have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients not normally used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colors and flavors. These foods generally have a long shelf life.
Some Examples of Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods include ice cream, ham, sausages, chips, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavored yogurts, instant soups, and some alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey, gin, and rum.
Are Processed Foods Bad?
Ultra-processed foods often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, and sugar and when we eat them, we leave less room in our diets for more nutritious foods. It has also been suggested that additives in these foods could be responsible for negative health effects.
The actual processing of the foods could also make a difference to how our bodies respond to them. Studies have shown, for example, that when foods like nuts are eaten whole, less fat is absorbed by the body than when nuts are ground and the oils are released. Another new theory is that diets high in ultra-processed foods could also affect our gut health.
More research is needed to tease apart these different elements and understand exactly what ultra-processed foods could be harmful to our health. Currently, it is also difficult to know whether the problem is something within the foods themselves or whether a diet high in these foods suggests an overall lifestyle that is linked to poorer health. However, given the high salt, sugar and saturated fat content of most of these foods, it seems sensible to cut back on them.
If you want your formulation to be looking to improve cardiovascular health, brain function or other specific benefits, then this would be a great idea.
How can we offer healthier, less processed options to consumers?
The answer to this question lies not only in meeting market demands, but in our responsibility to promote healthier and more sustainable eating.
The trend towards more natural foods without chemical additives is undeniable. Consumers are increasingly interested in ingredients that they can recognize and pronounce. This is notsolo es una oportunidad para innovar, sino también una necesidad. La reducción del procesamiento no solo aumenta la calidad nutricional de los alimentos, sino que también preserva su sabor y autenticidad.
Do you want to receive more information about trends in Ingredients in your email?
Access exclusive content only for community members
Join our exclusive membership for industry professionals in food, beverage, and dairy ingredients. Access strategic information, emerging trends, networking, and personalized resources to boost your professional development and the success of your company.
