How to choose processed food

Canning is one of the methods commonly used to process food. - Bernama

Here are some tips on how to select processed foods, which have become a permanent part of our modern diet.

Processed foods have kind of a bad reputation and are generally perceived as being unhealthy. This is because they have undergone some form of processing, with the possible addition of other ingredients, such as additives, to prolong their shelf-life or for other technological purposes.

However, in today’s modern, fast-paced lifestyle, processed foods have become part of our daily lives.

Despite their bad reputation, these foods can indeed be part of our daily diet, provided we make appropriate use of them and choose the right products.

Generally speaking, it is not the method of processing per se that determines whether any given processed food is unhealthy.

Instead, it is the ingredients that are added by the manufacturer and/or the frequency of your consumption that establishes just how unhealthy the processed food is.

Therefore, we have to be mindful that not all processed foods are bad.

After all, many of the familiar processed foods that can be found in our kitchen include flour, bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, biscuits, milk, canned tuna or sardines, pasta sauces, frozen peas and frozen meats.

Always read the nutrition information panel on a processed food package before deciding whether to buy it or not. -Filepic

What, why, how?

So, what exactly are processed foods?

They are generally raw foods that have undergone a certain degree of processing, which can range from:

• Minimally processed (e.g. bagged spinach, cut vegetables)

• Foods processed at their peak (e.g. canned beans, frozen vegetables)

• Foods with ingredients added for flavour and texture (e.g. instant pasta sauces, flavoured yoghurt)

• Ready-to-eat foods (e.g. biscuits, ham)

• Heavily processed (e.g. flour, white bread, fish fingers, sausages, nuggets)

Foods are processed for a few purposes:

• To lock in nutritional quality and freshness

• To reduce the risk of spoilage, as food begins to deteriorate once it has been harvested or butchered

• To increase their availability to consumers at all times

• To change or stabilise food texturally

• To improve taste and convenience

Some of the various methods used to process foods today include:

• Freezing (e.g. frozen peas, carrots, corn)

• Drying (e.g. raisins, dried dates)

• Fermenting (e.g. cheese, shrimp paste)

• Smoking (e.g. smoked fish, sausages)

• Pickling or salting (e.g. Chinese pickles, kimchi)

• Canning (e.g. canned beans, canned sardines)

• Preserving with sugar or honey (e.g. canned fruits)

• Refining away parts of the food that spoil easily (e.g. white rice, white flour)

• Adding chemical preservatives (e.g. some processed meat and fish products)

• Heat treatment, like pasteurisation and ultra-heat treatment, UHT (e.g. milk, fruit juices)

Choose wisely

It is not necessary to strike all processed foods off your grocery list.

In considering whether or not to include a particular processed food in your daily diet, look at the ingredients used and the nutrient content of the food.

Use more of foods that are high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and dietary fibre.

Reduce intake of processed foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat.

While you can include processed foods in your daily diet, it is important to regulate the frequency and amount of these foods.

While it is fine to consume a moderate amount of processed food, fresh food should have top priority in your daily diet. – AFP

It is quite impossible to prepare a meal without any form of processed foods in this day and age, unless you own a farm, vegetable garden, orchard or paddy field, or have the sea in your backyard.

You can’t run away from processed foods, but you have the power to make wiser choices when purchasing them.

Use the nutrition information (nutrition information panel and nutrition claims) and the ingredients list on the food packaging to guide you while considering a processed food.

Be sure to always check the nutrition information panel (NIP) for the energy and nutrient (carbohydrate, protein and fat) content of the food.

Sugar content is also declared for ready-to-drink beverages.

Some manufacturers also state the amount of vitamins and minerals in the food.

Use the information on the NIP to guide you in choosing among the various brands of a particular processed food.

Manufacturers are also permitted to make specific nutrient content claims on the label.

You can opt for labels that declare “lower sodium/salt” or “low sugar”, or products with “source of calcium” or “rich in vitamin A”.

Another type of nutrition information permitted on the label is the nutrient function claim.

For example, if a product meets the required criteria stipulated by the law, it may claim: “Calcium is important for strong bones and teeth”.

It is important, however, not to purchase a product merely based on the nutrition claim, but to also consider the nutrient content declared on the NIP.

Go through the ingredients’ list as the law requires that ingredients in a food product be listed on the label. And they must be listed according to the amount used from the highest to the lowest.

You can use this list to find out the main ingredients of that particular product.

For example, if sugar is listed among the first few items, it indicates that the food product is high in sugar.

Be wise and look out for sugars listed under different names, such as sucrose, maltose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and fruit juice concentrate.

While it is not necessary to totally remove all forms of processed foods from your diet, it is important to choose wisely. Be extra vigilant when you are out grocery shopping!

We have to be careful with the ingredients used, how the foods are being processed, and most importantly, the nutrient content of the foods.

However, it is advisable to have more fresh food in your meals, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, fresh meat and seafood, and limit the frequency of consuming processed foods.

Remember the basic principle of “Balance, Moderation, Variety” in your daily dietary practices.

Overconsumption of any type of food will bring dire consequences to your health.

Understanding food additives

Food additives may be used in the processing of foods.

They are chemical substances added to food to produce specific desirable technological effects.

These effects include:

• Maintaining nutritive quality

• Enhancing shelf life

• Making it attractive

• Helping in the foods’ processing, packaging or storage.

These substances have been tested for safety and are controlled by food laws.

Common food additives include preservatives, antioxidants, colouring and flavouring agents.

Consumers have been particularly concerned with the use of preservatives in processed foods.

Food preservatives are added to food to inhibit or slow down food spoilage.

The Health Ministry publishes a list of preservatives (and other food additives) that may be referred to. The amount and types of foods that may contain added preservatives are also controlled. 

¦ Dr Tee E Siong is the president of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia. This article is courtesy of Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting programme in collaboration with expert partners: Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Obstetric and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Mental Health Association, Malaysian Psychiatric Association, National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia, Malaysian Association of Kindergartens and Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia. It is also brought to you by an educational grant from Wyeth Nutrition. The opinion expressed in the article is the view of the author. For further information, please visit mypositiveparenting.org.