After the United States population, Canadians are now the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world
After the United States population, Canadians are now the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world
With an average of at least 230 kilograms consumption of ultra processed foods and drink per person per year, evidence in the very high prevalence of chronic diseases and of obesity with highest among Canadian children aged 9 and over and adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, calls for guidelines, public policies and actions which is needed to taking food processing into account according to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Non Communicable Diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and metabolic syndrome, as well as obesity, amount to a public health crisis globally not just in Canada, and high-income countries.
They result in loss of well-being, productive life, cause disability and premature death. The cost of their treatment is an intolerable burden on public health services.
This is a global crisis affecting nations in all continents, which is projected even more in the future.
However, all hope is not loss as these diseases, are largely preventable by healthy diets.
According to the NOVA food classification system (NOVA is a name, not an acronym) which is the leading method to classify diets according to food processing, ultra-processed foods make up practically half of all daily dietary energy among Canadian diets, and consumption is very high in all socio-demographic groups.
The NOVA system is recognized as a valid tool for nutrition and public health research, policy and action, in reports from the World Health Organization, the WHO Pan American Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Food processing, as specified by NOVA, involves physical, biological, and chemical processes applied to foods after their separation from nature and before they are prepared for cooking and consumption.
The NOVA system classifies foods according to the nature, purpose and extent of food processing, rather than in terms of foods and nutrients.
The system enables the study of food systems and supplies and dietary patterns within and between countries. Within this system, meaningful analysis of food groups, foods and nutrients, can be conducted.
NOVA classifies all foods and drinks into four clearly distinct groups as follows
Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
These are fresh or whole food without any industrial processing. Minimally processed foods are unprocessed foods altered in ways that do not add or introduce any new substance (such as fats, sugars, or salt) but often involve removal of parts of the food
Processed Culinary Ingredients
These are food substances which are not consumed normally by themselves. Their main purpose is to be used in the preparation and cooking of foods, so as to make food palatable, diverse, nourishing and enjoyable dishes and meals.
Processed foods
These foods are made by adding additives (fats, oils, sugars, salt), and other culinary ingredients to minimally processed foods to make them more durable and usually more palatable, and by various methods of preservation
Ultra-processed foods
These foods are not modified foods but formulations of industrial ingredients and other substances derived from foods, plus additives. They mostly contain little if any intact food.
After the United States population, Canadians are now the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world with an average of at least 230 kilograms per person per year.
Classification of foods according to NOVA system indicated that every food or ingredient (n=2784), with its unique NSS food code was classified into one of the four NOVA food groups and into one of the 33 food subgroups within those four groups.
Pre-prepared dishes like burgers, pizzas and sandwiches were classified as ultra-processed foods unless they were reported as having been prepared at home or consumed at restaurants with tables and service, in which case they were classified as culinary preparations, with each ingredient used in the preparation classified in the appropriate NOVA group
Result show that, Canadians aged 2 years and above consumed on average 1825 kcal per day as reported in 2015.
In terms of dietary energy, 38.9% was from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 6.3% from processed culinary ingredients, 6.5% from processed foods, and 48.3% from ultra-processed foods.
The report revealed that changes between 2004 and 2015 are all marginal.
The dietary share of unprocessed or minimally processed foods decreased by 0.3% with most dietary energy from meat and poultry (8.0% of total energy intake), followed by grains and flours (7.5%), fruits (6.2%), milk and plain yogurt (4.9%), pasta (2.6%), vegetables (2.2%) and eggs (2.0%). Together, roots and tubers, legumes, nuts, and fish accounted for 5% of energy intake
Processed foods decreased by 0.5%, with most dietary energy from plant oils (2.6%), table sugars (2.4%) and animal fats (1.2%) among processed culinary ingredients,
While among processed foods, cheese (3.1%) and preserved plant and animal foods (1.2%) were the main contributors of dietary energy.
Ultra-processed foods increased by 0.6%. Dietary energy from ultra-processed food products came from pre-prepared burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, and frozen dishes (8.7% of total daily intake) and mass-produced packaged breads (8.4%), followed by sweetened milk based products (3.6%), margarine (3.2%), chocolate, candies and desserts (3.0%), cakes, cookies, pies and other sweetened bakeries (3.0%), sauces and spreads (2.9%), chips, crackers and other salty snacks (2.6%), reconstituted meat products (2.5%), and sweetened breakfast cereals (2.0%). Dietary energy from sweetened fruit juices and drinks (3.6%) and carbonated soft drinks (1.5%)
The research depicted that consumption of ultra-processed foods was slightly higher among men compared with women. It was significantly and consistently higher among younger people, those with less education, people living in rural areas, and among people born in Canada. It did not vary significantly according to household income
The Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation using the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition, as well as the NOVA system of food classification according to the nature, purpose and extent of food processing in establishing that virtually half the dietary energy consumed by Canadians are ultra processed foods and drinks.
It reinforces many other studies conducted in Canada, the US and other countries consistently showing that healthy diets contain only small amounts of ultra-processed foods, and the less these are consumed, the better.
Source
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
Moubarac JC. Ultra-processed foods in Canada
With an average of at least 230 kilograms consumption of ultra processed foods and drink per person per year, evidence in the very high prevalence of chronic diseases and of obesity with highest among Canadian children aged 9 and over and adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, calls for guidelines, public policies and actions which is needed to taking food processing into account according to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Non Communicable Diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and metabolic syndrome, as well as obesity, amount to a public health crisis globally not just in Canada, and high-income countries.
They result in loss of well-being, productive life, cause disability and premature death. The cost of their treatment is an intolerable burden on public health services.
This is a global crisis affecting nations in all continents, which is projected even more in the future.
However, all hope is not loss as these diseases, are largely preventable by healthy diets.
According to the NOVA food classification system (NOVA is a name, not an acronym) which is the leading method to classify diets according to food processing, ultra-processed foods make up practically half of all daily dietary energy among Canadian diets, and consumption is very high in all socio-demographic groups.
The NOVA system is recognized as a valid tool for nutrition and public health research, policy and action, in reports from the World Health Organization, the WHO Pan American Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Food processing, as specified by NOVA, involves physical, biological, and chemical processes applied to foods after their separation from nature and before they are prepared for cooking and consumption.
The NOVA system classifies foods according to the nature, purpose and extent of food processing, rather than in terms of foods and nutrients.
The system enables the study of food systems and supplies and dietary patterns within and between countries. Within this system, meaningful analysis of food groups, foods and nutrients, can be conducted.
NOVA classifies all foods and drinks into four clearly distinct groups as follows
Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
These are fresh or whole food without any industrial processing. Minimally processed foods are unprocessed foods altered in ways that do not add or introduce any new substance (such as fats, sugars, or salt) but often involve removal of parts of the food
Processed Culinary Ingredients
These are food substances which are not consumed normally by themselves. Their main purpose is to be used in the preparation and cooking of foods, so as to make food palatable, diverse, nourishing and enjoyable dishes and meals.
Processed foods
These foods are made by adding additives (fats, oils, sugars, salt), and other culinary ingredients to minimally processed foods to make them more durable and usually more palatable, and by various methods of preservation
Ultra-processed foods
These foods are not modified foods but formulations of industrial ingredients and other substances derived from foods, plus additives. They mostly contain little if any intact food.
After the United States population, Canadians are now the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world with an average of at least 230 kilograms per person per year.
Classification of foods according to NOVA system indicated that every food or ingredient (n=2784), with its unique NSS food code was classified into one of the four NOVA food groups and into one of the 33 food subgroups within those four groups.
Pre-prepared dishes like burgers, pizzas and sandwiches were classified as ultra-processed foods unless they were reported as having been prepared at home or consumed at restaurants with tables and service, in which case they were classified as culinary preparations, with each ingredient used in the preparation classified in the appropriate NOVA group
Result show that, Canadians aged 2 years and above consumed on average 1825 kcal per day as reported in 2015.
In terms of dietary energy, 38.9% was from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 6.3% from processed culinary ingredients, 6.5% from processed foods, and 48.3% from ultra-processed foods.
The report revealed that changes between 2004 and 2015 are all marginal.
The dietary share of unprocessed or minimally processed foods decreased by 0.3% with most dietary energy from meat and poultry (8.0% of total energy intake), followed by grains and flours (7.5%), fruits (6.2%), milk and plain yogurt (4.9%), pasta (2.6%), vegetables (2.2%) and eggs (2.0%). Together, roots and tubers, legumes, nuts, and fish accounted for 5% of energy intake
Processed foods decreased by 0.5%, with most dietary energy from plant oils (2.6%), table sugars (2.4%) and animal fats (1.2%) among processed culinary ingredients,
While among processed foods, cheese (3.1%) and preserved plant and animal foods (1.2%) were the main contributors of dietary energy.
Ultra-processed foods increased by 0.6%. Dietary energy from ultra-processed food products came from pre-prepared burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, and frozen dishes (8.7% of total daily intake) and mass-produced packaged breads (8.4%), followed by sweetened milk based products (3.6%), margarine (3.2%), chocolate, candies and desserts (3.0%), cakes, cookies, pies and other sweetened bakeries (3.0%), sauces and spreads (2.9%), chips, crackers and other salty snacks (2.6%), reconstituted meat products (2.5%), and sweetened breakfast cereals (2.0%). Dietary energy from sweetened fruit juices and drinks (3.6%) and carbonated soft drinks (1.5%)
The research depicted that consumption of ultra-processed foods was slightly higher among men compared with women. It was significantly and consistently higher among younger people, those with less education, people living in rural areas, and among people born in Canada. It did not vary significantly according to household income
The Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation using the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition, as well as the NOVA system of food classification according to the nature, purpose and extent of food processing in establishing that virtually half the dietary energy consumed by Canadians are ultra processed foods and drinks.
It reinforces many other studies conducted in Canada, the US and other countries consistently showing that healthy diets contain only small amounts of ultra-processed foods, and the less these are consumed, the better.
Source
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
Moubarac JC. Ultra-processed foods in Canada
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