Introduction to Food Processing
- Age: 12-18
- History | Science | Nutrition | Health
- Lesson Plan
Processed foods are created through a range of actions that turn raw materials into something that can be directly consumed, cooked, or stored. Even simple actions like washing, peeling, slicing, and removing inedible parts from the raw material are all considered a form of food processing. Food processing also includes adding things to food. For example, food preservatives can extend shelf life, or vitamins and minerals can improve the nutritional quality of a product (fortification).
Over the past decades, we have eaten increasingly more processed and ultra-processed foods. Alongside that increased consumption, we have also started talking a lot more about the potential risks of a diet high in ultra-processed products. This topic explores some incorrect ideas and common myths about processed foods and explains the issues related to ultra-processing. For example, it points out that processed foods are not all the same, and they are not always industrial. We should be aware that some forms of food processing can benefit our diet, while we should be able to recognize, which food to limit.
