Original Summary

Getty Images Going to the supermarket has become a minefield. I'm in aisle 15, reading long lists of ingredients and worrying if what's in my trolley is good for me or not. There's growing evidence that a hefty proportion of the food we consume could be damaging to our health, with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) linked to a range of health problems. But I've had enough of second-guessing myself and panicking I'm poisoning my child if I feed him chicken nuggets, so I've given my shopping list to a dietitian to analyse. Even the most chemical-sounding ingredients in chicken nuggets are tested and approved under UK food laws First things first, what is a UPF? It depends who you ask. A basic rule of thumb is that to be ultra-processed a product needs more than five ingredients, with at least one not normally found in your kitchen - things like emulsifiers, additives and flavourings. There is a large and growing body of evidence that shows UPFs are linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, as well as mental health problems and even premature death. But scientists, doctors and dietitians can't agree on why. Is it purely down to the high fat, sugar, salt and calorie content? Or is the ultra-processing also a factor? Studies show more than half the calories we consume in the UK come from ultra-processed food. Dr Chris van Tulleken has written books and made documentaries about how bad these foods can be, and he tells me they're "almost impossible to avoid" - even his own family's diet includes a few. And my shopping list isn't UPF-free either. Maeve Hanan, a member of the British Dietetic Association, pauses as she scans through some of my weekly shopping list (there was more fruit and veg, honest) and points to a box of bran flakes. "This is ultra-processed, but I often buy this for my family. It's got so many health benefits." Hanan says there's a "growing hysteria" about UPFs. "Mainly because the messaging around them is so black and white," she says. "This food is good. This food is bad. "It just fuels fear - and fear around food is never good." A snapshot of my shopping list So what is her verdict on my grocery shopping? Not as bad as I expected, I'm relieved to learn. While there are UPFs in there, that doesn't necessarily make it an unhealthy food shop. In fact, Hanan says, "there's a good mix of foods which cover each food group". Just because some products have a long ingredient list, it doesn't make them "inherently bad", she explains, with the nutritional value "far more important". What about foods that contain ingredients I can barely pronounce, never mind recognise? Hanan takes my son's chicken nuggets as an example. "There are mandatory vitamins and minerals which manufacturers in the UK are required to add to white wheat flour such as calcium carbonate, niacin and thiamin," she says. Raising agents, such as disodium diphosphate, are used alongside sodium bicarbonate (baking powder) to make the batter crisp and light. Hanan says even the most chemical-sounding ingredients will have been tested and approved under UK food laws. "But while chicken nuggets are a good source of protein," she warns, "they are higher in fat and salt than a plain chicken breast, so I would eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet." I tell Hanan my son usually eats them with raw carrot sticks and pasta. "One food does not make your diet healthy or unhealthy," she says, "it's about getting that balance over time." Megan Bamford believes cutting out UPFs from her diet has helped her manage irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain. But now, as a mum to two young children, cooking from scratch is not always viable. Her eldest, seven-year-old Ella, has struggled on and off with food since she was little. "It's not always easy to feed your children what you think they should eat," Megan says. "Ella has been poorly in the past because of her severe picky eating - we had no choice but to give her ultra-processed food from a packet." Megan Bamford / Megan cut out ultra-processed foods to help manage her health, but focuses on choosing the healthiest options available for her children So Megan's kitchen is still full of fruit, vegetables, seeds and oats but there are now also breakfast cereals, crisps, biscuits and other processed foods too. She looks for food with five ingredients or fewer. "Most of the snacks, pizzas, and cereal I buy are not ultra-processed," she says. "I'm happy with that. I feed my children in the best way I can, I choose the healthiest options I can find." While many UPFs are high in fat, sugar and salt, which we know cause a whole range of health problems, some scientists say there is not as much understanding about what the act of processing does to our food. Author and food scientist Prof David Julian McClements says the "ultra-processed food idea is not very well defined". "Focussing on the processing element is a bit of red herring," he says, "I don't think that's the main problem here." Some studies suggest the more processed food is, the easier it is to overeat it. Others link UPFs to changes in our gut microbiome. But McClements says there is no conclusive evidence to say this alone inherently damages our health. But given he works in the food industry, does he have a vested interest? "Any successful food scientist works a lot with the food industry," McClements says, "and I think trying to get rid of UPFs is holding back innovation." So many of us lead busy lives, he says, convenience is a major part of society. "What I want to do is to redesign processed foods to make them healthier," he says. Experts are calling for clearer labelling of ultra-processed cereals high in fat, sugar and salt When I put this to van Tulleken he pauses for breath. He's just been highlighting the high sugar content in various breakfast cereals while waving an empty box of a very sugary and chocolatey one at me. I feel a pang of guilt, knowing my seven-year-o

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  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/9/27 07:03:39