WHY DO HUMAN SOCIETIES PROCESS FOOD?
Food processing is not something new and historically it produced benefits especially for the conservation of food and therefore its duration.
Processing is part of the food system.
We process food for:
Improve shelf life (food safety)
Shortening the time of food preparation
Maximize sensory properties
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ULTRAPROCESSING?
These foods do not have a food matrix. They are products of great acceptance (palatability), long duration and easy to eat. Made in laboratories. They are prepared from commodities mainly corn, soybean, sugar and wheat. This production reduces crop diversity and they are mainly produced for export.
They are the destruction of the food provided by nature. The chemistry of the food is modified and cosmetic additives are added (sweeteners, flavorings, emulsifiers). All in synthetic packaging that, over time, is passed on to the food.
Many studies link the ultra-processed to obesity and chronic diseases (diabetes, etc.)
We can recognize ultra-processed foods by looking at the ingredients and also which company created them.
THE DISPUTE OF DISCOURSES AND SENSES
While ultra-processed companies tell us that their food is healthy, that you only need to eat in moderation to avoid obesity and disease, and that cooking is a thing of the past. The public health discourse assures us that the ultra-processed are not designed to be healthy, nor for moderate consumption, since they are addictive and that cooking makes us human and part of a society that shares and learns to live together from food.
