Ultra-processed foods are those that contain no or few whole food ingredients and have undergone multiple processing steps where sweeteners, preservatives, colourings, flavourings and emulsifiers are added.Ultra-processed foods are those that contain no or few whole food ingredients and have undergone multiple processing steps where sweeteners, preservatives, colourings, flavourings and emulsifiers are added.
“This means directly regulating their entire portfolios of products and their marketing practices as a whole, as well as limiting the political power they exercise over governments and policymakers.” Scrinis said: “Food companies have exploited the current focus on nutrients as a way of marketing their poor quality, ultra-processed products. For example, they market their products as high in protein or low in fat, or even ‘contains whole grains’, yet these products are manufactured from ingredients that have been completely broken down or chemically transformed.”
Australia’s health star system rates foods from half a star to five stars – the more stars, the healthier the choice – and was intended as a quick way for consumers to identify nutritious foods. But the system was co-designed with the food industry and is not mandatory. A cereal with added soy protein isolate may receive a higher rating because of its increased protein content, despite potentially being high in sugars and low in other nutrients.Because of this, some diet colas score as high as three-and-a-half stars, protein cereals up to four stars, and protein bars up to the full five stars.