Special issue on ultra-processed food

Abstract

One of the hot topics in food science today is the discussion around ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Has the food industry gone too far with foods that are too delicious to resist because of fat, sugar, and salt addition; that have too many additives to help provide a robust shelf life; or that use extreme processing steps to create composite foods that provide little to no nutrition?

Some would argue yes, saying that the connection between UPFs and health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is too strong to ignore. Numerous studies have confirmed correlations between UPF consumption and health issues, raising concerns for future generations unless changes are made to the food supply and eating habits.

With this level of concern, it is only fitting then that we have a Special Issue dedicated to the topic of UPFs (https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1750-3841.Ultra-Processed-Foods). There are 12 articles that address the issue of UPFs, with an Editorial by Guest Editor, Dr. Mario Estevez of Universidad de Extremadura, Spain. This Special Issue followed from an IFT Journals-sponsored featured session on the same topic at the 2024 IFT FIRST meeting.

Numerous important aspects of UPFs are covered in the Special Issue, with an emphasis on a growing trend in the food industry, ultra-processed plant-based meat analogs. Although these products are often considered a “healthier” option than meat products, there has been little study in this area. The articles in this Special Issue provide an overview of this topic, from the issues with NOVA classification to comparing sensory attributes of these meat analogs with real meat.

Because this is such an important issue these days, we also have compiled a collection of past articles on UPFs (https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/by-topic/food-health-nutrition/ift-ultra-processed-foods-content-collection) from the Journal of Food Science, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and other IFT content.

Related to UPFs, the topic of sugar, salt, and fat reduction is also an important hot topic these days. As such, we are sponsoring a featured session on fat, salt, and sugar reduction on the big stage at IFT FIRST in July. Watch this page for details and register at iftevent.org. Along the same lines, we are also preparing upcoming article collections on Sugar Reduction (April), Salt Reduction (May), and Fat Reduction (June). Keep an eye out for them.

We continue to seek good topics for future Special Issues. If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Richard Hartel, PhD

Editor in Chief, Journal of Food

Science

Professor, University of

Wisconsin–Madison