03-10-2025, 10:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2025, 10:42 AM by bragamiguel.)
Comment from Food Industry Asia CEO:
There’s a lot of debate lately about the packaged food industry with regards to the levels of processing to make products that we consumer daily or for occasions.
And it centers on relatively new definition that tries to dissect what is less processed and what is ‘ultra’ processed (it could have been mega, uber or mucho processed, I guess).
But that ‘ultra’ term has caused controversy and a whole bunch of sensationalist media headlines (yes, a whinge: British past time) that simply don’t encourage a balanced debate.
So, it was refreshing to be invited to speak on behalf of Food Industry Asia (FIA) at a virtual roundtable organised by IUFoST and The Federation of The Institutes of Food Science and Technology in ASEAN (FIFSTA) to discuss this hot topic.
Entitled ‘Navigating the Ultra-Processed Food Debate: Scientific Insights & ASEAN Perspectives’ it was genuinely a great conversation with fellow panelists and tough questions from the online audience on Tuesday, February 11.
It provided insights into the science behind processed foods, regulatory perspectives, nutrition and the implications for ASEAN’s food systems from the eminent Prof Jeya Henry, Prof Aman Wirakartakusumah and Prof Purwiyatno Hariyadi, excellently co-chaired and facilitated by Dr Richard Khaw and Prof Samuel Godefroy, to foster an evidence-based discussion.
There were some clear action items to be taken up:
1. IUFOST/FIFSTA to investigate definitions/classification systems and the implications for ASEAN
2. Collaboration on research
3. Consumer information campaigns
Each one of those areas is critical. Why?
We have horrendous challenges with malnutrition (stunting and wasting, in particular) in Southeast Asia and many processed foods products try to help solve this intractable challenge but would otherwise be demonised as ultra-processed; even novel foods and amazing innovations like cultivated meat are caught up in this one-size fits all approach.
And even if we take the most ‘healthy’ consumers who want ‘real’ food (no, it’s not a scientific term but my wife and teen daughter say this a lot and as a wise husband and father, I simply nod), they still want products that meet their needs for indulgence and convenience.
Few people (including the two family members I just mentioned) live all the time in one way of eating. We all move across the spectrum of more or less healthy or processed depending on our needs and occasions.
People see the debate about processed foods in so many ways and this means consumers will define it in their own minds and context. Something we must explore in research and consumer information in Southeast Asia.
Photo to show the animated discussion perfectly demonstrated by Samuel Godefroy who is always immaculately dressed!
There’s a lot of debate lately about the packaged food industry with regards to the levels of processing to make products that we consumer daily or for occasions.
And it centers on relatively new definition that tries to dissect what is less processed and what is ‘ultra’ processed (it could have been mega, uber or mucho processed, I guess).
But that ‘ultra’ term has caused controversy and a whole bunch of sensationalist media headlines (yes, a whinge: British past time) that simply don’t encourage a balanced debate.
So, it was refreshing to be invited to speak on behalf of Food Industry Asia (FIA) at a virtual roundtable organised by IUFoST and The Federation of The Institutes of Food Science and Technology in ASEAN (FIFSTA) to discuss this hot topic.
Entitled ‘Navigating the Ultra-Processed Food Debate: Scientific Insights & ASEAN Perspectives’ it was genuinely a great conversation with fellow panelists and tough questions from the online audience on Tuesday, February 11.
It provided insights into the science behind processed foods, regulatory perspectives, nutrition and the implications for ASEAN’s food systems from the eminent Prof Jeya Henry, Prof Aman Wirakartakusumah and Prof Purwiyatno Hariyadi, excellently co-chaired and facilitated by Dr Richard Khaw and Prof Samuel Godefroy, to foster an evidence-based discussion.
There were some clear action items to be taken up:
1. IUFOST/FIFSTA to investigate definitions/classification systems and the implications for ASEAN
2. Collaboration on research
3. Consumer information campaigns
Each one of those areas is critical. Why?
We have horrendous challenges with malnutrition (stunting and wasting, in particular) in Southeast Asia and many processed foods products try to help solve this intractable challenge but would otherwise be demonised as ultra-processed; even novel foods and amazing innovations like cultivated meat are caught up in this one-size fits all approach.
And even if we take the most ‘healthy’ consumers who want ‘real’ food (no, it’s not a scientific term but my wife and teen daughter say this a lot and as a wise husband and father, I simply nod), they still want products that meet their needs for indulgence and convenience.
Few people (including the two family members I just mentioned) live all the time in one way of eating. We all move across the spectrum of more or less healthy or processed depending on our needs and occasions.
People see the debate about processed foods in so many ways and this means consumers will define it in their own minds and context. Something we must explore in research and consumer information in Southeast Asia.
Photo to show the animated discussion perfectly demonstrated by Samuel Godefroy who is always immaculately dressed!