Food processing is a dominant force in how we both access, prepare, and consume our food in today’s fast-paced world. Processing can improve our food’s safety, convenience, and shelf life, but not every processed food is created equal. The extent and purpose of processing make a difference to our health and nutrition. Understanding these differences is essential for food product development, food product innovation, and nutritional product development.
Food Processing Methods: Techniques for Minimally and Ultra-Processed Foods
Introduction:
Food processing is a dominant force in how we both access, prepare, and consume our food in today’s fast-paced world. Processing can improve our food’s safety, convenience, and shelf life, but not every processed food is created equal. The extent and purpose of processing make a difference to our health and nutrition.
Understanding these differences is essential for food product development, food product innovation, and nutritional product development.
Minimally processed foods (MPF):
Minimally processed foods refer to whole foods that are minimally processed for convenience, safety, or preservation through methods such as washing, cutting, freezing, and drying, without the addition of any other ingredients such as salt, sugar or any other oils. [1]
Examples: Minimally processed foods include bagged lettuce, frozen fruit, pasteurized milk, and whole grains. Minimally processed foods still retain most of their inherent nutrient profile and are a healthy choice for food product processed diets and food formulation & development initiatives.
Many modern nutrition guidelines reference the NOVA classification system, which groups foods by their processing level and purpose. NOVA helps distinguish between unprocessed/minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods, making it integral to understanding dietary impacts on health. [2]
NOVA Group | Name/Type | Description & Processing | Purpose | Examples |
Group 1 | Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods | Physical processing only (washing, boiling, freezing, etc.) | Convenience, safety, preservation | Fresh fruit, vegetables, pasteurized milk |
Group 2 | Processed Culinary Ingredients | Extracted from foods (oils, sugar, salt, etc.) | Used in cooking or seasoning other foods | Olive oil, table sugar, salt |
Group 3 | Processed Foods | Foods from Group 1 plus Group 2 ingredients | Enhance durability, flavor | Canned vegetables, cheeses, breads |
Group 4 | Ultra-Processed Foods | Industrial formulations; refined ingredients, additives | Create hyper-palatable, convenient products | Sodas, packaged snacks, instant noodles, candy |
Characteristic of minimally processed foods Minimal change:
Processing is limited in terms of actions that simply include removing inedible parts, grinding, or applying simple heating (like boiling and pasteurization).
- Preservation: Minimally processed foods involve freezing, drying, or pasteurization in safe ways to extend shelf life.
- Convenience: Some minimally processed foods have been pre-washed, pre-cut, or pre-cooked for convenience (like pre-washed salad greens or pre-cut vegetables).
- Retention of nutrients: Minimally processed foods retain much of their original physical and nutritional characteristics.
Method of minimally processed foods:
Minimally processing food include a variety of basic preparation techniques like washing, peeling, slicing, and trimming, as well as the preservation techniques of freezing, drying, roasting, boiling, and pasteurization. Packaging—both simply packaging and controlling the temperature of the food and taking advantage of modified atmosphere packaging—plays an integral role in food systems in terms of being as fresh as possible and lengthening shelf life. The goal is to preserve nutritional quality and sensory attributes with as little modification as possible.
Method | Purpose | Examples |
Washing/Cleaning | Eliminates dirt, bacteria, and contaminants | Washed fruits, vegetables, leafy greens |
Cutting/Chopping | Increases convenience and saves time | Pre-cut carrots, chopped onions |
Peeling/Shelling | Removes the inedible or undesirable outside layer | Peeled potatoes, shelled nuts |
Freezing | Preserves nutrients and extends shelf life | Frozen peas, berries, fish |
Drying/Dehydration | Reduces moisture to prevent growth of microorganisms | Dried fruits, herbs, legumes |
Vacuum Packing | Air was removed in order to stop spoilage and oxidation | Vacuum-packed fresh meat or vegetables |
Fermentation (light) | Improves flavor and preserves everything naturally | Yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi |
Pasteurization | Kills harmful microorganisms in food through mild heating | Pasteurized milk, fruit juices |
Blanching | Inactivates enzymes before freezing | Blanched vegetables before freezing |
Roasting (dry) | Inactivates enzymes before freezing | Roasted nuts, seeds |
Milling (basic) | Whole foods ground into a simpler form without additional ingredients | Whole grain flours, steel-cut oats |
Techniques of minimally processed foods:
- Freezing: Keeping food safe for storage by lowering temperature to prevent microbial growth.
- Drying/Dehydration: The process of eliminating moisture content to increase storage life.
- Boiling/Roasting: boiling makes the cooking food to eat the safe for preservation.
- Pasteurization: Heating of food and milk has present water that should be eliminated by this process. Most referenced are liquids like milk.
- Fermentation: The use of microorganisms to preserve food.
Packaging and Storage:
- Packaging: The utilization of modified atmosphere packaging and other methods to create an environment which prolongs storage life.
- Temperature control: It’s critical that food or beverage be chilled during storage and distribution.
- Vacuum packing: Removing air from packaging to delay oxidation and microbial growth.[2]
Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF):
Ultra-processed foods are food products that are produced from ingredients that do not exist in home kitchens and have been extensively processed industrially. They are highly processed food products produced from highly refined food ingredients, including sugar, starch, oils, protein isolates, and additives including flavourings, colourings, emulsifiers, preservatives, and sweeteners.
Characteristics of ultra-processed foods:
- Ultra-processed foods are produced from food ingredients derived from whole food origins (e.g., oils, fats, starches) and includes the addition of food additives such an emulsifiers, artificial dyes, and flavour enhancers.
- High in additives: A distinguishing indicator of an ultra-processed food product is the length of the ingredient list which often contains many additives that are not typically found in home kitchens.
- Low in whole foods: Ultra-processed foods generally are very different to the original whole food source.
- Convenient, profitable, and engineered to be hyper-palatable, often replacing whole food in food product processed diets.
Examples of ultra-processed foods: Packaged snack foods (e.g., chips, cookies, cakes) Sugar sweetened beverages or sodas Mass-produced bread and pastries Instant soup or mixed meals Processed meats (e.g., hot dogs, ham, chicken nuggets) Candy and additional sweets Margarine
Methods of Ultra processed food:
Method/Technique | Purpose | Examples |
Hydrogenation | Converts oils into solid fats, enhances shelf stability | Margarine, commercially prepared baked goods |
Extrusion | Adjusts food shape and cooks through heat and pressure | Crunchy breakfast cereals, snack chips, instant noodles |
Fractionation | Isolates food components (oils, proteins) | Soy protein powder, corn syrup, palm oil |
Chemical Flavouring | Intensifies or recreates natural flavors | | Artificial strawberry flavor, monosodium glutamate (MSG) |
Colouring Agents | Improves or modifies the color of food | Synthetic dye in candy, drinks, and processed meats |
Emulsification | Blends a mixture of water and fat for uniformity | Salad dressings, mayonnaise, ice cream |
Preservatives/Additives | Reduces spoilage and improves shelf stability | Sodium benzoate, nitrates, BHA/BHT |
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Production | Provides a cheap, sweet ingredient from corn | Soft drinks, sweet snacks |
Spray Drying | Converts a liquid into a powdered product for convenience | Powdered cheez, instant coffee, flavor powders |
Encapsulation | Coats an ingredient for controlled release or protection | Encapsulated vitamins in energy bars or supplements |
Reconstitution | Acceptable remaking of treated ingredients to form a food | | Reformed meat (chicken nuggets or hot dogs) |
Fortification (synthetic) | Adds nutrients lost in processing or adds value | Breakfast cereals with added vitamins and minerals | |
Additives and Ingredients:
- Nutrient-poor ingredients: Using ingredients that would not normally be found in an ingredient used in the kitchen, for example: hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolysed proteins.
- Cosmetic additives: Additives to make a product more convenient to prepare and look more appealing, and hyper-palatable
- Taste and flavour enhancers
- Colourings and dyes
- Sweeteners
- Emulsifiers/stabilizers/thickeners
- Preservatives
Packaging and Design:
- Sophisticated packaging: Packaging foods with new or synthetic materials to extend shelf life.
- Convenience: Packaging and designing a food product to make it ready to eat (promoting consumption) where feasible.
- Shelf life: Producing products focused on shelf life and long-term usage for profit and ease of use/consumer convenience.
Conclusion:
This overview of food processing methods and techniques highlights the differences between minimally processed foods and ultra-processed foods, their nutritional implications, and the role of preservation, packaging, and storage. Understanding these methods is essential for food product development, nutritional product development, food formulation & development, and driving innovation in food technology & innovation.
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