Advantages and Disadvantages of Processed Foods |foodresearchlab

 

Increasing availability and convenience

Food processing enables us to consume a broader range of foods than our forefathers. We can bring foods from all over the world to our homes because we can securely preserve and package them. We are not limited to what is produced locally or by season, substantially increasing food availability and accessibility for most people who live in cities. With more options, we may eat a more diverse diet that will include all the nutrients we need for optimal health.

We may choose settings that substantially prolong storage durations while preserving freshness because food science allows us to understand how and why foods lose quality during storage. Apples are harvested during a two- to three-month period, although they are accessible all year. This is because after apples are picked, they may be quickly transported to controlled environment storage, which delays their respiration and therefore ripening, allowing them to be stored for up to 12 months until ready to use.

These advancements, however, are not without their disadvantages. We now frequently carry goods across long distances, sometimes by air, contributing to food production's environmental effect and climate change. Furthermore, because there are no seasonal changes in product availability, customers forget which items can be grown at certain times of the year, anticipate them all year, and are unwilling to pay a premium for the extra energy and resources necessary to produce them out of season.

                                                                                                                          

ensuring the safety of food

perishable goods indicate how long they are safe to consume, and storage instructions are clearly labeled to store our food correctly. 

Food processing processes such as pasteurization of milk, canning, or freeze-drying would have been employed to assist in making the food safe.

However, one downside of this highly controlled labeling system is that supermarkets are forced to discard items that have beyond their sell-by dates. As a result, enormous volumes of food that is still edible are thrown away. Charities and certain governments address this issue; for example, France is the first country to restrict shops from discarding unsold food, allowing them to give it to charity instead.

 

Nutrition and health care tailored to the individual

We're becoming more conscious of how the things we consume affect our health and the fact that our nutritional requirements may differ from those of others. We may prefer to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet or suffer from a food allergy or other food-related illness (for example, coeliac disease). Modern food processing allows us to adapt meals to individual needs, giving us greater control over our health.

However, this creates an atmosphere where we are bombarded with health claims and counter-claims about certain meals.

 

Maintaining nutrient quality

Modern preservation technologies preserve not just the nutritional value of food but also its quality. Some vitamins, for example, quickly lose their healthy weight while stored, owing to oxidation. These vital nutrients are stabilized via preservation and packaging processes. To avoid oxidation, we can also employ safe food additives.

Nutrients, on the other hand, might be lost during preparation and subsequent storage. Essential nutrients might deteriorate depending on the amount and kind of processing. And, while plastic packaging has revolutionized our capacity to keep food fresh while adding minimum weight (which is essential when considering the energy required to carry it), there are substantial environmental costs involved with its production and disposal.

 

Enrichment and fortification

We add micronutrients like trace minerals and vitamins to meals by fortifying and enriching them. The procedures are primarily intended to correct nutritional deficiencies, but they can also be used to restore nutrients that may have been lost during previous processing steps. We also employ fortification to guarantee that replacement foods are nutritionally comparable (for example, low fat spreads in place of butter). Vegan and vegetarian foods are frequently fortified with vitamin B12, which is not present in plants, and soya drinks may be supplemented with calcium for people who avoid dairy products.

 

storage in a controlled environment

The concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and temperature and humidity are controlled in a storage room to preserve the quality and safety of food items

expiration dates

Use-by dates are essential for food safety. Foods are safe to eat until the expiration date, but not after that. The food must be kept according to the instructions for the use-by date to be valid. Many goods, such as meat and milk, can be frozen before their expiration date. On the other hand, best-before dates refer to the quality of the food rather than its safety. After the expiration date, the food is still safe to consume, but the flavor and texture may have deteriorated. On frozen and canned goods, best-before dates are frequent. For the best-before date to be genuine, they must also be stored properly.

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