Could instant noodles and ‘garage’ pies vanish from South African shelves?
The future of quick meal options like instant noodles could be uncertain, as awareness grows about the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods (UPF).
The era of convenient meals like instant soups, noodles, and mass-produced pies may be coming to an end, as growing awareness of the potential health risks of ultra-processed foods spreads. Experts are also issuing more frequent warnings about the dangers of these products.
Ultra-processed foods as cheap meal options
Ultra-processed food (UPF) such as instant noodles has been popular for many years among students and people on a budget as it is a cheap, filling meal option. However, the days of these types of budget-friendly quick meals may be limited, according to capetownetc.
What is UPF?
The African Centre for Biodiversity defines UPF as formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, that result from a series of industrial processes and contain little or no whole foods.
They are often high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy oils. Additionally, they include ingredients with no or rare culinary use, which you would never find in any kitchen. Producers add these cheap additives to food items to extend product shelf life and to make the final product hyper-palatable and in some cases addictive.
These include varieties of sugars, modified oils, protein sources, and cosmetic additives, used only in the manufacturing of UPF. Cosmetic additives include flavour enhancers, colourants, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, foaming, anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, gelling, and glazing agents.
What are the health risks?
Ultra-processed foods have proven links to obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to Dr Carlos Augusto Monteiro, a prominent researcher in the field of nutrition and public health, there is abundant evidence indicating the negative effects that foods such as these have on the human body.
He stated that the government should regulate foods such as these by implementing governmental policies in order to reduce chronic disease.
Associated diseases: Alarming South African statistics
Diabetes is a major concern in South Africa, especially among women. Deputy Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla recently said during a roundtable discussion that the rapid increase in diabetes in the country is a cause for concern.
“The rate at which diabetes is growing in our country is concerning.”
Deputy Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla
Another UPF-associated disease that is a significant problem in the country is obesity.
The Western Cape Government reported that approximately 31% of men and 68% of women in the country are obese. In addition, 13% of children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old also suffer from obesity.
As previously reported by The South African, there are more cancer cases among adults under 50 than ever before globally and many experts have identified UPF as the likely cause. Over the last 30 years, young diagnoses have risen by an alarming 80% globally.