The Future of Processed Foods

What do you think of when you hear “processed foods”? Probably soda, hot dogs, and French fries, right? These kinds of processed foods are what we call “ultra-processed” which cause environmental degradation and can ultimately be detrimental to our health, however, there are other, more beneficial processed options. Processed foods like meat substitutes are high in nutritional value and could potentially feed millions of people worldwide at a low cost, especially considering recent advancements in food packaging.

Here in the United States, we have the privilege of having access to plenty of land for meat production, however, not only is this not sustainable, but it is also unrealistic as a worldwide standard. Globally, over a quarter of ice-free land is used for livestock grazing as of 2019, and this percentage is due to the sharp increase in the quantity of meat needed to meet current demand, as only 50 years ago, demand for meat was only 25% of what it is today. This use of land is an unsustainable practice as soil erosion, deforestation, and overfarming, all result from excessive use of land for meat production and contribute to climate change. Additionally, many countries do not have the resources to produce meat or its substitutes and therefore go without the nutrition that it provides. This is where nutritious processed foods step in.

The production of processed foods allows for the infusion of essential nutrients like iodine and B12 into foods that might lack them otherwise. Since many countries cannot afford to invest in foods that naturally have these essential nutrients due to cost or environment, processed foods are a cheaper alternative that have already begun to be developed here with foods like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat. Additionally, this process of adding nutrients to processed foods like meat substitutes is likely the cheapest way to prevent and fight malnutrition globally as adding micronutrients to foods can cost only a few dollars or even less per person every year.

Lastly, as processed foods can help nourish billions of people internationally, another problem arises; packaging. Providing nourishing processed foods for billions of people worldwide requires new and improved packaging that is sustainable and better for the environment, but many companies have been tinkering with ideas and materials that accomplish this. Earlier this year, an Australian company, Grounded Packaging, announced the launch of a new packaging material that is made of 83% recycled materials that can be used for food contact packaging. These new advances in packaging in a world that is overrun by single-use, non-recyclable materials create more sustainable solutions to not only services in our society, but also basic needs all over the world.

Processed foods are not always a bad thing and though they may have a negative connotation in some societies, in others they will be essential to health and everyday life. These advances and new discoveries for what we might find taboo will help save millions, if not billions of lives both through preventing malnutrition and counteracting the effects of meat production on climate change.

Sources: 

https://www.wired.com/story/processed-food-health-meat-substitute-environment/

https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/Food-and-Nature/Food-Land-Use/FReSH/Resources/Processed-food-and-its-role-in-nutritious-and-sustainable-diets

https://populationeducation.org/industrialized-meat-production-and-land-degradation-3-reasons-to-shift-to-a-plant-based-diet/#:~:text=Industrialized%20livestock%20production%20uses%20a,UN%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organization.

https://foodinstitute.com/focus/packaging-manufacturers-continue-to-make-progress-on-sustainability/