Depending on their composition, foods can be classified into four different groups depending on the classification NOVAestablished in 2009. The last group is called AUT, for “ultraprocessed food.” It corresponds to foods which, due to the industrial process or the addition of different additives, sometimes have little to do with the raw materials from which they come.
Many vegan products contain TUEs, which raises the question of their impact on health. For this reason, the BBC took an interest in vegan food and demonstrates that the question is more complex than it seems: the term “ultratransformed” would be misunderstood and sometimes misused by scientists themselves.
With a few exceptions, the health effects of TUEs are generally negative. A 2023 UK study found that a 10% increase in TUEs in diets was associated with a 2% higher overall cancer rate and a 19% higher ovarian cancer rate.
However, some experts have critical the four-category NOVA system, deeming it simplistic and imprecise, because foods are not automatically unhealthy simply because they are ultra-processed. For example, ultra-processed cereals and breads may contain beneficial fiber.
Consume in moderation
A 2024 UK study reveals that a 10% increase in caloric intake of plant-based AUT would be associated with a 5% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the TUEs analyzed in the study included a large majority of foods considered “vegan by default”, such as bread, chips and condiments. Meat substitutes were the smallest contributors, at 0.2%.
Thus, this study did not evaluate specific foods in isolation, emphasizes Fernanda Rauber, nutritional epidemiologist and co-author of the study. She explains: “What really matters is the overall diet, rather than focusing on individual foods. Thus, it is not only the origin of the food – whether animal or plant – but the degree of processing which has significant repercussions on health.”
Also, a French study of 2021 found that TUEs accounted for a greater share of the overall caloric intake of non-meat eaters, accounting for 37% of the energy intake of vegetarians and 39.5% of that of vegans, mainly due to substitutes meat and dairy products. These figures are higher than that of meat eaters (33%) but it should be noted that while vegan participants consumed more TUEs, they also consumed more unprocessed foods in general and fewer fatty and sugary foods.
Finally, studies conducted in several European countries revealed notable associations between many diseases – including type 2 diabetes – and TUEs in general. However, these same studies found a lower risk for plant-based alternatives compared to animal products. An American study from 2024 concluded that the strongest links between mortality and TUEs appeared in ready-to-eat products based on meat, poultry or seafood.
Source: www.slate.fr
