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Research uncovered that ultra-processed foods don’t hold any extra allure compared to less processed options. In a study by the University of Bristol, taste perceptions of various foods were examined, aiming to understand if calorie content and processing levels influence our food preferences.
Prof Peter Rogers, the study’s lead author, highlighted that the results challenge the belief that ultra-processed foods are exceptionally appetizing. He remarked on the absence of direct testing for this assumption previously.
The study involved 224 adult volunteers who evaluated 24 to 32 familiar foods based on taste pleasantness, desire to eat, sweetness, and saltiness while visualizing consuming them. The foods differed in calories, processing levels (including ultra-processed foods), and carbohydrate-to-fat ratios.
The findings, published in Appetite, revealed that, on average, ultra-processed foods didn’t garner more preference or desire than processed or unprocessed foods. Instead, foods with more intense flavors, especially sweetness and saltiness, were favored and desired.
Prof Rogers noted, “Ultra-processing didn’t reliably forecast palatability in our study. Rather, food carbohydrate-to-fat ratio, fiber content, and taste intensity played significant roles, accounting for over half the variability in liking across the tested foods.”
The team, led by Bristol’s Nutrition and Behavior Group, validated their method by establishing strong connections, like the relationship between sweetness ratings and food sugar content.
There’s been mounting concern regarding the soaring consumption of ultra-processed foods globally, comprising over half of the average diet in the UK and US. Recent studies linked certain ultra-processed foods like ice-cream, fizzy drinks, and ready meals to health risks such as increased cancer risk, weight gain, and heart disease. However, other research concludes that some ultra-processed foods, like bread and cereals, can be beneficial for health.
