Bonus: The Global Story - Are ultra-processed foods impossible to avoid?
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.3K Ratings
🗓️ 1 September 2024
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is a bonus episode from The Global Story asking - Are ultra-processed foods impossible to avoid?
Research into ultra-processed foods suggests they could be linked to health problems including cancers, heart disease, obesity and depression - but scientists are yet to agree on how they actually affect us. Often mass-produced, and containing multiple additives, UPFs have become the target of nutritionists and clean-living advocates alike. But, given how common they are, can we realistically avoid them?
On this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks with BBC health reporter Philippa Roxby, and Ruth Alexander, presenter of The Food Chain podcast from the BBC World Service. Together, they unpack what we really know about UPFs.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide, one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world.
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Producers: Beth Timmins, Laurie Kalus, and Alice Aylett Roberts. Sound Engineers: Ben Andrews and Mike Regaard. Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas. Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Bernardette Keo. I'm here to introduce you to the Global Story Podcast, which brings you a single story in depth with insight from the BBC's best journalists. |
| 0:13.7 | There's a new edition every weekday. |
| 0:15.8 | Just search for the global story wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:19.4 | And be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode. Here's my colleague Lucy |
| 0:24.4 | Hawkins. |
| 0:25.1 | Ready meals, chocolate, biscuit, sausages, fizzy drinks. We know that processed food is bad for us. |
| 0:35.4 | But recent research shows that in many countries around the world the majority of calories |
| 0:40.4 | most of us consume are from products known as ultra processed foods. |
| 0:45.0 | These foods are being blamed for an increase in ill health, including heart attacks, strokes, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even anxiety. |
| 0:54.3 | So how harmful are ultra-process foods for our health |
| 0:58.9 | and given how common they are, is it even possible to avoid them? With me today is BBC Health Correspondent Philippa Roxby and Ruth Alexander, a presenter of the BBC program the food chain. |
| 1:14.8 | Good to have you both with us. |
| 1:15.9 | Hi. |
| 1:16.9 | Thanks, hi Lucy. Hello. |
| 1:17.9 | Ruth can we start with some basics. |
| 1:19.9 | What exactly are ultra processed foods? |
| 1:22.0 | They're known by some as you PFs, but what are they? They're known by some as you pfs, but what are they? |
| 1:25.0 | Mmm, good question. |
| 1:27.0 | I'm afraid there is no set definition, |
| 1:30.0 | but in general, it refers to food that contains ingredients that you wouldn't find in your |
| 1:35.2 | home kitchen, food that's been industrially made and formulated to behave in a way that it wouldn't if it was at home with you. |
| 1:44.0 | So ice cream that doesn't melt. |
... |
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