Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Review on Public Health Aspects of Processed Foods

Tagesu Abdisa*

Historically, food processing has been almost entirely concerned with increasing palatability and shelf life while also ensuring food safety. Nowadays, there is a growing need to examine both their health potential and their environmental footprint at the same time. Any food that has been altered during the preparation process to make it more convenient, shelf-stable, or palatable is considered a processed food. However, little consideration has been devoted to the public health consequences of processed food and more detailed studies on the public aspect of processed food have not been conducted. Therefore, the primary goal of this paper was to provide an overview of the public health implications of processed foods. Processed foods are easier to eat and cook, and they help to compensate for nutritional deficiencies in raw foods. Processed foods, on the other hand, raise concerns about negative health outcomes because they contain a variety of high-saturated-fat, sugar, cholesterol and sodium food additives and sauces. The nutritional content of food may be degraded during processing, and the additives used in processing may pose a public health risk. The risks associated with processed food are primarily determined by the degree to which the food has been altered. Non-communicable diseases are the most common public health impact of processed foods. Examples of Non-communicable diseases include hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity, weight gain, stroke, depression, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The public health risk of processed food can be mitigated by food processing technologies that modify and change the hazardous ingredients of processed food, as well as reduce the consumption of additives in processed food. To recapitulate, public health's role in processed food includes screening for common hazardous additives and avoiding Non-communicable disease risk factors raised by processed food consumption. Additional research is needed to reduce the impact and dangers of processed foods, as the updated and subsequent studies failed to screen for hidden chemicals in processed foods.

Published Date: 2023-06-16; Received Date: 2022-12-29