Classification of Foods According their Processing Level

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Background

The advances in Food Science, Technology and Engineering in recent decades are undeniable. Without a doubt, today we have more nutritious, safe, pleasant, convenient and more diverse foods available than 50 years ago. However, despite this, some health problems associated with modern feeding are gaining prominence in the media and in scientific journals, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, among others, associated with the high consumption of salt, sugar and other ingredients of industrialized foods.

As a result of this problem, many countries have created Food Guidelines with the intention of collaborating with the good nutrition of their citizens. Some of these guidelines use concepts and classifications of foods proposed by several authors, with emphasis on a classification that considers four types of foods: 1) Unprocessed and minimally processed foods, 2) Processed culinary ingredients, 3) Processed foods, and 4) “Ultra-processed” foods, the latter considered as not being “real foods” by the creator of this classification. In fact, among these classifications, only the latter (ultra-processed foods) was really a creation, since the term “minimally processed foods” already existed in the Food Science literature, and even so, another concept was created.
This is not the only controversy that exists in this classification. Within each classification of type of foods, it can be noted controversies involving the classified foods themselves, such as spices being considered as processed foods while they should be classified as being processed ingredients since they are not consumed by themselves, and the cheeses being considered as ultra-processed, and many cheeses are produced only with milk, salt and ferment, and the chocolate, which can be produced only with cocoa, cocoa butter and little sugar, in the case of bitter chocolate. Ambiguities can also be described. For example, the different classifications for the nature yogurt, considered as processed food, and the fruit yogurt, considered as ultra-processed, being that both products are processed absolutely using the same unity operations.

Despite the good intentions of these food classifications in relation to the health of consumers and their role in relation to public policies, it is necessary to recognize the quality and the role of food processing in the evolution of humanity, and its contribution to the guarantee of food security on a planetary scale. Thus, in principle, ambiguities, generalizations and mistaken concepts should be criticized and clarified in the light of knowledge of Food Science, Technology and Engineering.

Clearly, the current classification of foods according to their level of processing is only a very indirect indicator of the degree of processing, with many limitations. However, the existence of this type of classification encourages food scientists and manufacturers to develop low-processed foods, to reduce additives and more generally to implement transparency and clean label approaches.

The degree of food processing is likely to impact on nutrition, safety and health but it also has a significant influence on the global environmental impact of the product. The latter is very important as the food system is a major source of pollution and consumption of energy, water, plastics, etc. And this must be considered in this discussion.

Then, we invite researchers from Food Science, Nutrition and related fields to contribute with reviews, short reviews, comments papers or research papers related to the following topics, but not limited to them:
- Critical discussion on minimally processed food concepts in the view of the area of food science, technology and engineering.
- Critical discussion on the concept of ultra-processed foods in the view of the area of food science, technology and engineering.
- On the appropriateness of a particular food to be classified as ultra-processed, or as another type.
- On issues involving high domestic consumption of salt and sugar.
- On potential risks involving the consumption of certain unprocessed foods.
- On the importance of industrialized foods for urban and rural societies.
- About the relationship between food processing and nutritional quality.
- About the relationship between food processing and environmental impact.
- On the contribution of processing to sustainable food production.
- On the need to classify foods.
- Critical review of existing food classifications.
- Proposition of new food classification such as direct/indirect indicators of nutritional quality or direct/indirect indicators of the environmental impact of the food/packaging couple.
- Socio-cultural and education contributions.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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