Source: Radio New Zealand
A university researcher who tracks the amount of ultra-processed products and ingredients coming into New Zealand is calling for stronger regulations around marketing, especially to children.
Ultra-processed foods are not just junk food, but anything full of chemical based preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, and artificial colours and flavours.
A US attorney is suing some of the biggest food manufacturers, accusing them of deliberately designing products to be addictive – despite the harm they are known to cause. David Chiu says with products from all companies involved in the lawsuit also available in New Zealand, it should be a worry here.
A selection of common foods considered processed to different degrees. RNZ/Marika Khabazi
In 2023, ultra-processed foods made up 23 percent of New Zealand’s imports, compared to only 7 percent in 1990, says Dr Kelly Garton from the University of Auckland.
She told Checkpoint it was time for the government to step in, because consumers were influenced in ways they could not control.
A major step would be better labelling and restrictions around packaging directed at children.
“I would love for our labels to give much clearer indication to consumers and what’s in their food. Getting rid of any of those misleading claims around healthiness or environmental friendliness, for example, as well as not allowing ultra-processed foods to have marketing packaging that’s targeting kids.”
Dr Kelly Garton RNZ/Marika Khabazi
Garton said much of the marketing was currently targeted at young people, along with their parents.
“A lot of these products will have colours, shapes, or flavours or textures that are meant to appeal to children and younger people. And so obviously that’s meant to sell more product.
“A lot of the marketing is targeted at parents. It might have a certain amount of health washing, you know, a good source of protein when maybe it’s a protein derivative that’s been added back in. not necessarily a healthy whole protein that you could be consuming otherwise.”
But marketing was only one of the reasons that ultra-processed foods were so prominent in New Zealanders diets.
“We are now reliant on these products in many ways that we can’t control, these are the products that are by and large the most available and affordable, and they’re heavily marketed to us.
“Also in terms of our social and economic circumstances, many of us, most of us are time poor. Many of us are financially constrained. We’re overly reliant on foods that are cheap, shelf stable, and very convenient. Added to that, fresh fruit and veg is absurdly expensive these days.”
RNZ/Marika Khabazi
Alongside Checkpoint, Garton examined a number of ultra-processed products to decipher the contents.
She said flavourings were often a warning sign.
“These flavours or natural colourings are put there to emulate or to mask or enhance flavours that whole foods would have. So they’re inherently manipulating our sense receptors.”
However, just because something falls under the ultra processed category did not mean it had to be avoided.
“These products would fall under the ultra-processed classification. Not all of them are going to be bad for us. Some of them, especially those that give us a lot of fibre and low in sugar, can be absolutely part of a healthy diet, especially given the constraints that we’re under these days.”
But if possible, Garton said the less processed option was always preferable.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
