Brazilian government urges citizens to avoid ‘ultra-processed’ foods
November 14, 2014 | 06:35 PM
The Brazilian government has published new “Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population” that urge citizens to avoid “ultra-processed products” such as chicken nuggets, potato chips and soft drinks.
“Because of their ingredients, ultra-processed products — such as packaged snacks, soft drinks and instant noodles — are nutritionally unbalanced,” the report says.
“As a result of their formulation and presentation, they tend to be consumed in excess, and displace natural or minimally processed foods. Their means of production, distribution, marketing and consumption damage culture, social life and the environment.”
Carlos Monteiro
Carlos Monteiro, a professor of nutrition and health at the University of São Paulo, presented the guidelines in Washington today at a conference sponsored by George Washington University and Tufts University. It was organized by Kathleen Merrigan, the former Agriculture deputy secretary who is now executive director of GW’s Sustainability Collaborative.
The conference was on sustainability in United States dietary guidelines.
“This looks like we are against the food industry, but we are not,” Monteiro said at the conference held at the Milken School of Public Health on the GW campus. “Most of the foods we recommend have some degree of processing,” he added.
“The golden rule” of the guidelines, he said, is “always prefer a variety of minimally processed foods and freshly prepared dishes and meals to ultra-processed foods.”
The big problem, Monteiro said, is that the consumption of ultra-processed foods interferes with the consumption of healthier food. If someone eats chicken nuggets, that person will not eat freshly prepared chicken, he said, and someone having a soft drink will not drink milk at that meal.
The guidelines differentiate between natural and minimally processed foods and “ultra-processed” foods.
The guidelines urge Brazilians to “prefer water, milk and fruits instead of soft drinks, dairy drinks and biscuits, do not replace freshly prepared dishes (broth, soups, salads, sauces, rice and beans, pasta, steamed vegetables, pies) with products that do not require culinary preparation (packaged soups, instant noodles, pre-prepared frozen dishes, sandwiches, cold cuts and sausages, industrialized sauces, ready-mixes for pies) and stick to homemade desserts, avoiding industrialized ones.”
“The recommendations of the guidelines will benefit our people, our society and the planet,” Monteiro added.
He acknowledged that the food industry in Brazil had protested the guidelines, but that the government had issued them anyway.
Although Brazil exports a lot of soybeans that are used as animal feed and cane sugar that is used in processed foods in other country, Monteiro said 70 percent of the food that Brazilians consume is still produced by family farmers and that the family farmers are backing the report because it will stimulate demand for their products.
Monteiro said that the government is printing 60,000 copies of the guidelines and that they will be distributed to health centers and schools, and will further stimulate demand for the products of family farms.
The guidelines take a different approach from the U.S. dietary guidelines in that they focus on meals rather than nutrients.
The Brazilian report also recommend that food be eaten in “pleasant surroundings” and with other people. Because culinary skills are being lost as the country urbanizes, the guidelines encourage “all household members, men, women and children to join in acquiring, preparing and cooking meals and to supporting the tradition of freshly prepared meals as part of the national social and cultural patrimony.”
The guidelines were produced with support from the Pan American Health Organization.Work began in November 2011 and included two national meetings of researchers, health professional, educators and the general public, as well as regional meetings in 26 Brazilian states and the federal district.
The draft of the guidelines were subject to public consultation, which resulted in 3,125 responses from 436 participants.
The Brazilian Health Ministry published the new dietary guidelines on October 5, and an English translation was published Thursday.
▪ Ministry of Health of Brazil — Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population 2014
“Because of their ingredients, ultra-processed products — such as packaged snacks, soft drinks and instant noodles — are nutritionally unbalanced,” the report says.
“As a result of their formulation and presentation, they tend to be consumed in excess, and displace natural or minimally processed foods. Their means of production, distribution, marketing and consumption damage culture, social life and the environment.”
Carlos Monteiro
Carlos Monteiro, a professor of nutrition and health at the University of São Paulo, presented the guidelines in Washington today at a conference sponsored by George Washington University and Tufts University. It was organized by Kathleen Merrigan, the former Agriculture deputy secretary who is now executive director of GW’s Sustainability Collaborative.
The conference was on sustainability in United States dietary guidelines.
“This looks like we are against the food industry, but we are not,” Monteiro said at the conference held at the Milken School of Public Health on the GW campus. “Most of the foods we recommend have some degree of processing,” he added.
“The golden rule” of the guidelines, he said, is “always prefer a variety of minimally processed foods and freshly prepared dishes and meals to ultra-processed foods.”
The big problem, Monteiro said, is that the consumption of ultra-processed foods interferes with the consumption of healthier food. If someone eats chicken nuggets, that person will not eat freshly prepared chicken, he said, and someone having a soft drink will not drink milk at that meal.
The guidelines differentiate between natural and minimally processed foods and “ultra-processed” foods.
The guidelines urge Brazilians to “prefer water, milk and fruits instead of soft drinks, dairy drinks and biscuits, do not replace freshly prepared dishes (broth, soups, salads, sauces, rice and beans, pasta, steamed vegetables, pies) with products that do not require culinary preparation (packaged soups, instant noodles, pre-prepared frozen dishes, sandwiches, cold cuts and sausages, industrialized sauces, ready-mixes for pies) and stick to homemade desserts, avoiding industrialized ones.”
“The recommendations of the guidelines will benefit our people, our society and the planet,” Monteiro added.
He acknowledged that the food industry in Brazil had protested the guidelines, but that the government had issued them anyway.
Although Brazil exports a lot of soybeans that are used as animal feed and cane sugar that is used in processed foods in other country, Monteiro said 70 percent of the food that Brazilians consume is still produced by family farmers and that the family farmers are backing the report because it will stimulate demand for their products.
Monteiro said that the government is printing 60,000 copies of the guidelines and that they will be distributed to health centers and schools, and will further stimulate demand for the products of family farms.
The guidelines take a different approach from the U.S. dietary guidelines in that they focus on meals rather than nutrients.
The Brazilian report also recommend that food be eaten in “pleasant surroundings” and with other people. Because culinary skills are being lost as the country urbanizes, the guidelines encourage “all household members, men, women and children to join in acquiring, preparing and cooking meals and to supporting the tradition of freshly prepared meals as part of the national social and cultural patrimony.”
The guidelines were produced with support from the Pan American Health Organization.Work began in November 2011 and included two national meetings of researchers, health professional, educators and the general public, as well as regional meetings in 26 Brazilian states and the federal district.
The draft of the guidelines were subject to public consultation, which resulted in 3,125 responses from 436 participants.
The Brazilian Health Ministry published the new dietary guidelines on October 5, and an English translation was published Thursday.
▪ Ministry of Health of Brazil — Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population 2014
