A new study of grocery purchasing behavior in the US revealed consumers prefer highly processed foods, which comprised more than 60 percent of the calories in the food they purchased.
The nationwide analysis conducted by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) found Americans are eating more than the recommended limits of fat, sugar and salt. “Many Americans have strongly held opinions and beliefs about processed foods,” says Jennifer Poti, research assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and leader of the research team conducting the study. “Some consider processed foods to be tasty, convenient and affordable choices, while others contend the combination of sugar, fat, salt and flavoring in these foods promotes overeating and contributes to obesity. But until now, we didn’t really have the evidence needed to settle this debate. No prior studies have examined whether highly processed foods collectively have a worse nutritional profile than minimally processed foods, using nutrition information and ingredient lists specific for barcoded food and beverage products.”