Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
J Food Sci. 2022 Aug;87(8):3659-3676. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.16235. Epub 2022 Jul 3.
The average American consumes more than 50% of their total dietary energy from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). From a nutritional standpoint, as UPFs intake increases, fiber, vitamin, and mineral intake decrease. High consumption of UPFs, mainly from fast foods (FF) and ready-to-eat (RTE) food items, emerges as a critical public health concern linking nutritional quality and food safety. In the present work, a systematic database of the fatty acid composition of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwest is reported. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were predominant in RTE (42.5%) and FF (43.2%), respectively. In addition, the fatty acid profile in UPFs is reported according to six food categories: meat and poultry, eggs and derivatives, dairy products, seafood, baby foods, and others. Meat and poultry, and dairy products were the dominant food categories among UPFs. Meanwhile, polyunsaturated fatty acids were abundant in the eggs and seafood groups UPFs (61.8% and 46.4%, respectively) regardless of the food group. Furthermore, no significant differences were found in sugar content in UPFs. Caloric content was positively correlated with sodium (ρ = 0.748) and price (ρ = 0.534). The significance of this study relies on providing new quantitative data on the fat, sodium, and sugar contents of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwestern area of the United States. This information suggests paying more attention to these nutritional attributes, aiming to reduce their incorporation in UPF preparations. Additionally, more quantitative data are needed regarding other nutritional parameters such as protein and lipid degradation in UPFs. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides a profile of the fatty acid composition of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwestern region of the United States, as well as correlations with fat, sodium, and sugar contents in UPFs. The information offered a new perspective on the nutrition quality of UPFs, suggesting the reduction of the incorporation of these attributes in UPFs. Additionally, it will help define priority interventions for more advanced precision nutrition, especially for vulnerable populations, for example, children and older people. The overall decrease in added sugar and sodium and the service size in UPFs will significantly improve the nutritional quality of the Western diet.
美国人平均从超加工食品（UPF）中摄取超过其总膳食能量的 50%。从营养角度来看，随着 UPF 摄入量的增加，纤维、维生素和矿物质的摄入量会减少。高消费 UPF，主要来自快餐（FF）和即食（RTE）食品，是一个与营养质量和食品安全相关的重要公共卫生问题。在本工作中，报道了中西部地区最常消费的 UPF 的脂肪酸组成的系统数据库。RTE（42.5%）和 FF（43.2%）中主要含有饱和脂肪酸和单不饱和脂肪酸。此外，还根据六个食品类别报告了 UPF 中的脂肪酸分布：肉类和家禽、蛋类及其衍生品、乳制品、海鲜、婴儿食品和其他食品。肉类和家禽以及乳制品是 UPF 中的主要食品类别。同时，无论食品类别如何，蛋类和海鲜组 UPF 中的多不饱和脂肪酸含量丰富（分别为 61.8%和 46.4%）。此外，UPF 中的糖含量没有差异。热量含量与钠（ρ=0.748）和价格（ρ=0.534）呈正相关。本研究的意义在于提供了美国中西部地区最常消费的 UPF 的脂肪、钠和糖含量的新定量数据。这些信息表明，需要更加关注这些营养属性，旨在减少它们在 UPF 制剂中的应用。此外，还需要更多关于 UPF 中其他营养参数的定量数据，例如蛋白质和脂质的降解。
本研究提供了美国中西部地区最常消费的 UPF 的脂肪酸组成概况，以及与 UPF 中的脂肪、钠和糖含量的相关性。所提供的信息为 UPF 的营养质量提供了新的视角，表明减少这些属性在 UPF 中的应用。此外，它将有助于确定更高级别的精准营养的优先干预措施，特别是对弱势群体，例如儿童和老年人。减少 UPF 中的添加糖和钠含量以及份量将显著提高西方饮食的营养质量。
