November 24, 2023 — Although consumers continue to be interested in healthy, sustainable eating, scientists highlight gaps in understanding these complex topics. At the recent Free From Food show in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nutritional overview met with Dr. Jenneke Heising, Program Director at Wageningen University and Research, to look at ongoing discussions and how research aims to expand knowledge about what is healthy.
She emphasizes that following dietary guidelines has the most significant effect on health.
“I think our diet contains too many biscuits, sugary drinks and chocolate – it has become part of our normal consumption. At the same time, portion sizes increase. Even though these products can fit perfectly into your diet, consumers have to make choices, which is difficult for people. »
According to Heising, discussions about what is healthy in food stem from unclear definitions, with individuals, companies and scientists assigning different meanings to what is healthy.
She insists that communication needs to be improved: “For the general public, I think a lot of people are confused: what is healthy and sustainable? They want a simple answer, but if we give consumers a logo that doesn’t tell the whole story.”
The food system also needs to be changed, Heising emphasizes. Businesses, especially small brands, need help selling their stories about how their products are healthy or sustainable.
Processed foods
Heising sees similar confusion in the definitions of “processed foods.» While she acknowledges that refined products are unhealthy because they contain fewer nutrients and more energy, she cautions that the term “processed” is too broad and creates confusion among consumers.
“At home, people wash, cut and cook vegetables before eating them. You’re doing the same thing as in a factory, and the factory environment doesn’t make it unhealthy.
Heising cautions that the term “processing” is too broad and creates confusion among consumers.“We need to agree, as policymakers and scientists, on the definitions. For example, there are different definitions of dietary fiber from a chemical, nutritional and legal perspective, which differ in the EU and the USA. So how can the consumer know what this means? »
Heising adds that food labeling focuses on a specific “healthy” detail. For example, a product’s label focuses only on its fruit content, even though fruit contains sweeteners and healthy compounds.
Consumer understanding
Heising points out that understanding what’s healthy among consumers can take a long time.
“I saw a study comparing what consumers thought was dangerous to their health about 30 years ago. Back then, electronic numbers were the main concern, while people thought an unbalanced diet was less important. Meanwhile, scientists said food safety and unhealthy diets were the most important problems.
The study was repeated in 2008, when researchers found that consumers agreed more with the scientists. When researchers repeated the survey last year, consumers learned that e-numbers aren’t very unhealthy, but that an unbalanced diet is a problem.
Make food healthier
Heising warns that as manufacturers attempt to make food products healthierit can also affect the shelf life of a product.
“For example, if you remove salt or sugars, you change a food’s texture and water activity – a measure of the water available for microorganisms to grow.”
In a powder, microorganisms cannot grow because there is no water available for them. In products containing large amounts of salt or sugar, such as in jam, the water available to microorganisms is also limited.
“But if you remove salt or sugar, the water activity becomes higher and the shelf life of a product can also become shorter,” warns Heising.
She emphasizes that it’s not just about the taste or texture of a product. When reformulating products, companies must also consider shelf life and product safety when removing or adding components.
Healthy, clean label, plant-based and natural were the key themes at this year’s Free From Food show in Amsterdam.Communication on sustainable development
When it comes to sustainability, Heising says it’s difficult to communicate this complex topic to consumers without creating confusion.
“We should educate what is sustainable and what elements we analyze. These can include greenhouse gas emissions, water use and social sustainability, such as human rights and child labor.
She suggests that an independent organization determine sustainable practices and how products rank based on them, emphasizing that international standards do not verify the term or claim to be “sustainable.”
Heising notes that reducing food waste is a crucial sustainability issue. She applauds digital pricing systems that help prevent food waste by providing discounts on products close to their expiration date.
“We could avoid much more food waste if we could already start from the beginning and, depending on the quality of the food, separate and direct the food in a specific direction. »
In addition to food waste, she insists that “we need to move towards more plant-based products, or at least reduce animal products. We must not eliminate them, but we must eat less.”
Currently researching
Heising details that several current and upcoming research projects are evaluating healthy and sustainable foods at Wageningen University and Research, for example by examining alternative proteins, such as insects.
“Insects are alternative sources of protein, but we need to study their safety, because they can also carry viruses,” she explains. “Also, if we have to use high levels of energy or water to extract proteins from insects, that might also not be sustainable. »
“You don’t want to produce isolates if you’re looking to alternative protein sources. Preferably you want the entire source. We study its properties.
Next year, the university also plans to explore plant-based meat analogues for their impact on health as part of the EXPLAIN project. In this project, researchers will conduct a controlled human dietary clinical trial – providing all meals to participants – to assess the health impact of current meat analogues versus meat with respect to cardiometabolic health and the microbiota.
Additionally, the project aims to rethink meat analogues for health by improving formulation and process, led by in vitro health assessment.
By Jolanda van Hal
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