Little advice: finish your dinner before watching this issue of “Cash Investigation” because it will undoubtedly ruin your appetite. Journalist Eugénie Yvrande went behind the scenes of the agri-food industry with ultra-processed foods in her sights. Easy to use, lasagna in a tray, cordon bleu or pastries in bags have become a staple on our plates in recent decades, representing more than a third of the calories ingested by adults and up to 46% among children.
However, many chemicals are hidden behind the attractive packaging. With the help of scientists specializing in nutrition, the magazine recalls the harmful effects on health of additives, such as emulsifiers and thickeners (often designated by an E followed by a number), and warns of the new trend: the addition of cereal fibers in prepared meals to save money and artificially lower the Nutri-Score. Supposed to guide consumers towards a healthier diet, this nutritional labeling reveals its limits: it takes into account the content of saturated fats or sugar, but not the level of food processing, which is nevertheless decisive for our health.
Solvent in infant milk
This in-depth investigation also reveals the intense lobbying of manufacturers to prevent the use of the term “ultraprocessed” and discredit scientific work, such as the Nova classification system for these foods, developed in 2009 by Brazilian researchers and recognized internationally. A final source of concern is the presence of a petrochemical solvent, hexane, in oils and milks, including infant milk, but also in meats via the feed of farm animals. MoDem deputy Richard Ramos, who is speaking here, is currently preparing a bill on the subject.
