Processed Food – The Trend of Modern Life
At the seminar on the topic "Healthy Nutrition - Understanding Processed Food," recently held, Dr. Bùi Thị Mai Hương, a researcher at the National Institute of Nutrition, shared with a reporter that today, people are increasingly inclined towards eating delicious, clean, and healthy food.
However, the Vietnamese people have many eating habits that affect their health. Specifically, they eat too much salt, too much sugar, and too much fat.
“Eating too much salt can lead to a risk of high blood pressure, kidney diseases, and may lead to other risks such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis, and asthma… Consuming too much sugar causes weight gain, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, increases the risk of diabetes, increases the risk of fatty liver disease, and other kidney diseases, and accelerates skin aging…
On the other hand, eating too much fat causes obesity, increases the risk of atherosclerosis, harms the heart and brain, causes diabetes, and some other chronic diseases…”, Dr. Hương shared.
Especially now, people are busy, so they increasingly prefer to choose processed food. This is a source of food that is suitable for the modern lifestyle of society.
These foods help people have a quick, convenient, and delicious meal, with sufficient nutrients. The processing process also helps to improve the nutritional value, convenience, and safety for users.
Mr. Phạm Thế Quyền, Director of Research and Development, TH Group, also pointed out that processed food is the trend of the era. However, consumers are not only concerned with fast, convenient, and delicious food but are increasingly prioritizing safety and health.
Therefore, a processed food product that wants to receive the trust of consumers must be strict in selecting raw materials, throughout the processing, packaging, and storage process, must meet the prescribed standards, ensuring that consumers have fresh, clean, and healthy food.
Principles in Choosing Processed Food
However, in the face of a "forest" of processed foods, consumers are facing many difficulties in choosing which products are of high quality, contributing to providing healthy nutrients, suitable for themselves and their families.
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the quality and safety of processed foods, especially in the context of urbanization and increasing individual income. Additionally, concerns about the amount of preservatives and food additives have also increased anxiety in the community.
However, "as long as consumers update their information and skills in selecting products from reputable manufacturers, they will certainly choose safe food for their health, delicious, and rich in nutrients," Dr. Hương emphasized.
Dr. Hương advised that consumers who are knowledgeable about choosing processed food should pay attention to: Limiting ultra-processed foods, high processing (foods containing many preservatives to extend shelf life or make the final product more delicious or attractive).
Consumers should also choose low-sugar, low-sodium foods by reading the label, the composition of the product, and then decide how much sugar, salt... to "consume" in a day. At the same time, increase the combination of fiber-rich foods, whole foods, and minimally processed foods in the diet.
Food for "Responsible Housewives"
To help Vietnamese people have more fresh, healthy food, from July 2023, TH Group officially introduced to the market a line of processed food products "TH true FOOD kitchen - Responsible Housewives" including a variety of products such as kimchi, rice cakes, dumplings, smoked meat, smoked sausage...
Mr. Quyền said that TH's processed food products are very strict in selecting and controlling the origin of raw materials. The ingredients of TH true FOOD products are strictly selected according to a set of standards, from leading suppliers, easily traceable, ensuring quality, natural, clean, and fresh, meeting food safety standards, and good for consumer health.
“Especially, all TH processed food products do not use preservatives, meeting the "good for health" standard.
"The application of modern technology in the production process not only helps to preserve the freshness and nutrients of the product but also creates a harmonious flavor characteristic of each dish. Especially, TH has used a high-speed freezing system to preserve the freshness and nutrients of the product, ensuring the freshness and nutrients of the product, extending the storage time of the food without preservatives," Mr. Quyền emphasized.
