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Topical Area: Climate, Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health

Climate, Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health (Poster Session)

(P02-019-23) Nutrition Profiles of Ultra-Processed Foods Consumed by US Adults, NHANES 2013-2016

Saturday, July 22, 2023

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

Location: Poster Board 354

Presenting Author(s)

ZG

Zhengye Gu, Master of science (she/her/hers)

Graduate student
Tufts University

Co-Author(s)

MD

Mengxi Du, MS, MPH, RD (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate
Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
LW

Lu Wang, n/a

Postdoctoral scholar
Tufts University
BOSTON, Massachusetts, United States
EM

Euridice Martinez Steele, PhD

Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paolo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Fang Fang Zhang, MD, PhD

Associate Professor
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Disclosure(s):

Zhengye Gu, Master of science: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Mengxi Du, MS, MPH, RD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption contributes to excess weight gain and chronic disease risk, calling for a better understanding of the nutrition profiles of UPFs. We aimed to assess the nutrition profiles of UPFs consumed by US adults and compare them with the nutrition profiles of foods that are not ultra-processed (non-UPFs).

Methods: Using 24-hour dietary recalls from nationally representative samples of 10,064 US adults aged 20+ years from the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we estimated the mean intakes of macronutrients as percent of energy (%E) and vitamins and minerals per 100 kcals of foods classified as UPFs (Nova 4) and non-UPFs (Nova 1-3) according to the Nova classification. Nutrient contents of UPFs and non-UPFs were compared using t-tests.

Results: Compared to non-UPFs, UPFs had higher levels of added sugar (19.1 ± 0.23 vs. 4.8 ± 0.26%E) and carbohydrate (53.6 ± 0.23 vs. 38.6 ± 0.43%E) but lower levels of fiber (0.71 ± 0.01 vs 0.94 ± 0.02 g per 100 kcal), saturated fat (10.7 ± 0.08 vs. 12.4 ± 0.19 %E), and protein (11 ± 0.14 vs. 21.5 ± 0.2%E). UPFs also had lower levels of most vitamins and minerals per 100 kcal than non-UPFs except that UPFs had higher levels of sodium (177± 1.02 vs. 155 ± 1.24 mg), vitamin E (0.45 ± 0.01 vs. 0.42 ± 0.01 mg), total folate (25.7 ± 0.43 vs. 22.6 ± 0.34 mcg DFE) and folic acid (11.5 ± 0.25 vs. 3.45 ± 0.14 mcg), and iron (0.76 ± 0.01 vs. 0.57 ± 0.01 mg). Among the UPF subcategories, per 100 kcal of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contained the highest level of added sugar. Flavored dairy foods (such as flavored milk and yogurt) contained the highest levels of calcium and vitamin D. Non-SSBs (such as diet soft drinks and coffee/tea) contained the highest levels of magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E. Industrial grain foods contained the highest levels of fiber, total folate, folic acid, and iron.

Conclusions: UPFs have an overall less healthful nutrition profile than non-UPFs per 100 kcal. The higher levels of certain nutrients such as iron and folic acid in UPFs may reflect nutrients being added to foods during food processing.

Funding Sources: National Institutes of Health