Dietitian Maeve Hanan Says 5-Ingredient Rule Can Mislead on Ultra-Processed Foods
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Sep 26
Dietitian Maeve Hanan Says 5-Ingredient Rule Can Mislead on Ultra-Processed Foods
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 26
Summary
Maeve Hanan, a British Dietetic Association dietitian, found a weekly shop containing ultra-processed foods was still broadly healthy because it covered major food groups and should be judged more on nutritional value than processing alone.
More than half of UK calories come from ultra-processed foods, yet Hanan said the debate has become too black-and-white, warning that long ingredient lists or chemical-sounding additives do not automatically make a product unhealthy.
Chicken nuggets illustrated her point: they can provide protein and include regulated additives such as calcium carbonate, niacin and thiamin, but are still higher in fat and salt than plain chicken and best eaten in moderation.
The wider dispute remains unresolved, with Chris van Tulleken arguing UPFs are engineered to drive overconsumption and need clearer labelling, while food scientist David Julian McClements and the Food and Drink Federation say nutrition matters more than processing and cite nearly a fifth cut in salt, sugar and calories over five years.