News articles have reported that boxed mac and cheese dinners contain phthalates. A study tested 30 different cheese products and detected phthalates in 29 of them. To get a better understanding of this study, and if we should be concerned about our mac & cheese, we reached out to Dr. Carl Winter, a toxicology expert at the University of California-Davis.

What are phthalates?

“Phthalates are chemicals that are used to improve the functionality of plastics,” he explained. “They are present in a wide variety of household products including cosmetics and are regulated as indirect food additives, when present in food contact materials, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Why are chemicals from plastics in food products?

“Phthalates are commonly found at low levels in foods and their presence is frequently associated with fatty foods such as milk, milk products (i.e. cheese and butter) and meats.”

He explained why phthalates have been studied. “Their presence in food has generated public concern as toxicological studies have demonstrated that high doses of phthalates fed to laboratory animals can cause birth defects and hormonal alteration.”

Those studies may be enough to cause some to choose to avoid these foods. But Dr. Winter emphasized that it is important to remember this principle of toxicology, which is “The dose makes the poison.”

“It is the amount of exposure to chemicals, not their presence or absence, that determines the potential for harm,” he explained. “While the ‘KleanupKraft’ study did detect the presence of phthalates in foods, it did not estimate consumer exposure to phthalates nor did it compare exposure levels to safety thresholds.”

“In the case of phthalates detected in food, several studies have demonstrated that the average daily exposure to phthalates is well below levels considered to be of toxicological concern,” Dr. Winter said.

So can we still enjoy mac and cheese?

“Consumers should continue to eat a balanced diet featuring ample quantities of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and it is not necessary to make dietary changes due to the presence of small levels of phthalates detected in specific food items,” he said.

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All fries begin life as a potato, so how do they grow?

Dr. Douches: “The potato from a crop perspective is unusual in that it is vegetatively propagated (the new plant is grown from the original plant) rather than through a seed. However, over time the potatoes accumulate viruses from growing in the field and they start to degenerate. If you save an actual seed from this starchy vegetable, you don’t maintain the variety. The unique genetic combination you have is lost.

“Potato breeding remained largely unchanged for 50 years until recently. When USDA and universities invested in public potato breeding efforts, they started making crosses and taking those families to the field and making selections, going through cycles of evaluation selection to sort through and find the best potatoes.”

How have potatoes developed over time?

Dr. Douches: “It was a Rev. Goodrich in upstate New York who got some potatoes and started making crosses. Our Russet Burbank potato, which is used for making french fries, comes from that lineage. Russet Burbank actually came from a chance seedling that was selected by Luther Burbank in the 1860s. That potato hung around for a while and a Russet mutation was found in it in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Russet Burbank potato was well adapted to growing in the Pacific Northwest and so during World War II, they were using that to make potato flakes for the war effort. It was after World War II that the frozen fry industry started up as an innovative idea.”

How does genetic engineering play a role in making better potatoes?

Dr. Douches: “Having the ability to insert genes allows us to improve the traditional breeding practice because we can make a selection and have the potential to improve it further for certain key traits, like what has been done with the Innate potato. Some of those things are difficult, if not impossible, to do conventionally, as is the case with the insect resistance trait. Genetic engineering gives a tool to correct varieties that have some deficiencies and make them better for consumers, farmers and even processors, depending on the trait. Plus, we now have DNA sequence on the potato, which has allowed us to develop more analytical breeding schemes to follow certain genes in the potato. That’s really changing the landscape for the breeding.”

How can we know these GM (genetically modified) potatoes are safe to eat?

Dr. Douches: “They have to go through the federal regulatory agencies to get approval, which is a very extensive examination to determine whether the potatoes are safe to eat or safe to grow in the environment and whether they have any genes that may have an effect on the organisms in the environment. They look at insect-resistant genes, virus-resistant genes, and disease-resistant genes and whether they’re going to have any negative effects on the environment. Our non-GM food crops are not put through that gauntlet of analysis, so the most tested food we have out there is our GM-developed crops.”

What can we expect from potatoes in the future?

Dr. Douches: “They’re going to be self-driving and they’re going to fly like drones! No, what’s happening is the consumer is going to continue to get potatoes that are more healthful and are packed with more nutrition. But what they won’t see is that these potatoes are also performing on the farmers’ fields, giving them more resistance to the biotics problems like diseases and insects and also to problems like water needs or climate stresses.”

Potatoes are part of the equation; it also takes oil to give a french fry its flavor and texture. To learn more about innovation in oil, we went to Best Food Facts dietitian Sarah Downs.

What is new in frying oils?

Downs: “High-oleic soybeans are varieties developed with farmers and end-use consumers in mind. They have the same yields as other soybeans but offer higher-functioning soybean oil that remains stable in high-heat conditions, can add shelf life to products and, most importantly, contains less saturated fat, no trans-fat and has the highest amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat available in soy. Ultimately, high-oleic soybeans have a healthier oil profile and increased oil stability.”

What sets it apart from other oils?

Downs: “It has oil stability and contains monounsaturated fats. Many oils naturally are high in monounsaturated fats but are not very shelf stable.”

Does that mean it is healthier than other oils?

Downs: “There are many types of oils that can provide health benefits in moderation (canola and olive oil are two), and ultimately it depends on how you are using them because different oils are best for different types of cooking. High-oleic oil is a good choice because it is high in unsaturated fats, low in saturated fat and has no trans fat. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) without lowering HDL cholesterol (the good kind), which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.”

French fries and frying oils are truly a story of food innovation. Check out the infographic below to learn more about the evolution of the french fry.

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1. Should I Wash Fresh Fruit in Vinegar? – Fruits and vegetables are important components to any diet, so we’re glad to know that you’re concerned with how to clean your apple before taking a bite.
2. Consumer Question – Is It OK to Use Leftover Onions? – We first received questions about this topic back in 2011…and four years later it still seems to be a concern for some of you. Luckily, we were able to chat with Dr. Ruth MacDonald from Iowa State University to get some advice on what to do with that half of an onion you have in your fridge.
3. What’s Healthier? Pork Bacon or Turkey Bacon? – Trying to be health-conscious when it comes to your morning protein? We spoke with a meat science expert to find out about all things bacon – including whether turkey bacon is actually healthier.
4. Egg Prices on the Rise – Earlier this year several cases of avian influenza broke out across the United States affecting millions of hens. Not only were poultry farmers affected, but everyday consumers such as yourselves. We sought out some answers in regards to fluctuating egg prices.
5. The Beef with Hormones – and 8 Other Foods You Might Find Them In – We’ve noticed that consumers are increasingly curious about what goes into producing their food, with hormones in meat being a top concern. We reached out to an expert to learn more about hormones in beef and a few other foods we don’t usually think of as containing hormones.
6. What Foods are Genetically Modified? – When it comes to the food we’re eating, many consumers are curious about genetically modified foods and where they are found. We put together an easy-to-understand infographic explaining which foods are actually genetically modified and commercially available in the United States.
7. Is Apple Cider Vinegar a Health Cure-All? – Miracle health cures are all over the web these days and one that we saw frequently this year was apple cider vinegar, which has been said to aid with diabetes, high cholesterol and even cancer as well as other diseases. We reached out to a registered dietitian and nutrition expert to get the facts on the nutritional benefits of regular apple cider vinegar consumption.
8. Spittin’ Seeds? Not with Seedless Watermelons – Contrary to popular belief, seedless watermelons are not the product of genetic modification. We checked in with Dr. Kevin Folta to learn more about the process behind seedless watermelons.
9. Understanding Processed Foods – Are processed foods really bad for us or just misunderstood? To better understand processed foods, we spoke with nutrition scientist Connie Weaver, PhD, from Purdue University.
10. Why is the United States the Only Country to Allow Hormones in Food Animal Production? – Spoiler alert: It’s not.

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To learn more about the facts and benefits of processed foods, we talked with Connie Weaver, PhD, Nutrition Scientist and Head of the Department and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, who says processed foods may not be what you think.

Let’s talk about processed foods. You’re working with the American Society of Nutrition to define processed foods. Why is that important?

Dr. Weaver:

Defining processed foods has been challenging. When I talk to people about processed foods, I learn that they are not really meaning the level of processing. To a scientist, processing is how many steps the manufacturer of the food requires to transform it from the raw materials into the food you eat. So, to a scientist, highly processed foods mean things like bread, cheese, wine and yogurt. People say, that’s not what I mean – I mean junk food or empty calories. For consumers, it’s really not about the degree of processing, it’s about nutrient density or the formula of the food. We have to work on the definitions so everyone can talk together and have a more meaningful conversation about processed foods.

Are all processed foods bad?

Dr. Weaver:

Processed foods can be really healthy or less healthy depending on the formula or recipe. Processing steps can be used to improve the nutrient content. Manufacturers are reducing sugar, sodium and fat to improve the healthy foods, and adding or devising formulas for foods that have nutrients that people need.

The dietary guidelines have identified four shortfall nutrients: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium. This means most people are deficient in these nutrients and only with certain processed foods can you achieve those intake levels.

Soy beverages are an example of a processed food. Our laboratory studied calcium absorption from a soy beverage enriched with calcium and found it just as bioavailable, or absorbable, as cow’s milk. That caused USDA to change its rules and allow calcium-fortified soy beverage in school lunch and breakfast programs as an alternative to milk.

We need processed foods, because how else are we going to feed the world? We’re facing a future with nine billion people; you can’t have fresh food ready for harvest to meet all those peoples’ needs. In addition, processing can reduce waste. The efficiency for packaging and preserving food depends on maximizing resources, and the consumer relates to that. They want to save on waste and conserve resources.

Why do you think processed foods have a bad reputation?

Dr. Weaver:

Processed food can get a bad rap because people focus on the particular processed foods that are high in things we try to discourage and low on the nutrients we try to encourage. So, the “treat” foods. But shamefully, more than half of American adolescents get their calories largely from sugar-sweetened beverages and grain-sweetened desserts, like cookies, cakes and candies.

What else do you want people to know about processed foods?

Dr. Weaver:

Processed foods allow us to have food year ’round, so it’s good for availability. Another benefit of processed foods is food safety as further processing works to preserve the food and extend shelf life. This helps to reduce waste and conserve resources.

Some of the most important nutritional deficiencies in the world have been resolved because foods have been enriched and fortified with nutrients through processing. For example, adding iodine to salt cured goiter (an enlarged growth in your throat caused by iodine deficiency). Similarly, adding vitamin D to milk in our country has cured rickets (bow legs as a child due to vitamin D deficiency). More recently, we have medical foods for the immune-compromised. People with cancer or AIDS or diseases that can’t tolerate the risk of bacteria or an infection rely exclusively on processed foods.

Tell us about your research on processed foods.

Dr. Weaver:

About 20 percent of the vitamin D, calcium and potassium in our diet comes from processed foods. Research we conducted for the American Society for Nutrition Scientific Statement looked at what Americans eat and determined the impact of processed foods. We learned that processed foods provide more than their energy contribution in terms of the shortfall nutrients like fiber, vitamin D, potassium, and calcium, plus some additional B vitamins and other nutrients our bodies need. Processed foods provide way more nutrients of value than their calorie contributions.

Are there other processed foods with enhanced dietary attributes?

Dr. Weaver:

We have fresh fruits and vegetables all year long because of the modified atmosphere packaging. Salad in a bag is another example.

Bread can now have high fiber content but look and act like the soft, refined-grain bread that some people prefer. We can reduce salt and sugar and reduce the risks for obesity and diabetes.

Some modern technologies include baked French fries and fried chicken, without added oils. Deep-fat fryers in schools have disappeared because of improvements in the ability to have desired textures of fries without the added oils.

New processes allow us to remove fractions, making milk more easily digestible for those who can’t digest lactose. We can increase the fractions with protein and calcium in it.

What would you tell people who claim processed food is unhealthy or unnatural?

Dr. Weaver:

When people want to exclude whole types of food, whether it’s processed food or food groups or other components, I say that’s an attitude of privilege – the people who have enough money and ability to acquire food choices.

To feed the world, we need to take advantage of every trick, including processing, to feed the masses and reduce waste. Something like half the food that can be harvested from the field is currently wasted. Processing can help with that.

For more information on processed foods, check out these posts:

Are Processed Foods Unhealthy?

Reappraising Processed Foods

Is Processed Food Dangerous?

_{“Samoas” by Brian is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0}

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In fact, certain food production processes actually boost nutritional content, such as adding calcium to orange juice or whole grains to pasta. Freezing vegetables helps to perserve vitamin content at the time of harvest. Compared to fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes have a higher concentration of disease-fighting nutrients, like lycopene and beta-carotene.

“The term ‘processed foods’ evokes a wide range of asssumptions and beliefs about what is a healthy food,” says Connie Weaver, professor of nutrition science at Purdue University, in a statement published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. She concludes that making food selections based on nutrient composition and not extent of processing is a better way to determine nutrition adequacy.

The History of Processing

“Maybe processed food isn’t such a bad thing after all,” says historian Rachel Laudan, author of Cuisine & Empire: Cooking in World History. Laudan writes about the merits of processing foods in the journal Gastronimica.

“So to make food tasty, safe, digestible, and healthy, our forebears bred, ground, soaked, leached, curdled, fermented, and cooked naturally occurring plants and animals until they were literally beaten into submission. They built granaries, dried their meat and their fruit, salted and smoked their fish, curdled and fermented their dairy products, and cheerfully used additives and preservatives – sugar, salt, oil, vinegar, lye – to make edible foodstuffs.”

Clean Eating

“Clean” is another term meant to imply that a “healthier” food product has very few ingredients. But, Julie Miller Jones, professor of foods and nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, points out that additional ingredients can improve a food’s health profile. “If we add more of an oat fiber called beta-glucans to oatmeal and other foods, we can double the cholesterol-lowering power,” she said. Talk about cleaning things up!

But, when it comes to frozen vegetables, for instance, I say go for the ‘plain Janes’ and not the ones with the added butter and cheese sauces.

If you’re looking for foods higher in fiber or lower in sodium, the Nutrition Facts label on packages is still the best tool for seeing what’s inside.

Label-Reading Tip: Ingredients are listed in order of prevalence.

Nutrition education, it seems, is a process, too.

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Is processed food dangerous?

Dr. Jones:

In my view, it is not how the food is processed but rather how the food fits into the overall diet. For example, some ready-to-eat cereals provide fiber and missing nutrients. I urge consumers to eat frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables because we have good data that diets rich in fruits and veggies are associated with lower risks of a number of chronic diseases and increased longevity.

Eating too much of any food (processed or not) is the problem with most U.S. diets. Many diets have foods that are nutrient poor; this is the problem, not processing. 

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Just because you’re not familiar with an ingredient, doesn’t necessarily mean you should avoid it, according to Robert Gravani, PhD, a food scientist professor at Cornell University.

“Companies don’t just add products or substances just for the sake of adding,” said Gravani during an interview on National Public Radio. “They have some functional purpose in the production or preparation or the appeal of that particular product to consumers.”

Additives are used in foods for very specific purposes
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Additives are used in foods for very specific purposes, said Gravani: to maintain and enhance nutritional value, to maintain quality and freshness and to reduce waste. Ammonium sulfate, azodicarbonamide, and L-cysteine, for example, are used to produce more stable dough in breads and other baked goods. Lactic acid and sodium carbonate control acidity and prevent spoilage. And glycerin and sorbitol help retain moisture in products like shredded coconut and marshmallows.

“In many cases, additives improve our health,” he said. Raise your hand if you know someone with a major nutritional disease like pellagra? Haven’t heard of it? Probably because we’ve eliminated it by adding niacin to bread products and flours, said Gravani. How about goiter? Nope. “We’ve eliminated that by adding iodine to our salt,” he said.

Consumers have choices – and they have every right to pose questions to the companies making their food, he said. Food companies around the world are trying to simplify labels and scientific terms whenever possible to help us better understand why a particular ingredient is included, said Gravani.

“I think it’s very important to look at the reasons we add them,” he said.

We also reached out to two of our nutrition experts to get their take on this topic.

Carolyn O’Neil, MS, RD:

While consumers certainly have the right to know what’s in their food and whether ingredients are hazardous or healthy, simplistic advice to avoid any ingredients with chemical names that are difficult to pronounce doesn’t help.  If you see ascorbic acid on a food label, that’s vitamin C.  Sodium chloride is table salt. Natural ingredients have chemical names, too.

As a registered dietitian I believe it’s best to tell consumers as much as possible about why a food ingredient is used and explain how the amount per serving meets federal safety standards.

Julie M. Jones, PhD, CNS, LN, CFS, FICC:

This is not at all a good rule of thumb. For example, cyanocobalamin is vitamin B12; stilbene resverotrol is the antioxidant in red wine; guar and xanthan gums extracted from plants add dietary fiber to the diet. These are just a few of a million examples.

We would be happy to help answer any of the ‘whys,’ the ‘hows’ and the ‘whats’ you may have about food additives. Mull them over while you’re munching on that malus domestica (that‘s an apple, by the way) and then send them our way!

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The study, which included over 120,000 participants, analyzed changes in weight over 20 years. Ultimately, it pinpointed specific foods which likely contributed to weight gain as well as those which likely contributed to weight loss over a period of years. It wasn’t an obesity study, but rather a study of how people gain weight over time.

A researcher in the study, Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said, “We found that highly refined foods, sugary beverages and potatoes were related to greater weight gain.”

So what are the foods most likely to contribute to weight gain and weight loss?

Foods likely to contribute to weight gain

1. Potato chips
2. Potatoes
3. Sugar-sweetened beverages
4. Unprocessed red meats
5. Processed meats

Foods likely to contribute to weight loss

1. Yogurt
2. Nuts
3. Fruits (not fruit juices)
4. Whole grains
5. Vegetables

Why are some foods likely to contribute differently to our weight? Dr. Willett offered the following responses:

Why do potatoes/refined carbohydrates lead to weight gain?

Dr. Willett:

There is a very strong hypothesis that… potatoes, since we cook them, are very rapidly broken down into sugars. It’s quickly absorbed into the blood, removed rapidly by action of insulin, and in a few hours, we’re hungry again.

Why do foods like nuts and yogurt accelerate weight loss?

Dr. Willett:

It’s not completely understood, but (nuts) seem to be very satiating. They are chewed for a while, and then stay in the stomach for a while. There is a lot of fat, but calorie for calorie, they make it easier to control overall caloric intake.

What was most surprising about the study outcomes?

Dr. Willett:

Yogurt was probably the most surprising finding. There has been a lot of work in recent years on how different types of bacteria in the colon influence… weight gain. It may be that healthy bacteria in yogurt are helping change the mix of bacteria in the colon and influencing weight.

It is important to note, however, that the best way to control weight is to add physical activity. “Exercise works. Just one hour a week makes a difference,” said Dr. Richard Besser – ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor. Sleep is also a factor – sleeping fewer than 6 hours or more than 8 can add fat to your middle. Watch Dr. Besser discuss the study on ABC News.

Connie Diekman, RD, Director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis as well as past president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told WebMD that the study provides some good support for factors other experts have assumed are linked with weight gain. She reviewed the study but was not involved in it.

Diekman says that among the most interesting findings is that the lower the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and yogurt, the more significant the weight gain. That result is consistent with the recommendation in the new MyPlate Dietary Guidelines to shift food intake to more fruits and vegetables.

Another important finding is that “a shift in calorie intake of as little as 50 to 100 calories a day may be all it takes to gain or lose weight.”

Final advice? “I’d encourage consumers to think about one portion you can cut down on each day or one 10-minute walk you can add to your day. These small steps can then become the steps on the path you need to make more changes to achieve, and maintain, a healthier weight.”

In addition to choosing foods that are more likely to contribute to weight loss, here are some great ideas for increasing your physical activity, 100 calories at a time!

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