ANSES puts ultra-processed foods under the microscope
At the end of January 2025, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) published an in-depth analysis on the effects of so-called ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on health. Commissioned by the Directorate-General for Food (DGAL) and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), this scientific report highlights clear links between the consumption of TUEs and an increased risk of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
At the heart of this alert is the excessive processing of food and the use of additives or industrial processes likely to generate neoformed substances with deleterious effects on health. For producers of food ingredients, this report raises major strategic questions: how can we meet market expectations while limiting the health impact of industrial transformations?
Industrial processes under surveillance
ANSES places particular emphasis on the role of transformation processes in the formation of harmful substances. The assessment is based on a number of criteria, including temperature, processing time, applied pressure, and the use of ionising or ultraviolet radiation.
The most risky processes? The roasting, the frying, the cooking-extrusion and the high-temperature sterilisation. These techniques, commonly used in the food industry to extend shelf life or improve the texture and flavour of foods, are also those that encourage the formation of potentially toxic compounds, such as acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrosamines.
What this means for ingredient manufacturers :
- It is becoming imperative to assess the impact of transformation processes on ingredient quality and to favour gentler alternatives (cold extraction, fermentation, stabilisation by high hydrostatic pressure, etc.).
- Product reformulation must incorporate a proactive approach aimed at limiting Maillard reactions and the formation of neoformed substances.
- Optimising production conditions and diversifying technological routes are becoming strategic levers for minimising risks while preserving the functional properties of ingredients.
Towards a repositioning of ingredients?
The ANSES report also points the finger at the massive use of food additives and processing aids in ultra-processed foods. More than 300 additives are currently authorised in Europe, classified into different categories (colourings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, etc.), some of which are regularly called into question for their effects on health.
The challenge for the ingredients industry is twofold:
- Reducing the use of controversial additives by developing natural alternatives, such as antioxidant-rich plant extracts, dietary fibres, or even textured proteins from plant sources.
- Rethinking ingredient formulation so that they are perceived as healthy components and «clean label», while retaining their functional properties and stability.
Some companies are already exploring innovative solutions to get round the constraints imposed by TUE classification. These include, the use of enzymatic processes to replace synthetic emulsifiers, or the integration of natural fermentations to improve preservation without chemical additives.
The challenge of perception and future regulations
The ANSES recommendations are part of a global movement to better control the consumption of ultra-processed foods. In France, for example, the National Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS) already recommends limiting their consumption, and regulatory initiatives could follow to impose better labelling, or even restrictions on certain processes or ingredients.
Against this backdrop, the food ingredients industry needs to think ahead:
- Greater transparency : To highlight the traceability of raw materials and the naturalness of the processes used.
- Communication rethought : To educate manufacturers and consumers about the difference between necessary processing (to guarantee food safety) and excessive processing (likely to be harmful to health).
- Investment in R&D Exploring high-potential alternatives, such as minimally processed plant proteins, fermented fibres and functional botanical extracts.
- Enhancing the nutritional value of ultra-processing In some cases, processing and even ultra-processing can be justified if they bring the following benefits real added value in nutritional terms. However, it is not an end in itself, unlike the official nutritional priorities.
Recommendations for players in the sector
Faced with these challenges, here are the strategic priorities for producers of food ingredients:
- Favouring gentle transformation processes Reducing the temperature and duration of heat treatments, limiting chemical solvents, favouring mechanical or enzymatic extraction.
- Developing natural alternatives to additives : Move towards clean label solutions, such as natural hydrocolloids, preservatives of plant origin and textured proteins without synthetic additives.
- Adopt a proactive approach to reformulation Testing new food matrices to reduce dependence on intensive processing and synthetic ingredients.
- Enhancing the nutritional benefits of ingredients : Incorporate functional ingredients with a positive impact on health (prebiotic fibres, bioactive peptides, lactic ferments, etc.).
- Anticipating regulatory and societal developments Working with scientific bodies and regulators to define processing standards that guarantee the safety and nutritional quality of products.
Conclusion: a turning point for the food ingredients industry
The ANSES report on ultra-processed foods calls for a fundamental rethink of industrial practices. For ingredient producers, this is a unique opportunity to redefine their role in the food chain by offering more natural, safer and more transparent solutions.
From now on, innovation will have to go hand in hand with responsibility, because the future of the food industry will inevitably involve a transformation... but this time, in the right direction.
