This event is organised by Campden BRI
Join us for a comprehensive exploration of the world of ultra-processed foods, including a deep dive into their microbiology. Whilst there is no universally agreed or official definition for ultra-processed foods, the most well known classification is the NOVA system. It categorises all food products into ‘Unprocessed and minimally processed’, ‘Processed culinary ingredients’, ‘Processed’, or ‘Ultra-processed’ (which have generally undergone extensive industrial processing and usually contain multiple ingredients not used when cooking at home). There is a widespread misconception that all ultra-processed foods are unhealthy, whereas nutritional value is not influenced by level of processing.
Taking plant-based foods as an example, whilst they tend to have a high number of ingredients, many offer higher fibre and less saturated fat than meat counterparts, as well as being without the same zoonotic disease and microbial resistance risks. However, established practices used to manage pathogen risks in meat products may not be applicable or effective for their plant-based or alternative protein counterparts. This seminar will therefore cover plant-based meat, cultured meat, microbial risks and outbreaks associated with UPFs, and much more.