Any food of animal or vegetable origin that wants to be introduced in a market outside the country of production, is subjected to border veterinary, sanitary and / or phytosanitary controls, to guarantee that the products meet the current requirements regarding the protection of human health and animal, environment and consumer law. Also applicable for processed or ultra-processed food.
Currently, there is no legal norm that establishes a specific definition for the concept of ultra-processed food. Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of food products (EU, 2004), explicitly states what is meant by unprocessed products and processed products. Thus, defining the transformation or processing as any action that substantially alters the initial product.
Among these basic transformations can be considered freezing, baking, packaging or drying. Some of these processes can result in a safer product. Other times with additions such as salt, sugar or fat, products whose composition must be made known to the final consumer. Therefore, it is vitally important to make clear labeling available to the end user and in accordance with current regulations that will allow the user to choose their product correctly and consciously.
In general, the attempt to improve public health policies has led to the emergence of different classification systems for foods based on their degree of processing. Of all the proposed classification systems, two of them, the NOVA system (School of Public Health of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and the SIGA system (France), use the term ultra-processed. However, there are different food classification systems.
In this highly varied and diversified sector of the industry, Bionok offers advice on the entire life cycle of an ultra-processed food product. From product registration, to sanitary and legislative advice, to the analysis of ingredients and make up the final product and the production process in general.
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