By SiMiao
By Plain yoghurt good, most flavoured yoghurt bad. (Composite pix: Guardian Design; Getty Images/Mint Images RF; Sergey Yarochkin/Alamy)
In recent years, the global use of Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) has been on the rise, with its popularity stemming from the advancement of industrialised food production in the 20th century. Initially favoured by the military, seafarers and other groups in special environments for its convenience, long-term storage and long-distance transport, the use of UPF has gone off the rails due to the fast-paced lifestyles and pressures of today's world.
More and more fast food restaurants and chains across the country and around the globe have begun to use UPF in their daily diets in order to provide meals that maintain consistent flavours, reduce preparation time and lower labour costs.
Nowadays, UPF has infiltrated all corners of the food service industry, containing high percentages of salt, sugar and various preservatives that enhance flavour and extend shelf life at the expense of nutrients. Data from the Ministry of Health Malaysia shows that UPF consumption in Malaysia has increased significantly in recent years, especially in urban areas where consumption of fast food and convenience food is higher than the national average.
This trend has led to widespread health concerns - whether UPF is silently destroying our health. And with the widespread introduction of UPF within the F&B industry, Malaysian consumers, academics and public health advocates have and are beginning to call for more transparency in the industry and greater ethical responsibility on the part of F&B companies. The focus on health risks has also accelerated the rise of this call, and has led to ethical choices for the F&B industry between the pursuit of profit and the protection of public health.
Convenience and Profit in Catering
In SS15, Subang Jaya, the restaurant - Bai Wan Dao - has been a popular choice for students and office workers in the neighbourhood since its opening, thanks to its small portion sizes suitable for singles or pairs, and its extensive and varied menu.
Not only does Bai Wan Dao offer a wide variety of dishes at low prices, but with almost 24-hour opening hours, it greatly satisfies the need for convenience and variety among groups living a fast-paced lifestyle.
However, with such a wide variety of dishes and long operating hours, one can't help but question: does the kitchen behind Bai Wan Dao have a huge stock of ingredients and a team of chefs working around the clock, or does it rely on a wide variety of pre-prepared dishes to meet the supply demand?
With fast-paced lifestyles and the popularity of prepared dishes in the catering industry, countless restaurants like Bai Wan Dao are becoming increasingly popular among young people, but at the same time raising more health concerns.
While students and young people who are growing and developing are attracted to this fast food model, will the long-term consumption of UPF with its high salt and sugar content have a negative impact on their growth and health?
Dr Tee E Siong, President of the Malaysian Nutrition Society, has pointed out, "In the short term, UPF do bring cost and efficiency gains, but their long-term health effects cannot be ignored. Ultra-processed foods high in salt and sugar are closely associated with many chronic diseases."
In particular, he emphasised that with the current lack of information transparency, it is difficult for consumers to detect the presence of UPF ingredients in food, and the health effects of these ingredients may be irreversible.
A selection of what most will consider as ultraprocessed foods (UPF). Source: Dr. Vegan
The emergence of prepared food has not only impacted the catering industry in terms of ethical choices and operating models, but has also threatened the core value of the chef, which was once in the "golden zone" of the catering industry.
Prepared dishes have become the mainstream choice for fast-casual and small-sized restaurant brands that are looking for quick turnaround and low costs. Compared to the tedious process of making ingredients from scratch, pre-prepared food not only reduces cooking time through standardised processes, but also reduces the reliance on highly skilled chefs. The price of this convenience is that experienced chefs are relegated to the role of "heaters" in the kitchen, where their unique skills and creativity are gradually replaced by cheap, standardised ingredients.
While this model of catering has resulted in significant profit gains for companies, it has threatened the employment of countless chefs and even their families' sources of income, devaluing the craftsmanship and quality of chefs in the traditional catering industry. Whereas in the past, becoming a chef was a profession that prided itself on its skills, today, the prevalence of prepared dishes has somehow robbed the profession of the respect and value it deserves.
What is even more worrying is that the trend of standardisation of prepared dishes may expose workers in the catering industry to career instability. With the simplification of dish procedures and the lowering of the demand for culinary skills, the threshold of requirements for entry into the catering industry has gradually been lowered, and many people who used to work in kitchens have been forced to accept low-skilled and low-paid positions. Such changes not only affect the local job market, but also raise questions about whether the overuse of prepared dishes in the catering industry will eventually erode the richness and uniqueness of traditional cuisine.
Businesses are obsessed with convenience and cost-effectiveness, while ignoring the far-reaching impact of these highly processed foods on the public. Against this backdrop, the industry's ethical responsibility is in the spotlight - will it continue to choose profit, or will it adopt higher standards for the sake of the public?
Photo by Ultra-Processed Foods: Fast Food, Fast Life? | RGA
The voice of the consumer
As public awareness of the health risks of UPF grows, so do the expectations of Malaysian consumers. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), a Malaysian consumer advocacy organisation, has published several posts on its website calling out the public health risks of UPF and demanding more transparency from the food industry on the use of UPF ingredients.
Mohideen Abdul Kader, President of the Association, stated publicly that "consumers have the right to know the ingredients of the food they eat and their potential health risks." This statement also represents the concerns of countless consumers about UPF and the food industry's ability to be socially responsible while chasing profits.
In an online interview, a student consumer from UKM stated, "I choose fast food almost every week, but after learning about the health risks of UPF, it's becoming increasingly clear that I'm compromising between health and convenience." This student's sentiment speaks to the concerns of many consumers - people want to be more transparent about food ingredients while enjoying food.
To date some local Malaysian brands have started to adjust their strategies. More and more brands have introduced a range of options with natural ingredients instead of UPF over the past year to cater to consumers' demand for healthy eating. These brands want to offer food that is both healthy and tasty, while allowing customers to experience the flavours of real ingredients. This shift is not just a choice to enhance brand image, but also a growing health consciousness that every food service provider should have.
By Ultra-processed food (Alamy/PA)
Between convenience and health, the challenges of ethics in the food service industry will be even more complex in the future. As public health awareness grows, the food industry will have to take on more social responsibility while chasing profits. This discussion, which continues to fester globally, will inevitably determine the future direction of the food industry, especially in more fast-consuming markets like Malaysia, where this balance becomes increasingly important.
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