Should we eat ultra-processed food? ⏲️ 6 Minute English

0:07 Hello.

0:08 This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

0:11 I'm Phil.

0:12 And I'm Pippa.

0:13 If you've eaten anything today, then it's likely that some of your food was

0:18 ultra-processed– food containing artificial ingredients like additives

0:23 and sweeteners.

0:25 Ultra-processed foods are everywhere,

0:26 from sliced bread to chocolate biscuits and crisps.

0:30 They might taste good,

0:31 but the bad news is that ultra-processed foods have been linked to poor health.

0:36 They often contain lots of sugar and salt

0:39 and have been linked to problems like obesity and diabetes.

0:43 So, how can we tell what food is ultra-processed and what's not?

0:48 Here's health reporter Annabel Rackham

0:50 on BBC World Service programme What in the World?

0:53 Ultra-processed foods are things that contain five or more ingredients,

0:58 and things that you wouldn't find in your average kitchen.

1:01 It's going to have things on there,

1:02 like emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, dyes and sweeteners.

1:07 Annabel describes ultra-processed foods

1:09 as things containing ingredients you wouldn't find in your kitchen.

1:14 Do you eat much ultra-processed food, Pippa, or do you try to avoid it?

1:18 I used to eat a lot of ultra-processed foods,

1:22 and now I try to cook everything myself

1:26 and not eat things like chocolate and snacks all day.

1:30 How about you?

1:31 I think the same.

1:32 I try to cook things using just normal ingredients,

1:35 just so you know what's gone into it.

1:37 In this episode, we'll be discussing ultra-processed food as well as

1:42 learning some useful new vocabulary.

1:44 And remember, there's also a quiz and worksheet available

1:48 on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

1:52 But now I have a question for you, Pippa.

1:55 Fizzy drinks, like cola and lemonade,

1:57 are another example of popular ultra-processed foods,

2:01 but when were fizzy drinks invented?

2:05 Was it: a) 1772, b) 1872, or c) 1972?

2:14 Well, I think it was before 1972, but 1772 sounds like too early,

2:23 so I'm going to say b) 1872.

2:26 We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.

2:29 One reason for the popularity of ultra-processed food is convenience.

2:35 Let's hear more from health reporter Annabel, who talks here

2:38 with Hannah Gelbart, presenter of BBC World Service's What in the World.

2:43 So, I do think convenience– it is the main issue there.

2:46 And again, with a ready meal, you put it in the microwave

2:49 for a couple of minutes.

2:50 It's done.

2:50 It's hot.

2:51 It serves you.

2:52 Whereas, you know, sometimes cooking a fresh meal from scratch–

2:55 that can take a really long time.

2:57 What's your ultra-processed guilty food?

2:59 I'm a chocolate girl.

3:00 A packet of biscuits– something like that.

3:03 A cake.

3:03 That is my...

3:05 that's my guilty pleasure.

3:06 Ultra-processed foods like ready meals are convenient.

3:10 A ready meal is a meal from a supermarket

3:12 that has already been prepared and can be heated up quickly in a microwave.

3:17 That's a lot quicker and easier than cooking from scratch–

3:21 an idiom meaning to do something from the very beginning

3:24 without using anything that's already been made.

3:27 Even though ultra-processed foods are often unhealthy, they taste good.

3:32 That's why Annabel calls chocolate her guilty pleasure.

3:36 A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy but think you shouldn't

3:40 and feel a little embarrassed about.

3:43 Ultra-processed food is a tricky topic.

3:46 We know these foods have been linked to poor health,

3:48 but at the same time they're cheap, convenient and taste good.

3:53 So, what should we do?

3:55 Here's Hannah and Annabel discussing this for BBC programme

3:58 What in the World:

4:00 Is it OK for me to have a packet of crisps once in a while?

4:03 Should we be cutting ultra-processed foods out of our diets completely,

4:07 or is there a way for us to still enjoy them from time to time?

4:10 I think the best thing to do is just not to panic.

4:13 Everything is fine in moderation.

4:16 Hannah asks if it's OK to eat ultra-processed foods once in a while,

4:21 or from time to time.

4:22 The phrases 'once in a while' and 'from time to time'

4:26 mean occasionally– sometimes, but not very often.

4:30 Annabel replies using the phrase, 'everything in moderation',

4:35 which advises us that it's best to avoid too much of anything.

4:39 That sounds sensible to me,

4:41 and it also means I won't feel bad about eating chocolate now and then.

4:45 OK.

4:45 Pippa, it's time to reveal the answer to my question.

4:49 Now, I asked you when fizzy drinks were invented.

4:55 You said 1872.

4:57 I'm afraid the correct answer was 1772.

5:01 Apparently carbonated water was used to try to prevent scurvy on sea voyages.

5:07 Wow, that is amazing.

5:09 I wouldn't have thought it was that long ago.

5:12 Right.

5:12 Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned,

5:14 starting with ready meal– a meal from a supermarket

5:18 that has already been prepared so you can heat it up quickly.

5:21 If you do something from scratch, you do it from the very beginning,

5:25 without using anything that's already been made.

5:28 A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy but feel guilty

5:32 or embarrassed about because you think you shouldn't do it.

5:36 The phrases 'once in a while' and 'from time to time'

5:40 mean occasionally– not very often.

5:42 And finally, the phrase 'everything in moderation' is used to advise someone

5:47 that it's best to avoid too much of anything.

5:51 Once again, our six minutes are up, but if you're hungry for more,

5:55 head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com,

5:58 for more tasty topics and useful vocabulary.

6:01 See you again soon.

6:03 But for now, it's goodbye.

6:05 Bye!