Sep 15, 2026 04:54 PM
https://www.acsh.org/news/2026/09/12/hav...essed-food
EXCERPTS: The Environmental Working Group recently compared ultra-processed foods across major fast-food chains and found one conspicuous exception: Chipotle. That makes for an appealing yet incomplete nutritional story.
[...] This is not Chipotle’s first time in the food-borne illness rodeo. [...] My point here isn't to shame or blame Chipotle. Fresh and minimally processed produce is an important source of foodborne outbreaks because, unlike many highly processed foods, it often receives no final "kill step"—such as cooking or pasteurization—before reaching the consumer. None of the foodborne illness cases involved ultra-processed buns, sandwich meats (I’m looking at you, pepperoni), sauces, or dressings.
One hidden ingredient in processed foods is safety. The same industrial food system EWG criticizes for its processing also employs processing steps that address genuine food-safety problems. Processing isn't nutritional vandalism; it can perform useful functions.
EWG wants to frame the fast-food trade-off largely as convenience versus long-term health. But another axis matters: microbial safety. Fresh, minimally processed ingredients can offer nutritional advantages while retaining risks that cooking, preservation, and other processing steps are specifically designed to reduce. None of that makes ultra-processed food "healthy."
It simply reminds us that processing isn't a toxin; it's a technology. The relevant question isn't whether a food has been processed, but what the processing does, what problem it solves, and what trade-offs it creates... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: The Environmental Working Group recently compared ultra-processed foods across major fast-food chains and found one conspicuous exception: Chipotle. That makes for an appealing yet incomplete nutritional story.
[...] This is not Chipotle’s first time in the food-borne illness rodeo. [...] My point here isn't to shame or blame Chipotle. Fresh and minimally processed produce is an important source of foodborne outbreaks because, unlike many highly processed foods, it often receives no final "kill step"—such as cooking or pasteurization—before reaching the consumer. None of the foodborne illness cases involved ultra-processed buns, sandwich meats (I’m looking at you, pepperoni), sauces, or dressings.
One hidden ingredient in processed foods is safety. The same industrial food system EWG criticizes for its processing also employs processing steps that address genuine food-safety problems. Processing isn't nutritional vandalism; it can perform useful functions.
EWG wants to frame the fast-food trade-off largely as convenience versus long-term health. But another axis matters: microbial safety. Fresh, minimally processed ingredients can offer nutritional advantages while retaining risks that cooking, preservation, and other processing steps are specifically designed to reduce. None of that makes ultra-processed food "healthy."
It simply reminds us that processing isn't a toxin; it's a technology. The relevant question isn't whether a food has been processed, but what the processing does, what problem it solves, and what trade-offs it creates... (MORE - missing details)