Huh, I’ve not heard of this, though it doesn’t surprise me.
In the area where I grew up (waaay out in the sticks, with no easy public transport access to the closest AEC office), the AEC tended to send people out to your home on your 18th birthday (or soon after it) and enrol you on the spot. This was decades ago, though, before you could do any of it online.
I grew up in an electorate that had been ‘blue-ribbon Liberal’ since the 70s, and Labor representation only a tiny blip before that. Became very apathetic about voting after seeing the LNP win by a landslide at every local, state and federal election.
I’m now in a seat that’s been either Labor or Greens since almost Federation. One seat in the House of Reps won’t change the world (or even the country, most likely), but it’s comforting to walk around my neighbourhood and know that the majority of the people I encounter are certified Non-Fuckwits. (It’s also fun on polling day to see offers of LNP and far-right parties’ how-to-vote cards declined by pretty much everyone in the queue.)
Even for bread, is it all bread?
It’s most bread. There will always be a few outliers, but they’re a tiny minority.
Is it added gluten?
Gluten isn’t ‘added’ to bread, it’s a naturally occurring component of grains like wheat, rye and barley. Gluten free bread is made from alternative grains that naturally do not contain gluten (sorghum, rice, buckwheat, etc.). Gluten isn’t unhealthy unless you have Coeliac disease or a gluten sensitivity/intolerance. It won’t factor into UPF status.
Is it a specific preservative?
The ideal bread is preservative free. Mass-produced bread is almost never preservative free, because the time it takes for the bread to be baked, shipped, put on the shelf in a shop, picked up by you and taken home to eat is longer than it takes to go mouldy (particularly if it’s in a plastic bag). Hence, they add a preservative to extend the shelf life.
A bakery is less likely to use preservatives, because they bake fresh daily, based on customer demand. Homemade bread also doesn’t need preservatives for pretty much the same reason.
No need to demonise preservatives, or split hairs over “better” or “worse” ones, but worth being mindful of the amount you consume.
Is it only bread with bleached flour?
Bleached flour improves performance for baking (making lighter, fluffier loaves with more ‘bounce’ and chewiness from the gluten), but also strips out a lot of the minerals that are beneficial for your health. Mass-produced bread tends to use bleached flour, because a white and fluffy loaf is more appealling to consumers than a denser and darker one, and the lighter consistency makes it less filling, leading you to consume more of it, which means more money for them. Given the choice between bleached and unbleached flour, choose the latter if you can.
So, yes, ‘mass-produced and packaged’ does tend to correlate directly with the overall nutritional content.
Costco makes prepared food that is equivalent to what you’d make at home.
I can only speak for myself on this one, but I’ve never seen a pre-prepared meal at Costco that is the equivalent of what I’d make at home. It tends to be carb, fat and animal protein heavy, and very light on veg. My cooking is the opposite (lots of veg, some complex carbs, not too much fat or animal protein).
Just like the preservatives and bleached flour in bread, companies who mass-produce food are looking to use the cheapest ingredients with the longest shelf life to maximise their profits. Makes good business sense for them, but not good health/nutritional sense for consumers.
I remember the first time I visited the States, and bought a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter from the grocery store on my first night to make toast the following morning. Boy, did the unexpected sugar hit at breakfast time wake me up! HFCS really is in everything over there. Not at all surprised that packaged bread is classed as UPF.
Ooh, semolina, nice! Love me some Pane Siciliano… Think you just inspired my next loaf 🤭
(Highly recommend breadmaking as a hobby, if the spirit moves you. Very meditative - particularly the kneading - with bonus baked goods when you’re done!)
Each 10% extra intake of UPF, such as bread, cakes and ready meals, increases someone’s risk of dying before they reach 75 by 3%, according to research in countries including the US and England.
Was a bit surprised to see bread there, as it’s been a staple of many cultures’ cuisines for millennia. Did a quick search, and got some clarity in this list - “mass-produced packaged bread” is UPF, not the stuff you make from scratch or perhaps pick up from the local bakery.
A relief, actually, as I just took a loaf of sourdough out of the oven and was waiting for it to be cool enough to slice into. This article took the shine off the experience for a moment there 😅
Did I speedrun a midlife crisis in my 20s? 🤔 Never did pickleball, but that’s pretty synonymous with retirees over 60 in my corner of the world.