The UnProcessed Pantry Project Framework to Address Nutrition in the Emergency Food System

Abstract

Low-income populations suffer a greater burden of chronic diseases and food insecurity, are more likely to consume ultraprocessed food, and are less likely to meet dietary recommendations than the general population.1,2 Ultraprocessed food is manipulated with artificial ingredients and can be high in sodium, caloric sweeteners, and saturated fats and, thus, has deleterious health effects.3 The NOVA framework, created by Monteiro and colleagues,3 is commonly applied to public health research to characterize food processing at different levels (unprocessed, minimally processed, processed culinary ingredients, processed, ultraprocessed).3 In the United States, ultraprocessed food typically is accessible, affordable, and convenient, whereas minimally processed food typically is more difficult to access, expensive, and less convenient.1,4 Over time, the availability of ultraprocessed food has increased across the global food supply and in the diets of individuals worldwide, especially among low-income popualations.