Nicholas Fereday

Criticism of processed foods is not new. However, until recently, the finger-pointing was placed squarely on a specific ingredient or nutrient: too much sugar, too much fat, not enough protein.

What has changed is a growing appreciation of the foods and beverages that people actually eat, rather than specific nutrients. This includes a greater interest in the nature and extent of manufacturing that goes into making processed foods and the potential impact of those multiple processing steps on hea…

Premium Content
You've reached your monthly limit of free articles.
Access Food Technology
Log in Subscribe

About the Author

Nicholas Fereday is executive director of food & consumer trends for the RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness division of Rabobank ([email protected]).
Placeholder

Manual Feature

Latest News

Déjà Vu and Some Things New in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines

Former USDA nutrition policy leader and senior executive Robert Post reflects on the new national diet and nutrition guidance.

What Consumers Want in 2026

Worn down by inflation and uncertain economic conditions, food and beverage shoppers want products that deliver tangible benefits per dollar.

Probing the Gray Areas of UPF Research

Former NIH researcher Kevin Hall argues that debates about ultra-processed foods are still missing the deeper mechanisms at play—and explains why asking better questions matters more than chasing tidy definitions.

Coloring Outside the Lines

Dialogue author Arlin Wasserman encourages the food industry to avoid getting defensive in response to the MAHA movement and instead to celebrate the positive steps food companies have taken to replace artificial ingredients in food formulations.

Formulating for Functional Benefits

With consumers increasingly looking for enhanced nutrition, the functional foods market must find a way to balance the addition of in-demand ingredients with minimal processing.