The Double-Edged Convenience: How Processed Foods Impact Women’s Lives

Processed and packaged food plays a key role in feeding the growing global population, as people increasing move away from agriculture, and towards cities, where the majority of people now live. Up to two thirds of the currently available energy supply comes from processed and ultra-processed foods. Processed foods, which include any food that has been altered in some way, from frozen, canned, fermented or salted foods all the way through to fortified flours and finally ready to eat meals and snacks, play a critical role in diets. 

There is an ongoing debate about the role of processed foods, in particular ultra processed foods (UPFs) in our diet. The term ‘ultra processed’ captures a wide variety of foods, from healthy options like whole grain breads, to fortified products, to sugar sweetened beverages which are high in calories but contain few, if any nutrients. There is a lot of ongoing work in this area, including research on the health implications of UPFs, and if these are linked to processing per se, or rather the high fat, salt and sugar content often found in these foods. While a full discussion of UPFs is beyond our scope with this blog, we also want to recognize that there is nuance in these discussions.  

At ATNi, we believe that food and beverage companies should support healthier food choices, by reducing the availability of unhealthy foods and increasing the availability of healthier food options. We benchmark company performance and are aiming for at least 50% of sales of the largest food and beverage companies to come from healthier options by 2030 (currently 34%). Processed foods are easily vilified, and while many are unhealthy, they also play a critical role in people’s diets. Food processing also provides many positives including increased shelf life, reduce food loss, and increased food safety.  

Historically, women have been the primary providers of nutritious meals for their families. As many changes to the home and caretaking environment (e.g. electricity, dishwashers, washing machines, freezers) freed up time, modern conveniences such as canned and frozen products emerged. At the same time women increasing moved from away from unpaid domestic work toward formal, paid employment out of the home. This change, among others, has contributed to an increased demand for more convenient, processed food, which now represent almost 60% of the energy intake in the US, and is rapidly increasing in middle income countries. This trend is particularly worrying as ATNi’s Global Index 2024 found that the average healthiness of the product portfolio in low- middle- income countries using the Health Star Rating nutrient profiling model (HSR) was less healthy (HSR 1.8) than in high- income countries (HSR 2.3). For reference, an HSR of 3.5 or higher is classified as ‘healthier.’ 

Processed foods as women’s liberation? While globally, women participate in formal paid work at lower rates than men, in many places, women are active in the workforce or spend comparable time on income generating activities. Despite this, socially-constructed gender norms often place the bulk of food provisioning and household labour on women. Given household stressors and lack of time, evidence indicates that choosing food that is ready-to-eat, liked by the household and that decreases meal-time conflict becomes a priority. These trade-offs can contribute to women’s feelings of guilt when resorting to less healthy options, as well as feeling responsible for the poor health and nutrition of their families. In lower-income households, these dynamics can be compounded by financial insecurity, fewer food preparation and storage resources, and the attached meaning to see modern, packaged food as a status symbol.  

Balancing work, life, and the preparation of healthy meals is no small feat, especially amidst the time constraints of modern life. Tasks like meal planning, grocery shopping, reading nutrition labels, knowledge of- and cooking, and staying up-to-date on dietary recommendations can be difficult even when shared with partners and communities. While at ATNi, we celebrate the progress that many women around the world work outside of the household if desired—in fact, over 75% of the staff at ATNi are women—it is not equitable or sustainable for women to disproportionately carry both responsibilities. At the heart of this, the empowerment of women, socially, politically, and economically, is imperative to improving the health of women, children, and families around the world.  

Within markets and food environments, food and beverage companies have the responsibility to engage fair and honest marketing, labelling, and pricing, with attention to the gendered realities that mothers face in providing nutritious, convenient, and accessible options to their families. Within our scope of work at ATNi, we act to improve nutrition of women and children globally by ensuring that food and beverage companies are held accountable for the healthiness of their products and adhere to best practices. Our Global Index 2024 considers the healthiness of product portfolios (looking at issues such as overall product healthiness using the health star nutrient profile model, product fortification, workforce nutrition practices, transparent labelling, and responsible marketing to children). (cont…)

Through our breast milk substitute (BMS) and complementary feeding (CF) work, we ensure that breastfeeding is protected, and marketing practices adhere to the WHO Code to protect women’s right to breastfeed and the health of children. We are also committed to exploring the gender lens across our Indexes and other projects, including efforts to assess context-specific needs in East Africa.  

Processed and packaged foods play an important role in our food system, as convenient and ready-to-eat foods are increasingly valued. However, it is also critical that these foods do not contribute to poor health outcomes. ATNi’s role, and others who hold companies to account and push for healthier processed and packaged foods, are critically needed to shape healthier foods systems of the future. In this mission, ATNi is committed to safeguarding access to nutrition for vulnerable populations of women and children around the globe. 

Leading up to International Women’s Day, ATNi recognises the women who have provided and cared for, inspired, and nourished us. Thank you to the women around the world who contribute to a healthy, equitable, and just world. Best wishes and Happy International Women’s Day!