(An)alphabetic communication: climate change and ultra-processed products

Delso Khosa"

Communication is the path to change and transformation in human lifestyles. Information about the effects of ultra-processed products on climate change is produced and promoted to a lesser extent, but it is also ignored. In the world of the liquid society (Bauman, 2000), (ir)rational consumption predominates, even when it comes to human health. Food illiteracy contributes to the worsening of climate change, as ultra-processed products are responsible for the implications of a fragile health system. After all, who are the illiterate? What are industrialized products? And what about ultra-processed products? How do ultra-processed products influence climate change? What actions have been discussed and implemented to minimize environmental and human health damage? These questions guide the discussion of climate illiteracy in human health. According to Castell, Luke, and Maclennan (1986), the term "illiterate" (antonym) was coined in the US in 1930 during military training to designate the ability to interpret written instructions for carrying out military actions. In academic circles, it is defined as the use of reading and writing to achieve pragmatic ends in various societal contexts. Currently, however, it faces a major debate over the conditioning of writing and reading for the purpose of classifying human beings. Technological developments through audiovisual media demonstrate that a society without writing or reading can understand and put into practice what is understood. A lack of time to practice writing and reading can generate regressive illiteracy. Flecha et al. (1993) refer to functional literacy (basic skills) as the functional competencies necessary to meet the needs of a given field of action. Thus, illiteracy exists in certain cases, but not in its entirety, meaning that no one has the skills to make certain practical interpretations in all contexts; what happens are contextual limitations. For example, an illiterate person regarding climate change may exist, but only with limitations in understanding its causes and consequences. Processed products are agricultural goods transformed into ready-to-eat food products, which contain intermediate ingredients obtained through chemical, physical, and biotechnological processes. The process begins with the harvesting, transportation, packaging, and distribution of the final products, with the aim of improving the shelf life and preservation of food, as well as facilitating its distribution to different locations and increasing large-scale trade (Patrick, 2022). In this process, natural additives extracted from plants, such as algae, fungi, and fruits, are used to improve color, texture, and flavor, reduce contamination, and extend shelf life. Synthetic or artificial additives are substances not found in natural products and are used to reduce costs, preserve, and extend the product's shelf life (Lankanayaka et al., 2024). Ultra-processed products involve several steps and different processes, such as the fractionation or grinding of whole foods into substances (sugar, oil, fat, protein, starches, and fiber), hydrolysis and hydrogenation (fats), extrusion (compounds), and the addition of colors, flavors, and emulsifiers to create a hyperpalatable product with sophisticated packaging (synthetic materials) (Monteiro et al., 2019). Generally, the most commonly used ingredients in ultra-processed products are sugar, flavors/colors, and emulsifiers. Typically, the product label contains information about the ingredients, in accordance with each country's laws. It is noted that the list contains characteristic ingredients not used in home cooking or classes of additives, as noted by Monteiro et al. (2019), such as hydrolysates, isolated soy protein, gluten, casein, whey protein, "mechanically separated meat", fructose, fructose syrup, corn syrup, syrup, fruit juice concentrate, sucrose, maltodextrin, dextrose, lactose, soluble or insoluble fiber, interesterified oils or other protein sources. Industrialized and ultra-processed products make it possible to reduce product shortages, ensuring food security. However, according to Poore and Nemecek (2018), 26% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions result from the food chain and its supply chain. There is undoubtedly an academic silence regarding the effects of processed foods on climate change. The proliferation of ultra-processed foods (e.g., cookies, baked goods, chicken nuggets, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, margarine, etc.) in the global market is driven by convenience, artificial flavors, and high profits for food brands, without assessing their respective impacts on health and the environment. Packaging (solid waste) contains carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting properties that can cause environmental and health problems. The power of the food industry in the production of artificial/ultra-processed foods is evident in its influence over public policies (laws, academic trends, NGO and political advocacy) and over what can be cultivated, produced, marketed, and sold in international markets. Raising public awareness, in a situation of vulnerability to ultra-processed products, makes it difficult to reject them. Furthermore, the investment of advertising and marketing industries prioritizes society in terms of consumption rather than health and environmental protection. The issue of solid waste production is a very accessible problem, as laws protect the producer more than the consumer. In a materialistic society, in this case Mozambique, where the provision of basic necessities is a "diamond in the hands of the undeserving," the impacts and consequences of climate change have been relegated to the background. The great dilemma facing society and pressure groups is that everyone knows the reality, but no one is ready to face it or seriously confront it. Illusory discourse and activism are the most visible warnings, directed at the (in)guilty, the "injustice of justice." The good of the planet is publicized but not humanized, which leads to less effort being made to care for the only planet we have. While the enlightened class devotes itself to the consumption of artificial products, behavioral changes regarding malnutrition are only remembered when we are on the verge of diseases caused by artificial foods. Therefore, literate communication about ultra-processed products is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change. It is necessary to rethink the way advocacy is practiced, both for the "provocateur" and the "suspect" regarding the right to health and the environment. Literate and humanized communication should be seen as a means of achieving climate justice and health for society, regardless of social class. Organic solidarity, from Émile Durkheim's perspective, can generate interdependence and social cohesion that encourages everyone to do their part to achieve the common good.

2025/12/3