Full Transcript
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRftuSXN1q0
[00:07] Hello.
[00:07] This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
[00:07] I'm Phil.
[00:12] And I'm Pippa.
[00:13] If you've eaten anything today, then it's likely that some of your food was ultra-processed – food containing artificial ingredients like additives and sweeteners.
[00:25] Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, from sliced bread to chocolate biscuits and crisps.
[00:30] They might taste good, but the bad news is that ultra-processed foods have been linked to poor health.
[00:36] They often contain lots of sugar and salt and have been linked to problems like obesity and diabetes.
[00:43] So, how can we tell what food is ultra-processed and what's not?
[00:48] Here's health reporter Annabel Rackham on BBC World Service programme What in the World?
[00:53] Ultra-processed foods are things that contain five or more ingredients, and things that you wouldn't find in your average kitchen.
[01:01] It's going to have things on there, like emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, dyes and sweeteners.
[01:07] Annabel describes ultra-processed foods
[01:09] As things containing ingredients you wouldn't find in your kitchen.
[01:14] Do you eat much ultra-processed food, Pippa, or do you try to avoid it?
[01:18] I used to eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, and now I try to cook everything myself and not eat things like chocolate and snacks all day.
[01:26] How about you?
[01:31] I think the same.
[01:32] I try to cook things using just normal ingredients, just so you know what's gone into it.
[01:37] In this episode, we'll be discussing ultra-processed food as well as learning some useful new vocabulary.
[01:44] And remember, there's also a quiz and worksheet available on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
[01:52] But now I have a question for you, Pippa.
[01:55] Fizzy drinks, like cola and lemonade, are another example of popular ultra-processed foods, but when were fizzy drinks invented?
[02:01] Was it: a) 1772, b) 1872, or c) 1972?
[02:14] Well, I think it was before 1972, but 1772 sounds like too early.
[02:23] So I'm going to say b) 1872.
[02:26] We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
[02:30] One reason for the popularity of ultra-processed food is convenience.
[02:35] Let's hear more from health reporter Annabel, who talks here with Hannah Gelbart, presenter of BBC World Service's What in the World.
[02:43] So, I do think convenience – it is the main issue there.
[02:46] And again, with a ready meal, you put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
[02:49] It's done.
[02:50] It's hot.
[02:50] It serves you.
[02:52] Whereas, you know, sometimes cooking a fresh meal from scratch – that can take a really long time.
[02:57] What's your ultra-processed guilty food?
[02:59] I'm a chocolate girl.
[03:00] A packet of biscuits – something like that.
[03:03] A cake.
[03:03] That is my...
[03:05] that's my guilty pleasure.
[03:06] Ultra-processed foods like ready meals are convenient.
[03:10] A ready meal is a meal from a supermarket that has already been prepared and can be heated up quickly in a microwave.
[03:17] That's a lot quicker and easier than cooking from scratch
[03:21] an idiom meaning to do something from the very beginning
[03:24] without using anything that's already been made.
[03:27] Even though ultra-processed foods are often unhealthy, they taste good.
[03:32] That's why Annabel calls chocolate her guilty pleasure.
[03:36] A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy but think you shouldn't
[03:40] and feel a little embarrassed about.
[03:43] Ultra-processed food is a tricky topic.
[03:46] We know these foods have been linked to poor health,
[03:49] but at the same time they're cheap, convenient and taste good.
[03:53] So, what should we do?
[03:55] Here's Hannah and Annabel discussing this for BBC programme
[03:58] What in the World:
[04:00] Is it OK for me to have a packet of crisps once in a while?
[04:03] Should we be cutting ultra-processed foods out of our diets completely,
[04:07] or is there a way for us to still enjoy them from time to time?
[04:10] I think the best thing to do is just not to panic.
[04:13] Everything is fine in moderation.
[04:16] Hannah asks if it's OK to eat ultra-processed foods once in a while,
[04:21] or from time to time.
[04:22] The phrases 'once in a while' and 'from time to time' mean occasionally – sometimes, but not very often.
[04:31] Annabel replies using the phrase, 'everything in moderation', which advises us that it's best to avoid too much of anything.
[04:39] That sounds sensible to me, and it also means I won't feel bad about eating chocolate now and then.
[04:45] OK. Pippa, it's time to reveal the answer to my question.
[04:49] Now, I asked you when fizzy drinks were invented.
[04:55] You said 1872.
[04:57] I'm afraid the correct answer was 1772.
[05:01] Apparently carbonated water was used to try to prevent scurvy on sea voyages.
[05:07] Wow, that is amazing.
[05:09] I wouldn't have thought it was that long ago.
[05:12] Right. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with ready meal – a meal from a supermarket that has already been prepared so you can heat it up quickly.
[05:21] If you do something from scratch, you do it from the very beginning.
[05:25] without using anything that's already been made.
[05:29] A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy but feel guilty or embarrassed about because you think you shouldn't do it.
[05:36] The phrases 'once in a while' and 'from time to time' mean occasionally – not very often.
[05:42] And finally, the phrase 'everything in moderation' is used to advise someone that it's best to avoid too much of anything.
[05:51] Once again, our six minutes are up, but if you're hungry for more, head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com, for more tasty topics and useful vocabulary.
[05:58] See you again soon.
[06:03] But for now, it's goodbye.
[06:05] Bye!