What really goes into this iconic snack: students experiment
Ninety-three per cent of snack foods designed to appeal to Aussie children are ultra-processed. Now a student experiment has shown why that matters
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A beloved savoury snack had a big surprise in store for one group of Australian students in an unusual food science experiment. After attempting to make Twisties using supermarket ingredients and ordinary kitchen appliances, the end result was unexpected.
The Adelaide University nutrition students tried recreating the iconic treat using corn, cheese and rice flour to make the batter, dropping the cheesy morsels into a deep fryer, but they soon discovered there’s more than what meets the eye in such an ultra-processed food.
Nutrition and food sciences lecturer Dr Nina Wilson said while the students did really well, the final product still smelled and tasted quite different.
“The overall taste is different,” Dr Wilson said. “It almost tastes like a different type of snack, not like ... Twisties. And also the crunch, you can’t quite get the crunch right.
“Ultra-processed foods typically rely on industrial* ingredients, additives* and specialised manufacturing* processes that simply aren’t available in the average kitchen.”
Industrial ingredients are used to enhance flavour and change the texture of these foods, while added preservatives extend shelf life, making them appealing to people who don’t have access to or don’t choose fresh food, Dr Wilson said.
Ultra-processed foods include anything from lollies, soft drinks, chips and biscuits, processed meats and even protein bars.
HOW TO SPOT ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS
For kids keen to improve their knowledge and help their family make healthier food choices, Dr Wilson’s hot tip was to read the full list of ingredients on the back of packaged snacks. In particular, look out for any items that you don’t recognise or understand, she said.
Coming off a shelf and having a long life before expiring are other key indicators that a food item is likely ultra-processed. Whole foods like fruits and vegetables are fairly obvious because they’re either sold fresh as perishable* items, or bagged and frozen to extend their life.
If you’re keen to experiment, a parent or teacher could help you try recreating potato chips.
A more eye-opening experience like the Twisties experiment was recreating gummy sweets. These popular lollies are “pretty tricky” to make at home, Dr Wilson said.
“They are often a lot softer” when made at home, Dr Wilson said. “They’re not quite as firm, in terms of the gumminess … there are ways to create that sourness, but it might not taste quite the same. The colour might not quite hit the mark.”
About 81 per cent of new food products released in Australia since 2016 are considered ultra-processed. Even more concerning is that 93 per cent of those foods for children aged five to 12 fall into the same ultra-processed category.
Associate Professor Evangeline Mantzioris said the Twisties experiment was “an eye-opening experience”.
“And once you’ve tried making a Twistie from scratch, you may never look at the packet quite the same way again,” Assoc. Prof Mantzioris said.
“It’s unrealistic to expect people to completely eliminate* ultra-processed foods from their diets, but even small swaps can make a difference.”
Packet snacks are a great starting point. They can be replaced with fruits and nuts, or homemade bites, so the amount of ultra-processed foods going into your body is minimal and you get all the key nutrients through your whole foods.
WHERE DOES OUR FOOD COME FROM?
The Adelaide University student experiment comes just weeks after new research revealed significant gaps in Australian children’s understanding of where their food comes from.
In a survey of 509 Aussie kids aged between five and nine years old, 20 per cent thought supermarkets could restock shelves without farmers, and 15 per cent believed hot chips come from McDonald’s instead of farm-grown potatoes.
More than one in four children who were surveyed by Norco also thought the process of making an ice cream started in a factory, not on a dairy farm with cows.
Founder of agricultural education initiative George the Farmer, Simone Kain said the results were concerning. Understanding the origin of different food products helps children make healthy choices as adults, she said.
“We don’t need every child to become a farmer but every child needs to eat,” Ms Kain said. “Understanding where food comes from should be part of growing up. If a child understands that a potato grows in the ground, that milk starts with a dairy cow and that fruit and vegetables are grown by farmers, they can begin to understand the difference between fresh, minimally processed foods and highly processed products.”
An educated generation of kids would also be better able to understand and appreciate all the jobs needed to produce the country’s food and fibre* we all rely on, Ms Kain said.
Next time you’re helping a parent or guardian with the weekly shop, take a closer look at some of the food items stacked on the shelves and the fresh whole foods section and test yourself on how much you know about where those foods have come from. Do that and you’ve already taken your first step toward making healthier choices for life.
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GLOSSARY
- ultra-processed: food that has gone through industrial processes and has a lot of ingredients, many of those ingredients aren’t used in standard kitchens, highly processed food
- industrial ingredients: used to make large quantities of a product that usually has a long shelf life, ingredients that are not used in everyday cooking in household kitchens, things like artificial sweeteners, food colour, and powdered cheese and eggs
- additives: a substance added in products to improve taste, texture, and freshness.
- manufacturing process: process of making and producing things, usually includes machinery
- perishable: food items that spoil, rot, and go bad in a short time if not refrigerated
- eliminate: to remove and get rid of
- Norco: Australia’s oldest farmer-owned dairy company
- fibre: carbohydrates that are found in plant-based food, they support digestion, found in vegetables, fruits and nuts
EXTRA READING
Chemicals found in our fresh food
Butter vs. margarine: bad or best?
What makes a healthy milk drink?
QUICK QUIZ
- What did students use in the Twisties experiment?
- Why is it important to know where your food comes from?
- What’s inside ultra-processed foods?
- What percentage of children didn’t know where the hot chips come from?
- What experiment did Dr Wilson suggest for kids to try at home?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Farm to fork
Look at the food items listed below and write where they originate from and the process they go through to get onto your plate and into your mouth!
- Potato chips
- Bread
- Cheese
- Yoghurt
- Chocolate
- Apple juice
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking.
2. Extension
Grab some packaged food from lunch boxes and examine the following;
- The ingredients list
- The nutrition information panel
- Serving size
- Allergen information
- Storage instructions
- Best-before or use-by information
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and Creative Thinking.
VCOP ACTIVITY
I spy nouns
Nouns are places, names (of people and objects), and time (months or days of the week).
How many nouns can you find in the article?
Can you sort them into places, names and time?
Pick three nouns and add an adjective (describing word) to the nouns.