The Dispute over the Discursive Dominance of Ultra-processed Foods from the Perspective of Constructivist Market Studies
Keywords:
Ultra-processed foods, Constructivist market research, Discourse analysisAbstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze how the term “ultra-processed” is approached by different players in the food market, especially nutrition science professionals, government representatives, and the food industry. Method: Through interviews and document analysis, the data were analyzed using situational analysis, which is considered a new generation of grounded theory. Main results: The research indicated that two major visions dispute the discursive domain of ultra-processed foods. The nutrition discourse promotes public health, evidence-based food policies, and criticism of the excessive industrialization of food. It is firmly anchored in the concept of normative practices and representation. The technology discourse is based on the principles of food science and technology, arguing that all types of processing, including industrial ones, can be safe. It is more associated with transaction practices. Relevance/originality: The study shows how different actors dispute control of the discourse of the concept of ultra-processed food, affecting what is communicated to consumers and, consequently, their ability to make informed food choices, as well as understanding how the idea itself is constructed, disputed, and mobilized as an instrument of power and influence in the market. Theoretical contributions: The article treats the term “ultra-processed” as a performative sociotechnical device that directly affects the formation of value judgments, consumer behavior, and the organization of the market. It also shows that actors such as government and industry have extended calculative agency—equipped with power, technical knowledge, and discursive devices—capable of influencing consumers, who in turn have limited agency and depend on dominant discourses.
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