More than half of the energy (calories) an average person consumes comes from ultra-processed foods. While convenient and heavily marketed, research indicates these foods can negatively impact our health. So, what is considered ultra-processed food and how can we minimize our intake?
Understanding Ultra-Processed Food
The term “ultra-processed foods” stems from the NOVA food classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. This system categorizes food based on the extent of processing involved in their production.
Here’s a breakdown of the four NOVA categories:
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Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods: This category includes natural foods like fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts, and seeds. These foods either have no added ingredients or undergo minimal alterations from their natural state.
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Processed Culinary Ingredients: These ingredients, such as salt, sugar, and oils, are typically added to other foods rather than consumed on their own.
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Processed Foods: These foods combine ingredients from groups 1 and 2 and are altered in ways that are achievable through home cooking methods. Examples include jam, pickles, tinned fruits and vegetables, homemade bread, and cheeses.
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Ultra-Processed Foods: This is where the key question of What Is Considered Ultra Processed Food is answered. Ultra-processed foods generally contain multiple ingredients rarely found in a home kitchen. They often include additives and ingredients not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and artificial colors and flavors. These foods are designed for long shelf life and immediate consumption.
Alt text: Ultra-processed packaged cookies displayed on a store shelf.
Examples of Ultra-Processed Foods
Common examples of ultra-processed foods include:
- Ham and sausages
- Mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, and instant soups
- Chips and biscuits
- Ice cream and fruit-flavored yogurts
- Carbonated drinks and some alcoholic beverages like whisky, gin, and rum.
The Potential Health Concerns of Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods are often high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Consuming them regularly can displace more nutritious foods from our diets. Furthermore, the additives in these foods have been suggested as potential contributors to adverse health effects.
The processing methods themselves may also impact how our bodies respond to these foods. For example, studies have shown that our bodies absorb less fat from whole nuts than from ground nuts where the oils are released. Another emerging theory suggests that diets rich in ultra-processed foods may negatively influence gut health.
Further research is needed to isolate and understand the specific elements of ultra-processed foods that may be detrimental to our health. Is it a single ingredient, a combination of ingredients, or the overall dietary pattern associated with consuming these foods? It’s also difficult to determine whether the issue stems from the foods themselves or from the broader lifestyle often linked to a diet high in ultra-processed foods.
However, given the high levels of salt, sugar, and saturated fat commonly found in these foods, reducing their consumption appears prudent.
Ultra-Processed Foods: The Not-So-Obvious Culprits
While items like chips and sugary drinks are readily identifiable as ultra-processed, some everyday items are less obvious. Breakfast cereals and mass-produced packaged bread, for instance, often contain added emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colors and flavors, classifying them as ultra-processed.
One critique of the NOVA system is that it groups foods like these, which can be part of a healthy diet, alongside less nutritious ultra-processed options like pre-prepared meals, sausages, nuggets, sweets, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and pre-prepared chips.
Plant-based meat and cheese substitutes also fall into the ultra-processed category and may not be as healthy as their marketing suggests.
Despite its limitations, the NOVA system remains widely used in research and has helped establish a correlation between diets high in ultra-processed foods and poorer health outcomes.
Is Cheese Considered Ultra-Processed?
Most traditionally made dairy cheeses, such as Cheddar, Brie, mozzarella, and Edam, are classified as processed foods due to methods like pasteurization, fermentation, or aging.
Ultra-processed cheeses include cheese slices, spreads, some shredded cheeses, and flavored cheeses. These are industrially processed and often contain added fats, sugars, and salt, as well as ingredients not typically found in home kitchens, such as preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and artificial colorings.
Vegetarian and vegan cheeses can also be ultra-processed due to the ingredients and additives used to mimic the taste and texture of dairy cheese.
Traditional cheeses, consumed in moderation, can be a healthy source of calcium and protein. To avoid ultra-processed options, choose traditional cheeses like Cheddar in a block and slice it yourself. However, remember that cheese can be high in salt and saturated fat, so limit your intake to a matchbox-sized portion (around 30g) per day.
Alt text: A block of cheddar cheese with a knife, representing minimally processed cheese.
Should You Eliminate Ultra-Processed Foods Entirely?
While minimizing ultra-processed food intake is advisable, completely eliminating them may not be realistic for everyone due to time and budget constraints.
Although growing evidence suggests potential links between ultra-processed foods and negative effects on heart health and circulation, current research limitations prevent definitive dietary recommendations.
Instead of complete elimination, focus on balancing your diet. Incorporate minimally processed foods like fruits and vegetables, and choose water over sugary drinks. Make time for home cooking when possible.
Remember that not all ultra-processed foods are equal. When including them in your diet, opt for options with more nutritional value, such as wholegrain bread and cereals or baked beans, rather than crisps, sweets, or pizzas.
Develop the habit of reading food labels to identify and reduce foods high in sugar, salt, or saturated fat.
Practical Tips to Reduce Ultra-Processed Food Intake
Eating a lot of processed foods reduces space for healthier options like fruits and vegetables, fish, unsaturated oils, pulses, nuts, and seeds. Here are some simple swaps:
- Replace flavored yogurts with added sugar with plain yogurt and add your own fresh, frozen, or dried fruit.
- Instead of buying sauces or ready meals, cook larger batches at home and freeze portions for later.
- Opt for porridge with fruit and nuts instead of sugary, low-fiber breakfast cereals.
- Choose fresh, baked, or stewed fruit over shop-bought fruit pies or cakes.
- Snack on nuts instead of biscuits with your afternoon beverage.
Recent Research on Ultra-Processed Foods and Heart Health
Several studies have linked higher consumption of ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart attacks and strokes
- Early death
One study tracked 10,000 Australian women for 15 years and found that those with the highest ultra-processed food intake were 39% more likely to develop high blood pressure than those with the lowest intake.
Another analysis of 10 studies involving over 325,000 men and women showed that the highest consumers of ultra-processed food were 24% more likely to experience serious heart and circulatory events, including heart attacks, strokes, and angina. Each 10% increase in daily ultra-processed food intake was associated with a 6% increase in heart disease risk.
A 2019 study following 19,899 university graduates in Spain also found a connection between ultra-processed foods and early death risk. Participants were divided into groups based on their ultra-processed food intake. The highest intake group (more than 4 servings per day) was 62% more likely to have died after an average of 10.4 years compared to the lowest intake group (less than 2 servings per day).
These observational studies can only identify associations and cannot prove that ultra-processed foods directly cause negative health outcomes. Other factors could contribute to the observed correlations.
However, researchers in the Spanish and Australian studies found the same increased risks even after accounting for other dietary factors like saturated fat, salt, and sugar intake. This suggests that the processing itself may be harmful, rather than just the higher levels of unhealthy components.
BHF Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor emphasized the importance of interpreting observational studies cautiously and highlighted that the broad classification of ultra-processed foods means there could be various reasons for the observed links to health risks. Further research is crucial before making changes to dietary advice.
She reiterated the recommendation to adopt a Mediterranean-style diet rich in minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and wholegrains, alongside regular exercise and avoiding smoking, for lowering the risk of heart and circulatory disease.
Conclusion
Understanding what is considered ultra processed food is the first step towards making informed dietary choices. By focusing on minimally processed foods and being mindful of hidden ingredients in everyday items, you can strive towards a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
