A major global report released this week linked ultra-processed foods to harm in every major human organ. For people in the US, the UK and Australia, these foods make up more than half the calories they consume each day.
But it’s not always easy to tell which foods are ultra-processed.
The term was coined in 2009 by researchers at the University of São Paulo, as part of their Nova food classification system that sorts foods into four groups:
Group one: unprocessed or minimally processed foods including whole fruits and vegetables, milk, oats and rice.
Group two: processed basic ingredients used in cooking including salt, sugar and vegetable oils.
Group three: processed foods made by adding items from groups one and two. Includes canned legumes, bread and cheese.
Group four: ultra-processed foods which are commercial products made from extracts of foods, often with added chemicals, flavours and other ingredients you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen.
While there can be health harms from an unbalanced diet of foods in any of the groups – for example, those containing too much salt – researchers say the problem with group four is that the processes used to make them and the industrial ingredients they contain mean they are not “real food” and are more likely to cause health problems.
But they can be hard to spot. A long ingredients list with names you don’t recognise (hello maltodextrin and soy lecithin) is a giveaway for ultra-processed foods.
If you’re unsure, the Open Food Facts app lets you search for products and see their category. In the meantime, test your knowledge of ultra-processed foods with our quiz.
Dining and Cooking