What is food ultra-processing?

Food ultra-processing means the intensive industrial processing of natural products involving a large number of extra ingredients, such as preservatives, colorants, flavors, sweeteners and other food additives. Key features of ultra-processed products:

High level of processing. Products undergo multiple processing stages that change their original structure and composition.

Extra ingredients. The use of components that are rarely found in traditional cuisine in order to enhance the taste, consistency and shelf life of the products.

Low nutritional value. Such products are often high in calories, although containing few vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Potential health effects. Excessive consumption has the potential to promote obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

This term is used in the NOVA (Natural, Oxygenated, and Vegetable) food classification system, which defines natural, minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed foods.

Thus, food ultra-processing is the production technique that allows making products with a long shelf life and convenient consumption, that often comes along with a deterioration in their nutritional value.

 

These are some examples of the most common ultra-processed products:

• Sugary drinks

Sodas, power drinks, sweetened juices.

• Snacks and chips

Chips, salty snacks, crackers.

• Fast food

Burgers, pizza, french fries, hot dogs.

• Ready-to-eat refrigerated meals and semi-finished products

Meals requiring minimal cooking but containing plenty of artificial additives.

• Pastries and confectionery

Cookies, candy, chocolate, sweets with artificial flavors and colors.

• Prepackaged breakfasts and bars

Cereals, muesli with added sweeteners, protein bars.

• Processed meat products

Sausages, smoked meat, canned meat products.

 

These foods often contain a lot of additional ingredients and are subjected to numerous technological processes, which reduces their nutritional value compared to minimally processed foods.