Most of the food we eat has been processed in some way.
Freezing vegetables, pasteurizing milk, grinding oats or baking bread are all forms of food processing.
That does not make these foods unhealthy.
Ultra-processed foods are different.
The term is most commonly used within the NOVA food classification system, which groups foods according to the nature, extent and purpose of their processing.
Ultra-processed foods are typically industrial formulations made from multiple ingredients. They often contain substances that are rarely used in a home kitchen, such as modified starches, protein isolates, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, colors or artificial sweeteners.
Common examples can include:
soft drinks and many energy drinks
packaged confectionery and sweet snacks
many packaged cakes, biscuits and desserts
instant noodles and some ready meals
some processed meat products
many sweetened breakfast cereals
some packaged breads and snack products
But there is an important distinction.
Processed and ultra-processed do not mean the same thing.
Canned beans, frozen vegetables, plain yogurt, traditional cheese, canned fish and freshly made bread have all undergone processing. They should not automatically be grouped together with ultra-processed foods.
This matters because large studies have consistently found that diets containing greater amounts of ultra-processed foods are associated with less favorable long-term health outcomes, including higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and premature death.
However, ultra-processed foods are a broad category. Their nutritional composition varies considerably. Researchers are still investigating how much of the observed risk is related to processing itself and how much reflects factors such as energy density, added sugars, sodium, low fiber content, food structure and overall dietary quality.
For everyday health, the practical message is straightforward.
The goal is not to avoid every food that comes in a package. It is to build most of your diet around vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and other minimally processed foods, while limiting foods that are highly processed and nutritionally poor.
