Ultraprocessed foods––they’re everywhere. But what are they?

Mirabel Ge

Overwhelming research proves the danger of ultraprocessed foods— are they really as bad as they seem?

Ultraprocessed food: the buzzword that has been bolded in capitalized letters, forced into front headlines by media frenzy, and dominated the spotlight in health and wellness conversations. What does this term actually mean? The term “ultraprocessed food” was coined in the 2000s by Brazilian epidemiologist Carlos Monterio. It was defined within Monterio’s new food classification system, called NOVA (a name, not an acronym), which accounted for how food is processed in its nutritional analysis (1). While there is still no single definition, the consensus among researchers seems to be that ultraprocessed foods are packaged foods that undergo extreme refinement and contain industrially manufactured ingredients, rather than whole foods (2). The actual “processing” of foods is characterized by any technique that fundamentally changes the nature of an agricultural product. Because of this, ultraprocessed foods cannot be made in a kitchen due to physical and chemical alterations by industrial processes (3). For example, a bag of potato chips from the grocery store can be characterized as ultraprocessed because the potatoes have been chemically manipulated with additives. Some foods that are considered ultraprocessed are: mass produced bread, boxed breakfast cereals, packaged chips, and pre-prepared meals. Processed foods—just one rung down on the food classification scale—include items such as packaged vegetables, flour, and homemade bread. The delineating factor between processed and ultraprocessed foods is the ingredients. Processed foods are modified for durability and taste but are still composed of whole foods, while ultraprocessed foods have significantly more refined ingredients made specifically for industrial production. An easy example is bread. Homemade bread contains flour, water, salt, and yeast. On the other hand, store-bought bread has a myriad of stabilizers, preservatives, and enzymes in addition to its fundamental ingredients to ensure its shelf life, easy manufacturing, and palatability. 

NOVA classification of the four food categories on the scale of processing (8)

The panic surrounding ultraprocessed food is not unwarranted. In a 2020 overview of dozens of studies done on ultraprocessed foods, the analysis found that diets containing high proportions of ultraprocessed foods were strongly tied with obesity, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, type-2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, cancer, and 26 other serious health conditions (4). A recent study indicates that just increasing the ultraprocessed food in a person’s diet by 10% causes significantly higher risks of cognitive impairments and stroke (5). The unnatural additives in ultraprocessed foods create disruptions in the gut’s microbiome (microorganisms that live in an environment— gut-healthy bacteria, in this case) that can lead to inflammatory diseases which permit the flow of toxins and inflammatory molecules into the bloodstream and brain. Furthermore, these additives cause increased cortisol levels that imitate chronic stress, which also impacts memory and executive performance greatly(5). 

The unending list of health conditions attached to ultraprocessed foods has only grown, yet there has been little consideration allotted to making a change. With new research, the negative effects of ultraprocessed foods are resoundingly undisputable. However, the plethora of articles splashed across the internet will not bring about change overnight, especially if there are no alterations made to current food systems. Ultraprocessed foods make up more than half of the total dietary energy consumed in high-income countries, such as America (7). Because they are so readily available, and thus, a deeply embedded part of society, it is pointless to implore newspaper readers to simply “take action.” For most Americans, ultraprocessed foods serve as cheap and convenient sources of energy, and telling them to completely eradicate it from their lives is unrealistic— a mom with two kids and a full-time job does not have the luxury to spend hours preparing a meal, so she resorts to fast food. While it is easy to believe that all diets are a result of choice, many lifestyles and routines create limits. Because of this, rather than simply telling people to remove all ultraprocessed foods from their life, it is more impactful to increase public knowledge on nutrition by simplifying information. Instead of a sophisticated article that is ambiguously worded, it might be useful to begin with the basics— what are the core nutrients that humans need to function, and what are some good sources of food to get them? Sharing quick and easy home-cooked recipes that do not require large budgets is one way to propose alternatives for those who rely on ultraprocessed foods for convenience. 

The 21st century is a time marked by pushing the boundaries of science, and in turn, we currently understand more about the human body than ever before. Plastic-wrapped and industrially created foods—found in almost every aisle of a local grocery store— are certainly detrimental to our health, and those same foods will never be taken off of shelves without collaboration. 

References 

  1. American Heart Association News. (2020, January 29). Processed vs. ultra-processed food, and why it matters to your health. Www.heart.org. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/01/29/processed-vs-ultra-processed-food-and-why-it-matters-to-your-health
  2. Elizabeth, L., Machado, P., Zinöcker, M., Baker, P., & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra-Processed Foods and Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 12(7). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071955
  3. McManus, K. D. (2020, January 9). What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for our health? Harvard Health Blog; Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605
  4. MD, A. E. B. (2024, June 17). Ultra-processed foods? Just say no. Harvard Health. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ultra-processed-foods-just-say-no-202406173051

5 & 6. Monteiro, C. A. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936–941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762

7. Nicola Morea. (2021, March 25). ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS: NOVA CLASSIFICATION. Food Compliance Solutions; Mérieux NutriSciences. Retrieved from https://regulatory.mxns.com/en/ultra-processed-foods-nova-classification

8. NOVA Food Classification. (2023). The Urban Co-Op. Retrieved from https://www.theurbanco-op.ie/blogs/nova-food-classification

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