Processed and ultra-processed foods

The terms ‘processed’ and ‘ultra-processed’ are used to describe how a product has been made rather than how healthy it is. Processed and ultra-processed foods tend to be those which have been prepared by a variety of methods and contain several ingredients. Although there's no widely agreed definition, there are multiple ways to sort these foods based on their level of processing. One way is to use the NOVA classification system.

The term ‘ultra-processed’ is specific to the NOVA classification which was developed by scientists in Brazil, and groups foods into four different categories, based on their level of processing rather than the nutritional content:

• unprocessed or minimally processed foods, like fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish
• processed culinary ingredients, like oils, butter, sugar and salt
• processed foods, including tinned vegetables, canned fish, fruits in syrup, cheese and freshly made breads. These are essentially made by adding ingredients like, salt, oil, sugar and preservatives to unprocessed foods or culinary ingredients
• ultra-processed foods, including soft drinks, sweet and savoury packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products and pre-prepared frozen dishes. These are products made mostly or entirely from processed ingredients and additives such as colouring, artificial sweeteners, anti-caking agents and emulsifiers. The term ‘ultra-processed foods’ is specific to the NOVA classification system, but has become widely recognised and commonly used

It's worth noting that many healthy foods like wholemeal breads, canned fruits and vegetables, would fall into the processed or ultra-processed category alongside other products like infant formula. Processed and ultra-processed foods can also be cheap, convenient and have a long shelf life.

All of this can, understandably, be confusing and make it more difficult to make the best choice when you are doing your weekly shopping.

Processing is a vital part of ensuring the food we buy meets high safety standards. A key concern for many of us is the use of additives and substances such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours, antioxidants and flavours. However, these are covered by strict laws and require thorough safety assessments to check they are safe for people to eat before they can be used as an ingredient.

When new information about an additive’s safety arises, the additive is reassessed for its safety based on the latest scientific evidence.

There are several reasons why food additives and other substances are added, these include:

• preservatives which help to keep food safer for longer by slowing the growth of germs
• emulsifiers which help to mix or thicken the product
• sweeteners which are used to replace sugar in calorie-reduced foods
• food colourings which add or bring back colour to a food which was lost during processing
• antioxidants which stop fats within the product going bad or changing colour
• flavours which add or bring back flavours to a food which was lost during processing

Although there is evidence to suggest that eating lots of processed and ultra-processed foods is linked with poor health, we aren’t sure about the quality of this evidence.

A key issue is that we can’t yet be sure whether the health risks are linked to the processing itself, or because these foods are often also, high in calories, saturated fat, salt or sugars and/or low in fruit, vegetables, and fibre. However, the evidence of health harms from eating too much fat, sugar and salt is very clear, including higher risks for conditions such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

Our existing advice on how to achieve a healthy balanced diet, shown in the Eatwell Guide, emphasises the importance of reducing foods and drinks which are high in fat, sugar and/or salt. These kinds of foods make up around a quarter of our shopping basket and we know can cause problems for our health longer term. 

The Eatwell Guide advice can be applied to both adults and children from the age of 2. Foods and drinks marketed specifically for infants and young children are not needed to meet their nutritional requirements.

Evidence shows that the majority of ultra-processed foods are also high in fats, sugar and salt. So, by following the Eatwell Guide and reducing the amount of these foods we eat, we are likely to also reduce the amount of ultra-processed foods in our diet too. A win-win.

Right now, the places where we live and work often don't support us to easily access healthy food. There's lots of food and drink available that is high in calories, fat, sugar and salt which is convenient and has a long shelf life. We know that these foods are heavily advertised, marketed and promoted and that this can be encourage us to buy more, or simply buy things we weren’t intending to. To learn more about this, you can visit our page about the food environment. 

Looking at food labels can help you choose healthier options. Many products have a colour coded front of pack label which can help you compare products and find options which are lower in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugars. Try to choose products with more greens and ambers, and fewer reds on the label.

Find out more about nutritional labels.

A healthy and sustainable diet includes a wide range of foods and is an important part of feeling well and maintaining good health. Choosing healthier options can be a challenge, with busy schedules, jobs, tight budgets and other life pressures. However, our advice is here to help you with how to make small, manageable changes in ways that suit you. Our Eat Well, Your Way tool can help you find the advice you need.

Take out Eat Well, Your Way quiz.