Ultra-processed foods. Highly processed foods. Processed foods. All terms we’re hearing more often as research continues to link ultra-processed food, or UPF, to diseases like cancer, depression and even dementia.
Sometimes, it even seems like the terms are used interchangeably – but they’re not the same.
When it comes to our health, processed food isn’t the problem. For many of us, food processing is what makes healthy eating possible.
UPF are different. They’re often designed to make people eat more than they need, and they’re associated with less healthy diets and worse health outcomes.
Here’s how to tell them apart.
Most foods are processed – and that’s fine
Almost all of the food we eat is processed in some way – whether it’s cut, canned, heated, frozen, or a combination of these technologies. Processing makes food safer to eat and easier to transport, store and cook. It’s often essential to getting the nutrition we need.
These are just a few examples of processed food:
- Bananas that are washed, sorted and shipped in temperature-controlled containers before they’re ripened and sold in stores.
- Milk that gets tested for pathogens, separated by fat content, heated or pasteurized, and homogenized before being packaged into cartons or bottles. Yogurt can also be made from milk and active bacteria cultures.
- Nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts whose shells are removed before they are dried and sorted. Some varieties are also roasted before being packaged and can be ground into peanut butter containing just peanuts and salt.
You might also hear these foods described as “minimally processed.”
The problem is UPF
Food and beverages that are ultra-processed are typically made in industrial settings with ingredients you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen. UPF also often contain high amounts of sugar, salt or fat. These food items are designed to make people want to eat more of them – an effect so powerful it resembles addiction.
Experts now point to UPF as one of the leading drivers of chronic disease.
Many UPF fit the definition of what people typically think of as junk food:
- Baked goods like packaged cookies, cakes and doughnuts
- Drinks like soda, energy drinks and heavily sweetened ice teas
- Salty snacks like potato chips, cheese puffs and flavored crackers
- Sweets like candy bars, sour candies and ice cream
This category of food also includes many foods and drinks that use artificial sweeteners to advertise themselves as “low calorie” or “zero sugar” alternatives.
But sometimes UPF don’t look like junk food at all. Household staples like bread, breakfast cereal, yogurt and frozen meals can be ultra-processed, too.
When you’re not sure, it can help to take a closer look at the ingredient list for UPF flags.
- Bread. A basic minimally processed bread contains flour, water, yeast and salt. Many store-bought breads are UPF, because they use additives like dough conditioners, emulsifiers and sweeteners, which aid in large-scale industrial processing. They’re also often made with enriched or refined flour that is stripped of key nutrients like fiber.
- Breakfast cereal. Many types of breakfast cereal – particularly those marketed to kids – contain artificial colors and flavors and are high in added sugar. Cereal can also contain preservatives like BHA and BHT and texturizers or emulsifiers to make it crispy or crunchy. Like bread, breakfast cereal is often made with highly processed grain.
- Yogurt. Plain, minimally processed yogurt typically contains cultured milk or milk and active bacteria cultures. Many flavored yogurts, including those marketed as “zero sugar,” contain additives used to add color, taste and texture, as well as added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- Frozen meals and snacks. Frozen and prepared meals often contain multiple additives that help them keep their color, smell, texture and taste when they’re reheated. These products can also contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fat.
- Processed meat. Hot dogs, sausages and deli meats are almost always UPF, but they remain a staple ingredient of many sandwiches, pastas, pizzas and other main dishes – despite evidence they are linked to higher cancer risk. They’re also typically high in salt and may contain additives like sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.
- Spreads, sauces and condiments. Ketchup and barbecue sauce, creamy store-bought dressings, and cheese sauces and dips are often ultra-processed. Ingredient lists can include artificial colors and flavors, natural flavors, emulsifiers and thickeners, as well as added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
For most people, it isn’t realistic to completely cut out ultra-processed foods. You can see some health benefits by starting with small shifts in your diet.
Choosing less processed food
In the absence of federal action, some non-UPF certifications are emerging to help consumers identify less processed alternatives to UPF.
States are also weighing options for tackling UPF. Last year, California enacted a law to remove the most harmful UPF from school meals.
In the meantime, there are some practical steps consumers can take to shop more confidently.
One approach is to check ingredient lists and nutrition facts, typically located on the back of food packaging. Here are three things you can usually see at a glance:
- Ingredients. Shorter lists of ingredients you might find in your kitchen
- Nutrition. Preferably less than 5% to 10% of your daily value, also called DV on food packaging nutrition labels, for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium
- Serving size. An amount you’ll realistically eat in one sitting.
For more guidance, EWG’s Food Scores is a useful resource, rating more than 150,000 foods and beverages based on nutrition, ingredients and level of processing. Food Scores also flags UPF and can point shoppers toward healthier alternatives.
Those shopping on the go can turn to EWG's Healthy Living app.
