Processed food
Foods that have undergone industrial processes, ranked by degree of processing under the NOVA classification, with the ultra-processed level linked to documented health risks.
Processed food is not simply a matter of “industrial” versus “homemade”. The NOVA classification distinguishes four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, culinary ingredients (oil, salt, sugar), processed foods (tinned goods, bread, cheese) and ultra-processed foods.
It is the fourth group that causes concern. An ultra-processed food is recognised less by its nutritional composition than by the presence of ingredients that you would not find in your own kitchen: protein isolates, modified starches, glucose-fructose syrups, emulsifiers, flavourings and colourings.
Processed does not mean bad. Processing is also what makes foods safe, available and digestible: pasteurisation, freezing, fermentation, canning. Tinned vegetables or a sourdough loaf are perfectly good processed foods. Confusing “processed” with “ultra-processed” muddies a message that is otherwise simple.
Epidemiological studies link a high intake of ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms under discussion go beyond composition alone: high energy density, low satiating power, speed of eating and possible effects of certain additives on the microbiota.