Ultra processed foods will generally contain ingredients and will be made with tools and machinery that you would never find in your kitchen. Bread is a great example. A loaf of bread is a processed food, but what separates it from an ultra processed loaf is the ingredients that go beyond flour, water, yeast and salt. The most widely used research framework for defining ultra processed foods is the NOVA classification system, developed by Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro at the University of São Paulo. However, it remains a research tool rather than official UK policy, and is not without its critics.
UPFs now exist in pretty much every supermarket category across the UK. Sauces, fridge, freezer, tinned, sweet treats, savoury treats. They are not hard to find once you know what you are looking for. Compare a basic loaf of bread to a UPF loaf asking the same questions. To make E282 (calcium propionate) you… no idea. To make E471 you… again, no idea. That question became my rule: ‘Does that ingredient need to be in there?’ It’s how I separate the UPF from the non-UPF.
Where does the term "ultra processed" come from?
The term was coined in 2009 by Brazilian nutrition researcher Professor Carlos Monteiro and his team at the University of São Paulo. Monteiro observed that even as traditional nutrients like fat and sugar declined in the Brazilian diet, rates of obesity and diet-related disease continued to rise. His conclusion was that the type of food and how industrially it had been manufactured mattered as much as its nutrient content.
This led to the development of the NOVA classification system, which groups all food into four categories by degree of processing. From unprocessed whole foods at one end to ultra processed industrial formulations at the other. It remains the most widely cited framework in academic research on this subject, though as I noted above, it is a research tool rather than official UK policy.
What makes a food ultra processed?
The NOVA guidance splits food into four groups.
Group 1: Unprocessed and minimally processed food
Group 1 is unprocessed or minimally processed food. These are the foods you would buy direct from a farmer, a butcher, or could grow in your garden. The minimally processed here refers to the removal of inedible or unwanted parts, and extends to drying, crushing, pasteurisation, vacuum packing and freezing so long as no extra ingredients are added.
Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients
Group 2 contains the processed culinary ingredients. These are extracted and purified versions of group 1 foods. Think oils, butter, sugar, salt and flour. They are all from natural sources but require a bit more work to make them into our everyday ingredients. Oils you need to squeeze, butter needs to be churned and flour needs to be ground.
Group 3: Processed food
Group 3 are the processed foods. The foods that we eat but require a combination of foods from group 1 and 2. In this category you would include bread, cheese, cured meats and tinned fish. These foods still contain a limited number of ingredients but they are the foods you could replicate in your own home kitchen. These are the foods where the original food remains recognisable.
Group 4: Ultra processed food
Group 4 are your ultra processed foods. Here is where we find the e-numbers, the additives, stabilisers, firming agents, flavourings and preservatives. These ingredients are used to extend shelf life, artificially improve flavour and hold the product together. These ingredients do things that no home cooking ingredients ever could.
It’s at this point I ask the question: does that ingredient need to be in there?
What are common ultra processed foods in the UK?
Ultra processed foods now exist across almost every category of food. The most common place to find these foods is in the snacks aisle. Chocolate, sweets and crisps. Most people’s kryptonite. Made to be irresistible, easy and quick to eat. The frozen isle is another one. Convenience food, made to be chucked in the oven for a fast midweek meal generally contains UPF ingredients. Chicken nuggets, chips, waffles, fish fingers and more may contain these ingredients. And finally the chilled section. Your fruit and veg are sitting in group 1 but what about the pizza, the stuffed pasta, the microwavable lasagne. Unfortunately these do not stand up to scrutiny and will generally contain lots of ingredients you are trying to avoid.
So what do you do? That’s the million dollar question because the number of options out there seem to be getting fewer and fewer. And this was the thing that really surprised me before starting Floruna Life. You want to find the best food for your family. We all do. But the supermarkets are not helping you achieve that goal. We are getting busier and busier day by day it seems.
Convenience food certainly is convenient. But why isn’t it healthy as well? Food is supposed to nourish.
Are all processed foods ultra processed?
The short answer is no. Ultra processed defines foods which no longer resemble the ingredients that were put into it. Once again bread comes onto the scene because you would be right in saying bread doesn’t look like wheat, yeast and salt. This is where the second part of the definition becomes important. This rule boils down to, do you recognise the ingredients? If not, it’s probably a UPF.
Is it as simple as that?
Possibly not. Earlier I said tinned and jarred foods sit in group 3. So why does a tin of chopped tomatoes contain citric acid? You can find citric acid in group 4 food but for chopped tomatoes it’s ok? This was my stumbling block as well and it’s where the NOVA scale needs refining. Citric acid in chopped tomatoes is generally considered ok becasue it is only one such ingredient in the tin. For the brand, it’s there to preserve the food and enhance colour and flavour. One ingredient compared to the tens in UPF food is absolutely the lesser of two evils, but it leads onto another question.
Does it need to be in there?
No. Other brands are successful and produce chopped tomatoes without citric acid. This leads to the final question. Why is it really in there? In my opinion the answer comes down to profit margins. Preserve a tin of chopped tomatoes with citric acid and you can ask a factory to produce 10 million tins and negotiate a much lower cost per unit. Without it, you can only produce 1 million tins making the cost per unit higher.
How do you spot ultra processed foods on a label?
To spot these ingredients, you will need to take an extra moment while you are shopping. Let’s take coconut milk as an example. When I pick up a product and take a look at the ingredients, I ask “Does that ingredient need to be in there?” Does coconut milk need stabilisers, emulsifiers and antioxidants? The answer? Nope. There are other brands that make it without.
This simple question is the difference between a product which you pick up because you always have and trust the brand, than choosing a product that is genuinely UPF free.
- Pick up the product.
- Ask, does that ingredient need to be in there?
- Does another brand make this product without the ingredient?
For more detail on how we select products for Floruna Life and how you can take this knowledge on your next shop, get our free guide today.
Why does it matter?
Research shows these foods can change how we behave and act. They can control our satiation, causing us to overeat without thinking. They may cause behavioural issues in children. There is also early evidence suggesting a link between UPFs and depression and anxiety.
As a child I was unable to eat ultra processed foods. They caused hyperactivity, night terrors, vomiting and breathing difficulties. Flavourings, additives, preservatives. Doctors dismissed it entirely. But my mum’s health visitor had seen the patterns before and once these ultra processed foods were removed, my mum described the change like flicking a switch. All my ailments disappeared and I was back to normal.
Not everyone is going to experience the reactions I had to these foods. I hope most people don’t. But the bigger question is: why are we happy to eat food that now contains so little food?
This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your GP if you have health concerns.
Finding food without the nasties
At Floruna Life I have done the hard work for you. I have read the labels of every product we stock and found the best alternatives to what you’d find on the supermarket shelf. If you’re not sure where to start we have bundled up our everyday items so you can shop easily and with confidence.
Not sure where to begin? Our free No Nasties Shopping Guide shows you exactly how to find UPF-free food on your next supermarket shop.
Already convinced? Browse our everyday bundles with every product personally vetted and no nasties guaranteed.
FAQs
What is the difference between processed and ultra processed food?
Processed food combines natural ingredients in ways you could replicate at home. Bread, cheese, tinned fish and cured meats are good examples. Ultra processed food contains ingredients and uses industrial processes that no home kitchen could replicate. The simplest test: do you recognise every ingredient on the label?
Is bread ultra processed?
Not necessarily. A loaf made from flour, water, yeast and salt is a processed food under the NOVA classification. A loaf containing emulsifiers, dough conditioners and preservatives such as calcium propionate (E282) is ultra processed. Always check the label.
Is Weetabix ultra processed?
Under the NOVA classification system, Weetabix is generally considered ultra processed due to the presence of additives beyond its core ingredients. NOVA has been criticised for placing nutritionally different products in the same category. The better question is always the same one. Does every ingredient in the product need to be there?
Are ultra processed foods bad for you?
Research consistently associates high UPF consumption with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and poor mental health. Current evidence shows an association rather than confirmed causation and the NHS has not issued formal guidance using the NOVA classification. The evidence is however significant enough to warrant attention.
Which ultra processed foods are the worst?
Products that combine high levels of additives with high sugar, salt and saturated fat are considered the most problematic. Soft drinks, packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products and instant noodles are frequently cited in research. The degree of processing matters as much as any single ingredient.
How do I identify ultra processed ingredients on a label?
Look for ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen. Emulsifiers, stabilisers, firming agents, artificial flavourings and preservatives. If you cannot answer the question “how would I make this ingredient at home?” it is likely an ultra processed additive. Our free No Nasties Shopping Guide walks you through the full process.
