Understanding processed foods: From minimal to ultra-processed and their impact on health
Learn how to read labels and make healthier choices for your diet.
Understand the impact of ultra-processed foods on global health and nutrition. Photo: Shutterstock Processed foods have been blamed for the rise in people having excessive fat, high blood pressure and diabetes. But what are these foods, and are they bad for you?
Defining processed foods
According to the US Department of Agriculture, processed foods are raw agricultural products that have been changed from their original state. This includes washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurising, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing or packaging.
While processing includes basic steps like washing, foods become ultra-processed when they contain preservatives – a substance used to preserve food – and flavourings. It also includes other food additives – a substance added to something in small quantities to improve or maintain it – such as salt, sugars and fats.
Ranking foods from minimally to ultra-processed
Here’s how the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ranks processed foods from minimally to mostly or ultra-processed:
Minimally processed foods, such as fresh blueberries, cut vegetables and roasted nuts, prepped for convenience.
Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality, including canned tomatoes, tuna, frozen fruit or vegetables.
Foods with ingredients added for flavour and texture, such as sweeteners, spices, oils, colours and preservatives. These include pasta sauce in jars, salad dressing and yogurt.
Ready-to-eat foods like crackers, chips and deli meat, which are more heavily processed.
Ultra-processed foods include sweetened breakfast cereals, soda, energy drinks, artificially flavoured crackers and potato chips, chicken nuggets and hot dogs.
Minimally processed foods have a place in healthy diets. For example, low-fat milk, wholegrain bread, precut vegetables and fresh-cut greens are considered healthy processed foods. Canned fruits packed in water or natural fruit juice can be part of a healthy diet when fresh fruit isn’t readily available. Dairy- and plant-based milk and juices may be beneficial due to their vitamin D and calcium properties, while breakfast cereals may have added fibre.
Reading the labels
When choosing foods, study ingredient lists and nutrition facts labels. Watch for hidden sugars, fats and salt, especially those added during processing.
Most labels now include added sugars. These include maltose, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey and fruit juice concentrate.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety recommend limiting to 50 grams of sugar in a 2,000-calorie diet (see graphic).
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In processed foods, manufacturers have already added salt, and it’s often too much. Look for low- or reduced-sodium foods. Also, try washing canned vegetables with water to remove some of the salt.
When checking label fat content, choose foods lower in saturated and trans fats.
What else can I do to eat more healthily?
Consider healthy swaps, such as wholegrain cereal with no added sugar instead of highly processed, sugary cereals. Choose wholegrain, high-fibre bread over white bread products. When seeking a healthy snack, eat fresh fruit or vegetables instead of crackers, potato chips or cookies.