The ultra-processed food challenge

30 July 2024 | Mike Adams, Product Innovation Lead

The term “ultra-processed food” (UPF) was first used by Professor Carlos Monteiro around 2009, as part of his work trying to understand the increasing obesity levels in Brazil. He coined the term UPF to describe foods and drinks that are:

characteristically formulated from ‘refined’ and ‘purified’ ingredients freed from the fibrous watery matrix of their original raw materials. They are formulated to be sensually appealing, hyper-palatable, and habit-forming, by the use of sophisticated mixtures of cosmetic and other additives, and state-of-the-craft packaging and marketing”

UPFs have become more prominent since, with the publication of numerous articles, books and television shows. Even bread has become a core product in the discussion.

As well as the media scrutiny around this subject, and its influence on consumer perceptions and desires, there is also a concern that the focus on the level of processing of products and ingredients may be at the detriment of a need to remain focussed on the nutritional value of products.

Information from research in this area is continuing to grow, and it will no doubt remain a hot topic for some time to come.

What is a UPF?

There is no universally agreed or official definition for ultra-processed foods, and there are multiple models for categorising them. Arguably the most well known classification is the NOVA system (defined by Professor Carlos Monteiro), which categorises all food products into one of four ‘groups’ – 1. ‘Unprocessed and minimally processed’, 2. ‘Processed culinary ingredients’, 3. ‘Processed’, and 4. ‘Ultra-processed’.

Class 1 (Unprocessed and minimally processed) –

• Removal of inedible parts
• No added substances
• Fresh, dry or frozen vegetables or fruit, grains, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds

Class 2 (Processed culinary ingredients) –

• Substances derived from Group 1 foods or nature by processes including pressing, refining, grinding, milling and drying
• Plant oils (eg olive, coconut), animal fats (eg butter, milk, cream), maple syrup, honey, sugar

Class 3 (Processed) –

• Processing of foods from Group 1 or 2 with the addition of oil, salt or sugar by means of canning, pickling, smoking, curing or fermentation
• Canned/pickled fruit and vegetables, artisanal bread, cheese, salted meats, beer, wine and cider

Class 4 (Ultra-processed) –

• Formulations made from a series of processes including extraction and chemical modification. Includes very few intact Group 1 foods
• Sugar sweetened beverages, sweet and savoury packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products, pre-prepared frozen meals, canned/instant soup, ice cream

All the various classification systems have their own limitations.

Science behind the headlines

Taking bread as an example, we can explore some of the nutritional and other detail behind this group of products that fall into classes 3 and 4 of the NOVA classification system.

As for many products considered UPFs, including bread, it is not the processing of the products itself – but rather the processing of the constituent ingredients – that causes a product to be considered ultra-processed. Continuing with bread as an example, the fortificants/nutrients required to be added to white wheat flour in the UK (calcium carbonate, iron, thiamine, niacin; as per The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998) are such that all bread – even artisanal bread – could be considered ultra-processed.

Palatability and eating speed have also formed part of the discussions around UPFs. It is likely that industrial bread would be eaten more quickly than artisanal bread, as a result of being softer and easier to chew.

Whilst it may be possible to produce bread that does not contain as many ultra-processed ingredients, it is important to consider the roles of these ingredients. Some are for delivering quality (e.g. texture, taste), and others are to aid processing so that the product is cheaper to produce and therefore cheaper for consumers. Plus, without calcium propionate for example, mould could limit/reduce shelf-life (increasing food waste).

Current research and future directions

So, why are UPFs bad? Whilst this is a complex question, concerns over UPFs include accusations that they drive obesity through:

• higher palatability;
• higher energy density;
• promotion of a faster eating rate;
• differences in the nutrient content;
• effects of high temperature in the production of processed foods;
• effects of specific additives;
• contaminants from packaging;
• higher consumption due to widespread marketing and lower cost of processed foods, and;
• combined effects of the above.

In terms of current research, there are various studies, but study design is difficult. The focus of studies varies (e.g. effects of additives, whether there is overconsumption of calories, what the nutrient balance is). All of these elements need to be considered but it is very difficult to consider all of these together, as some drive long-term health effects, rather than short-term acute issues. Most current research relies on observation studies, which can have confounding factors.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has made a number of recommendations for ongoing / future research, including:

• Further assessment and development of an (ultra-) processed foods classification system that can reliably be applied to estimate consumption of processed foods in the UK.
• Good-quality randomised controlled trials that may help to identify potential mechanisms and establish whether they are independent of energy density or other dietary factors.
• Good-quality studies that consider the benefits of consuming products with minimal processing in comparison with existing UK dietary recommendations and/or other dietary patterns for which there is evidence of beneficial health outcomes.

UPF often describes the ingredients within a food or drink, not the necessarily the food or drink itself. Nutritional research on UPFs has demonstrated some interesting results to date, but more work is needed to understand exactly what effect UPFs have on diets.

How we can help

Understanding whether a food or drink is a UPF, and navigating the impacts for your products, can be challenging – but we are here to help!

We can help with:

• Advice and guidance on the latest research into the nutritional effect of UPF;
• Interpretation of which NOVA classification category your products would fall under;
• Reformulation;
• ‘Clean label’ product development and renovation;
• HFSS and other nutritional calculations;
• Legislation and labelling.

How can we help?

For product development support in relation to ultra-processed foods, contact our team to find out how we can help.

Contact an expert

Need advice?

Need advice on how ultra-processed food classifications or HFSS restrictions could impact your business, or help with calculating Nutrient Profiling Model scores for your products?

Contact Regulatory Affairs