Ultra-processed foods are rarely out of the headlines, and some of the coverage is alarming. The research raises real questions about how our food is made, but it is also more mixed than many headlines suggest. Here is what we know and what we do not.
What Counts as Ultra-Processed?
Almost all food is processed in some way. Washing, freezing, chopping and cooking are all forms of processing. Researchers usually group foods using a system called NOVA, which has four groups:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as fresh vegetables, eggs, milk and plain oats
Cooking ingredients, such as oil or salt
Processed foods, made by adding salt or sugar to whole foods, such as cheese or tinned beans
Ultra-processed foods, made mostly from ingredients extracted from foods, often with additives you would not use at home
Ultra-processed foods include soft drinks, crisps, sweets, packaged biscuits, sugary cereals, chicken nuggets, instant noodles and many ready meals. A simple way to spot them is a long ingredients list that includes things you would not find in a home kitchen, such as emulsifiers or flavourings.
What the Research Shows
A large review published in 2024 in the British Medical Journal looked at studies covering nearly ten million people. Eating more ultra-processed food was linked with a higher risk of 32 health problems. The strongest evidence was for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. There were also links with common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
One small but often-cited study helps explain why. In 2019, researchers in the United States gave 20 adults either an ultra-processed diet or a minimally processed diet for two weeks each, letting them eat as much as they wanted. On the ultra-processed diet, people ate around 500 more calories a day and gained weight. Ultra-processed foods tend to be soft and quick to eat, as well as high in energy, which may make it easy to eat more than you need.
What the Research Does Not Show
Most of this research is observational, meaning it shows a link but cannot prove that the foods themselves cause the problems. People who eat a lot of ultra-processed food often differ in other ways too, such as their income or how active they are, although good studies try to account for these.
The category is also very broad. Wholemeal bread from a supermarket, flavoured yoghurt, some plant-based drinks and baby formula can all count as ultra-processed. Studies suggest these foods carry much less risk than soft drinks and processed meat, and some may carry none. Putting all of them in one group can make some nutritious foods seem harmful.
A Practical Approach
There is no need to remove every ultra-processed food from your life, and trying to do so can make eating stressful and expensive. A more useful aim is to make minimally processed foods the base of your diet.
Cook simple meals from basic ingredients when you can, using the balanced plate as a guide
Cut back first on the foods with the clearest risks, such as sugary drinks and processed meats
Keep useful shortcuts such as frozen vegetables, tinned beans, plain yoghurt and wholegrain bread
Read the ingredients list, and choose shorter lists when you have the option
Some ultra-processed foods are simply part of modern life and that is absolutely fine. What you eat most days counts for far more than the occasional packet of biscuits.