Processed foods have undergone some form of alteration during preparation and have been changed from their natural state. This can include food cut, washed, heated, pasteurized, canned, cooked, frozen, dried, dehydrated, mixed, or packaged. It can also have food with added preservatives, nutrients, flavours, salts, sugars, or fats.
Nearly all foods are processed, at least to some extent. For example, manufacturers process dried beans to make them shelf-stable. However, this does not make them less healthy. So, before we get into what makes a food highly processed, we must understand that foods aren’t “unhealthy” just because they’re processed in some way. Researchers have separated foods into four categories based on the extent of processing to make it easier to understand food processing.
Processed Food Classification
Group 1: Minimally Processed Food
We alter natural foods by removing inedible or unwanted parts, drying, crushing, grinding, fractioning, filtering, roasting, boiling, non-alcoholic fermentation, pasteurization, refrigeration, chilling, freezing, placing in containers and vacuum-packaging to produce minimally processed foods.
Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients
Processed culinary ingredients, such as oils, butter, sugar and salt, are substances derived from Group 1 foods or nature by pressing, refining, grinding, milling and drying. Such methods make durable products suitable for home and restaurant kitchens to prepare, season and cook minimally processed food.
Group 3: Processed Foods
Manufacturers essentially add salt, oil, sugar, or other substances from Group 2 to Group 1 foods to produce processed foods like bottled vegetables, canned fish, fruits in syrup, cheeses, and freshly made bread. Processes include various preservation or cooking methods and, in the case of bread and cheese, non-alcoholic fermentation. They are edible by themselves or, more usually, in combination with other foods.
Group 4: Ultra-processed foods
Formulations that comprise ultra-processed foods mainly consist of substances derived from foods and additives, such as hydrogenated or interesterified oils, hydrolyzed proteins, soya protein isolate, maltodextrin, inverted sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup, rather than modified foods. Many of these substances originate from processing food constituents extensively.
Additives in ultra-processed foods include some also used in processed foods, such as preservatives, antioxidants and stabilizers. The overall purpose of ultra-processing is to create branded, convenient (durable, ready to consume), attractive and highly profitable food products designed to displace all other food groups. Therefore, ultra-processed food products are usually packaged attractively and marketed intensively.
The problem with ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals containing food additives, dehydrated vegetable soups, and reconstituted meat and fish products – often having high levels of added sugar, fat, and salt but lacking in vitamins and fibre. Many countries believe that these foods make up around 25-60% of daily energy intake.
Studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some cancers. Processed food consumption is also linked to metabolic syndrome, which is defined as a group of risk factors that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Processed foods can also play a role in developing inflammatory bowel disease. A high consumption of processed foods is also associated with increased rates of anxiety and depression.
What is Healthy?
We consider fresh vegetables, fruits, pasteurized milk, chicken, fish, beans, and eggs unprocessed or minimally processed. Minimally processed and unprocessed foods are much more nutrient-dense than ultra-processed foods. Here are some examples of healthy, whole foods:
- vegetables and fruits, including fresh, frozen, or unsweetened dried produce
- grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat
- Legumes such as beans and lentils
- starchy root vegetables such as potatoes, cassava, and sweet potatoes
- meat, poultry, eggs, and fish
- fresh or pasteurized milk and plain yogurt
- 100% fruit or vegetable juice
- Herbs and spices
- Tea and coffee
- Nuts and seeds
While it’s sometimes impossible to altogether avoid unhealthy foods, it’s wise to stick to whole and minimally processed foods. One way to avoid processed foods is to look in the new section at the grocery store. You’ll find more wholesome choices here. Also, try to cook more at home: When you go out to eat, it’s hard to tell what’s in your food. If you cook at home, you’ll control the ingredients in your meals.
