Ultra-processed

Ultra-processed foods are classified as industrial creations made by breaking down natural food into chemical parts, modifying them and recombining them with flavoring, artificial colors and other additives. This is according to the Nova food classification, pioneered by Brazilian nutritional scientist Carlos Monteiro. A diet with a high share of ultra-processed food could be linked to obesity, diabetes and cancer, as illustrated in multiple scientific papers, but establishing a causal link with high confidence has proven difficult. Meanwhile, the food industry is resisting the hypothesis of ultra-processed food being unhealthy. Countries with the highest ultra-processed food intake are the UK and the US where more than half of the population’s daily energy intake consists of ultra-processed foods. On the other end of the spectrum are Italy, Colombia and Indonesia, with less than 20% of energy intake being ultra-processed.

Source: Marina et al. (2021).