Ultra-processed food is a term increasingly appearing in the media and on social platforms. You might even find yourself thinking about it, while doing your weekly grocery shopping. Here is a simple overview of what it actually means, which exact foods fall into this category, and how to eat less of it if you want to reduce your intake.
What is ultra-processed food?
Ultra-processed food refers to industrially manufactured products made with ingredients you would not typically find in your own kitchen. These often include preservatives, colourings and other additives that enhance flavour, appearance and extend shelf life.
Processing itself is not the issue. Humans have been processing food for thousands of years. Baking bread, making cheese and fermenting vegetables are all forms of processing. What is worth being cautious about is the degree of processing, especially the industrial level of ultra-processing.
The NOVA system: Four groups of food
The term ultra-processed food comes from the NOVA system. It is a framework developed by nutrition researchers to classify how much a certain food has been processed. It is not only about what is in the food, but also how it has been produced.
Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
Vegetables, meat, fruit, eggs, grains and pulses.
Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients
Oil, butter, salt and sugar, extracted from natural sources.
Group 3: Processed foods
Foods made by combining ingredients from groups 1 and 2, such as cheese, fresh bread, pickled vegetables and fermented cabbage.
Group 4: Ultra-processed foods
Industrial formulations where raw ingredients have been broken down and reassembled with additives.
Which foods are ultra-processed?
The obvious ones
Sweets, chocolate bars, crisps, soft drinks, frozen pizzas and most fast food. The kinds of foods we already know we should not eat too often.
The less obvious ones
- Cold cuts such as salami, ham and liver pâté
- Breakfast cereals, especially sweeter varieties like chocolate granola or sugary cornflakes
- Protein bars with long ingredient lists
- “Light” products, where fat or sugar has been replaced with additives
- Some plant-based meat alternatives. Read more about this further down.
How do you recognise ultra-processed food?
The packaging is your best guideline:
- A long ingredient list with names you may not recognise or know how to pronounce
- Ingredients with names that sound chemical, such as protein isolates, glucose-fructose syrup, modified starch and emulsifiers
- Multiple E numbers, especially colourings (E100–E199) and preservatives (E200–E299)
- A long shelf life without needing refrigeration. This is a classic sign of added preservatives
Good alternatives to ultra-processed food
Many people associate ultra-processed food with quick meals. At the same time, they assume that less processed food means spending more time in the kitchen. But that is not always the case. Not all alternatives require more time. Here are some simple and quick options:
The grey area: What about rye bread, skyr and cheese?
Some foods cause a bit of confusion because they are neither clearly whole foods nor obviously ultra-processed. Here’s a quick clarification:
Is porridge oats ultra-processed?
No. Plain oats are not ultra-processed. They are minimally processed foods (Group 1-2). However, some instant varieties with added sugar, flavourings or other additives may fall into Group 4. As a general guideline, a short ingredient list of just oats is fine, while a long list of additives is a warning sign.
Is rye bread ultra-processed?
Most rye bread falls into Group 3, which means it is processed, but not ultra-processed. This applies especially to home-baked versions and most supermarket rye breads with relatively short ingredient lists. The exception is highly industrial products with many additives and a long shelf life.
Is skyr ultra-processed?
No. Skyr is typically Group 3, made by fermenting milk with live bacterial cultures. The same principle applies as for yoghurt and cheese. Be aware of flavoured versions with added fruit purées and sweeteners, which may push them into Group 4.
Is cheese ultra-processed?
Traditional cheese made from milk, salt and rennet belongs to Group 3. Be aware that processed cheeses, spreadable cheeses and products with long ingredient lists often are classified as ultra-processed.
Why is ultra-processed food being discussed so much now?
Ultra-processed food has moved from a technical term in nutrition science to something people now consider in everyday life. Several large studies suggest a link between high consumption and an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. One of the largest, published in The BMJ in 2024, followed over 10 million participants and found consistent associations between ultra-processed food intake and 32 adverse health outcomes. These included higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and early death.
Part of the explanation may lie in the structure of the food itself. When raw ingredients are deconstructed and put back together into new products, their natural structure changes. This has been proven to directly affect your digestion and how full you feel after eating.
What about plant-based food?
Many people assume that plant-based automatically means healthy and “clean”, but that is not always the case.
Some plant-based meat alternatives are in fact ultra-processed. They are built from protein isolates such as soy or peas and combined with flavourings and colourings to mimic the taste and texture of meat. In other words, plant-based does not automatically mean a short or simple ingredient list.
At MATR, fermentation is used to create texture, bite and umami flavour without additives or heavy processing. The raw material consists of five organic ingredients from Nordic farms: oats, split peas, lupins, beetroot and potatoes. Our meatball recipe made with MATR is a good example of how our fermented product can be used in a classic everyday dish.
How to reduce ultra-processed food in your shopping basket
- Flip the pack around and read the ingredients list on its back, before adding the product to your basket.
- Swap a cereal bar for a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit, or set aside a little time to make your own.
- Replace sweet breakfast cereals with skyr or porridge oats topped with berries.
- Cook a little extra meat at dinner and use the leftovers as cold cuts the next day.
- Make a few more meals from scratch at the weekend and freeze portions for busy weekdays.
- Check whether the plant-based product you buy has a short ingredient list. Not all of them do.
MATR: Everyday food made from natural ingredients
MATR is made from five organic ingredients, bound together by a natural fungal culture. No protein isolates, no soy, no palm oil. If you want to see what a short ingredient list looks like in practice, take a look at our products.