Quick Scoop: What Is Processed Food?

Processed food is any food that has been changed from its original state in some way, such as by washing, cutting, cooking, freezing, canning, or packaging. Some processed foods are very simple and can still fit into a healthy diet, while heavily processed or “ultra-processed” foods often contain added salt, sugar, fats, or additives.

Simple definition

Food processing is not automatically bad. It includes basic steps that help food become safer, last longer, or taste better, like pasteurizing milk, freezing vegetables, or milling grains.

Examples

• Processed foods that can be healthy: frozen vegetables, canned beans, pasteurized milk, plain yogurt, and whole-grain bread.

• More heavily processed foods: chips, sugary drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, and many ready meals with lots of additives.

Why people talk about it

The big concern today is not just “processed” food in general, but ultra-processed food. Recent reporting and scientific discussion say there is growing concern about links between high intake of ultra-processed foods and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health problems.

Quick way to judge

A simple rule is: the more a food looks like its original ingredient and the fewer extra additives it has, the less processed it usually is. Foods with long ingredient lists, lots of added sugar or salt, and many flavoring or preservative ingredients are more likely to be ultra- processed.

Bottom line: Processed food is a broad category, and not all processed food is unhealthy. The main thing to watch is how heavily processed it is and what has been added to it.

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