What Counts as Ultra-Processed Food? One Expert Panel Has An Answer
We all know that ultra-processed foods are bad for you. These packaged foods can be loaded with sugar, additives, and other seemingly unnatural ingredients that may be harmful when consumed frequently over time. But when you're standing in the grocery aisle trying to figure out if your favorite snack makes the cut, things can confusing fast. How? Well, two crackers may have wildly different ingredient lists. They're both processed, but are they both ultra-processed?
The question of, what actually qualifies as "ultra-processed?" is one that still does not have a clear answer. And it's a definition that the FDA has been wrestling with for months. One expert panel report from the policy group Healthy Eating Research developed recommended definitions and policies around ultra-processed foods. Now, these are just recommendations, and they won't necessarily be put into practice. However, it is a comprehensive attempt of how to address a classification of foods that has consistently been linked to poor health outcomes1. Here's what you need to know.
The new classification system, explained
The panel's definition builds on the Nova food classification system, which was developed by researchers in Brazil. Nova sorts all foods into four categories based on how much industrial processing they've undergone:
- Nova 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, plain meat)
- Nova 2: Processed culinary ingredients (oils, butter, sugar, salt)
- Nova 3: Processed foods (canned vegetables, simple cheeses, cured meats)
- Nova 4: Ultra-processed foods (soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, reconstituted meat products)
Ultra-processed foods, Nova Category 4, are the focus. These are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, with little to no whole food remaining.
The ingredient marker approach
Rather than trying to evaluate every production method a food went through (which consumers can't see anyway), the panel recommends an "ingredient marker" approach. The idea is that certain ingredients reliably signal that a product is ultra-processed.
These markers fall into two buckets:
Cosmetic additives are ingredients added primarily to make a product look, taste, or feel more appealing. This includes:
- Artificial colors
- Artificial flavors
- Non-nutritive sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose)
- Flavor enhancers (like MSG)
Non-culinary ingredients are substances you wouldn't find in a home kitchen, like:
- Maltodextrin
- Protein isolates (like soy protein isolate or whey protein isolate)
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Hydrogenated or interesterified oils
- Hydrolyzed proteins
If a product contains one or more of these markers, it's classified as ultra-processed under the Healthy Eating Research expert panel's framework.
The exemption framework
The panel added some nuance to this ingredient framework by creating some caveats. The guidelines recognize that some foods technically contain these markers but still provide meaningful nutritional benefits. For these products, the panel recommends exemptions.
- Whole-grain breads: may contain small amounts of non-culinary ingredients, but deliver important fiber and nutrients.
- Fortified cereals: provide essential vitamins and minerals, especially for children.
- Certain yogurts: offer added nutrients, even if they contain some processing markers.
For consumers, it's a reminder that context matters. A whole-grain bread with one unfamiliar ingredient isn't the same as a bag of cheese puffs. And a protein powder with an artificial sweetener in it isn't the same as a neon-colored energy drink.
How to use this at the grocery store
You don't need to memorize every ingredient marker. Here's a practical approach to using these guidelines while you roam the aisles:
- Scan the ingredient list for red flags: If you see artificial colors (like Red 40, Yellow 5), artificial flavors, non-nutritive sweeteners, or ingredients that sound more like chemistry than cooking (like maltodextrin or interesterified oil), that's a sign to reevaulate.
- Consider the whole picture: A product with one unfamiliar ingredient in an otherwise whole-food lineup is different from a product where the first five ingredients are all industrial additives.
- Don't stress about perfection: The goal isn't to eliminate every ultra-processed food from your life. Rather, the recommendations put forward are intended to help make these foods more recognizable, so you can shop with clarity.
The takeaway
This expert panel's ingredient marker approach is one perspective on the complicated matter of identifying ultra-processed foods. It's suggested approach of looking at cosmetic additives and non-culinary ingredients on the label is a practical way to Z. But it's not the only way. The FDA is still expected to release an "official" definition of ultra-processed foods. From there, policies can then be established to regulate them (this report also outlines what those policy options could entail).