Ultra-processed products: why I'm learning to recognize them

Did you know that the majority of supermarket products are not food in the biological sense of the term?

In France, ultra-processed products represent approximately 30 to 35% of calories consumed by adults, and up to 50% among children and adolescents according to the NutriNet-Santé study. These figures, established by the teams of researcher Carlos Monteiro from the University of Sao Paulo, have triggered a real revolution in the way in which nutrition research approaches modern diet. The conclusion is clear: it is not only the nutritional composition of foods that matters, but their degree of industrial processing. Here's everything I need to know to navigate the contemporary food offering intelligently.

1. The NOVA classification: a conceptual revolution in nutrition

The NOVA classification, developed by Carlos Monteiro and his team at the University of Sao Paulo in 2010, proposes to categorize foods not according to their nutritional composition but according to their degree of industrial processing. It distinguishes four groups:

The definition of group 4 (ultra-processed): industrial formulations composed of five or more ingredients, including substances never or rarely used in domestic cooking (hydrolyzed proteins, modified starches, hydrogenated fats, refined sugars, cosmetic additives, flavors). These products are industrially designed to be hyper-palatable, practical and durable, but their original food matrix is ​​almost non-existent.

Group NOVA	Denomination	Examples
Group 1	Unprocessed or minimally processed foods	Fruits, vegetables, meats fresh, fish, eggs, plain milk, grain cereals, legumes, nuts, fresh herbs 13px;border:1px solid #B2DFDB;color:#374151;vertical-align:top;background:#F4FBFA">Processed culinary ingredients	Oils, butter, sugar, salt, flour, vinegar, starch. Used for cooking, not eaten alone.
Group 3	Processed foods	Preserved vegetables or fish, cheeses, simple hams, artisan bread, fruits in syrup. Transforms for conservation mainly.
Group 4	Ultra-processed products	Biscuits, sweet breakfast cereals, chips, sodas, industrial frozen meals, reconstructed cold meats, margarines, industrial sauces, fast food

2. How to recognize an ultra-processed product?

I can identify an ultra-processed product in seconds with two tools:

• ●Reading the ingredient list: if the list contains substances that I would never use in my own cooking - hydrolyzed soy protein, glucose-fructose syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, emulsifiers (E471, E472), texturing agents (carrageenan, xanthan gum) - the product is almost certainly ultra-processed.

• ●The 5 ingredient rule: if a product contains more than 5 ingredients and some are additives with an E number or incomprehensible technical terms, it is most likely ultra-processed.

Beware of pitfalls: products presented as healthy or natural can be ultra-processed. Examples:

• ●Flavored yogurts enriched with proteins with emulsifiers and flavors

• ●Organic cereal bars with rice syrup, isolated pea proteins and natural flavors

• ●Vegetable alternatives to meat (vegetable steak) often highly processed

• ●Light or sugar-free products which compensate with additives and flavorings

• ●Fruit juices with added vitamins which remain ultra-processed products

3. Effects on health: increasingly robust scientific evidence

Since 2015, a rapid accumulation of large-scale epidemiological studies has documented the associations between consumption of ultra-processed products and health risks. The results are striking:

• ●All-cause mortality: a study published in the BMJ (2019) on 44,551 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort showed that a 10% increase in the share of ultra-processed foods in the diet was associated with a 14% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality.- Cancers: the same cohort published in the BMJA (2018) an association between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased risk of overall cancer (+10% for each 10% increase in the share of ultra-processed foods), particularly breast cancers.

• ●Cardiovascular diseases: a Spanish study published in the BMJ (2019) on 105,000 participants showed that consumption of more than 4 portions of ultra-processed foods per day was associated with a 62% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.

• ●Type 2 diabetes: several prospective studies show an association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, independently of the nutritional profile of foods.

• ●Depression and mental health: a study published in JAMA Network Open (2023) on more than 31,000 women showed that ultra-processed foods, particularly artificially sweetened drinks and modified foods, were associated with an increased risk of depression.

• ●Microbiota and intestinal permeability: studies published in Nature (2022) have shown that certain common additives (carrageenan, polysorbate 80, carboxymethylcellulose) alter the intestinal microbiota and increase the permeability of the intestinal barrier, promoting systemic inflammation.

4. Why these products are so difficult to avoid

Ultra-processed products are not only omnipresent on the shelves: they are designed to be difficult to resist. Understanding their mechanisms of action is useful to avoid feeling guilty:

• ●Hyper-palatabite: industrial combinations of sugar, salt, fat and flavor enhancers activate the dopamine reward system in the same way as certain addictive substances. This is a deliberately engineered feature.

• ●Convenience: they are sold ready to eat, do not require preparation and have a long shelf life. In a lifestyle under pressure, they represent the most accessible solution.

• ●Marketing: their packaging highlights health claims (rich in fiber, source of protein, gluten-free, organic) which mask their ultra-processed nature.

• ●The price: ultra-processed products are often less expensive per unit than their fresh equivalents, partly thanks to industrial economies of scale and agricultural subsidies favoring basic raw materials (corn, soya, refined wheat).

5. My pragmatic strategy for reducing ultra-processed foods

The goal is not perfection or total elimination, but a gradual and lasting reduction that respects my constraints of time, budget and pleasure:

• ●I am gradually replacing the most consumed ultra-processed foods with their unprocessed equivalents: natural yogurt instead of flavored yogurts, fresh fruit instead of fruit bars, dark chocolate instead of industrial biscuits.

• ●I cook in batches on the weekend: a homemade tomato sauce, a vegetable soup, a legume dish prepared on Sunday allows me to avoid industrial cooking dishes all week.

• ●I read the ingredient lists rather than the Nutri-Score: a product can have a good Nutri-Score and be ultra-processed. The ingredient list tells me the truth.

• ●I'm not aiming for zero ultra-processing: a chocolate cake on a birthday, chips one evening with friends do not sabotage an overall healthy diet. It’s the daily and repeated part that counts.

• ●I recognize ultra-processed products disguised as healthy products: protein bars, store-bought granolas, supposedly fresh juices, enriched yogurts, highly processed vegetable alternatives. I always look at the ingredient list.

  💡 tips to remember

  1. An ultra-processed product (NOVA group 4) is an industrial formulation containing substances never used in domestic cooking. It's not so much the nutritional value that's the problem as the degree of processing itself.
  2. I spotted ultra-processed ones by reading the list of ingredients: if it contains emulsifiers, flavors, hydrolyzed proteins, modified starches or more than 5 ingredients with technical terms, it is ultra-processed.
  3. Each 10% increase in the share of ultra-processed foods in the diet is associated with +14% all-cause mortality and +10% cancer risk according to studies from the NutriNet-Santé cohort.
  4. The Nutri-Score is not enough: a product can have a good score and be ultra-transformed. The list of ingredients is the most reliable indicator.
  5. I am wary of ultra-processed foods disguised as healthy: protein bars, granolas, fortified yogurts, supposedly fresh juices, plant-based steaks. I always read the ingredient list.
  6. The most effective strategy: cook with raw ingredients as often as possible. A homemade dish, even imperfect, always outperforms an industrial dish in nutritional terms.
  7. No guilt for deviations: it's the daily and repeated portion that counts, not a packet of chips one evening with friends.