Producer: Mehak Pal Editor: Sujata Singh

What Is Ultra-processed Food? How to Identify It? 

Ultra-processed foods have undergone significant processing, altering them from their natural state to a point where they bear little resemblance to the original food items.

They are made from refined ingredients and artificial substances, including fats, starches, added sugars, hydrogenated fats, artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives.

Some common examples of ultra-processed food are ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yoghurts, and instant soups.

Some kinds of peanut butter and bakery items that contain preservatives or emulsifiers also come under this category.

Are ultra-processed food and processed food different?

Yes, processed foods and ultra-processed foods are different categories. Both categories of food have undergone some degree of alteration from their original state.

But, they differ in terms of the extent and nature of processing, as well as their nutritional profiles and potential health effects.

How to identify ultra-processed foods? Always check the ingredients used in a particular food. If it reads like a chemistry experiment then it can be ultra-processed food.

 If a dish takes less than five minutes to prepare, it might be a sign that it's heavily rocessed.

Ultra-processed foods come in flashy and colourful packaging. Check if the packaging resembles a work of art more than a nutritional guide.

Ultra-processed foods have been linked to various health issues and diseases due to the high levels of unhealthy ingredients, and additives, and being low on nutrition.

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