Most of these are obviously UPF and clearly not good for our health; they’re loaded with sugar, salt and/or fat. Additives are a red flag, too. “If there’s an ingredient on the list that you don’t find in a kitchen cupboard, it’s very probably UPF,” says Dr van Tulleken.
Some UPFs are harder to identify. “Anything with a health claim on it is probably a UPF,” Dr Van Tulleken says. “It’s marketing by companies that have the budget to do it. There’s no health claim on broccoli, oily fish or any of the stuff we know is healthy.”
For example, the wording on the packet about fibre, vitamins and/or minerals suggests the food has been stripped of nutrients during processing and the manufacturer has added some back in order to be allowed to promote it as healthy. These types of health claims are common on boxes of breakfast cereal, for example.
It’s worth noting that some unfamiliar ingredients don’t necessarily signify UPF. Certain flours sold in the UK are fortified with calcium, iron, thiamine and niacin, and don’t count as UPF. Corn starch, also known as corn flour, isn’t UPF either, but “modified” corn starch is.
What’s the difference between processed food and ultra-processed food?
Distinguishing unprocessed food (like an apple) from UPF (a chocolate bar) is easy, but the difference between processed and ultra-processed food is not always clear.
In his guide, ‘Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them’, Prof Monteiro lists the ingredients to look out for that indicate a product is probably UPF.
Check for: sugars (fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, “fruit juice concentrate”, invert sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, lactose); modified oils (hydrogenated or interesterified oils); and protein sources (hydrolysed proteins, soya protein isolate, gluten, casein, whey protein and “mechanically separated meat”). These will be found at the beginning or in the middle of the ingredients list of UPF.
Cosmetic additives are designed to enhance the flavour, appearance and texture of food and are found at the bottom of the ingredients list. They include flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents.
