Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to spot them
What are ultra-processed foods? The four NOVA groups with examples, the label markers to look for, what research links them to and easy swaps.
By the Green Point editorial teamUpdated 6 min readKey takeaways
- Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods, plus additives, with little whole food left.
- The NOVA classification sorts foods into four groups, from unprocessed to ultra-processed, based on how and why they are processed.
- Long ingredient lists with things you would not cook with at home (flavorings, emulsifiers, sweeteners, protein isolates, syrups) are the giveaway.
- Research links high intake with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and poorer mental health, but these studies show associations, not proof of cause.
- Not all ultra-processed foods are equal: swapping the most common ones for simpler versions matters more than chasing perfection.
On this page
- What are ultra-processed foods? The NOVA classification
- Processed vs ultra-processed: what is the difference?
- How to spot ultra-processed foods on the label
- Ultra-processed foods list: common examples
- Are ultra-processed foods bad for you?
- Not all ultra-processed foods are equal
- Practical swaps that make a difference
- Frequently asked questions
Ultra-processed foods are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products made mostly from ingredients extracted or derived from foods (such as oils, sugars, starches and protein isolates) combined with additives like flavorings, emulsifiers, colors and sweeteners. Soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweetened cereals, instant noodles and many ready meals are typical examples. You spot them by their ingredient list.
What are ultra-processed foods? The NOVA classification
The term comes from NOVA, a classification developed by researchers in Brazil and now used in most studies on the topic. NOVA does not rate nutrients. Instead, it sorts foods into four groups by the extent and purpose of the processing they went through.
| NOVA group | What it is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods | Edible parts of plants or animals, possibly dried, frozen, pasteurized or fermented, with nothing added | Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk, plain yogurt, rice, oats, flour, dried beans, fresh meat and fish |
| 2. Processed culinary ingredients | Substances extracted from group 1 foods or from nature, used to cook | Oils, butter, sugar, honey, salt, starch |
| 3. Processed foods | Group 1 foods with group 2 ingredients added, made by methods such as canning or baking | Canned vegetables or fish, cheese, cured meats, fruit in syrup, simple fresh bread |
| 4. Ultra-processed foods | Industrial formulations made mostly from food-derived substances and additives | Soft drinks, packaged snacks and sweets, sweetened breakfast cereals, mass-produced packaged bread, reconstituted meat products, instant soups and noodles, many ready meals |
Processed vs ultra-processed: what is the difference?
Almost everything we eat is processed in some way: milk is pasteurized, beans are dried, vegetables are frozen. Processed foods (group 3) are recognizable versions of the original food with a few added ingredients, such as cheese made from milk, salt and cultures, or canned tuna in oil.
Ultra-processed foods are different in kind, not just degree. They are built from refined ingredients and additives, often designed to be convenient, long-lasting, cheap and very palatable. A loaf from a bakery made of flour, water, yeast and salt is processed; a packaged loaf with emulsifiers, preservatives and added sugars is typically ultra-processed.
How to spot ultra-processed foods on the label
Read the ingredient list. The surest sign is one or more ingredients you would rarely or never use in your own kitchen. These processing markers include:
- Modified or extracted ingredients: glucose-fructose or high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, invert sugar, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, protein isolates, modified starch.
- Cosmetic additives that change taste, texture or look: flavorings and flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, thickeners, sweeteners, glazing agents, foaming or anti-foaming agents.
- A long list of ingredients overall, especially if real foods such as fruit, vegetables or whole grains appear low down or in tiny amounts.
Many of these additives carry E-numbers. Our guide to food additives and E-numbers explains what the main groups do and which ones people ask about.
Ultra-processed foods list: common examples
- Soft drinks, energy drinks and many flavored or sweetened drinks
- Chips, crackers, cookies, candy and chocolate bars
- Sweetened breakfast cereals and many cereal bars
- Mass-produced packaged bread, buns and cakes
- Hot dogs, chicken nuggets and other reconstituted meat products
- Instant noodles and soups, frozen pizza and many ready meals
- Flavored yogurts and dairy desserts, ice cream
- Margarine and many spreads, and "diet" or "light" products made with sweeteners
Check the actual product, though. Two foods with the same name can sit in different groups: a plain yogurt and a fruit yogurt with flavorings and thickeners, or a bakery loaf and a long-life packaged one.
Are ultra-processed foods bad for you?
A large umbrella review published in The BMJ in 2024 pooled meta-analyses and found that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 32 adverse health outcomes. The evidence was rated convincing for a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, of type 2 diabetes and of anxiety and common mental disorders.
These are mostly observational studies. They show that people who eat a lot of ultra-processed food tend to have worse health, but they cannot fully separate the food from other factors such as income or lifestyle. Researchers are still studying why the link exists: likely candidates include high levels of sugar, salt and fat, low fiber, foods that are easy to overeat and certain additives.
The topic has reached official advice too. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025 to 2030, released in January 2026, call on Americans to avoid highly processed foods. There is still no single legal definition of ultra-processed food, and the NOVA system itself is debated: researchers have found that experts do not always agree on which group a product belongs in.
Not all ultra-processed foods are equal
The category is broad. A fortified plant milk, a packaged wholegrain bread or an infant formula can be classed as ultra-processed while having a reasonable nutritional profile. Some studies suggest that sweetened drinks and processed meats drive much of the risk, while others in the group show weaker links.
So use processing as one lens among others. Nutrition still matters, which is why it helps to look at the nutrition label and a score such as Nutri-Score as well.
Practical swaps that make a difference
- Soft drinks to water, sparkling water with fruit, or unsweetened tea or coffee.
- Sweetened cereals to plain oats or muesli without added sugar, sweetened with fruit.
- Flavored yogurt to plain yogurt with fresh fruit and nuts.
- Packaged snacks to fruit, nuts or plain popcorn. For more ideas, see how to choose a healthy snack.
- Ready meals to simple batch cooking; frozen vegetables and canned beans are quick and not ultra-processed.
- Processed meats to fresh meat, fish, eggs or pulses most days.
Frequently asked questions
Is bread ultra-processed?
It depends on the bread. Bread made from flour, water, yeast or sourdough starter and salt is a processed food (NOVA group 3). Many mass-produced packaged breads contain emulsifiers, preservatives, added sugars or flavorings, which usually puts them in the ultra-processed group. The ingredient list tells you which one you have.
Are frozen vegetables ultra-processed?
No. Plain frozen vegetables and fruit are minimally processed (NOVA group 1): freezing preserves them without adding anything. They can be just as nutritious as fresh. Frozen products with sauces, coatings or flavorings are a different story, so check the ingredients.
Is a food with a good Nutri-Score always minimally processed?
No. Nutri-Score rates the nutrient balance of a product, not its processing, so a sweetened yogurt with sweeteners or a fortified cereal can score well and still be ultra-processed. That is why it helps to look at both the nutrition score and the processing level.
How much ultra-processed food is too much?
There is no official safe limit. Studies generally compare people who eat the most with those who eat the least, so the practical advice is to make minimally processed foods the base of your diet and treat ultra-processed ones as occasional rather than daily staples.
Sources
- Consistent evidence links ultra-processed food to over 30 damaging health outcomesBMJ Group
- Ultra-processed foods: how functional is the NOVA system?European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (via PubMed Central)
- Eat Real Food (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030)U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture
This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have a skin, allergy or health concern, talk to a doctor, dermatologist or dietitian. Green Point scores and Skin Scan results are informational and are not a diagnosis.
