Beat the ADDITIVES! What are UPFs?

Nutritionist Rob Hobson shares how to spot and swap ultra-high processed foods in our diet

Ultra-processed foods (or UPFs for short) are foods that have undergone extensive processing, containing ingredients not found in a typical home kitchen. These might include extracted substances like fats and oils, derivatives like hydrogenated fats and modified starches, and laboratory-synthesised additives such as artificial flavours, colours and emulsifiers. Overconsumption of UPFs is linked to a range of diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel conditions and certain cancers. But the exact cause is not clear, so it could be the additives in these foods or just the fact they are nutritionally poor, or a combination of the two.

Understanding exactly what UPFs are, recognising their presence on supermarket shelves and making mindful choices to replace them with healthier alternatives might significantly improve both your dietary habits and overall health.

What foods contain them?

As you would expect, these include fizzy drinks, sweet and savoury packaged snacks, mass-produced breads and pastries, some processed meat products, ready meals, and vegan meat and cheese alternatives. Also, some foods you may think are healthy can also be classed as UPFs – such as some fruit yogurts, virtually fat-free yogurts, packaged wholemeal bagels and wraps, breakfast cereals and protein bars.

How can you spot them?

There are several key characteristics that are synonymous with UPFs that make them easy to identify by looking at the packet:

✱ High levels of sugar, salt and fat

✱ Long ingredient lists

✱ Artificial ingredients you don’t recognise

✱ Convenience foods that are pre-prepared

✱ Brightly coloured packaging, sometimes with aggressive marketing and health claims

✱ Long shelf life