Ultra-Processed Food (UPF): A Complete UK Guide

What is ultra-processed food?

Ultra-processed food (UPF) is a term that's become increasingly common in UK health discussions, but it's often misunderstood. It doesn't simply mean "food that's been processed." Cooking an egg is processing. Fermenting milk into cheese is processing. Freezing vegetables is processing. None of those are ultra-processed.

The term comes from the NOVA classification system, developed by Professor Carlos Monteiro and his team at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. NOVA groups all foods into four categories based on the extent and purpose of the processing they undergo — not their nutritional content.

Ultra-processed foods are defined as industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives, with little or no intact food. They're designed to be convenient, hyper-palatable, and long-lasting. Think of products where the ingredient list reads more like a chemistry set than a recipe.

The NOVA classification: four groups explained

To understand what "ultra-processed" means, you need to see where it sits relative to other types of food processing. NOVA divides all foods into four groups:

The key distinction between Group 3 and Group 4 isn't how much processing occurs — it's the type of processing and the ingredients used. A traditionally made sourdough bread (flour, water, salt, starter) is Group 3. A mass-produced supermarket loaf containing emulsifiers, preservatives, and flavourings is Group 4.

How much UPF does the UK eat?

The UK has one of the highest levels of ultra-processed food consumption in Europe. Analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) suggests that approximately 57% of total calorie intake in the UK comes from ultra-processed foods.

To put that in context:

• UK: ~57% of calories from UPFs
• USA: ~58% of calories from UPFs
• France: ~36% of calories from UPFs
• Italy: ~25% of calories from UPFs
• Portugal: ~24% of calories from UPFs

Several factors contribute to the UK's high UPF consumption: the prevalence of ready meals, the dominance of large supermarket chains stocking processed convenience foods, busy lifestyles, and aggressive marketing of snack and convenience products. Lower-income households tend to consume more UPFs, partly because they are often cheaper calorie-for-calorie than fresh alternatives.

Among children and teenagers, UPF consumption is even higher — some studies suggest it accounts for over 60% of their calorie intake.

What makes something ultra-processed?

The hallmark of ultra-processed food is the presence of ingredients you wouldn't find in a typical home kitchen. These fall into several categories:

• Emulsifiers — soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, polysorbate 80. Used to stop oil and water from separating.
• Flavour enhancers — monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast extract, hydrolysed vegetable protein. Used to intensify taste beyond what the base ingredients provide.
• Hydrogenated or interesterified oils — industrially modified fats used for texture and shelf life.
• High-fructose corn syrup and other modified sugars — invert sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose. Cheaper alternatives to sugar with different functional properties.
• Artificial sweeteners — aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K. Used to provide sweetness without calories.
• Colours and colour stabilisers — caramel colouring, titanium dioxide, various E-numbers.
• Humectants, thickeners, and anti-caking agents — substances that control texture and prevent clumping.
• Protein isolates — soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate. Extracted fractions used to boost protein content.

A useful rule of thumb: if the ingredient list contains substances that you wouldn't use — or even recognise — when cooking at home, the product is likely ultra-processed. For a deeper look at food additives and what they do, see our dedicated guide.

What the research says

The body of research on UPFs has grown rapidly since the mid-2010s. Here's a balanced summary of what the evidence currently shows:

Associations found in large studies

Multiple large observational studies have found associations between high UPF intake and:

• Obesity and weight gain — A 2019 randomised controlled trial by the US National Institutes of Health (Hall et al.) found that participants eating an ultra-processed diet consumed about 500 more calories per day than those eating an unprocessed diet, even when both diets were matched for available calories, sugar, fat, fibre, and salt.
• Cardiovascular disease — A 2019 BMJ study (Srour et al.) of over 100,000 French adults found a 12% increase in cardiovascular disease risk for every 10% increase in UPF consumption.
• Type 2 diabetes — Several cohort studies have found positive associations between UPF intake and risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Some cancers — The NutriNet-Santé cohort study found associations between UPF intake and overall cancer risk, though the evidence is still preliminary.
• Depression and mental health — Emerging research suggests links between high UPF intake and depressive symptoms, though the mechanisms are unclear.

The ongoing debate

Not all nutrition scientists agree that "ultra-processed" is a useful category. The debate centres on several points:

• Is it the processing or the nutrients? — Some researchers argue that the health effects attributed to UPFs can be largely explained by their nutritional profile: high in sugar, salt, saturated fat, and calories, while low in fibre. If you control for these factors, the "ultra-processed" label may add little predictive value.
• The category is too broad — NOVA Group 4 includes both a fizzy drink and a fortified breakfast cereal. Critics argue that lumping nutritionally diverse products together based on processing method is unhelpful.
• Practical implications — Some processed foods fill genuine nutritional gaps. Fortified cereals provide iron and B vitamins. Mass-produced wholemeal bread is affordable and nutritious. An overly rigid anti-UPF stance could discourage people from eating foods that are, on balance, beneficial.

The Hall et al. study (mentioned above) is particularly important because it was a randomised controlled trial — a much stronger design than observational studies. It found that people ate more when given ultra-processed food, even when the nutritional content was matched. This suggests something about UPFs beyond their nutrient profile may drive overconsumption, though we don't yet fully understand what.

How to identify ultra-processed foods

You don't need to memorise the NOVA classification. In practice, identifying UPFs comes down to reading ingredient lists. Here's what to look for:

1. Long ingredient lists — Most unprocessed and processed foods have short ingredient lists (5 or fewer). UPFs often have 15-30+ ingredients.
2. Ingredients you don't recognise — If you see words like "maltodextrin," "carboxymethylcellulose," or "acetylated distarch adipate," the product is likely ultra-processed.
3. Substances not used in home cooking — Emulsifiers, humectants, flavour enhancers, bulking agents, glazing agents. These are industrial processing aids, not cooking ingredients.
4. Multiple types of sugar — If the ingredient list includes glucose syrup, fructose, maltose, and dextrose, it's a sign of formulation engineering rather than simple sweetening.
5. "Flavour" without a source — "Natural flavouring" and "smoke flavouring" are industrially produced extracts, different from actual herbs, spices, or smoked ingredients.

For a more detailed walkthrough, see our guide on how to check if food is ultra-processed, or use our UPF scanner to check products directly. We also maintain a list of common ultra-processed foods in the UK.

Practical swaps: reducing UPF intake without going extreme

The goal isn't to eliminate every ultra-processed food from your diet overnight. That's impractical, stressful, and arguably unnecessary. Instead, focus on gradually shifting the balance towards less-processed alternatives where it's convenient and affordable to do so.

Tips for making it sustainable

• Start with one or two swaps per week. Trying to change everything at once leads to burnout. Pick the UPFs you eat most often and find alternatives for those first.
• Batch cook when you can. Cooking a large pot of chilli, curry, or soup at the weekend gives you several ready meals without the ultra-processing.
• Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. A mass-produced wholemeal loaf is technically ultra-processed, but it's still a reasonable source of fibre. Context matters more than rigid categories.
• Focus on what you're adding, not just what you're removing. Adding more fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains naturally displaces UPFs without creating a sense of restriction.
• Be realistic about budget and time. Fresh, minimally processed food can be more expensive and time-consuming to prepare. Do what works within your circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as ultra-processed food?

Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made mostly from substances derived from foods, with little or no intact food. They typically contain ingredients you wouldn't use in home cooking: emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose syrups, and artificial colours. Common examples include mass-produced packaged bread, instant noodles, sweetened breakfast cereals, fizzy drinks, and reconstituted meat products.

How much of the UK diet is ultra-processed?

According to analysis of National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) data, approximately 57% of calories consumed in the UK come from ultra-processed foods. This makes the UK one of the highest consumers of UPFs in Europe. The figure is even higher among children and lower-income households.

Is all processed food bad for you?

No. Processing itself is not inherently harmful. Tinned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, pasteurised milk, and traditionally made bread and cheese are all processed but not ultra-processed. The NOVA system distinguishes between basic processing (which can preserve nutrients and improve safety) and ultra-processing (which creates products dominated by industrial ingredients). Many processed foods are nutritious staples.

How can I tell if a food is ultra-processed?

Check the ingredients list. Ultra-processed foods tend to have long ingredient lists containing substances you wouldn't find in a home kitchen: emulsifiers (like soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides), flavour enhancers (like monosodium glutamate), hydrogenated oils, maltodextrin, high-fructose corn syrup, and various E-numbers used as colours or preservatives. If you can't imagine making the product using recognisable ingredients, it's likely ultra-processed. You can also use our UPF scanner to check specific products.

Should I completely avoid ultra-processed food?

Most nutrition researchers don't recommend an all-or-nothing approach. Completely eliminating UPFs is impractical for many people and can increase food stress. A more realistic goal is to reduce your intake gradually: cook more meals from scratch, swap a few UPFs for less-processed alternatives, and focus on building meals around whole or minimally processed foods. Small, consistent changes tend to be more sustainable than dramatic overhauls.

Related articles

• What Is Ultra-Processed Food? UK List and Examples
• How to Check If Food Is Ultra-Processed
• How to Read Food Labels in the UK
• What Are E-Numbers? A Complete UK Guide
• UPF Scanner UK
• Food Additive Scanner UK

Last reviewed and updated: 7 February 2026