Historically, food processing, such as salting or fermenting, served basic survival needs.
Today, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for most of our food supply, providing over 60% of dietary calories for UK children.
Modern food processing began in 1810 with the invention of canning.
Later urbanisation introduced major food brands, eg Nestle, Campbell, offering cheap, fast food.
Synthetic additives like coal-derived dyes also emerged.
The First and Second World Wars expanded mass-market reliance on stable, transportable, ready-to-eat rations.
Post-war factories redirected these military products directly to civilian homes.
UPFs are constructed through industrial deconstruction (breaking raw crops down into basic molecules like isolated starches or proteins) followed by reconstruction using emulsifiers, flavourings, and colours.
They are specifically engineered to be hyper-palatable, durable, and cheap.
However, this is not good news.
Industrial refining destroys the natural physical structure of food, accelerating digestion, bypassing natural fullness signalling, and spiking blood sugar levels.
Dyes manipulate visual sensory expectations, while texture agents and emulsifiers disrupt the gut barrier.
Synthetic sweeteners alter the insulin response, and flavour enhancers induce overeating.
Additional risks stem from contaminants (eg acrylamide formed during high-heat cooking) and packaging (e.g. phthalates, microplastics).
Consuming high amounts of UPFs is strongly linked to multiple chronic conditions.
These include cardiovascular disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, anxiety and depression.
A small group of multinational corporations use aggressive marketing to target children and vulnerable populations and expand into developing economies.
Industry-funded research creates scientific ambiguity around the true health impacts of UPFs.
Foods can be categorised into four distinct groups on the NOVA scale:
NOVA 1 (unprocessed/minimally processed): Whole foods modified slightly without adding substances (eg fresh fruit, plain milk, frozen vegetables).
NOVA 2 (culinary ingredients): Direct extractions used in cooking (e.g. oils, butter, salt, sugar).
NOVA 3 (processed foods): Simple combinations of NOVA 1 and NOVA 2 items (e.g. canned vegetables, artisanal bread, cured meats).
NOVA 4 (ultra-processed foods): Industrial formulations typically made with five or more ingredients, incorporating substances not found in domestic kitchens and cosmetic additives.
These have long ingredient lists (5+ ingredients), high sugar/salt/fat levels, cosmetic additives (eg emulsifiers, artificial flavours, colourings), or ingredients never used in home kitchens (eg high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, soy protein isolates).
How can we avoid UPFs?
Prioritise cooking with whole foods (NOVA 1 and 2), swap out pre-packaged snacks for minimally processed alternatives, and read labels carefully to make informed choices.
There are free apps which will scan the ingredients list on a product and offer advice such as Yuka, Xume: Health Food Scanner, Open Food Facts.
Where possible grow your own, even a few herbs in pots help health.
- Glenis Scadding is a member of Brent Friends of the Earth (brentfoe.com).
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