Ultra-processed foods are not a new phenomenon. We’ve been eating plastic-wrapped microwave meals, tinned spaghetti and jarred pasta sauces for decades. Their convenient, time-saving and cheap nature make them a staple in the fridges and cupboards of family homes across the world. And as ultra-processed foods get cheaper, whole foods, such as vegetables and fish, are becoming comparatively more expensive, meaning ultra-processed foods are making up a significant percentage of our diet. Now, an emerging body of research and subsequent data is warning us of the effects of ultra-processed food.
In 2009, Brazilian epidemiologist, Carlos Monteiro coined the now well-known term 'ultra-processed'. He asserted that when determining a food’s healthfulness, nutritional value is not the only relevant metric. Monteiro proposed that the degree to which the food has been processed should also be taken into consideration.
With this in mind, he developed the Nova Classification System. This system ranks food from 1 to 4 depending on how processed, and therefore how good or bad, it is; 1 being unprocessed or minimally processed, 4 being ultra-processed.
Monteiro and his team stated that "food processing as identified by NOVA involves physical, biological and chemical processes that occur after foods are separated from nature, and before they are consumed or used in the preparation of dishes and meals." All foods and food products are classified into four groups:
1. Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
Unprocessed foods are obtained directly from plants or animals, and do not undergo any alteration following their removal from nature. Minimally processed foods in this group include natural foods that have been submitted to cleaning, grinding, drying, fermentation, pasturisation, freezing, or other processes that do not add oils, fats, sugar or other substances.
Examples include:
Natural, packaged, cut, chilled or frozen fruits and vegetables, grains such as brown, white and wholegrain rice, fresh vegetable or fruit juices with no added sugar or other substances, grains of wheat, oats and other cereals, eggs, legumes, dried fruits, nuts and seeds (without added sugar or salt), fresh, chilled or frozen meat, poultry, fish and seafood, whole or in the form of steaks, fillets and other cuts, fresh or pasturised milk, yogurt without sugar, tea and coffee, tap, spring and mineral water.
2. Processed Culinary Ingredients
These products are extracted from natural foods or from nature by processes such as pressing, crushing and refining. They are used often in homes to season and cook food and thus create varied and delicious dishes. These products are used in small amounts in order to create diverse diets without rendering them nutritionally unbalanced.
Examples include:
Oils made from seeds, nuts and fruits, including corn, sunflower or olive, white, brown and other types of sugar obtained from cane or beet, honey extracted from honeycombs, syrup extracted from maple trees, butter, lard, coconut fat, refined or coarse salt (mined or from seawater), any food combining two of these, such as 'salted butter'.
3. Processed Foods
This group is made up of products manufactured with the use of salt, sugar, oil or other substances and added to natural or minimally processed foods (group 1) to preserve or make them more palatable. They are derived directly from foods and are recognisable as versions of the original foods. Most processed foods have at least two or three ingredients.
Examples include:
Canned legumes or vegetables preserved in salt or vinegar, tomato pastes or concentrates (with salt and/or sugar), fruits in sugar syrup, bacon, salted or sugared nuts and seeds, canned fish, such as sardines and tuna with or without added preservatives, dried, smoked or cured meat or fish, freshly made cheeses, freshly made breads made of wheat flour, yeast, water and salt, fermented alcohol, such as beer, cider and wine.
4. Ultra-Processed Food and Drink Products
Substances in group 4 are industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch and proteins) derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesised in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavour enhancers, colours and additives used to make the food hyper-palatable). Group 1 foods are a small part of, or are even absent from, ultra-processed products.
Examples include:
Sweet and savoury packaged snacks, biscuits, ice creams and frozen desserts, chocolates and candies, soda and other carbonated soft drinks, energy and sports drinks, canned, packaged, dehydrated and other 'instant' soups, noodles, sauces, desserts, drink mixes and seasonings, sweetened and flavoured yoghurts, dairy drinks, including chocolate milk, sweetened juices, margarines and spreads, pre-prepared (packaged) meat, fish and vegetables, pre-prepared pizza, pasta, burgers, hot dogs, poultry and fish, other animal products made from remnants, packaged breads, baked products made with ingredients such as hydrogenated vegetable fat, sugar, yeast, whey, emulsifiers and other additives, breakfast cereals and bars, infant formulas and drinks, meal replacement shakes, pastries, cakes and cake mixes, distilled alcohol such as whisky, gin, rum, vodka etc.
How Bad Are They?
The question remains: why are ultra-processed foods bad for us? Understanding how the processing of food affects our bodies is the first step in finding out.
Ultra -processed foods (UPFs) contain industrial formulations, chemicals, refined oils, fats, starches and proteins. These things are used to help make the food last longer, taste better and become more palatable. Not only do they make you want to eat more, but they also make the food more calorie-dense, meaning we consume more calories despite eating smaller amounts of food.
In a 2024 study, the British Medical Journal found that 'direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.'
In the UK and US, over half of the average diet is ultra-processed, particularly for people who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas. A study from the University of Cambridge found that 57% of the daily calorie intake of UK adults derive from UPFs. This percentage is higher among adolescents (66%). Likewise, in a US study, the percentage of calories from UPF consumption among youths was 67%.
With Cayman importing a large majority of food from both countries, and with the universal pervasiveness of UPFs, we can assume that the Cayman Islands isn't far behind these statistics.
In 2014, Brazil’s Ministry of Health issued dietary guidelines based, in part, on Monteiro and his team’s Nova food classification system. The principles are simple and easy to follow:
- Make unprocessed or minimally processed foods (Group 1) the basis of your diet.
- Use processed culinary ingredients (Group 2) in small amounts for seasoning and cooking food.
- Limit the use of processed foods (Group 3), consuming them in small amounts as part of meals based on natural or minimally processed foods.
- Avoid ultra-processed products (Group 4).
And the golden rule: Always choose natural, or minimally processed foods, and freshly made dishes and meals to ultra-processed products.
All of this seems simple and obvious enough; we’ve always been told that eating fresh fruit and vegetables is healthier for us than consuming crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks. But with restricted time in our fast-paced world coupled with budgeting pressures living through a cost of living crisis, this isn’t always an option for many families.
Sadly the emergence of ultra-processed foods is closely connected to the commercialisation of food systems, and limiting their unrestrained growth may be critical in improving human and planetary health.
The good news is that being on a low UPF diet is, thankfully, a welcome reprieve from the toxic diet cultures we have known over the past few decades. It’s not about restriction. It’s about eating whole foods, fuelling your body with all the nutrients it needs in order to thrive. Eating in such a way should leave your body and mind energised, ready to tackle the day, feeling balanced and in optimal health.
