The term ultra-processed food can be defined as those made by industrial processing and that often contain additives such as colours, flavours, emulsifiers or preservatives. Typical examples include sugary drinks, cakes, ice cream, sweets and takeaway fried chicken.
Foods such as sliced wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, baked beans, tomato-based pasta sauces and fruit yogurts are also usually classified as ultra-processed and these can be a convenient and an affordable source of some important nutrients.
The research, which was carried out by YouGov, compared British adults’ views on processed foods in separate surveys in 2021 and 2023. Compared to 2021, more people had heard of the term ultra-processed food (46% vs 30%) and were trying to reduce these foods in their diet (33% vs 25%).
Bridget Benelam, a British Nutrition Foundation spokesperson, said: “For many of us when we get home after a busy day, foods like baked beans, wholemeal toast, fish fingers or ready-made pasta sauces are an affordable way to get a balanced meal on the table quickly. These may be classed as ultra-processed but can still be part of a healthy diet.
“It’s great if you can cook from scratch when you have time, but I know for me, as a working parent it’s often not an option. We need to make healthy eating easier and more affordable, not more difficult and expensive. Choosing healthier processed foods is one way that can help people fit healthy eating into their lives.”
The survey also found that, while most people agreed that it was better to cook from scratch than to use processed foods (68%), nearly half agreed that a healthy balanced diet can include some processed foods (49%) and that processed foods can be convenient to save time preparing food (49%).