To qualify as UPF, a food must include a minimum of five whole food components and at least five — frequently many more affordable, industrially manufactured ingredients.

Overconsumption of UPF has long been advised by scientists, who have linked it to a variety of health problems. According to recent studiesTrusted Source, they can cause cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause death.

“We saw,” says first author of the study Dr. Marialaura Bonaccio, “that people with a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods have a two-thirds increased risk of a second heart attack or stroke, this time fatal, compared with participants eating these foods less frequently. The probability of dying from any cause is also 40% higher.”

Worryingly, consumption of UPF is growing, particularly in the United States, where nearly 60% of the average person’s diet is likely to be made up of highly processed foods.

The Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, conducted the study, which appears in European Heart Journal.

Recognizing ultra-processed foods

Dr. Bonaccio told Medical News Today, “It is important to underline that the definition of ultra-processed food is not linked to the nutritional content, but rather to the process used for its preparation and storage. In other words, even if a food is nutritionally balanced, it might still be considered ultra-processed.”

Cardiology dietician Michelle Routhenstein, MS RD CDE CDN, who was not involved in the study, told MNT:

“I find that many people are hyper-focused on calories, so when they read the food label, if the nutritional facts panel satisfies what they are assessing it for, they can easily dismiss the processing element of the food. I, therefore, like to direct the attention of the consumer to read the actual ingredient list first.”

Routhenstein adds, “When looking at the food label, it may be helpful to understand at a glance the NOVA classification scale.”

The NOVA classification system assigns foods to one of four categories based on the amount of processing they involve:

• Group 1 — Unprocessed or minimally processed foods. These are either unprocessed foods or foods that have undergone minimal processing, such as cooking or pasteurization.
• Group 2 — Processed culinary ingredients. These derive from nature or group 1 foods. They include olive oil, salt, maple syrup, and other items which people may use to prepare group 1 foods.
• Group 3 — Processed foods. These are foods created using items from groups 1 and 2, such as bread and cheese.
• Group 4 — Ultra-processed food and drink products. Manufacturers have formulated these food products to be tasty, cheap to buy, and easy to prepare. They include few to no products from group 1 and often contain fats, salt, preservatives, stabilizers, food coloring, artificial flavoring, and refined grains.