How to spot and identify ultra-processed foods (UPFs)

Most ultra-processed foods are not obvious from the front of the packet. Words like natural, high protein, plant-based, wholegrain or no added sugar do not tell you whether a food is ultra-processed or not.

The best place to look is the ingredients list.

How to read the ingredients list

If the ingredients list contains substances you would not normally use in a home kitchen like flavourings, emulsifiers, sweeteners, colourings, thickeners or modified starches, the product is to be considered ultra-processed.

This is the practical method used in the NOVA classification. Looking for ingredients that are characteristic of ultra-processed foods, including industrial food substances and «cosmetic additives» used to improve taste, texture, colour or appearance.

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What to look for in the ingredients list

To spot ultra-processed foods, turn the packet over and read the ingredients list.

Look especially for:

• Flavourings, including «natural flavouring»
• Emulsifiers such as E471, E472e, E481 or lecithin
• Sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame or acesulfame K
• Colourings
• Thickeners and gums such as xanthan gum, guar gum or modified starch
• Maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose syrup or fructose-glucose syrup
• Protein isolates, hydrolysed proteins, whey protein or wheat protein
• Refined palm oil

One clear UPF marker can be enough.

 

60 % of UK foods are ultra-processed

In The Food App’s 2026 analysis of more than 50,000 UK supermarket products, just over 60% were classified as ultra-processed. Flavourings were the most common indicator, appearing in 70% of the ultra-processed products identified.

 

Use The Food App to help you get started

Reading ingredients lists can be confusing, especially when products contain E-numbers or technical ingredient names like mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids.

It is also important to know that not all additives make a food ultra-processed. Some additives are used for safety, vitamins or basic preservation. The key is spotting ingredients commonly used to recreate flavour, texture, sweetness or appearance.

The Food App makes this easier. Scan a barcode or search for a product to see whether it is ultra-processed, and get better swaps to similar products that are not ultra-processed.

What is an ultra-processed food?

Not all processed food is ultra-processed.

Bread, cheese, tinned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, yoghurt, butter and olive oil are all processed in some way. Processing can make food safer, easier to store, easier to transport or more convenient. The Food Standards Agency also notes that some processing, such as pasteurisation or adding vitamins and minerals, can play an important role in food safety or nutrition.

Ultra-processed foods are different. They are usually industrial formulations made with ingredients, additives or processing aids that you would rarely find in a normal kitchen.

The important question is not simply: «Has this food been processed?»

The better question is: «Has this food been made with industrial ingredients or additives that are mainly there to recreate taste, texture, colour, sweetness or shelf life?»

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