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Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Diets and Meal Planning

Ultra-processed food

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

nounCommon term

In nutrition & dietetics, ultra-processed food means: An industrial food product made mostly from refined ingredients and additives, such as many soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles and processed meats. The term comes from the NOVA classification.

In Turkish: ultra işlenmiş gıda, aşırı işlenmiş gıda

How it is used

A widely discussed term in research, public health and the media, often shortened to UPF. NOVA puts foods into four groups by their level of processing; ultra-processed foods are group 4. Researchers debate whether the processing itself or the nutrient profile explains the health effects.

Example sentences

  1. Ultra-processed food makes up more than half of energy intake in some high-income countries.

  2. Not every packaged product is ultra-processed food; plain yogurt and canned chickpeas are not.

Common collocations

  • UPF
  • highly processed
  • NOVA classification
  • processed meat
  • nutrient-denseDescribing a food that provides a lot of vitamins, minerals, protein or fiber compared with the number of calories it contains.
  • added sugarSugars and syrups put into foods and drinks during processing or preparation, such as table sugar, honey and corn syrup, as opposed to the sugars naturally found in whole fruit and milk.
  • sodiumA mineral and electrolyte that controls fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle function. Most dietary sodium comes from salt (sodium chloride) in processed foods, bread and cooking.
  • ingredient listThe part of a food label that names every ingredient in the product, listed in descending order of weight, so the main ingredient comes first.

More terms: Diets and Meal Planning

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.