UPF formal definition:
Industrial formulations of several ingredients that include original or chemically modified food substances obtained with the fractioning of whole foods and additives used to make the final product palatable or hyper-palatable.
How to identify ultra processed food.
👉 FOOD SUBSTANCES RARELY USED IN KITCHENS. These include protein isolates, ‘mechanically separated meat’, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, invert sugar, maltodentrin, soluble or insoluble fiber, hydrogenated oils.
👉 COSMETIC ADDITIVES.
These include flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling, and glazing agents).
Possible links with UPF:
👉 Reduced presence of bioactive non-nutrient compounds
👉 Increased presence of xenobiotics
👉 Diets with softer solid foods and more liquid foods (greater eating rate)
👉 Low satiety
👉 Low thermic effect
👉 Hyper-palatable diets, compulsive overeating
👉 Pro-inflammatory microbiome