Celebrity Health – Melissa Hemsley

Melissa Hemsley explains why we should all be cutting down on ultra-processed foods

Image of Melissa Hemsley © Sarah Malcolm

There’s no simple definition of ultra-processed foods but, generally, you could say that they: a) contain more than five ingredients; b) come pre-packaged and c) contain preservatives, emulsifiers and sweeteners. They tend to have a longer shelf-life than fresh foods and are designed to be highly palatable, so that you want more and more and more of them. A (slightly oversimplified) way of thinking of them is: if a food contains ingredients you wouldn’t find in your home kitchen, it’s most likely ultra-processed.

Humans have been processing food for centuries. Pretty much every bite of produce we eat has been processed in some way (washed, cleaned, packaged, frozen, ground, churned, pasteurised). In our home kitchens, and in cafes and restaurants, we are processing our food when we slice, roast, fry, steam and boil it, too. So, it’s important to distinguish between ‘processed’ food and ‘ultra-processed’ food.

As of 2023, the UK government has not given formal dietary recommendations for UPFs. Currently most people refer to the Brazilian NOVA classification system, which groups foods into four general categories:

1. Unprocessed or minimally processed food (e.g. fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, grains, milk, legumes).

2. Processsed culinary ingredients (e.g. butter, salt, sugar, plant oils).

3. Processed food (e.g. fresh bread, tinned pulses, fermented or cured foods, cheese, beer and wine).

4. Ultra-processed food (e.g. most breakfast cereals, confectionery, ice cream, mass-produced bread, pre-packaged meals).

Although it’s complex, it can be a useful guide to sort foods in your head.

Some UPFs are obvious and easy to spot, for example sweets, chocolate cereals and fizzy energy drinks. Others are less obvious, for example stock cubes and bottled sauces.

Some UPFs are marketed to seem healthier than they are, e.g. protein bars or packaged smoothies with ‘health halos’. More work needs to be done on national guidance and clearer labelling, but with a little bit of digging and reading of packaging, you can usually make a pretty good assessment of what you’re buying.

As of 2022, household purchases of vegetables dropped by 14 per cent, and recent studies identify ultra-processed foods as the primary cause of early deaths, globally. For the next generation of teens, not only is 67 per cent of their daily energy intake made up of UPFs but research shows the knock-on effect is that with UPFs making up a great proportion of their plate, there’s less space for healthy whole foods, which may disrupt their future palates and food habits.

I started cooking as a private chef when I was 23 years old and I’ve been sharing healthy recipes for a decade, but I’m now even more passionate about being part of a healthier, more honest food environment for everyone.

The more we keep the conversation going about ‘more whole foods, less ultra-processed foods’ and readdress the balance, the more the large food companies will look to change up their products. Our government(s) need to prioritise addressing food policy. Let’s band together and keep asking those in power for clearer labelling, more honest marketing, less junk food advertising for our kids, and an improvement in food product formulas too. If we ignore the rapid rise in UPFs or accept their ubiquity, we will move further and further away from real healthy food and all its technicolour flavour, benefits, pleasure, nourishment and joy!

Extracted from Real Healthy by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press, £26). Photography by Lizzie Mayson.

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