Ultra-processed food

Ultra-processed food is a concept devised by the Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro. the concept is loose and evolving.

The NOVA classification
Monteiro uses the term to refer to the processing of substances derived from foods by e.g., , , moulding, re-shaping, and. They generally include a large number of additives such as, , sensory enhancers, , flavours and processing aids, but little or no. They may be fortified with. The aim is to create durable, convenient and palatable ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat food products suitable to be consumed as snacks or to replace freshly prepared food-based dishes and meals.. NOVA is a  food  classification  system  based  on  the  extent  and  purpose  of  industrial  food  processing and validated by  and.

NOVA classification critisism
The utility of the NOVA classification has been subject to critisism. . However, a 2018 publication from the founders of the NOVA classification uncovered misleading and incorrect statements in the critical appraisal, as well as non-disclosed conflicts of interest.

Health outcomes
Ultra-processed foods have been linked with several health outcomes, including risk of, , , , ,  ,  ,   and total mortality

Press coverage
The French longitudinal study showing a between "ultra-processed food" and cancer risk prompted a number of news outlets to run alarmist headlines claiming that eating such food caused  – these headlines were based on a common misunderstanding between.

Randomized controlled trial
The majority of studies investigating the relationship between ultra-processed foods and health outcomes have been based on observational data. In 2019, the first that demonstrated a causal link between intake of ultra-processed foods and effect on energy balance was published. The study reports excess calorie intake and weight gain with  intake of ultra-processed foods, whereas intake of whole foods led to opposite results.

Mechanisms
Biological mechanisms supporting the associations between intake of ultra-processed foods remain largely unknown. A 2018 review suggests that the diet-microbiome-host interaction is affected by structural and chemical changes introduced to foods during extensive processing, leading to low grade systemic inflammation that interferes with fine tune biologivcal mechanisms for energy balance.