Ultra-processed food is food that has undergone significant industrial change to alter its taste, appearance, or shelf life. These products typically have long lists of ingredients and are manufactured using processes and additives rarely found in home kitchens.
Processing food is a normal part of cooking; even peeling fruit or baking bread counts as processing. However, ultra-processed foods are foods that have been processed or created in industrial environments, and they contain additives like emulsifiers, stabilizers, and artificial flavorings. These ingredients and the techniques used to incorporate them are generally unavailable to the home cook, making the final product vastly different from anything made in a home kitchen.