It’s Not Just Food. Our Entire World is ‘Ultraprocessed.’
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- There is broad bipartisan agreement in the U.S. that the high consumption of ultraprocessed foods poses health risks, prompting government efforts to define what constitutes such foods.
- Defining ultraprocessed foods is challenging because scientific classifications focus on the degree of food alteration rather than nutritional content, lumping together a wide range of products from homemade canned goods to industrial junk food.
- The term "ultraprocessed" has expanded beyond food to describe other modern phenomena, such as media consumption and cultural experiences, often implying something artificially engineered and lacking substance.
- The prefix "ultra-" originally means "beyond" and is not inherently negative, though its contemporary use often carries a disapproving connotation, influenced by historical political and cultural contexts.