ultra-processed

American  

[uhl-truh-pros-est] / ˈʌl trəˈprɒs ɛst /

Also highly processed

adjective

1. being, consisting of, or relating to a food product whose form and substance have gone through multiple processes of modification along with the addition of such ingredients as sugars, salt, fats, and artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

   My intake of ultra-processed foods is down to an occasional hotdog at the ballpark and one weekly order of chicken nuggets.

   The study found that participants eating an ultra-processed diet ate faster.

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Etymology

Origin of ultra-processed

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ultra-processed

Using the Nova classification system, researchers categorized 81% of them as ultra-processed.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

A review of toddler foods available at 21 Texas grocery stores found that ultra-processed products dominate the shelves.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

The transformation is visible everywhere: from supermarket shelves stocked with ultra-processed foods to pizzerias selling slices piled high with chips, sausages and fried snacks.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The study found that even modest increases in ultra-processed food consumption were associated with measurable declines in attention and mental processing speed.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026

McDonald’s chicken nuggets were apparently an ultra-processed food item too far for the folks at Six Flags’ Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026