Ultra-Processed Foods: What They Are, Why They Matter and What We're Doing About It

You've probably seen the term 'ultra-processed foods' cropping up everywhere lately… on the news, on food packaging, in conversations about what we're feeding our children. But what does it actually mean? And why should you care?

Here's a plain English breakdown and a bit about why we think the answer is simpler than the food industry would have you believe.

So, what is an ultra-processed food?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are products that have been significantly altered from their original state - often through industrial processes - and typically contain additives you wouldn't find in a home kitchen. Think emulsifiers, artificial flavours, colour enhancers, preservatives and sweeteners.

The NOVA classification system - widely used by researchers - puts foods into four groups based on how processed they are. UPFs sit at the top of that scale. We're talking about things like fizzy drinks, packaged ready meals, reconstituted meat products, flavoured crisps and certain breakfast cereals.

A quick rule of thumb: if the ingredients list reads like a chemistry textbook, it's probably ultra-processed.

What's the concern?

Research in recent years has drawn strong links between high UPF consumption and a range of health issues - obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some cancers. A 2025 review by 43 global health experts concluded that the rise of UPFs is fuelling chronic disease worldwide and deepening health inequalities.

The UK government has taken note. Since October 2025, paid online advertising for foods high in fat, salt and sugar has been banned in England - a sign of just how seriously this issue is being taken at a policy level.

Part of the problem is that UPFs are designed to be convenient, cheap, and - let's be honest - very easy to eat a lot of! They're engineered for palatability, not nutrition. The more of them you eat, the less room there is on your plate for real food.

The good news - eating well doesn't have to be complicated

We're not here to lecture anyone. But we do believe - genuinely - that the best food is the simplest food. A bird that's been raised properly, on good pasture, fed on fresh herbs and handled with care doesn't need anything added to it. It already tastes exactly as it should.

At Herb Fed, what's on our label is exactly what's in our birds. Our chickens and turkeys are free-range, fed on a herb-rich diet including mint, thyme, oregano, tarragon and more - no additives, no shortcuts. Just proper farming, producing proper food.

The antidote to ultra-processed food isn't fancy or expensive. It's knowing where your food comes from - and choosing producers who care as much about what goes into the rearing as what ends up on your plate.

That's the kind of farming we've been doing since 2009. And it's not going to change.

Read our blog: Farming with the land in mind - our approach to regenerative and sustainable agriculture...