A recent report from the University of Washington offered a more practical and operational definition of ultra-processed foods was developed by a panel of experts in nutrition, food science, policy and legal fields.
The lack of a clear definition of what an ultra-processed food is has made it difficult to regulate on a legislative level and continues to create confusion for people evaluating their own diets. Co-chaired by Jim Krieger, clinical professor emeritus of health systems and population health at the UW and executive director of the nonprofit group Healthy Food America, the panel’s final report was published in May, and offers a definition that is both research-based and simple enough to be put into practice in a policy or an individual consumer context.