From baked beans to Marmite, sliced bread to yoghurt, ultra-processed foods are so commonplace that even the healthiest eater will find it hard to dodge them completely – but the latest research might make some try harder to do so.

For according to estimates from a study published yesterday, eating ultra-processed foods (or UPFs) is to blame for a significant proportion of premature deaths among the under-70s.

The researchers estimated that for every 10 per cent increase in the amount of UPFs people ate, their risk of an early death increased by 3 per cent, reported the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

That means just under 18,000 people in the UK died between 2018/19 prematurely (defined as aged 30 to 69), as a result of the UPFs in their diet.

The study does have its limitations – for example, rather than identifying a direct causal link with UPFs, the authors’ findings were estimates based on dietary surveys and death data from eight countries including the UK, US, Brazil, Chile and Colombia.

As Dr Stephen Burgess, a statistician in the MRC Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘This type of research cannot prove that consumption of ultra-processed foods is harmful, but it does provide evidence linking consumption with poorer health outcomes.’

But there is no getting away from the fact that the case against UPFs is stacking up – in fact a study published last year in the BMJ linked a high intake of UPFs with 32 different diseases including cancer, heart disease, and even mental health disorders such as anxiety.

In the face of such evidence you might be among those wanting to avoid or cut back on UPFs, but you have to be a surprisingly savvy shopper to do this.

Just under 18,000 people in the UK died between 2018/19 prematurely (defined as aged 30 to 69), as a result of the ultra-processed foods in their diet

A strawberry, raspberry and cranberry Quaker Oats Good To Go bar has a lengthy list of ingredients that includes just 1.8 per cent strawberry pieces and 1.8 per cent cranberry pieces

A UPF is essentially an industrially processed food that couldn’t be produced in a home kitchen.

It will typically have multiple ingredients and be high in sugar, fat or salt – while also being low in nutrients.

But as consumers get more UPF-conscious, food manufacturers are responding by using different terminology in order to disguise unappetising-sounding chemical compounds that might be added to a food in order to, for example, make it more palatable or enhance its flavour.

For instance, an ingredient that may once have been listed as an E-number may now be described by its full name.

So what might once have been described as E221 is now referred to as sodium sulphite (a preservative found in processed meats, for example). This is being encouraged by a growing consumer desire for ‘clean labelling’ – foods made with a shorter and more wholesome-sounding ingredients list.

But beware, as not all of these may be as ‘natural’ as they might appear.

A ‘natural’ tag can be added to any food made of ingredients that were originally natural – but that doesn’t mean the end result is.

Foods may also be marketed as being made with fruit or veg when their actual content is minimal.

A strawberry, raspberry and cranberry Quaker Oats Good To Go bar, for example, has a lengthy list of ingredients that includes just 1.8 per cent strawberry pieces and 1.8 per cent cranberry pieces.

The only raspberry mention is ‘natural berry flavouring’, but the bars do also have acidity regulators, palm fat, an emulsifier and several different types of sugar listed in their ingredients list too (although it does claim to contain the same amount of oats as a bowl of porridge).

‘Low fat’ will mean a product has less than 3g fat per 100g – but beware what it may contain instead.

Manufacturers often swap in other additives to improve the taste and texture.

Sugar may be listed as one of any number of names from fructose and glucose to agave nectar and maltodextrin, or molasses and barley malt.

And a food containing ‘no added sugar’ may instead have added sweeteners, some of which have been linked (in animal studies) to health concerns.

For instance, researchers from Shandong University in China and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden recently found that in mice studies, the sweetener aspartame was linked to raised insulin levels as well as a build-up of plaque in arteries and inflammation.

A straightforward approach to spot a UPF, suggests Dr Adrian Brown, a senior researcher in nutrition and dietetics at University College London, is if ‘you’re looking at a packaged food, it contains more than five ingredients and you’ve never heard of some of them or wouldn’t find them in your kitchen, then the chances are that it’s a UPF.’

Another option is to check for the credentials of your food on a free website called openfoodfacts.org.

Your checklist for signs it's a UPF 

1. Contains ingredients you don’t expect to find in average kitchen such as hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners and glazing agents.

2. Very high in calories, salt, sugar and/or fat (to make it irresistible).

3. Very low in fat and sugar (but will have additives to make up for the loss of them).

4. Processed into a shape.

5. Contains more than five ingredients.

6. Has a health claim on the packet (Dr Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-processed People argues that with industrially processed foods, a ‘good rule of thumb is that if there’s a health claim on the box, ‘it’s probably a UPF’).

What ingredients on labels actually mean

The healthy-looking Light & Free Strawberry Yoghurt from Danone is low in fat and salt, and medium in sugar. It also counts as an ultra-processed food

Reading the labels on food packaging can throw a new light on your shopping choices. 

For instance, the healthy-looking Light & Free Strawberry Yoghurt from Danone is low in fat and salt, and medium in sugar. It also counts as an ultra-processed food, with ten additives – some are to improve the taste and texture, to make up for removing the fat and sugar.

Yoghurt (milk)

Strawberry (12%)

Oligofructose (fibre): This is inulin, a type of fibre found in plants. Sweet-tasting, it’s often added to low-calorie and low-fat food products to enhance texture.

Potato starch: A fine white powder commonly used as an additive, here it is primarily used as a thickening agent. Its ability to absorb water makes it effective at creating a smooth texture without affecting flavour.

Tapioca starch: A carbohydrate extracted from the root of the cassava plant and often added as a thickening agent and to improve texture. It has a neutral taste, making it versatile for both sweet and savoury products.

Modified maize starch: Derived from corn starch, this has undergone physical and enzyme treatment to change its physical properties, so it can be used for thickening and emulsifying (to help liquids blend together) or gelling a food product together. It’s used in a variety of products including soups, dressings and baked goods.

Stabilisers (pectin, carrageenan): These are used to maintain the structure, texture and consistency of food. Pectin (E440), found in citrus peel but also extracted from raw materials, helps ingredients stick and mix together and hold their consistency. Carrageenan (E407) is derived from red seaweed and widely used to thicken foods, including yoghurts.

Flavourings: Manufacturers don’t have to state which flavourings have been used as long as they meet regulatory food safety requirements.

Acidity regulators (calcium citrate, sodium citrate, lactic acid): These are added to foods to adjust the levels of acidity and alkalinity to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and extend a product’s shelf-life. They can also be used as emulsifiers, helping prevent ingredients in products, such as jellies and dairy product, separating.

Black carrot juice concentrate: Made from the juice of black carrots, this is often used as a food colouring.

Sweeteners (acesulfame K, sucralose).

Vitamin D: Often added to dairy products in order to enhance calcium absorption.