Can you spot the ultra-processed food? Test your skills with our quiz!

Researchers have linked diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with increased overall mortality, cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and mental health problems like depression and insomnia. But what exactly are UPFs? The term was coined in 2010 by Brazilian researchers to describe foods that contain one or both of two classes of ingredients: those that are “never or rarely used in kitchens,” and those whose “function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing,” i.e. “cosmetic additives.”

Both categories contain edge cases. Some home cooks may keep a store of MSG in the pantry. And an innocuous ingredient like paprika may knock a food into the “ultra-processed” category if it’s used as a cosmetic “colorant.” But for the vast majority of ingredients, no such ambiguity applies. The research linking UPFs to disease relies on a consistent set of parameters, and understanding those parameters can help to build a healthier diet. Check your understanding with our quiz and when you’re done, check out CFA’s “Ultra-processed Foods: Why They Matter and What to Do About It” to learn more about how you can support reforms to reduce harms from UPFs.

How did you do? If you want to learn more about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), the leading theories on why they are associated with poor health, and what elected officials and regulators can do with respect to UPFs to help reduce the obesity and diet-related disease epidemic, check out our report here.