It’s not always easy to decide whether a food is UPF or not, or whether it has UPF ingredients. As products in a supermarket often have long ingredient lists, and it can be difficult to identify whether an unfamiliar ingredient is an addictive created through an industrial process – UPF, or whether it is something that has been derived from a whole food source – non UPF. You can read further information about what UPF actually is here. Examining each ingredient on a label in detail can often be unhelpful. Below is a list of the more common UPF ingredients, which can help make the distinction between UPF and non UPF less blurry. Here are my top 6 UPF ingredients to avoid.
1. MSG – Monosodium Glutamate
MSG or Monosodium Glutamate is possibly the most well-known of UPF ingredients. It’s so well know that it had to be first on the list of the top 6 UPF ingredients to avoid. It can be found as an additive in a wide variety of foods, including:
- Processed meats like hot dogs, lunch meats and sausages
- Seasonings and flavour enhancers
- Condiments and sauces such as soy sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise
- Snack foods like potato chips/crisps, crackers, and popcorn
- Instant noodles and soups
- Frozen meals and microwave ready meals
MSG is usually added to foods as a flavour enhancer, which boosts the savoury “umami” taste in foods. Since food companies want their products to taste good, adding MSG is an easy win.
2. Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers are another extremely common ingredient found in Ultra-Processed Foods. They can be found in products such as:
- Salad dressings and mayonnaise
- Ice cream and whipped cream
- Bread and baked goods
- Margarine and spread
- Coffee creamers and non-dairy milks.
Emulsifiers are used as a binding agent, which helps stabilise mixtures and prevents ingredients from separating. This helps improve the softness and the texture of products.
3. Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a less well-known but extremely common UPF ingredient. It can be found in a vast array of foods including:
- Baked goods such as cookies, cakes, muffins, and pastries
- Cereals
- Snack foods like potato chips/crisps, crackers, and popcorn
- Candy/Sweets and desserts
- Sports drinks/Energy drinks and energy bars
- Soups and sauces
- Salad dressings and dips
- Frozen meals and microwave ready meals
Maltodextrin is a useful ingredient for food companies. It can be used to thicken and bind ingredients together to give a more pleasant texture, as a flavour enhancer, and as a low-calorie sweetener.
According to Dr Chris Van Tulleken in his book Ultra-Processed People, maltodextrin seems to be linked with intestinal inflammation, reduced immune response to bacteria, a rise in chronic inflammatory disorders like Crohn’s disease, and type 2 diabetes.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup is an extremely common ingredient in food and drink products in the USA. It can be found in products such as:
- Soft drinks and fruit juices
- Candy and pastries
- Cookies, cakes, and muffins
- Yoghurts and ice cream
- Salad dressing and condiments
- Processed meats and poultry
- Instant meals and frozen dinners
High Fructose Corn Syrup is primarily used as a sweetener and is derived from corn starch. It gives a sweet taste and is extremely cheap to produce. Although it is a popular ingredient in the United States, it is much less common in the UK. It is thought that UK consumers prefer the taste of table sugar as an ingredient as it is less sweet.
5. Palm Oil
Palm oil is another common UPF ingredient, and it can sometimes be tricky to identify as it can appear on ingredient lists under different names such as vegetable oil, vegetable fat, lauryl oil or stearic acid. It can be found in a dizzying number of products such as:
- Baked goods including cookies, cakes, muffins, and pastries
- Spreads and margarines
- Snacks such as potato chips/crisps, crackers, and popcorn
- Processed meats including sausages, hot dogs, and processed lunch meats
- Chocolate
- Instant noodles and soups
- Non dairy alternatives like plant-based milks and cheese
- Coffee creamers
- Deep-fried foods such as french fries, chicken wings, and doughnuts
- Frozen foods like frozen pizzas and microwave ready meals
Palm oil is a controversial UPF ingredient due to its impact on the environment. Huge areas of rainforest in Indonesia have been cleared in order to produce palm oil. There are also health concerns regarding its use as an ingredient as there is evidence that it may contribute to heart disease.
6. Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is perhaps the least well known UPF ingredient on this list. It can often be found in:
- Salad dressings and condiments, such as ketchups and dips
- Baked goods such as cakes and pancakes
- Soups and broths
- Dairy alternatives, including non-dairy yoghurt, cheese, and milk
- Ice cream and frozen desserts
- Sweets/Candy
Xanthan gum is primarily used as a thickener. It is a popular ingredient as it can create a smooth texture, which can be poured easily and can make foods soft.
Summary
In summary, identifying UPF can be extremely challenging. However, checking packaging in the supermarket for any of these top 6 UPF ingredients to avoid can help speed up the process. If in doubt, I recommend taking a look at Open Food Facts. If a food or drink is categorized as Nova 4 in the Nova system, it is widely considered to be an Ultra-Processed Food.