How to read a label to identify an ultra-processed food

Recognising an ultra-processed food in the supermarket takes a trained eye. Marketing often uses claims such as “natural”, “light” or “made with selected ingredients” on products that fall most clearly into this category. Learning to read labels systematically is the most reliable way to look beyond the marketing.

A person reading a packaged product's ingredients list with a magnifying glass — Start by looking at the back of the package, rather than just the message on the front.

The first sign: the length of the ingredients list

A practical first indicator, although not an infallible one, is the length of the ingredients list. A minimally processed food typically has one or very few ingredients — peeled tomatoes, for example, may contain tomatoes, tomato juice and salt — whereas an ultra-processed product often lists ten, fifteen or more. This is not an absolute rule: some complex artisan products have long lists of recognisable ingredients. Nevertheless, it is a useful initial filter when navigating supermarket shelves.

Visual comparison of a short ingredients list and a long one — A short, recognisable list is a quick filter; a long list deserves closer attention.

Ingredients that signal ultra-processing

Some ingredients appear almost exclusively in ultra-processed products and are fairly reliable indicators: glucose-fructose syrup, modified starch, hydrolysed or isolated proteins, maltodextrins, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, unspecified flavourings, colourings identified by E-numbers (E100–E199), emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, and multiple combinations of thickeners and stabilisers. Finding two or three of these together is a fairly strong indication of ultra-processing.

Ingredients and additives that may signal an ultra-processed food — No single ingredient tells the whole story: a combination of several signs deserves attention.

Sugar under different names

Manufacturers often include several different sugar sources in the same product — glucose syrup, dextrose, maltose, concentrated fruit juice or honey. This can make each sugar source appear lower down the ingredients list, which is ordered by decreasing quantity, than would be the case if all sources were added together. If three or four different types of sugar appear in the same list, the total amount is probably higher than it seems at first glance.

Visual diagram showing how sugars listed under different names add up — Different names can end up in the same “spoonful” of sugar: it is worth considering them together.

Marketing claims should not be confused with nutritional quality

Claims such as “natural”, “artisan”, “preservative-free” or “with added vitamins” are not necessarily related to how extensively a product has been processed. A fizzy drink can be “naturally flavoured” and still be an ultra-processed product high in sugar. Even “wholegrain” needs checking carefully. Bread may carry this claim while containing mostly refined flour with a small proportion of added wholegrain flour, something you can only assess by checking the ingredients list.

How to use these criteria in practice

A simple method is to ask three questions when looking at a packaged product: do I recognise all the listed ingredients? Would I have them at home to cook the same dish? Is the list short and understandable? If the answers are no, the product is probably ultra-processed, regardless of the claims on the front of the package.

Applying this filter consistently, even for just a few weeks during your normal shopping, helps you gradually build a personal list of packaged products you trust, reducing the time you need to spend reading labels in the longer term.