ultra-processed

American

[uhl-truh-pros-est] / ˈʌl trəˈprɒs ɛst /

Also highly processed

adjective

being, consisting of, or relating to a food product whose form and substance have gone through multiple processes of modification along with the addition of such ingredients as sugars, salt, fats, and artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

My intake of ultra-processed foods is down to an occasional hotdog at the ballpark and one weekly order of chicken nuggets.
The study found that participants eating an ultra-processed diet ate faster.

Etymology

Origin of ultra-processed

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The California city of San Francisco in December sued ten leading food makers over their ultra-processed products, accusing the industry's giants of knowingly selling foods that have been linked to a rise in serious diseases.

From BBC

Target has said it will stop selling breakfast cereals that are made with synthetic colours by the end of May, marking the latest response by a retailer to backlash against ultra-processed foods.

From BBC

Guernsey based nutritional therapist Carol Champion advised people with coeliac disease to eat more foods that were "naturally gluten free" such as potatoes, rice, oats and sweet potatoes, rather than buying too many ultra-processed foods.

From BBC

The former heavyweight champ has lent his face to an ad campaign with the slogan "Eat Real Food," as opposed to ultra-processed products that are popular in America.

From Barron's

"Where I come from is Brownsville, Brooklyn. It's the most violent, poverty-struck neighborhood in the city of New York. And ultra-processed food was just the norm," Tyson said at the event with Kennedy, whose slogan is "Make America Healthy Again."

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023