I directionally agree with this comment, but I think the concept of UPFs is broader / murkier than:
When people talk about UPFs, they’re clearly concerned about chemical additives like emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorings, and artificial sweeteners.
In addition to ingredient-level concerns, people also seem concerned with manufacturing and processing steps like freeze drying, curing, hydrogenating, extremely heating, etc. A commonly-used framework is discussed here. Unfortunately, eliminating “chemical additives” from alternative proteins strikes me as a much easier task than avoiding industrial processing.
(I do think at the consumer level, the working definition of ultra-processed food is probably more vibes-based than either of my links would imply.)
I directionally agree with this comment, but I think the concept of UPFs is broader / murkier than:
In addition to ingredient-level concerns, people also seem concerned with manufacturing and processing steps like freeze drying, curing, hydrogenating, extremely heating, etc. A commonly-used framework is discussed here. Unfortunately, eliminating “chemical additives” from alternative proteins strikes me as a much easier task than avoiding industrial processing.
(I do think at the consumer level, the working definition of ultra-processed food is probably more vibes-based than either of my links would imply.)