Should we be worried about vegan ultra-

processed foods?
12 October 2024

Christine Ro

Vegan diets can contain more UPFs on average – but this might
not be a problem.

For most people living in industrialised societies, it's difficult to avoid ultra-
processed foods altogether. My cereal is ultra-processed. So is the whiskey
in my cabinet, the hot sauce in my fridge and the crisps in my backpack.

The term "ultra-processed" is poorly understood and inconsistently

used, even sometimes by scientists. While in some circles it has become a
catch-all term for foods with little nutritional benefit, a wide variety of
foods fall under this umbrella.

Ultra-processed foods are popular with consumers for their convenience

(frozen pizza), taste (wrapped cookies), and durability (sandwich bread).
These elements, plus the relatively low cost of ingredients, make
them profitable for manufacturers.

But recently another motivation for ultra-processed foods has emerged: to

replace meat or dairy among those attempting to eat a more plant-based
diet. With this new category has come anxiety about the health effects of
these products, leading to headlines such as "The unhealthiest fake meats
you can buy (and why it's better to go to McDonald's)". These concerns
were exacerbated by recent research, which found that those who
consume 10% more ultra-processed foods derived from plants have a 12%
higher risk of death related to diet. However, things are not quite as they
seem. Are plant-based diets really so rich in ultra-processed foods, and
are they any worse for you?

Identifying ultra-processed foods

An established method for categorising the levels of processing in food

is Nova. Fernanda Rauber, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of
São Paulo in Brazil, explains, "Nova distinguishes between different levels
of processing, acknowledging that not all processed foods are harmful. In
fact, many types of processing, such as pasteurisation or fermentation,
are important for food safety and nutrition." It's the more intense
processing that concerns Rauber. "One type of industrial processing is
harmful to health – the kind that produces ultra-processed foods."

In the Nova system, a food product is considered ultra-processed if at

least one of its ingredients is a substance that home cooks generally don't
use (such as high-fructose corn syrup or hydrolysed protein), or is an
additive designed to increase the product's appeal (such as a thickener or
emulsifier).

Why ultra-processed foods can be harmful

Some experts have criticised the four-category Nova system as simplistic

and imprecise, arguing that foods aren't automatically unhealthy simply
because they're ultra-processed. For instance, ultra-processed cereals and
breads can have beneficial fibre, although diets high in UPFs tend to
be limited in fibre and other nutrients in general.

Nor are foods good for you just because they're less processed. Red meat
has been linked with higher mortality from cardiovascular disease,
coronary heart disease and stroke, yet is classified as unprocessed or
minimally processed by Nova.

In practice many UPFs are also high in salt, sugar or fat. The food industry
uses a great deal of sugar not only to sweeten foods, but also to enhance
their texture, colour, preservation, or even bulk.

Notwithstanding the occasional exception, overall, the health effects of

ultra-processed foods are negative. A 2023 UK study found that a 10%
increase in UPFs within diets was associated with a 2% higher rate of
cancer overall, and a 19% higher rate of ovarian cancer.

This is partly linked to obesity. It's easy to overeat ultra-processed foods,

which tend to be less filling, and possibly even addictive, often while
requiring less chewing. Unsurprisingly, then, they're linked with higher
calorie consumption and weight gain. The proportion of the diet made up
by ultra-processed foods varies widely across the globe; UPFs make
up 16% of mean caloric intake in Colombia, 20% in Taiwan, and 22% in
Brazil. On the other hand, they make up 48% in Canada, 57% in the UK
and 58% in the US. In some North American groups it can be as high as
80%.

There is also emerging evidence that certain food additives and packaging
contaminants are carcinogenic, and cause inflammation and other bodily
changes.

Patterns of eating plant-based ultra-processed foods

Among plant-based foods, ultra-processed ones are linked to higher risk of

cardiovascular disease. A 2024 UK study that garnered much attention
found that a 10% increase in caloric intake of plant-sourced ultra-
processed food was associated with a 5% higher risk of cardiovascular
disease, and a 12% greater risk of dying from this. On the other hand,
there was a slightly greater reduction in cardiovascular disease risk from
consuming more plant-sourced foods that were not ultra-processed. The
ultra-processed foods included a number of foods considered "vegan by
default", such as bread, crisps and condiments. Meat alternatives were
the smallest contributor to calories among the participants overall, at
0.2%.

This research didn't assess specific foods like plant-based ones in

isolation, stresses Rauber, one of the study's coauthors. "From an
epidemiological perspective, what truly matters is the overall dietary
pattern, rather than focusing on individual foods," Rauber says. Thus, "it's
not just the origin of the food – whether animal or plant – but the degree
of processing that has significant implications for health".

A 2021 French study found that ultra-processed foods made up more of

the overall calorie intake of non-meat-eaters. UPFs accounted for 37% and
39.5% of energy intake for vegetarians and vegans, respectively, mainly
due to meat and dairy substitutes. This was significantly higher than the
33% figure for meat eaters. But while the vegan participants consumed
more UPFs, they also consumed more unprocessed foods (accounting for
31.2% of energy intake for vegans and 29% for meat eaters), and fewer
fatty and sweet foods.

Study participants who had recently made the switch to vegetarian and
vegan consumed more UPFs than longtime meat avoiders. In general, it's
common for people experimenting with reducing animal products to lean
on substitutes and packaged foods initially.

Comparing apples to oranges?

While nutritional research abounds, so does confusion. This is partly due

to differences in what is being analysed, such as whether these are meat
alternatives or other foods that happen to not contain animal products,
such as bread. In other words, are researchers looking at vegan burgers,
the buns they're sandwiched between, or the crisps on the side? It
depends.

Studies of multiple European countries have found notable associations

between multiple diseases, including type 2 diabetes, and ultra-processed
products in general – yet those same studies found lesser risk for plant-
based alternatives compared to animal-based products. And a 2024 US
study concluded that the strongest links between mortality and ultra-
processed foods showed up in ready-to-eat products based around meat,
poultry or seafood.

Lewis Bollard, who directs the farm animal welfare programme at the
foundation Open Philanthropy, says that in the plant-based space,
criticisms have tended to focus on alternative proteins. According to
Bollard, critics include meat-industry companies concerned about their
profit model, as well as people following whole-food plant-based diets
themselves.

"It's important to look at what's actually in the ultra-processed foods,"

notes Paul Behrens, a food systems expert at the University of Oxford. "Of
course, we should aim for delicious, whole-food, plant-based meals as the
core of our diet, but ultra-processed plant-based foods generally have
much better nutrition scores than ultra-processed meat foods,” he says.
"One study found that, on average, vegan sausages had a nutrition impact
score over twice as good as pork sausages."

So one key question is what is being replaced. A bean stew might be more
nourishing than a pea protein sausage. But a pea protein sausage is likely
more nourishing than a mixed-meat sausage – not to mention the
differences in environmental and animal-welfare impacts.

A 2024 review comparing animal and plant-based meat found that the
meat alternatives were lower overall in saturated fat, monounsaturated
fat, cholesterol and calories, while being higher in fibre, carbohydrate and
polyunsaturated fat. Not all fats are created equal. Polyunsaturated fat,
found at higher levels in meat alternatives, has an important place in
diets. And a 2018 study of US healthcare professionals found lower heart
disease risk among people who ate more plant-based monounsaturated
fat (such as vegetable oils), though not animal-based monounsaturated
fat (such as red meat).

However, Rauber cautions, "While saturated fats are often linked to

animal-based foods, it's important to note that many ultra-processed
plant-based products can also be high in saturated fats due to the use of
modified oils and fats during processing".

Meat alternatives have captured so much public discussion for several

reasons, says Tamsin Blaxter, a writer and researcher at Table, a network
of universities researching food systems. One is their novelty factor.
Another is the preoccupation in certain affluent countries with protein, and
thus with alternatives to it. Throughout history, there have been waves of
thinking, without necessarily being grounded in evidence, that a diet high
in animal protein is more natural for humans, and that natural is better.
Bollard also points out that it's common for people in industrialised
societies to have misconceptions about how animal protein is actually
produced and how "natural" it is.

How companies and societies are responding

Concerns over ultra-processed foods are affecting public health policy. For
instance, Nova has influenced dietary guidelines in Brazil, whose
government is also considering imposing taxes on ultra-processed
foods and regulating them more strictly in schools. Carlos Monteiro, the
University of São Paulo epidemiologist who coined the term "ultra-
processed" in 2009, now believes that ultra-processed foods should be
regulated similarly to tobacco, with advertising restrictions and heavy
taxation.

Yet Eileen Gibney, a nutrition professor at University College Dublin, has

argued that the world will need to embrace food processing in the
transition toward more plant-based diets, if consumers want plant-based
versions of the foods they're already accustomed to.

Companies making foods without animal products have to navigate

between perceptions that vegan food is too healthy and boring, and
conversely that it is overly processed and unhealthy. Anke van Eijk, the
R&D manager for Dutch plant-based business Schouten, says that many
consumers, especially flexitarians, "still want a seamless transition to
plant-based eating, and highly processed products deliver on that
expectation".

Some food manufacturers and retailers have responded to consumer

concerns by creating products with fewer ingredients and additives,
according to van Eijk. "An example would be the growing interest in
whole-food-based products, like plant-based patties made with
recognisable ingredients such as beans, vegetables or grains." She says
that it will not be easy for manufacturers to move beyond standard
industrial processes or ingredients, though Schouten has recently
developed its own fibre to replace textured proteins.

Yet more broadly, Blaxter believes "there's a danger here that the
reformulation question only leads to quite narrow incremental change".
She points to previous health panics, for instance around fat. While she
acknowledges the need for further research to tease out health outcomes
related to ultra-processed foods, plant-based or otherwise, she's
concerned that over-attention to one aspect of food risks distracting from
overall food systems, which ultimately impacts our eating habits and
health more.

As well, Blaxter worries about the "weaponisation of disgust using the

term 'ultra-processed food'", which can seep into judgements toward
people with different life circumstances. Altogether, she calls ultra-
processing "a really complicated and contested concept" that is currently
intersecting with cultural, political and technological anxieties around
control of food and plant-based innovations.

What all this means for consumers

Many nutrition experts urge people to minimise their consumption of ultra-

processed food.
Rauber says that emphasising the nutritional benefits of particular plant-
based ultra-processed products has limitations. This perspective "tends to
overlook the fact that these foods are still highly processed, often lack
whole food ingredients, and may contain various additives that make
them hyper-palatable and can lead to overconsumption."

Sarah Berry, a nutrition professor at King's College London, and the chief
scientist at the nutrition company ZOE, calls for balance. "Whether
animal-based or plant-based, it's important that consumers know that not
all UPFs are created equal," Berry says.

For her, "The key takeaway is that you don't need to avoid all UPFs, and it
would be very difficult to do so. It's your overall dietary pattern that
matters for long-term health. If you regularly consume fruits and
vegetables – whether they're tinned, frozen or fresh – nuts, seeds, and
legumes, you're on the right path. As long as you have a good overall diet
across weeks and months, if some UPFs make it into your shopping trolley,
it's not a major concern. However, it's worth trying to consume ultra-
processed meat products and fizzy drinks just once in a while."

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241011-what-explains-increasing-
anxiety-about-ultra-processed-plant-based-foods