{"id":13493,"date":"2025-11-06T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.emsland-group.de\/?p=13493"},"modified":"2026-01-07T09:13:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:13:21","slug":"upfs_en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.emsland-group.de\/en\/upfs_en\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultra-Processed Food \u2014 A Differentiated Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In recent years, ultra-processed food<\/em> (UPF) has become a buzzword \u2014 often with negative connotations. But is the story really that simple? We sat down with Dr Paul Sheldrake<\/strong>, Innovation & Development Director at the Healy Group<\/strong> in the UK & Ireland, to get his take on the debate and the role of responsibly processed, plant-based ingredients in shaping the future of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE TERM \u201cULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD\u201d HAS BEEN EVERYWHERE LATELY. WHY DOES IT GET SO MUCH ATTENTION?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s certainly a hot topic. UPF is often linked to poor nutrition and health risks, so people tend to associate it with fizzy drinks or fast food. But the category is much broader<\/strong>. It also includes things like plant-based dairy alternatives, high-protein bars and fibre-enriched breads<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2024 UK study showed that 73% of adults are aware of the term, and 58% say it affects their food choices. That awareness is positive \u2014 but it also shows how easily the issue can be oversimplified. The label alone doesn\u2019t tell you whether a product is good or bad for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT DOES \u201cULTRA-PROCESSED\u201d ACTUALLY MEAN?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The classification comes from the NOVA system<\/strong>, which groups foods into four categories. Group 4 \u2014 \u201cUltra Processed\u201d \u2014 includes products made with ingredients not typically found in a home kitchen, such as emulsifiers or stabilisers. But being in Group 4 isn\u2019t automatically a red flag<\/strong>. It describes how<\/em> a product is made, not its nutritional quality \u2014 and that\u2019s where nuance is needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MANY PEOPLE EQUATE \u201cPROCESSED\u201d WITH \u201cUNHEALTHY.\u201d HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Processing itself isn\u2019t the problem \u2014 it\u2019s why<\/em> and how<\/em> you do it. Responsible processing keeps food safe, shelf-stable and nutritionally valuable.<\/strong> For us, it\u2019s about functionality and sustainability, not hiding poor-quality ingredients. We create clean-label, plant-based and resource-efficient solutions<\/strong> that support better diets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT TYPES OF INGREDIENTS DO YOU WORK WITH, AND HOW DO THEY RELATE TO THE UPF DISCUSSION?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have a wide portfolio of supplier partners and solutions that we utilise when collaborating with our customers. The most important thing to us is to understand what they are looking for and why and how this can relate to their challenges around UPFs. We generally see three nuances that are driving the market in this area:<\/p>\n\n\n\n