What "Ultra-Processed" Actually Means

The term "ultra-processed" is used widely in news coverage and product marketing, but it is rarely defined with precision. This article explains how WISEcode defines ultra-processed at the ingredient level and how that compares to category-based definitions.

Category-based definitions

Most existing frameworks classify foods into broad categories based on the type of processing the product as a whole appears to have undergone. These frameworks are useful for research, but they sometimes lump together products that differ meaningfully at the ingredient level.

The WISEcode ingredient-level definition

WISEcode evaluates each ingredient in a product on a processing scale from 0 (unprocessed) to 3 (industrial), then applies two additional rules:

• A red flag rule for ingredients that are banned in some markets or proven by science to cause harm.
• A sugar penalty for products that derive more than 20 percent of their calories from added sugar.

A product is classified as ultra-processed if any of these criteria push it beyond the threshold.

Why the distinction matters

Ingredient-level evaluation produces results that are actionable. Two products in the same category can land on opposite sides of the line, which gives both consumers and brands information that is useful in real decisions.

Related

For the full methodology, see "How WISEcode Classifies Your Products: The Three-Pillar Methodology."

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