Lab grown meat isn't necessarily ultra processed (in the sense that it should be automatically assumed to be unhealthy, of course there's a lot of processing involved). At least, I don't know enough about it to jump to that conclusion.

Beyond Meat and Impossible burgers definitely are ultra processed though.

▲ jfengel 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Reading the commonly-cited definition of "ultra processed":

         Industrially manufactured food products made up of several ingredients (formulations) including sugar, oils, fats and salt (generally in combination and in higher amounts than in processed foods) and food substances of no or rare culinary use (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified starches and protein isolates). Group 1 [un- or minimally processed] foods are absent or represent a small proportion of the ingredients in the formulation. Processes enabling the manufacture of ultra-processed foods include industrial techniques such as extrusion, moulding and pre-frying; application of additives including those whose function is to make the final product palatable or hyperpalatable such as flavours, colourants, non-sugar sweeteners and emulsifiers; and sophisticated packaging, usually with synthetic materials. Processes and ingredients here are designed to create highly profitable (low-cost ingredients, long shelf-life, emphatic branding), convenient (ready-to-(h)eat or to drink), tasteful alternatives to all other Nova food groups and to freshly prepared dishes and meals.

I'd say that it doesn't really fit any of the usual categories. It's definitely produced by technical means using uncommon ingredients. But it's not hyper-palatable -- that is, it's not designed to make you eat large amounts of it.

So I guess it depends on how well it ends up fitting into the diet. If we end up eating it the way we eat salmon -- a few times a week, in reasonable quantities, with a similar nutritional profile -- then it's not a concern. If it ends up going into a product that you eat by the bagful, then it could be a concern for the same reason other ultra-processed foods are.

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Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 2 days ago | parent [-]

It is important to not that nuts and dark chocolate usually fit the ultra processed (or sometimes just processed) food definition. This poses real problems in studies because they are roughly a net benefit health wise so authors have the choice between excluding them from the study (which misleadingly worsens claims about processed food being bad) or keeping them in (misleadingly softening how bad they are).

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esperent 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Also many traditional foods like cheese would probably get classified that way if they were invented today.

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mollerhoj 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

nuts are ultra processed?

	▲	Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		They fit the definition of some studies yes.

▲ mvdtnz 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

According to Wikipedia,

> An ultra-processed food is a grouping of processed food characterized by relatively involved methods of production. There is no simple definition of UPF, but they are generally understood to be an industrial creation derived from natural food or synthesized from other organic compounds.

This disgusting salmon-flavoured soy bean paste certainly qualifies.

	▲	Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		As I said elsewhere: It is important to not that nuts and dark chocolate usually fit the ultra processed (or sometimes just processed) food definition. This poses real problems in studies because they are roughly a net benefit health wise so authors have the choice between excluding them from the study (which misleadingly worsens claims about processed food being bad) or keeping them in (misleadingly softening how bad they are).