Ultra-Processed Foods Are Everywhere. How Bad Are They?

Ultra-processed foods have been altered from their original state to produce something that’s saltier, sweeter, or otherwise chemically distinct.

A customer shops for cookies manufactured by Mondelez at a grocery store on Dec. 11, 2024, in Chicago. Scott Olson/Getty Images/TNS

By Hanna Webster From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH—Scan any aisle in a convenience or grocery store, and those brightly packaged, bold lettered, sweet-and-salty options are likely to be ultra-processed.