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It’s 6 PM. You stop at the supermarket on your way home. You pick up a high-protein flavoured yogurt, a pack of ‘lean’ turkey slices, and a plant-based meat analogue. They all look like healthy, convenient options, but are they as good for you as they seem?
Today, our food choices are shaped by far more than nutritional labels. They’re influenced by emotions, personal values, habits, time pressure, and the vast amount of information people encounter online, information that isn’t always supported by solid science. Among all the debates in the food world, few terms attract as much attention as ultra-processed foods (UPFs). For some, the concept immediately raises red flags; for others, it feels vague or inconsistently defined. And for many people, it simply doesn’t align with what they see every day on supermarket shelves. So where does this leave consumers? Despite the attention UPFs receive, many Europeans remain unsure about what they really are, how to identify them, or how concerned they should be.
How Europeans understand -and misunderstand- UPFs
Recent research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, drawing on survey responses from nearly 10,000 people in 17 countries plus a 300-person citizen forum, shows that Europeans still find it difficult to assess how processed their food really is.1
When asked, consumers typically describe UPFs as foods that undergo multiple industrial steps and contain ingredients such as flavourings, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or emulsifiers. Around two-thirds say they dislike seeing unfamiliar ingredients on labels, yet only just over half actually try to avoid UPFs. Interestingly, people who already follow healthier eating patterns are much more motivated to steer clear of these foods. Others admit that while additives bother them in theory, the discomfort rarely translates into different purchasing decisions. For most shoppers, the level of processing simply isn’t a priority when choosing what to buy.
This disconnect helps explain why UPFs often slip under the radar in everyday diets. Only 16% of Europeans say they consume UPFs five or more times per week, yet many staple items — breakfast cereals, snack bars, soft drinks, and frozen pizzas — fall into this category. Younger adults (18–34) are more likely to report daily consumption, but qualitative insights suggest that people across all age groups underestimate how reliant they are on UPFs.
Convenience remains the most powerful driver of UPF consumption. About 41% of Europeans believe that UPFs save time compared with minimally processed foods, a belief even more common among people who try to make healthier choices. And once outside the home, UPFs are nearly unavoidable. Whether rushing between meetings, travelling, or grabbing a quick bite with limited options, many people end up turning to ready-to-eat packaged meals or snacks.
Recommendations: Helping consumers make sense of UPFs
The EIT Food findings show that while consumers genuinely try to make informed choices, many still struggle to recognise how processed their foods actually are. A few targeted actions could help close this gap. Health authorities can offer clearer definitions of what counts as “ultra-processed,” explain potential health implications in a way that feels relevant to everyday decisions, and invest in stronger food and nutrition education so people can read and interpret labels more confidently. Manufacturers, meanwhile, can move toward simpler ingredient lists, particularly in plant-based products, which many shoppers already perceive as highly processed. Retailers also have a role to play by drawing attention to minimally processed alternatives and reducing the promotion of heavily processed items.
Better guidance and smarter food education can turn a confusing food environment into one that supports confident, everyday choices. After all, food is something we face daily, and it matters to know what’s behind it.