Expert: Not All Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad, Understand Nutritional Content

Professor Purwanto Hariyadi, a Professor of Food Science and Technology at IPB University, stated that food quality cannot be judged solely based on the level of processing, but also requires looking at nutritional content and the purpose of the food processing.

“There is no scientific basis to conclude that the more complex or the more processing stages a food undergoes, the worse its quality will be. What needs to be assessed is what processes are performed, under what conditions, what changes they induce, and which quality attributes are affected,” said Prof. Purwiyatno on Friday (25/09/2026).

He noted that several studies have indeed found a link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and various health problems. One major review published in the BMJ in 2024 found a connection between UPF consumption and several health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, and various causes of death.

However, he added that this relationship cannot be directly interpreted to mean that the processing itself is the cause. Nutritional content, formulation, quantity and frequency of consumption, as well as overall dietary patterns, also need to be considered.

Food processing itself serves various purposes. He explained that heating, pasteurisation, sterilisation, fermentation, drying, and freezing can be performed to increase safety, extend shelf life, improve digestibility, or produce specific characteristics in food.

“What we need is not simpler labels, but information that is increasingly specific and measurable,” he concluded.