“Processed” Food: It Isn’t What You Think

We’ve all seen those two ominous words: processed food. They’ve become the modern scarlet letter of food talk. But what about whole-wheat bread or ingredients to make your favorite vegan muffins?

Let’s unpack what “processed food” really means. Because, when it comes to processed food, we should be asking the question, “Processed how?”

What Is Processed Food, Anyway?

The word “processed” refers to any food altered from its natural state, including chopping, freezing, fermenting, or blending. Your jar of peanut butter? Processed. Your favorite sparkling water, frozen veggies, or oat milk? All processed.

What Is Ultra-Processed Food?

Ultra-processed foods have been changed to include preservatives, sweeteners, or stabilizers. But here’s the problem: this label generally lumps everything from a sugar-loaded soda to a carefully formulated, nutrient-dense vegan burger into the same category. It makes no distinction.

Let’s Talk About “Processing” Animals

Nothing is “natural” about how today’s factories turn our fellow animals’ bodies into chicken wings, steaks, or salmon fillets.

Selective breeding forces cows, pigs, and chickens to grow unnaturally fast or produce abnormally large quantities of milk or eggs at the expense of their own health. Many can’t even stand.

Workers frequently inject animals with hormones to speed growth and boost milk production and routinely give them antibiotics just to survive the filthy, crowded conditions of today’s farms.

If meat isn’t processed, why are animals’ bodies cut up in a “processing plant”? Although “processing plant” is a euphemism for a slaughterhouse. Whatever name you give it, that’s where workers slash the throats of animals who survive the grueling transport truck journey. Many animals are still able to feel it when they’re plunged into the scalding-hot water of the defeathering or hair-removal tanks or while their bodies are being skinned or hacked apart.

No matter how animals raised for food are treated, they all value their lives, feel pain, and want to be free. Nothing can justify breeding someone into existence just to kill them.

The Hidden Agenda: Who’s Really Behind the Confusion?

A powerful new report, Processing the Discourse Over Plant-Based Meat, warns that the meat and dairy industries are weaponizing the term “ultra-processed.” It’s a desperate attempt to distract from their role in devastating the planet and contributing to heart disease, cancer, and antibiotic resistance.

The report argues that the term is used to harm trust in vegan foods, which are healthier, more sustainable, and far more ethical than animal-derived ones.

Are Vegan Foods Ultra-Processed?

Vegan foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains like oats and quinoa, legumes such as beans and lentils, and raw nuts and seeds are all straight from the earth and considered unprocessed or minimally processed.

For other vegan foods, like burgers, it’s complicated. One study challenges the idea that all ultra-processed foods are unhealthy—especially vegan ones. The study suggests that in some cases, like fermentation, processing can enhance a food’s nutritional value. The researchers warned against linking “processing” with nutrition.

Why Vegan, Processed or Not?

Even the most “processed” vegan foods are better for animals, human health, and the planet. Check out our recipes for some healthy vegan meal ideas to make tonight.

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