Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are different. They are processed in ways that go far beyond cooking or fermentation, and they may also come plastered with health claims.

According to a study of 900 elderly Spanish men and women, the food we now categorise as ultra-processed - everything from frozen pizzas to chocolate bars and flavoured yoghurts - appears to age the body as well as increasing the risk of conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.