An innovative database developed by researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston can now help you find the most nutritious prepared foods, while steering clear of unhealthful ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods, typically full of hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, are associated with a higher risk of dying from any cause, according to recent research. And a new study, published in BMJ, linked eating a diet high in ultra-processed foods to more than 30 health conditions, including diabetes, mental health disorders and cardiovascular disease.
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The new database, called TrueFood, offers a comprehensive analysis of thousands of food products, rating them based on nutritional value, ingredient quality, and health impact.
According to Food & Wine, the scientists used an algorithm to analyze nutritional data from thousands of products from Walmart, Target and Whole Foods, chosen because they are among the 10 top places where people buy groceries. The products were given a score based on their level of processing and ingredients and put into a food category.
Researchers broke down the food products into four categories:
• Unprocessed and minimally processed foods. Products in their natural state with little alteration such as fresh produce or milk.
• Processed culinary ingredients. Foods made with minimal processing such as milling or grinding. Examples include almond flour, butter and olive oil.
• Processed foods. These include foods that have been altered from their natural state and usually contain additives such as sugar, oil or salt, such as bagged frozen vegetables, sweetened fruit juice and canned fish.
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• Ultra-processed foods. This categorify includes foods that have artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives to preserve shelf life, says Food & Wine. Sweetened cereals, sodas, and flavored snacks such as potato chips are examples.
The database includes more than 50,000 food items and the researchers applied AI technology to create a processing score for each product. The larger the number, the more processed the product. While Whole Foods, predictably, had the most minimally processed products, most foods from all three stores appear in the ultra-processed range.
The website not only rates the processing level of popular food items, but it also includes information on ingredients and offers healthier alternatives. The researchers intend to expand the data over time.
“We’re hoping to create a really robust definition of food processing and health consequences,” said Guilia Menichetti, co-author of the study and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The more data the better.”