Ultra-processed foods have become somewhat of a nutrition villain over the past decade. But even more of a pain? Trying to figure out which items fall into this category while standing in the grocery aisle. Now, researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston are making it easier to spot the differences. A new website called TrueFood is breaking down the level of processing in foods sold at popular U.S. supermarket chains including Target, Walmart and Whole Foods Market. Created by a team of scientists and backed by AI technology, the website helps consumers make smarter choices about the foods they buy—while throwing away labels like “processed” or “not processed.” Here’s what to know.
How the TrueFood website ranks processed foods
The researchers analyzed more than 50,000 food products using an algorithm they developed called FPro. This tool assigns each item a “processing score” out of 100, with lower numbers closer to zero representing less processed foods.
“The majority of the time, something close to zero will be products like milk, fresh produce and eggs,” explains study co-author Giulia Menichetti, PhD, an instructor at Harvard Medical School. The scores give consumers a clear idea of where a food falls on the processing spectrum, allowing for better-informed decisions.
Products on TrueFood are sorted into four categories:
- Unprocessed and minimally processed foods: Fresh produce, eggs and milk that are in their natural state or only slightly altered.
- Processed culinary ingredients: Foods made with minimal processing, such as olive oil, almond flour and butter.
- Processed foods: Products altered with sugar, salt or oil, such as frozen vegetables or tinned fish.
- Ultra-processed foods: Packaged items with added artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, like flavored chips, sugary cereals and sodas.
The goal of TrueFood and buying processed foods
Instead of simply labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” the TrueFood website allows users to make their own judgments. You can search for a product by name or explore categories to discover less-processed alternatives. For example, if your go-to pasta sauce scores high on the processing scale, the website may suggest lower-processed options to buy instead.
“The current food processing classification takes a huge chunk out of the food supply,” says Dr. Menichetti. “But more research is showing that not all of these foods are equally bad for our health.” This means you don’t need to give up your favorite vegan cheese or cereal.
TrueFood’s approach is grounded in flexibility. The site features ingredient “trees” that provide a breakdown of what’s inside each product, so you can decide what works for your dietary goals.
What the research revealed about processed food
The study, published in Nature Food on January 13, revealed some surprising findings. For example, Whole Foods offers more minimally processed items compared to Target and Walmart, but ultra-processed foods still dominate the shelves at all three chains.
“It’s way more important to work at the category level,” says Dr. Menichetti, emphasizing that this granularity helps consumers find the best-fit options within their favorite food groups.
The TrueFood website and its underlying GroceryDB database are the result of years of research—and the team isn’t stopping here.
“We’re hoping to create a really robust definition of food processing and health consequences,” Dr. Menichetti shares. “The more data, the better.”
TrueFood website shares healthy swaps for processed foods
For a quick snapshot of the TrueFood website and how it can help you, here’s a peek at some of the most and least processed foods in different categories. Use this guide as inspiration for healthier swaps:
Most processed: Kellogg’s Blueberry Nutri-Grain Soft Baked Breakfast Bar
Least processed: That’s It Apple + Blueberry Fruit Bar
Most processed: Kraft Mac & Cheese Original Gluten-Free
Least processed: Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese Frozen Meal (large)
Most processed: Annie’s Organic Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
Least processed: Simply Legumes Organic Green Lentil Rotini.
Most processed: Maruchan Instant Lunch Lime Flavor with Shrimp
Least processed: Amy’s Organic Light in Sodium Lentil Vegetable Soup.
Most processed: Earth’s Best Baked Mini Beef Meatballs
Least processed: Honest Turkey No Antibiotics Ever 99/1 Ground Turkey.
Most processed: Organic Hawaiian Style Furikake Puffs
Least processed: Orville Redenbacher’s Original Gourmet Yellow Popcorn Kernels.
Most processed: Chobani Flip S’mores Sweet Vanilla Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
Least processed: Wallaby Organic Low-fat Plain Kefir.
Most processed: Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil’s Food Cake Mix
Least processed: Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Garbanzo Bean Flour.
Most processed: VioLife Just Like Cheddar Slices
Least processed: Sargento Creamery Sliced Baby Swiss Natural Cheese.
Most processed: Banzai Spicy Crab Sushi Roll
Least processed: Bumble Bee Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water.
By referencing the website, you can pinpoint exactly where your favorite foods fall on the processing spectrum and discover better alternatives within the same category.
