processed
PROH-sest
/ˈprəʊsɛst/
Food that has been altered from its natural state through mechanical or chemical means for safety, convenience, or preservation.
While often used negatively today, 'processed' technically includes simple acts like freezing, fermenting, or milling grain.
The story behind the word. The word comes from the Latin 'procedere', meaning to go forward or advance. In the culinary world, it describes the journey a food takes from the farm to the factory, where it is moved through various stages of alteration to reach its final form.
Word relationships
- refined: Refined specifically refers to removing impurities or coarse parts, whereas processed is a broader term for any alteration.
- treated: Treated implies a specific chemical or physical application, often for preservation.
- raw: Raw means completely unaltered by heat or industrial methods.
- whole: Whole refers to food in its natural, intact state.
Commonly confused with
- ultra-processed: Processed foods might just be canned beans; ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations with ingredients you wouldn't find in a home kitchen.
Word family
- process (verb): To perform a series of mechanical or chemical operations on something.
- processing (noun): The act of altering food industrially.
Collocations
- highly processed
- minimally processed
- processed meats
- processed sugar
Example sentences
- "The more a food is processed, the more likely it is to lose its original fiber and micronutrient content." Nutritional advice regarding whole foods.
- "Processed foods are not a modern invention; humans have been smoking and salting meat for millennia." A classic definition of food technology.
Memory hook
Think of a 'process' as a 'progress' through a factory. If it went through a long line of machines, it is processed. The factory line 'process'.
When not to use
Avoid using it as a synonym for 'unhealthy' in a scientific context, as frozen spinach is processed but highly nutritious.
Fun facts
- Technically, even a bag of pre-washed salad is considered a processed food.
Related words
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.