Tag: Grocery standards

While Whole Foods Market has strict quality standards for the products it sells, including oils, the answer to whether 'whole food' has sunflower oil depends on context. The grocery chain carries it, but the dietary philosophy known as 'whole food plant-based' generally does not embrace any extracted oil, including sunflower, as it's considered a processed food.

According to a 2024 review of studies in *The BMJ*, diets high in ultra-processed foods were linked to 32 negative health outcomes, including increased risk of obesity and cancer. Given these health concerns, shoppers often turn to Whole Foods Market, assuming everything on the shelves is unprocessed and inherently healthy. The reality, however, is more nuanced, requiring a deeper look into what 'processed' really means.