Tag: Industrial food production

After World War II, innovations spurred by military rations and growing consumerism led to a rapid increase in the availability of highly processed foods, paving the way for what we now call ultra-processed food. While food processing has ancient roots, the widespread shift toward complex industrial formulations is a relatively recent development.

According to the USDA, any raw agricultural commodity that has been altered from its natural state, from washing to freezing, is technically processed. Therefore, in almost every case, fast food is considered processed food, though the degree of processing varies widely.