Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state. The NOVA system divides foods into four groupings. Group 1 is unprocessed or only minimally processed. They might be whole, natural foods like a fresh fruit or vegetable. They might be minimally processed by cleaning, prepping, freezing, or otherwise processing them without adding anything.
Next, Group 2 is processed culinary ingredients like spices and cooking oils for cooking. Then Group 3 is processed foods with relatively few ingredients. The processing might be cooking, canning, or fermentation, perhaps with simple preservatives.
Finally, Group 4 is where our focus lies. These are the ultra-processed foods. They are industrial formulations with at least five and often many more ingredients. They use industrial food ingredients seldom or never found in home cooking. The whole point of all these ingredients is to imitate the sensory properties of Group 1 foods on an industrial scale of mass production.
Classic New York food’s Are
Hot Dog- mainly found in sports stadium, street carts. Hot dogs are made from the emulsified meat trimmings of chicken, beef, or pork. This meat mixture is blended with other ingredients (like preservatives, spices, and coloring) into a batter-like substance. The emulsified meat is then stuffed into casings, which are typically made from processed collagen or collagen from animal intestines.
Street Cart Food: Many foods sold from NYC street carts, such as pretzels, falafel, and various meat dishes, are processed, especially the meats, which often contain added preservatives, sodium, and flavor enhancers.
Coffee-coffee is considered processed. After coffee beans are harvested from the coffee plant, they undergo several steps of processing before they are ready for brewing. These steps include:
- Harvesting: Coffee cherries are picked from the coffee plant.
- Processing the cherries: The beans inside the cherries are extracted, typically by methods such as the wet or dry process.
- Drying: The beans are dried to reduce moisture content.
- Milling: The dried beans are hulled to remove their outer layers.
- Roasting: This is where the most significant processing happens, as the green beans are roasted to develop flavor and aroma.
- Grinding: Before brewing, the roasted beans are ground into various consistencies depending on the brewing method.
So, while coffee beans themselves come from a natural source, the transformation from cherry to the drinkable product involves several stages of processing.
Bagels- mainly found in coffee shops, bakeries etc. Bagels are considered a processed food because they are made from refined grains, which are processed to improve their texture and shelf life. This process removes nutrients like fiber and B vitamins. Manufacturers may add nutrients like iron and vitamin B back to bagels after the refining process. However, much of the healthy plant nutrients from the wheat are not returned
Chopped Cheese- are normally found in delis and bodegas. A chopped cheese is considered a processed food because it typically uses pre-formed ground beef patties, which are already processed, and often includes processed American cheese that is melted onto the meat mixture while cooking, essentially combining multiple ingredients into a new food product on the grill. Most chopped cheese uses american cheese which is already processed with other added ingredients to achieve the texture.
Bacon egg and cheese- also normally found in delis and bodegas. A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich is considered a processed food because all three of its main ingredients – bacon, cheese, and often the bread – undergo processing steps like curing (a process that involves adding salt, sugar, nitrates, or other ingredients to preserve and flavor food), pasteurization (a process that involves heating food to a specific temperature for a set amount of time to kill harmful bacteria and extend its shelf life), and sometimes additional additives to preserve them and enhance flavor.
Bacon added with salt and often smoked, this serves as a technique for preservation ( but the bacon is considered processed due to curing and smoking techniques involved in its production; however, depending on the specific preparation and ingredients, it could fall into the UPF category if additional additives or highly processed components are included. as it contains minimally processed ingredients like eggs and cheese,
Cheesecake- found in a lot of Italian bakeries. To process a cheesecake, the cream cheese is first mixed with sugar and other ingredients like eggs and vanilla until smooth, then the batter is poured onto a prepared crust in a pan and baked in a water bath until set, after which it is cooled and chilled before serving; key steps include mixing the ingredients carefully to achieve a creamy texture, using a water bath for even cooking, and ensuring the cheesecake is properly chilled before serving (It is a UPF)
