A study conducted by researchers at Mass General Brigham aims to make it easier for consumers to understand the level of processing in the foods they buy. The findings, published in Nature Food, shed light on the types of processed foods available in three major U.S. grocery stores—Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart.
By creating a system to measure and score the degree of food processing, the researchers hope to guide consumers and policymakers toward healthier food options.
Over the past few decades, ultra-processed foods have become a major part of the food supply. These foods are often loaded with additives, preservatives, and excessive amounts of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.
Research has linked diets high in ultra-processed foods to serious health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Despite these concerns, it’s not always clear to consumers which foods are ultra-processed or how to make healthier choices in a sea of options.
To address this, the researchers developed GroceryDB, a comprehensive database of over 50,000 food items from Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart.
They analyzed the ingredient lists, nutrition facts, and prices of these products, using a machine-learning algorithm called FPro to assign each food a “processing score.” Foods with higher scores are more processed, while those with lower scores are closer to their natural state.
The results revealed significant differences between the stores. While Whole Foods offers more minimally processed options than Target or Walmart, the majority of foods across all three retailers are highly or ultra-processed.
For example, cereals at Whole Foods ranged from minimally processed to ultra-processed, but cereals at Target and Walmart were all highly processed.
Similar trends were found in categories like soups, yogurts, milk substitutes, and cookies, where many options were exclusively ultra-processed, limiting consumer choices.
The researchers made their findings publicly available through the TrueFood website, where consumers can access processing scores, nutrition facts, and ingredient breakdowns for various foods. The site aims to empower people with clear, accessible information so they can make better-informed dietary decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Dr. Giulia Menichetti, the study’s lead author, explained the motivation behind the project. “There are a lot of mixed messages about what a person should eat,” she said.
“Our work aims to create a sort of translator to help people look at food information in a more digestible way. By creating a system of scoring processed food, consumers don’t have to be overwhelmed with excessive and challenging information to eat healthier.”
The study also highlights systemic issues in the food supply. Despite the wide variety of brands and products available, the processing levels in many categories remain largely the same, particularly at stores like Walmart and Target.
This lack of diversity in processing levels restricts consumers’ ability to choose healthier options and poses challenges for improving public health.
While the database and website provide valuable tools, the researchers acknowledge their limitations. The data reflects only three stores at a single point in time, making it difficult to draw broader conclusions about food processing across the U.S.
In the future, the team plans to expand their research to include more stores, geolocation data, and ongoing monitoring to explore how food options vary in different regions and over time. They hope these insights will help address social determinants of health and improve access to nutritious foods nationwide.
“This initiative not only lays the groundwork for similar efforts globally, but also underscores the critical role of open-access, internationally comparable data in advancing global nutrition security,” Dr. Menichetti said. “Our goal is to turn this into a large-scale, data-driven tool to improve public health.”
By combining artificial intelligence with nutrition research, this study demonstrates how technology can help consumers navigate complex food systems and make healthier choices.
It also emphasizes the importance of improving the availability of minimally processed foods, which could play a significant role in addressing diet-related health challenges worldwide.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Food.
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