Why Gen Z might save UPFs from their doom spiral

Key takeaways:

• Gen Z sees UPFs as functional, not flawed.
• It’s not the process –it’s the purpose.
• Bakers and snack makers can lead the shift.

Ultra-processed foods. The phrase alone sounds like a diagnosis.

For years, UPFs have been blamed for everything from rising obesity rates to chronic disease and the downfall of home cooking. Now, with a new wave of media panic and a staggering 19 million UK adults claiming they’ve cut them out altogether, it feels like we’ve reached peak processed guilt.

But here’s the twist: just as the backlash hits fever pitch, a new generation of eaters is quietly staging a rebellion. And they’re not running from processed food – they’re rebranding it.

Welcome to the era of bio‑hacked brownies, serotonin‑supporting snacks and shelf‑stable meals designed for gut health and convenience. For Gen Z, food is now technology, identity and functionality in every bite – not something to apologise for.

That mindset plays out visibly on social media. Emily English (@emthenutritionist), a registered nutritionist with over 2.8 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, frequently shares content that normalises the use of processed staples – like healthier bread, fortified cereals, protein puddings and functional snack bars – as part of a balanced, real-world diet. Rather than encouraging restriction, she shows how to pair these foods with fibre-rich vegetables, healthy fats and fresh ingredients, making processed choices work within broader nutritional goals.

This approach reflects a larger generational shift: instead of rejecting UPFs outright, many Gen Z consumers are reframing them as tools – designed with purpose, used with awareness and chosen for how they serve modern lifestyles.

Processing is actually an opportunity

The real issue, say industry experts, isn’t processing – it’s misunderstanding. According to Jim Taschetta, COO of Mista (a Givaudan-owned food innovation platform), we’re lumping all processed foods into one giant fear basket without asking what they actually do.

“Not all UPFs are created equal,” Taschetta explains. “The term doesn’t distinguish between a fortified oat cereal and a neon cheese puff. It’s not the process – it’s the nutritional outcome that matters.”

That’s why Taschetta believes the term UPF has become more of a distraction than a guide. “There’s already a nutrition label. What we need are smarter ways to help people assess nutritional impact - not a catch-all term that demonises innovation.”

And here’s the kicker: many foods that nutritionists recommend daily – wholegrain breads, plant-based renditions, even low-fat yoghurts – are technically UPFs. So are foods that reduce waste, enhance accessibility and offer vital nutrients to low-income communities. Demonizing them all equally isn’t just confusing. It’s counterproductive.

“From a health perspective, returning to an all-natural, farm-to-table approach would be ideal. But it’s not practical or scalable for most people,” Taschetta adds. “Over half the world’s population lives in cities. We need shelf life. We need fortification. We need functionality.”

That hasn’t stopped consumers from trying. A recent poll by Levercliff found a third of UK adults are actively trying to reduce or eliminate UPFs from their diets. But scroll TikTok and you’ll see something very different: people flaunting their smart snacks, DIY electrolyte slushies and gut-friendly sodas with cult packaging. The same products the headlines warned us about.

From Frankenstein to flex: The processed food rebrand

There’s a cultural shift underway – less about health anxiety, more about food that fits our lives. For Gen Z, processed foods aren’t necessarily fake or harmful. They’re efficient. Functional. Sometimes even fun.

They’re also becoming cool.

Forget the minimalist wellness pantry stocked with beige seeds and unbranded oat milk. The new aesthetic is maximalist: bright, tech-y, a little surreal. Snacks that look like they came from a vending machine on Mars. Hybrid formats. Blurred categories. Artificial and proud of it.

This idea – of food as programmable – is gaining ground. Rather than shying away from processing, many innovators are leaning into it as a way to deliver nutritional functionality, consistency, and sustainability at scale.

Mista’s 2025 Growth Hack initiative, for example, is built around the concept of radical collaboration, bringing together ingredient suppliers, technology partners and food manufacturers to co-develop next-generation products that improve the health profile of processed foods without compromising on convenience or taste. That means applying new protein and fiber sources, rethinking texture systems and extending shelf life in more sustainable ways.

“We’re not trying to un-process food,” says Taschetta. “We’re trying to process it better – with intention, transparency and nutritional impact.”

He adds the real opportunity lies in curated collaboration – connecting the dots across the value chain to design processed products that are both nutritionally meaningful and widely accessible.

“There’s no room for siloed thinking if we want to fix our food systems,” Taschetta says. “We need a new generation of processed products that reflect what people actually need - not just what fits a trend.”

The future is processed and that’s okay

Let’s be honest: the dream of everyone eating farm-fresh, home-cooked meals three times a day simply doesn’t scale. Not with over half the world’s population living in urban areas. Not with climate volatility, labor shortages, rising input costs and perhaps most influential of all, evolving consumer behaviour. Shoppers today are looking for convenience, functionality and value, often in the same bite. That’s where well-designed, responsibly processed foods can – and already do – play a critical role.

So the question isn’t should we process food. It’s how we do it. And who it serves.

Done right, UPFs can be tools for food security, convenience, affordability and joy. They can be personalised, boosted with vitamins and adaptogens, even designed to support brain and gut health. In other words, they can evolve with us.

But that evolution depends on shifting the conversation – from panic to possibility. From ultra-processed as a curse to ultra-processed as a challenge: to design something better.

“We need to stop pretending all UPFs are the enemy,” says Taschetta. “They’re a foundational part of how we feed the world. The task now is to make them fit for purpose - nutritionally, sustainably and culturally.”

And maybe Gen Z - snack-hacking, label-literate and unafraid of the artificial - are just the ones to make it happen.

Study:

Cordova R, Viallon V, Fontvieille E, et al. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a multinational cohort study. Lancet Reg Health Eur, Published online 13 November 2023; doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100771