There are some forms of processing that don't alter the nutritional content.
There is a recent idea that it isn't processed foods per se that is the problem it's the proportion of over (ultra) processed that are now in many peoples diets.
The issue therefore is not processing as such. It is the nature, extent, and purpose, of processing, and in particular, the proportion of meals, dishes, foods, drinks, and snacks within diets that are ‘ultra-processed’
The idea is that there are 3 levels of processing.
1)
no or minimal processing (cleaning, removal of inedible fractions, grating, squeezing, draining, flaking, drying, parboiling, bottling (without additions other than water), chilling, freezing, fermentation (when the result is not alcoholic), pasteurisation, vacuum and gas packing, and simple wrapping)
2)
Processed culinary or food industry ingredients . These are the processes of extraction and purification that result in 'ingredients' ie Vegetable oils, margarine, butter, milk, cream, lard; sugar, sweeteners in general; salt; starches, flours, ‘raw’ pastas and noodles. Food industry ingredients usually not sold to consumers as such, including high fructose corn syrup, lactose, milk and soy proteins, gums and similar products
and the third one
3)
Ultra processing the "combination of already processed group 2 ingredients usually with some unprocessed or minimally processed group 1 foods in order to create durable, accessible, convenient, and palatable drinks or ready-to-eat or to-heat products liable to be consumed as snacks or desserts or to replace home- or restaurant-prepared dishes and meals."
foods that are ultra processed include:
'Breads, biscuits (cookies), cakes and pastries; ice cream; jams (preserves); fruits canned in syrup; chocolates, confectionery (candies), cereal bars, breakfast cereals with added sugar; chips (French fries), crisps (chips), sauces; savoury and sweet snack products; cheeses; sugared fruit and milk drinks and sugared and ‘no-cal’ cola and other soft drinks; frozen pasta and pizza dishes; pre-prepared meat, poultry, fish, vegetable and other ‘recipe’ dishes; processed meat including chicken nuggets, hot dogs, sausages, burgers, fish sticks; canned or dehydrated soups, stews and pot noodle;, salted, pickled, smoked or cured meat and fish; vegetables bottled or canned in brine, fish canned in oil; infant formulas, follow-on milks, baby food"
This is a short summary of the idea
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... -us/65614/
This is the original long essay (excellent site about food/nutrition and politics)
http://www.wphna.org/wn_commentary_ultr ... ov2010.asp