It’s certainly a hotly debated topic! I’ll address a few points from a Huel perspective.
Firstly, In answer to your question, yes Huel is technically classed as ‘ultra processed’. I always think that it’s important to remember is that the word isn’t as scary as some think, the majority of food is processed in some way. Cleaning, drying, and packaging are all processes.
Some of the benefits of processing Huel is that it creates a convenient product with minimal food waste due to the long shelf-life, and it can also conserve nutrients, for example, grinding or soaking of flaxseed breaks them down so the body can digest the omega-3 fats.
Of course, there is the bad side of processing, for example, we have ready meals in plastic trays containing preservatives and a quick blast in the microwave oven gives us a hot meal. To help alleviate any concerns, here are a few food additives that aren’t in Huel:
- No trans fats
- No monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- No artificial preservatives - e.g. benzoates
- No artificial colourants - eg azo dyes
Xanthan gum- We use this as a thickener to make sure the ingredients don’t separate. It also gives a creamy texture to our Huel Powder. Xanthan Gum is a natural sugar from corn.
Sucralose- This has been extensively tested. Saying that, we also offer a sweetened version and an unsweetened version of Huel powder so people can make an informed decision and Black Edition Powder is naturally sweetened, should you prefer. We have a detailed article on sucralose here- Is sucralose safe to eat? – Huel
Sunflower- Huel contains seed oils (sunflower or canola/rapeseed) as they contain omega-6s which are essential in proportion to omega-3s. This means that in Huel, there is a great ratio of omega-6s to 3s due to the inclusion of sunflower and/or canola oil and flaxseed. In addition, we’ve taken steps to reduce the risk of the seed oils are cold-pressed.
Hope that helps 