It is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimize ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation.
Convenience food, or tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimize ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. Convenience foods can include products such as candy; beverages such as soft drinks, juices and milk; fast food; nuts, fruits and vegetables in fresh or preserved states; processed meats and cheeses; and canned products such as soups and pasta dishes. According to that definition, numerous processed foods could be considered “natural.” These include many fruit and vegetable products, grain and dairy products, and meat, poultry and fish products. A few examples are packaged cooked and uncooked chicken, potato chips, rice, frozen spinach and jarred applesauce. A: Yes, in fact processing foods often makes them safer. For example, heating foods helps remove harmful bacteria. Pasteurization is a common heating process applied to milk to kill harmful organisms. Canning and freezing foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables helps them to stay fresher longer. The longer the ingredient list, the more processed a food is likely to be. Processed foods are usually found in the center aisles of the grocery store and are more likely to contain ingredients that you are not able to recognize or ingredients that you wouldn't have in your kitchen. These foods need to be processed extensively to be edible and are not found as is in nature. In addition to going through many complex processing steps, processed foods often contain additives, artificial flavorings and other chemical ingredients. Processed foods aren't necessarily unhealthy, but anything that’s been processed may contain added salt, sugar and fat. One advantage of cooking food from scratch at home is that you know exactly what is going into it, including the amount of added salt or sugar. Examples of common processed foods include: 1  breakfast cereals. 2  cheese. 3  tinned vegetables. 4  bread. 5  savoury snacks, such as crisps. 6  meat products, such as bacon.  7 convenience foods, such as microwave meals or ready meals. 8  drinks, such as milk or soft drinks. Defining whether a single food is unprocessed, processed or ultra-processed will not make or break a diet, rather it is the combination of the foods that we select for our regular consumption that will make the strongest impact. Ultra-processed foods. Most of the food and drink we consume is processed to some extent. Any alteration to foods, say cooking, is a process; hence, in the modern diet, it is almost impossible to find someone who consumes a wholly unprocessed diet. any food other than a raw agricultural commodity and includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling. Examples of processing include: The examples of processing in the definition are sparse, but it is clear. Even the life food movement uses dehydration, freezing, and milling, and most adherents would claim that they don't eat processed foods. Interesting that the definition doesn't include things like fermentation or curing/pickling-unless those are included in the legal definition of cooking, which they may be. From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives.  List of Processed Foods. This is a list of processed foods by type (not by brand). It is not a complete list. Many new food products are marketed every year. You can evaluate how processed a food is by reading the label's ingredients list to see the names, number, and type of ingredients. A large number of ingredients, with names that you don't recognize, indicates a highly processed food Breakfast cereals and commercial orange juice can be considered processed foods. The definition of what constitutes a processed food can vary slightly, but it usually refers to foods that are packaged in boxes, cans or bags. These foods need to be processed extensively to be edible and are not found as is in nature. In addition to going through many complex processing steps, processed foods often contain additives, artificial flavorings and other chemical ingredients. Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients, by physical or chemical means into food, or of food into other forms. 
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define processed food