When did ultra processed food properly kick in?

[MrsWhipstonSnippet]

I mean the many layered ingredients such as palm oil and stabilisers, etc.
It has a good deal of attention now, and we have been aware of it being around for many years, but was there a time when it was less processed than it is now?

For example, if I purchased a meat and potato slice/pasty from Greggs, would that item contain more 'bad' stuff now than in 2000, or 1997?

Would a Warburton's loaf have been similar in 2005?

From the industrial revolution onwards, reaching much higher popularity by the late 70 and 80s around the time when people became more time-poor, dual working households etc, at an educated guess.

1970’s - eg vesta meals. The fondness for the freezer reduced the preservatives needed at least but they were definitely processing lots. Canning s 150 years old

But have the ingredients lists grown in that time?

I remember angel delight, that would have been around 1979, would that product be better, worse or the same today? Obviously it isn't great in general but I hope you see what I mean!

When we discuss processed food we often compare it to the more simple diets of the 60's, or much older generations, but I am curious if it has taken a nosedive even further in the recent, say, 10 years.

I am also aware that dreadful things made it into pies and milk and flour way back at the start of the industrial revolution. The difference now is that what we call UPF is, well, legal.

I do wonder if I could take a look at ingredients on things in the back of some older relative's food cupboards, I know a few that have things in there that a long past any expiry dates.

The 1970s and 80s is when things really took off. They have been around for a long time but I've no idea whether they have become comparatively more ultra processed than they were previously. What has changed is the amount we consume them. UPFs now make up more than 50% of calories consumed in the UK. The rate is higher for children. Considering science is continuing to find a link between UPF consumption and obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers then that is really concerning.

In my own life I think it ramped up from when the big Tesco arrived when I was 7, TV dinners, about 1980.

This is an example from the US, and we're not as bad in the UK but I wouldn't be surprised if UPFs have changed for the worse.

I think they've changed over the last 30 years or so, the concern used to be about food colourings, those have mostly been removed or replaced by natural rather than petrochemical ones, there was a big pushback against "E numbers". But there are more processed foods now than there were then I think. You look around the supermarket now and apart from the fruit, veg, meat and fish aisles it's processed stuff everywhere with most of it being UPF (as opposed to tinned tomatoes or whatever).

I can imagine it's got much worse 'recently' OP , particularly with the obsession with taking fat out of things and 'low fat'.
That mouth feel and taste has to be replaced by something.

This all makes sense, thanks.
Yes I do agree that there is simply more of it now, and the effort to keep us consuming it 24-7 has been accelerated.

I do see a lot more fizzy drinks around now than 20 years ago. That area has definitely increased.
I was in M&S today, most fresh meat and veg out of stock but the processed isles were full. They don't seem to start with a good amount of stock here.

And crikey, those fries!

True, and I only started to see palm oil appear in recent years too.

Prior to around 6 years ago I never gave it a lot of thought. I used to be happy with the traffic light stuff .

I imagine there will be something online somewhere, where someone has kept some old packets to compare ingredients.