Why Tofu Can't Be Considered An Ultra-Processed Food - Tasting Table

"Made by soaking and grinding soy beans with water, boiling them, and adding a curdling agent - tofu is not all too different to cheese. Squeezed to remove any liquid and left to set, it is not any more processed than it, either. In fact, one of the seven myths everyone needs to stop believing about tofu is that it's an "ultra-processed" food, a term that groups it in the same category of foods like soda and white bread."

"But, processing only becomes "ultra" processing when the addition of those ingredients borderline on excessive, leading to copious amounts of salt, fat, sugar, dyes, or preservatives. So, while tofu is a processed food, it could never be considered an "ultra-processed" food because it does not contain any added ingredients apart from water and a coagulant - an ingredient that, paired with the soybeans, is responsible for its classification as a greater source of calcium than milk."

Tofu is made by soaking and grinding soy beans with water, boiling, and adding a curdling agent, then squeezing out liquid and allowing it to set into a cheese-like form. Food processing is defined by added ingredients, and processing becomes "ultra" when additions are excessive, producing high amounts of salt, fat, sugar, dyes, or preservatives. Tofu contains only water and a coagulant and therefore does not qualify as ultra-processed. The coagulant increases tofu's calcium content. Moderate processed foods can be safe and beneficial, while high consumption of ultra-processed foods correlates with greater chronic disease risk. Different tofu varieties offer varied textures for cooking.

Read at Tasting Table