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  • Page | Last updated: 11 Apr 2025

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines - Guidance on processing of foods

Health Promotion Knowledge Gateway

Summary of FBDG guidance on processing of foods for the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

Due care was taken to ensure factually correct information. Food groupings and food group names differ across individual FBDGs; the ones used here are a compromise to present the information in a structured way. Differences such as those in number of portions and portion sizes were kept unaltered. The original country FBDGs and the responsible national public health authorities remain the only qualified points of reference.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

BelgiumLimit ultra-processed foods.
BulgariaUse shorter, gentler culinary technologies for the preparation of fruit and vegetables, adding a minimum amount of fat, salt and sugar.
CzechiaGive preference to gentle cooking methods, limit frying and grilling.
DenmarkLimit processed meat, such as smoked and salted meat, as much as possible. Processed meat are meat that, for example, has been smoked or salted, including cold cuts, sausages and bacon.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

GermanySugar, salt and fat are often "invisibly" present in processed foods like sausage, pastries, sweets, fast food and convenience products. High intake of these increases the risk of overweight, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
EstoniaAvoid potatoes rich in added fats and heavily processed. Consume as little as possible processed meat products.
IrelandLimit processed salty meats such as sausages, bacon and ham.
GreeceAvoid processed meat.
Avoid salted and smoked fish.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

SpainBetter consume fresh unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Reduce, and even avoid, eating processed foods with high content in sugars, fats and salt.
In the case of consuming processed foods, choose those with a lower salt, sugar and fat content that are not olive oil.
FrancePrefer whole grain and minimally processed cereal products.
Limit the consumption of charcuterie.
Croatia-
Italy-

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

Cyprus-
LatviaIt is recommended to choose meat products only on special occasions or during holidays, because these foods have a high fat and salt content, as well as they contain various food additives (nitrite salt, sodium monoglutomate) and toxic substances (for example, benzopyrene, which is produced in the process of incomplete combustion of wood, smoking, grilling meat).
LithuaniaLimit processed meat. Choose less processed, smoked, salted and preserved meat products.
When reading the information on the label, pay attention to how the product was made (eg cured, smoked, salted, etc.) and choose less processed products.
Choose sustainable cooking methods, such as boiling in water or steaming, stewing, cooking in a convection oven, baking wrapped in cheesecloth or foil.
Avoid such food production methods as frying, smoking, deep-frying, cooking in fat, popping, salting.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

Luxembourg
Limit the amount of cured meats you consume.
Sugars are added in the manufacturing and production of many foods. Often these sugars are themselves produced industrially. Foods high in industrial or sugars are soft drinks, fizzy drinks, nectars, energy drinks, sweets, pastries, cakes, milk puddings, ready meals, prepared tomato sauce, industrial ketchup, etc.
Hungary-
MaltaProcessed meats are to be eaten only occasionally.
Limit the consumption of ready-made foods containing high amounts of added sugar, salt/sodium; saturated and hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated (trans) fats.
Remember, the higher the ingredient is in the ingredients list, the larger its amount in the food product.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

NetherlandsProcessed meat is not part of the Wheel of Five. It is advised to limit the consumption of processed meat.
AustriaEat sausages rather rarely.
PolandSwap frying, grilling for boiling including steaming, braising or roasting.
Portugal-
RomaniaEat highly processed foods high in sugar sparingly.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

SloveniaRecommended methods of heat treatment of food are cooking in steam, stewing with a small amount of oil and stewing in its own juice or with the addition of water. Avoid frying and food preparation procedures at high temperatures.
SlovakiaPrefer cereal products with no preservatives, flavourings and synthetic colours.
FinlandLimit intake of processed meat products.
SwedenEat less processed meat.

Country

FBDG guidance on processing of foods

United KingdomEat less processed meat.
Government advises that adults who regularly consume more than 90 g per day reduce their consumption of red and processed meat to no more than the population average of 70 g per day.
Switzerland

If possible, give preference to unprocessed and minimally processed foods such as vegetables, fruit, bread and plain yoghurt. Highly processed foods such as sausages, ready meals and sweets often have a long list of ingredients and frequently contain plenty of energy, saturated fatty acids, salt, sugar and additives, but few vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.

Eat highly processed meat such as cervelat, salami or ham as rarely as possible, no more than once a week. Even with plant-based products, slightly or moderately processed products are better, e.g. pulses, tofu, tempeh.

IcelandChoose mostly unprocessed lean meat.
NorwayEat as little processed meat as possible. Have a minimal intake of processed products of white meat, such as nuggets and chicken sausages. It is recommended to limit the intake of processed foods with a high content of sugar, salt and saturated fats.