Ultra-Processed Snacks: What the UK Needs to Know For 2026

The UK is waking up to the real impact of ultra-processed foods. Here’s how to navigate seed oils, gums, additives and “healthy” snacks that aren’t as clean as they seem.

Searches for “ultra-processed foods”, “seed oils”, “what are emulsifiers” and “best natural snacks UK” are trending across Google and TikTok. Consumers want clarity, and most brands aren’t giving it.

Ultra-processed snacks that dominate UK shelves:

• Protein bars with 15–25 ingredients
• Products layered with seed oils (sunflower, rapeseed, soybean)
• Gums + emulsifiers (guar, xanthan, carrageenan)
• Sugar alcohols (maltitol, erythritol)
• Heath snacks layered with artificial sweeteners
• Meat Snacks with Sodium Nitrate 

These additives affect digestion, inflammation, energy, and even mood.

 

What Seed Oils Actually Do in the Body

They’re not “poison” - but they are:

• High in omega-6 fatty acids
• Often oxidised before you eat them
• Linked with inflammation when an imbalance occurs
• Found everywhere in bars, dressings, crisps, sauces

Most processed snacks are built on sunflower or rapeseed oil.

ROAMS stance:

• Zero seed oils.
• Zero emulsifiers.
  
• Zero gums.
• Zero anything artificial
• Just EU grass-fed beef + spices.

Why Gums and Emulsifiers Matter

These ingredients help ultra-processed bars “hold shape.”
 
But they can also:

• Disrupt gut lining
• Cause bloating
• Trigger digestive discomfort
• Alter the microbiome

Common culprits:

• Guar gum
• Xanthan gum
• Locust bean gum
• Polysorbate 80
• Carrageenan

Roam bars contain none.

 

The Problem With Sodium Nitrate in Processed Meat Snacks

Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are preservatives commonly found in jerky, biltong, cured meats, supermarket “protein meats,” and many high-street meat snacks. They’re used to extend shelf life, enhance colour, and keep products looking “fresh” for longer, but the health trade-offs are significant.

Why Sodium Nitrate Can Be Harmful

When nitrates are exposed to high heat (cooking, drying, smoking) or mix with amino acids during digestion, they can form nitrosamines, compounds linked to increased inflammation and long-term health risks.

Research suggests sodium nitrates may contribute to:

• Inflammation in the gut and digestive discomfort
• Oxidative stress, which affects energy levels and cellular health
• Microbiome disruption, altering the balance of healthy gut bacteria
• Headaches, lethargy or “post-snack slump”
• Potential long-term disease risk when consumed frequently

These effects are even more noticeable in people with:

• Busy lifestyles
• High stress loads
• High training volume
• Sensitive digestion

Which is…

Why Roam Never Uses Sodium Nitrate

How to Do a 30-Second Snack Label Audit

Use this when browsing UK supermarket shelves:

Green flags:

✅ Ingredients list under 10 items
✅ Whole food protein sources
✅ No seed oils
✅ No sugar alcohols
✅ No artificial sweeteners

Red flags:

❌ Palm or sunflower oil
❌ Ingredients you can’t pronounce
❌ “Low sugar” but filled with sweeteners
❌ Soy protein isolates and gels
❌ Bars marketed as “natural” but far from it

 

Healthier Natural Snack Options (UK list)

• Boiled eggs
• Greek yoghurt
• Fruit + nut butter
• Roasted chickpeas
• Biltong (check sugar)
• Fresh fruit
• Roam grass-fed beef bars + bites / turkey bar / pork bar (zero sugar, zero additives)

 

Why Real Food Always Wins

Your body recognises real food.
It digests it efficiently, uses it more effectively, and leaves you feeling genuinely energised, not overloaded.

Roam follows a simple, uncompromising rule:
If it isn’t real food, it doesn’t go in.

👉 Read next: How to Read a Snack Label in 30 Seconds (Guide)

👉 Explore our real-food meat snacks - zero sugar, zero additives.