Throughout history, food processing has played a critical role in building a safe, accessible, healthy and sustainable food system.  More recently, there has been growing criticism and confusion among health professionals, researchers and media regarding the benefits associated with the consumption of processed foods, especially against the evolving scientific discourse around ultra-processed foods.During this podcast episode, Phil Lempert interviews food scientist Eric Decker, Phd, about the historical role processed foods have played to ensure we have a safe, accessible, healthy and sustainable food system. Dr. Decker describes the benefits and techniques of food processing and highlight how it can improve compliance to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Lastly, Dr. Decker shares insights that retail dietitians can use when communicating with consumers about processed foods.