[atollk]

"Ultra-processed" does not mean "many steps in the process of creating it". Although I assume many people are somewhat misusing the term by now, it originally comes from the "Nova" system, where part of the current definition of ultra-processed is:

Industrially manufactured food products made up of several ingredients (formulations) including sugar, oils, fats and salt (generally in combination and in higher amounts than in processed foods) and food substances of no or rare culinary use (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified starches and protein isolates).

[nekzn]

Hexane, acid, caustic soda, bleach, and deodorisers have no or rare culinary use.

[bawolff]

Yeah, but those dont end up in the final product afaik, which i think is the distiction being made.

[UncleMeat]

The "bleach" in the bleaching process for foods is not the bleach you buy to clean your bathtub.

[lithocarpus]

Any isolation of certain compounds from whole food from other compounds would be part of what I refer to as processed. In the case of refined oils, I'd call it ultra processed just because of how much is removed - even before considering the chemical contaminants.