Fact:  Processing simply means taking a food item from an original state to a version that is edible.

A cow provides milk which is processed to become the milk we buy at Ingles, cheese, or yogurt. Soybeans are processed to become hummus. Many grains have to be milled ( a type of processing) so they can be made into cereals or breads. Of course there are also food ingredients and crops that are highly processed and made into foods that are high in fats, sugar and/or sodium like candy or "junk" foods that shouldn't be a regular part of our diets.

Bottom Line:  Processing of foods is not necessarily a bad thing!