Experts are calling for urgent action on ultra-processed foods, a growing global concern. A recent review highlights the alarming rise of ultra-processed foods, which are displacing traditional foods and meals, leading to a decline in diet quality and an increase in diet-related chronic diseases. Despite the significant advertising spend by ultra-processed food companies, which surpasses the World Health Organization's budget, there are effective measures that governments, communities, and health professionals can take to combat this issue.
The review, published in the journal The Lancet, presents three landmark papers on ultra-processed foods. These products, engineered from industrial ingredients and cosmetic additives, often contain few or no intact ingredients. Examples include soft drinks, chips, and many breakfast cereals. The problem, experts argue, is not a lack of willpower but a commercially driven issue, fueled by a powerful industry.
The evidence is compelling. The first paper summarizes research showing that ultra-processed foods are spreading globally, with a significant share in diets across countries. In the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, these foods make up around 50% of daily energy intake. The second paper reveals that diets high in ultra-processed foods lead to overeating and nutritional deficiencies, including higher sugar, saturated fat, and energy density, lower fiber and vitamin intake, and fewer whole foods. The third paper summarizes health risks, with a systematic review of 104 long-term studies finding a link to 92 chronic diseases.
Clinical trials further emphasize the issue, showing that ultra-processed diets lead to increased calorie consumption, weight gain, and rapid eating compared to non-ultra-processed diets with similar macronutrient proportions. This is attributed to higher energy density, tastiness, and soft textures, making ultra-processed foods highly palatable and overeating easier.
While more research is needed, the evidence is strong enough to warrant a global public health response. Policy options outlined in the second paper include changing product ingredients, fixing food environments through mandatory warning labels, protecting children from marketing, taxing sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods, and removing these products from public institutions. Curbing corporate power and addressing agricultural subsidies and supply chains are also recommended.
The third paper emphasizes the need to address corporate power and profitability, as ultra-processing is the most profitable business model in the food sector. The largest transnationals dominate global supply, marketing, and lobbying networks, shaping markets, science, and public debate while blocking regulation. These companies use profits to fund marketing, build factories, and spread ultra-processed foods globally, as well as employ lobbyists.
Experts call for a global public health response, including disrupting the ultra-processed food business model, protecting policymaking and science from industry interference, and building coalitions to advocate for policy change. Without action, ultra-processed foods will continue to dominate human diets, harming health, economies, culture, and the planet. The time to act is now.
