A landmark global review has concluded that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are linked to severe harm in every major organ system and pose a seismic threat to global health. The research, comprising three papers published in The Lancet, finds that products like ready meals, cereals, protein bars, and fizzy drinks are rapidly displacing fresh food in diets worldwide.
This shift is associated with an increased risk for a dozen serious health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and depression. In the UK and the US, UPFs now constitute more than half of the average diet. For younger, lower-income, or disadvantaged individuals, this figure can be as high as 80%.
The analysis, conducted by 43 of the world’s leading experts, suggests that profit-driven corporations are fuelling this trend through aggressive marketing, lobbying to prevent regulation, and skewing scientific debate.
A systematic review of 104 long-term studies found that 92 reported a greater associated risk of one or more chronic diseases and early death from all causes in people who consume high amounts of UPFs. The evidence suggests these diets contribute to overeating, provide poor nutritional quality, and increase exposure to harmful chemicals and additives.
Professor Carlos Monteiro of the University of São Paulo, a lead author of the series, stressed the urgency of the findings. “The evidence strongly suggests that humans are not biologically adapted to consume them,” he said, noting that UPFs harm every major organ.
Monteiro and his colleagues developed the widely used Nova classification system, which categorizes foods by their level of processing. Ultra-processed foods fall into the fourth and final category, defined as industrially manufactured products often containing artificial flavours, colours, and emulsifiers. They are typically designed to be highly palatable and high in calories but low in nutrients, maximising corporate profits while displacing traditional meals.
While critics contend that the UPF category is ill-defined and that existing policies targeting sugar and salt are sufficient, the report’s authors argue that the current evidence justifies immediate action. They acknowledge valid scientific critiques, such as the need for more long-term clinical trials, but insist future research must not delay public health interventions.
The authors propose policies to regulate and reduce UPF production and consumption, drawing parallels to the early days of tobacco control. They assert that global corporations, not individual choices, are the primary drivers of the diet-related chronic disease pandemic. The main barrier to reform, they claim, is “corporate political activities” designed to block effective regulation.
Recommendations include adding UPF markers to front-of-package labels alongside warnings for high fat, sugar, and salt content. The authors also call for stronger marketing restrictions, particularly on advertisements aimed at children, and banning UPFs in public spaces like schools and hospitals. As a model of success, the review highlights Brazil’s national school food program, which has nearly eliminated UPFs and aims for 90% of its food to be fresh or minimally processed by 2026.
Scientists not involved in the series generally welcomed the comprehensive review but called for further research to establish a clear causal link between UPFs and poor health outcomes, rather than just an association.
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