Alarm grows on ultra-processed food popularity

Ultra-processed foods are directly linked to increased health risks for 12 diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression and heart, kidney and gastrointestinal conditions, according to a major series published Tuesday in The Lancet, which also found that diets are now full of such foods, replacing fresh and minimally processed, traditional home-cooked meals globally.

- Chetan Chauhan

These industrially manufactured products — packaged snacks, instant noodles, sugary cereals, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-eat meals and processed meats — have become ubiquitous in supermarkets, corner shops and increasingly in rural markets worldwide.

Of the 104 studies reviewed, 92 showed a link between ultra-processed dietary patterns and increased chronic disease risk. High consumption resulted in a 25% risk increase for type 2 diabetes, 23% for depression, and 21% for both obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

“These findings support the thesis that ultra-processed dietary patterns are a major driver of the escalating chronic disease burden,” the authors said.

The papers, authored by 43 global food experts including professor Carlos Monteiro at the University of Sao Paulo—who coined the term UPFs in 2009 — documented dramatic consumption increases worldwide. UPF energy contribution to total household food purchases, or daily intake, more than doubled in Canada over eight decades, from 24% to 55%.

Over three decades, it tripled in Spain from 11% to 32%, South Korea from 13% to 33%, and China from 4% to 10%. In Mexico and Brazil, consumption increased from 10% to 23% over four decades.