ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AND INDIA'S NCD BURDEN

The health problem is not “occasion foods.” It is what happens when UPFs become default breakfast, between-meal fillers, and late-night hunger fixes.

- TDG NETWORK

Walk through any Indian kirana or supermarket aisle and you can see the nutrition transition in its most profitable form: packaged snacks, sweetened beverages, “instant” meals, and ready-to-heat staples.

These products are not merely “processed.” Ultra processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made from fractions of foods and additives - designed to be appealing, convenient, and long-lasting rather than to behave like a balanced plate.

Why this matters for India is not a moral debate about “home food versus outside food.” It is a public health arithmetic problem. NCDs - heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases - now account for most deaths in India, and diet risk is a major driver of the burden.