'ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH'

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as noodles, sugar-sweetened beverages, chips, and biscuits, etc., are rapidly entering Indian diets and threatening public health, said Dr Arun Gupta, Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi).

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Speaking with Kavita Bajeli-Datt, the paediatrician and nutritionist, who is among over 40 global experts to contribute to the latest Lancet series on UPFs and human health, said India needs three urgent actions: mandatory front-of-pack warning labels (FOPL); restricting advertising and marketing of UPFs; and protecting policy-development from industry influence.

Excerpts:

The latest Lancet Series says ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a global health threat. Please elaborate.

Yes. The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health concludes that UPFs now pose a global public-health threat. The three papers bring together evidence on health harms, policy action, and the food industry strategies driving the rapid growth of UPFs. UPFs are displacing traditional diets and reshaping food systems across continents. Their share in diets has doubled or tripled in several countries over the past decades. In India, UPF sales grew 40-fold between 2006 and 2019. As these products are becoming daily staples, e.g., having noodles and sugar-sweetened beverages is a common practice. Chips and biscuits are also UPF making their way into every home, especially targeting children.