Ultra-processed food linked to nearly 18,000 early deaths a year in England

13.8% The proportion of premature deaths in England linked by researchers to eating ultra-processed foods

- Denis Campbell

Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food increases the risk of early death, according to a study that has reignited calls for a crackdown.

Each 10% extra intake of UPFs such as cakes and ready meals increases the risk of dying before the age of 75 by 3%, according to research in countries including the US and England.

UPFs are implicated in up to one in seven premature deaths in some countries, according to a paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. They are associated with 124,107 early deaths in the US and 17,781 deaths every year in England, the review of dietary and mortality data from eight countries found.