Ultra-processed food

Bowl of Froot Loops cereal, an ultra-processed cereal
Aisle of ultra-processed foods in an American supermarket

An ultra-processed food (UPF) is an industrially formulated edible substance derived from natural food or synthesized from other organic compounds.[1][2] The resulting products are designed to be highly profitable, convenient, and hyperpalatable, often through food additives such as preservatives, colourings, and flavourings.[3] UPFs have often undergone processes such as moulding/extruding, hydrogenation or frying.[4]

Ultra-processed foods first became ubiquitous in the 1980s,[5] though the term "ultra-processed food" gained prominence from a 2009 paper by Brazilian researchers as part of the Nova classification system.[6] In the Nova system, UPFs include most bread and other massed-produced baked goods, frozen pizza, instant noodles, flavored yogurt, fruit and milk drinks, “diet” products, baby food, and most of what is considered junk food.[7][8] The Nova definition considers ingredients, processing, and how products are marketed;[9] nutritional content is not evaluated.[10] As of 2024, research into the effects of UPFs is rapidly evolving.[11][4]

Since the 1990s, UPF sales have been increasing or remained high in most countries. In the limited available national data, as of 2023, consumption is highest in the United States (58% of daily calories) and United Kingdom (57%), and ranges widely, with Chile, France, Mexico and Spain among the countries in the 25-35% range, and Colombia, Italy, and Taiwan among those at or below 20%.[4]

Epidemiological data suggest that consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with non-communicable diseases and obesity.[12] A 2024 meta analysis published in The BMJ, identified 32 studies that associated UPF with negative health outcomes, though the specific mechanism of the effects was not clear.[11]

Some authors have criticised the concept of "ultra-processed foods" as poorly defined, and the Nova classification system as too focused on the type rather than the amount of food consumed.[13] Other authors, mostly in the field of nutrition, have been critical of the lack of attributed mechanisms for the health effects, focusing on how the current research evidence does not provide specific explanations for how ultra-processed food affects body systems.[14]

  1. ^ Monteiro C (2010). "The big issue is ultra-processing". World Nutrition. 1 (6): 237–269. ISSN 2041-9775.
  2. ^ Monteiro C (2011). "The big issue is ultra-processing. Why bread, hot dogs – and margarine – are ultra-processed". World Nutrition. 2 (10): 534–549. ISSN 2041-9775.
  3. ^ Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, Moubarac JC, Louzada ML, Rauber F, et al. (April 2019). "Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them". Public Health Nutrition. 22 (5): 936–941. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003762. PMC 10260459. PMID 30744710.
  4. ^ a b c Touvier M, da Costa Louzada ML, Mozaffarian D, Baker P, Juul F, Srour B (October 2023). "Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait". BMJ. 383: e075294. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-075294. PMC 10561017. PMID 37813465.
  5. ^ Fardet A (2018). "Characterization of the Degree of Food Processing in Relation With Its Health Potential and Effects". Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. Vol. 85. Elsevier. pp. 79–129. doi:10.1016/bs.afnr.2018.02.002. ISBN 978-0-12-815089-4. PMID 29860978.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Monteiro2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gibney2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Dixon R (Sep 6, 2023). "Ultra-processed foods: the 19 things everyone needs to know". The Guardian. Retrieved Sep 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Monteiro2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, Ashtree DN, McGuinness AJ, Gauci S, et al. (February 2024). "Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses". BMJ. 384: e077310. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077310. PMC 10899807. PMID 38418082.
  12. ^ Pagliai G, Dinu M, Madarena MP, Bonaccio M, Iacoviello L, Sofi F (February 2021). "Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis". The British Journal of Nutrition. 125 (3): 308–318. doi:10.1017/S0007114520002688. PMC 7844609. PMID 32792031.
  13. ^ Visioli F, Marangoni F, Fogliano V, Del Rio D, Martinez JA, Kuhnle G, et al. (December 2023). "The ultra-processed foods hypothesis: a product processed well beyond the basic ingredients in the package". Nutrition Research Reviews. 36 (2): 340–350. doi:10.1017/S0954422422000117. hdl:11577/3451280. PMID 35730561.
  14. ^ Valicente VM, Peng CH, Pacheco KN, Lin L, Kielb EI, Dawoodani E, et al. (July 2023). "Ultraprocessed Foods and Obesity Risk: A Critical Review of Reported Mechanisms". Advances in Nutrition. 14 (4): 718–738. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.04.006. PMC 10334162. PMID 37080461.