The rising global consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is a major public health threat that must be urgently addressed, according to a new series of papers written by 43 global experts in the Lancet medical journal.
The scientists, including Brazilian epidemiologist Carlos Monteiro, who coined the term with colleagues around 15 years ago, argue that UPFs are increasingly common worldwide and linked to a decline in diet quality and many diseases, from obesity to cancer.
“It’s about the evidence we have today about … ultra-processed foods and human health,” says Monteiro, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
“What we know right now justifies global public action.”
UPFs are a class of food or drink made using processing techniques, additives and industrial ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates or glucose/fructose syrup, and dyes, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers. They contain little whole foods. Examples include carbonated soft drinks and instant noodles.