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Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are linked to harm every major human organ Global experts have warned.
UPF, such as prepared foods, crisps, sugary snacks and breakfast cereals, are associated with poor healthwhich includes one increased risk of obesity, heart diseaseCancer and early death.
These foods are rapidly replacing fresh food Diet numbers of children and adults around the world – Big food corporations are using a number of aggressive tactics to increase consumption, minimize scientific debate and circumvent regulation, a review published in The Lancet Medical journal suggests.
The 43 scientists and researchers in the study said food companies prioritize profits, causing UPF to displace fresh alternatives, degrade diet quality and contribute to many chronic diseases.
The study authors said: “The main drivers of global growth in UPF are the growing economic and political power of the UPF industry, and the restructuring of food systems for profitability above all else.”
A systematic review of 104 long-term studies on UPF found that 92 reported a greater associated risk of one or more chronic diseases and early death from all causes.
UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives, which experts say leaves less room for more nutritious foods in people’s diets and encourages overeating.
These foods also contain additives and ingredients that are not used by people when cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial colors and flavors.
The research says that in countries like Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and across Asia, the dietary share of UPF is less than 25 per cent, but in the US and UK it is 50 per cent. For some people, especially those who are young, poor or come from deprived areas, a diet containing up to 80 percent UPF is normal.
Writing in The Lancet, the global team said that, although some countries have improved foods and introduced regulations to control UPF, “the global public health response is still nascent, in the same way as the tobacco control movement was decades ago”.
The researchers said that government policy, including in high-income countries such as the UK, has done little to change the “commercial and structural determinants of the problem”, focusing instead on consumer responsibility, industry participation and voluntary self-regulation in the industry, such as when companies replace sugar with sweeteners in some foods, or reduce fat.
The study authors argue that the main obstacle to policies to protect health is “the industry’s corporate political activities, coordinated internationally through front groups, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and global networks of research partners to counter opposition and block regulation.”
He said these activities included direct lobbying, “infiltrating government agencies” and filing lawsuits.
Experts argue that “the continued increase of UPFs in the human diet is not inevitable” and, while research on their effects continues, this should not delay policies aimed at promoting diets based on whole foods.
One of the authors, Professor Chris Van Tuelken of University College London, told a press briefing that there had been “a three-decade history of reform by the food industry”.
He added: “First we took out the fat, then we took out the sugar. We replaced the sugar with sweeteners, the fat with gums. These products have been massively reformulated and we’ve seen rates of obesity, especially childhood obesity, and other diet-related diseases continue to rise in line with the reforms.
“This is not a product level discussion. The entire diet is being ultra-processed.
“And remember that implicit in the definition of ultra-processed food is its purpose. Its purpose is for profit. And so while you are making improvements, if your purpose is still profit, you are unlikely to produce positive health outcomes.”
Several experts commenting on the Lancet papers called for more, better quality research on the impact of UPF, and said that current studies showed an association with poor health, but no direct causation.
Professor Jules Griffin of the University of Aberdeen said the authors had shown that “a wide range of chronic diseases are associated with increased consumption of ultra-processed foods” but “the association may not be causal, as the authors freely acknowledge”.
Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University, said: “There is still room for doubt and room for clarification from further research.”
Kate Halliwell, chief scientific officer at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents the industry, said: “Food and drink manufacturers create a wide range of products, all of which can form part of a balanced diet – from everyday foods and drinks, such as frozen peas, wholemeal bread and breakfast cereals, to delicacies such as puddings and confectionery.
“Companies have been making a number of changes over the years to make the food and drink we all buy healthier, in line with government guidelines.
As a result, FDF-member products on sale in shops and supermarkets now contain one third less salt and sugar and one quarter fewer calories than in 2015.
She said that while the UK’s current dietary advice to eat more fruit, vegetables and fiber and less sugar and salt is “based on decades of scientific evidence”, the FDF agreed that “better quality research is needed to be able to understand whether there is any additional link between food processing and health”.