Half of Our Diet Is Now Full of Ultra-Processed Foods!

Worldwide, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have rapidly become a significant part of diets. This change is affecting public health, aggravating chronic illnesses, and widening disparities. It's not just a question of taste or convenience anymore. UPFs are now a global threat, according to a new Lancet Article published on November 19, which calls for immediate action. They are made by a few major corporations, are inexpensive, are widely advertised, and have an addictive flavour. Above all, they are replacing traditional, healthy foods, resulting in long-term harm that extends far beyond simply consuming more calories (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Ultra-processed foods: time to put health before profit

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What Are Ultra-Processed Foods, Really?

According to the Nova classification system, UPFs are in the most processed category. Their sensory-related additives—the colours, flavours, stabilisers, and sweeteners that improve their appearance, taste, and shelf life—can be used to identify them.

A single ingredient does not make them hazardous. Instead, health risks are caused by the widespread practice of substituting synthetic foods for real foods as well as the combined effect of several additives.

A high UPF intake is closely associated with:

• Being obese
• Heart-related illnesses
• Numerous other long-term illnesses

Some critics contend that it is ineffective to group "healthier" processed foods (such as flavoured yoghurts or fortified cereals) with sugary drinks or reconstituted meats. However, the data indicates that UPFs are rarely consumed on their own; the dietary pattern that surrounds them is what counts.

The Corporate Engine Behind Ultra-Processed Foods

The UPF industry revolves around the large-scale processing of low-cost commodities such as maize, wheat, soy, and palm oil. These are combined into countless artificial ingredients, flavours, emulsifiers, and additives.

A few powerful multinational corporations control this system, including:

• Nestlé
• PepsiCo
• Unilever
• Coca-Cola

Because UPFs are designed to be extremely tasty, they can be consumed repeatedly and even compulsively. They are gradually replacing traditional, nutrient-dense foods, especially in areas where access to fresh produce, money, or time is limited.

In many wealthy nations, UPFs make up about 50% of household food intake, and consumption is soaring in low- and middle-income countries.

The damage extends beyond human health. UPFs cause environmental harm because they rely on production that uses a lot of fossil fuels and a lot of plastic packaging.

Why Are Ultra-Processed Foods Hard to Regulate?

The UPF industry generates enormous profits, which fund political activities designed to block health regulations. The editorial warns that self-regulation has failed—governments must step in with strong, mandatory policies.

Key policy actions recommended include:

• Adding UPF markers (additives like colours and flavours) to nutrient profiling systems
• Mandatory front-of-pack warning labels
• Banning marketing targeted at children
• Restricting UPFs in public institution (schools, hospitals, etc.)
• Taxing UPFs

Civil society plays a key role too. Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Food Policy Program has already helped countries in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa to implement policies and withstand corporate interference.

Who Gets Hurt the Most From Ultra-Processed Foods?

UPF consumption is highest among people facing economic hardship. Cheap, long-lasting, heavily marketed products are often the only foods many families can afford.

But solutions must be fair and realistic. Transitioning away from UPFs should not:

• Increase the burden on women
• Worsen food insecurity
• Punish low-income households dependent on cheap options

The editorial echoes the EAT–Lancet Commission: subsidies must shift away from giant corporations toward local food producers who can supply affordable, minimally processed foods.

Tax revenue from UPFs can be used to fund cash transfers so low-income families can buy fresh, whole foods.

Alarming Takeaways About Ultra-Processed Food Consumption

• More than half (55.0%) of all the calories people eat—from age 1 year and up—now come from ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant noodles, frozen meals, and fast food.
• Children and teens (1–18 years) are eating even more ultra-processed foods than adults. They get a massive 61.9% of their daily calories from these foods — meaning almost two-thirds of what they eat is ultra-processed.
• Adults (19+ years) aren’t far behind, with 53.0% of their daily calories coming from ultra-processed foods.
• Both boys and girls, men and women are consuming similarly high levels – meaning this is a widespread problem, not limited to any one group (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
  Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023
  
  Go to source).

Breaking the Corporate Grip on Global Diets

The UPF industry represents a global food system increasingly driven by corporate profits—not public health. The Lancet Series makes it clear: we need a coordinated, well-resourced international response to transform food systems.

This includes:

• Strong competition laws
• Mandatory (not voluntary) regulations
• Comprehensive policies reinforcing one another
• Reducing corporate interference
• Supporting diverse, local food producers

Without bold global action, UPFs will continue to dominate diets, increase chronic disease, and widen health inequalities.

Time to Put Health Before Profit

Ultra-processed foods are more than a diet trend—they’re a structural problem deeply tied to corporate power, marketing strategies, and global inequality. With UPFs already making up about 50% of household diets in high-income nations and rising rapidly elsewhere, the health consequences are impossible to ignore.

The scientific evidence is clear. The policy solutions exist. What we need now is collective action that prioritises human health, planetary sustainability, and equity over the profits of a small group of transnational corporations.

References:

1. Ultra-processed foods: time to put health before profit - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02322-0/fulltext)
2. Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023 - (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db536.htm)

Source-Lancet