Scientists criticize food manufacturers for massive profits from sales of unhealthy ultraprocessed food

The science and politics of ultra-processed foods

A new Lancet Series presents the most comprehensive scientific assessment to date of ultra-processed foods. Its findings expose a global health crisis driven by industry profit, political inertia, and the transformation of food systems worldwide.

The Strongest Evidence Yet That Ultra-Processed Foods Raise Serious Health Risks Worldwide

New research lays out just how widespread UPFs have become — and what that shift means for long-term health.PS Photography / Getty ImagesKey PointsA trio of newly published papers in The Lancet highlights growing global evidence connecting ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with poorer diet quality and multiple adverse health outcomes.The researchers show that UPFs are rapidly displacing traditional diets worldwide, accounting for up to 60% of daily e…

Ultra-processed foods a leading cause of 'chronic disease pandemic'

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a leading cause of the “chronic disease pandemic” linked to diet, with food firms putting profit above all else, global experts have warned.

The Lancet takes a nuanced, big-picture look at ultraprocessed food

Columnist Carrie Dennett discusses a recent three-part series of articles from the scientific journal The Lancet about ultra-processed food.

The ultra-processed foods health risk you can't afford to ignore

Pies, two-minute noodles, fizzy drinks and ready-made meals – for many South Africans, these are everyday staples. They are convenient, affordable and readily available. But what if those quick fixes are quietly shaping our long-term health? A growing body of research suggests that the health risks linked to ultra-processed foods (UPFs) run far deeper than most people realise. And they may be more serious than we think. With rising rates of chro…

Do supermarkets really make us sick?

I contemplated this piece over a bowl of porridge; not a ready-mix concoction but the raw stuff: porridge oats mixed with milk and water and eaten without any adornment whatsoever. That will win me brownie points among many nutritionists and policymakers because I was not eating an ‘ultra-processed food’ (UPF). I have a gut feeling