Global surge in ultra-processed foods sparks urgent health warning

• A major three paper Series in The Lancet finds that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are rapidly replacing fresh and minimally processed meals around the world. The evidence links rising UPF intake to poorer diet quality and higher risks of multiple chronic diseases.
• The authors explain that although more research on UPFs will continue to be valuable, the current science is already strong enough to justify immediate public health action. Waiting for further studies would allow UPFs to gain an even stronger hold in global diets.
• The Series stresses that improving diets cannot fall solely on individual behavior. Real progress requires coordinated policies that limit UPF production, marketing, and availability, while also addressing high levels of fat, sugar and salt in the food supply and expanding access to healthy food.
• The authors describe UPFs as products of an industrial food system built around corporate profit rather than nutrition or sustainability. They warn that only a united international response can counter the political influence of UPF companies, which remains the biggest obstacle to effective dietary policy reform.

Rising UPF Consumption Sparks Global Health Concerns

A new three paper Series in The Lancet, written by 43 international experts, warns that the rapid spread of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) across global diets is creating a serious public health challenge. The authors detail how UPF companies use a range of strategies to increase sales and block policies designed to protect consumers. The Series offers a plan for stronger government action, greater community involvement, and broader access to affordable, nutritious foods.

Professor Carlos Monteiro, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, explains, "The growing consumption of ultra-processed foods is reshaping diets worldwide, displacing fresh and minimally processed foods and meals. This change in what people eat is fueled by powerful global corporations who generate huge profits by prioritizing ultra-processed products, supported by extensive marketing and political lobbying to stop effective public health policies to support healthy eating."

Calls for Strong, Coordinated Policy Action

Professor Camila Corvalan, University of Chile, Chile, adds, "Addressing this challenge requires governments to step up and introduce bold, coordinated policy action -- from including markers of UPFs in front-of-package labels to restricting marketing and implementing taxes on these products to fund greater access to affordable, nutritious foods."

Dr. Phillip Baker, University of Sydney, Australia, continues, "We need a strong global public health response -- like the coordinated efforts to challenge the tobacco industry. Including safeguarding policy spaces from political lobbying and building powerful coalitions to advocate for healthy, fair and sustainable food systems and stand-up to corporate power."

UPFs, based on the Nova classification, are industrially produced branded foods created from low cost ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates or glucose/fructose syrup, along with cosmetic additives (e.g. dyes, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers). These products are intentionally formulated and promoted to replace fresh foods and traditional meals, while maximizing profits for manufacturers (for a detailed definition see paper 1, panel 1).

Research Shows Clear Links Between UPFs and Chronic Disease

The first paper in The Lancet Series reviews scientific evidence gathered since the Nova classification was developed by Prof Carlos Monteiro and colleagues in 2009. The findings consistently show that UPFs are crowding out traditional dietary patterns, lowering overall diet quality, and contributing to higher risks of many chronic diseases.

National surveys also reveal substantial increases in UPF consumption (paper 1, figure 1). The proportion of dietary energy from UPFs tripled in Spain (11% to 32%) and China (4% to 10%) over the past three decades, and rose from 10% to 23% in Mexico and Brazil during the previous forty years. In the USA and UK, levels have remained above 50% for the past two decades, with slight increases over time.

Growing Body of Evidence Underscores Health Risks

The Series reports that diets high in UPFs are associated with overeating, poor nutrient balance (too much sugar and unhealthy fats, too little fibre and protein), and greater exposure to potentially harmful additives. A systematic review of 104 long-term studies found that 92 showed higher risks for at least one chronic disease, with meta-analyses identifying significant associations with 12 health conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and premature death (paper 1, figure 4, appendix p23-24).

While the authors acknowledge scientific debates about Nova and UPF definitions -- including the need for more long-term trials, clearer mechanisms, and recognition of product subgroups with differing nutritional qualities -- they emphasize that further research should not delay immediate public health action.

Professor Mathilde Touvier, French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), France, states, "While healthy debate about UPFs within the scientific community is welcomed, this should be distinguished from attempts by vested interests to undermine the current evidence. The growing body of research suggests diets high in ultra-processed foods are harming health globally and justifies the need for policy action."

Policy Solutions to Reduce UPFs and Improve Diet Quality

The second paper in the Series outlines policy options to curb UPF production, marketing, and consumption, holding major companies accountable for promoting unhealthy diets (paper 2, table 1). These recommendations are intended to strengthen existing legislation targeting high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) foods.

Professor Barry Popkin, University of North Carolina, US, says "We call for including ingredients that are markers of UPFs (eg, colors, flavors, and sweeteners) in front-of-package labels, alongside excessive saturated fat, sugar, and salt, to prevent unhealthy ingredient substitutions, and enable more effective regulation."

Marketing Restrictions, School Policies, and Fresh Food Access

The authors recommend stronger marketing limits, particularly for promotions aimed at children, digital advertising, and brand-level marketing. They also suggest banning UPFs in public settings such as schools and hospitals, and capping shelf space for UPFs in supermarkets. One example of successful reform is Brazil's national school feeding program, which has removed most UPFs and will require 90% of school food to be fresh or minimally processed by 2026 (paper 2, panel 4).

Alongside regulation, the authors highlight the need to expand access to fresh foods. Taxing selected UPFs could help support subsidies for healthier options, particularly for low-income households.

Professor Marion Nestle, New York University, US, notes, "Improving diets worldwide requires policies tailored to each country's unique situation and how entrenched UPFs have become in people's daily eating habits. While priorities may differ, urgent action is needed everywhere to regulate ultra-processed foods alongside existing efforts to reduce high fat, salt, and sugar content."

Associate Professor Gyorgy Scrinis, University of Melbourne, Australia, adds, "Importantly, policies must ensure that fresh and minimally processed foods are accessible and affordable -- not just for those with time to cook, but for busy families and individuals who rely on convenient options. Only by combining stricter regulation on poor quality food products with realistic support for more nutritious choices can we truly promote better diets for all."

How Corporate Power Drives the Global UPF Boom

The third paper shows that the sharp rise in UPF consumption is being driven primarily by global food corporations rather than individual behavior. These companies use low cost ingredients, large-scale production methods, and highly persuasive marketing to encourage widespread consumption.

With global annual sales reaching $1.9 trillion, UPFs represent the most profitable segment of the food industry. Manufacturers of these products have delivered more than half of the $2.9 trillion in shareholder payouts made by publicly listed food companies since 1962. The profits help fuel expansion, marketing power, and political influence, reinforcing corporate dominance over modern food systems.

The Series explains that UPF companies rely on sophisticated political strategies to protect their interests -- blocking regulations, influencing scientific debates, shaping public opinion, supporting hundreds of interest groups, lobbying, donating to political campaigns, and engaging in litigation to delay policy action (paper 3, table 1 and figure 2).

Professor Simon Barquera, the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Mexico, states, "Powerful corporations -- not individuals' choices -- are behind the global rise of ultra-processed foods. Through interest groups, these corporations often position themselves as part of the solution, but their actions tell a different story -- one focused on protecting profits and resisting effective regulation."

Urgent Need for a Unified Global Response

The authors call for a global public health movement to protect policy-making from industry interference, end ties between industry and health organizations, and strengthen networks advocating for reduced UPF consumption.

Professor Karen Hoffman, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, says, "Just as we confronted the tobacco industry decades ago, we need a bold, coordinated global response now to curb the overproportionate power of UPF corporations and build food systems that prioritize people's health and well-being."

They argue that transforming food systems requires a new vision that elevates local food producers, preserves cultural food traditions, promotes gender equity, and ensures that economic benefits flow to communities rather than to distant shareholders.

Dr. Phillip Baker concludes, "We are currently living in a world where our food options are increasingly dominated by UPFs, contributing to rising global levels of obesity, diabetes and mental ill-health. Our Series highlights that a different path is possible -- one where governments regulate effectively, communities mobilize, and healthier diets are accessible and affordable for all."

The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health, was supported by funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies.