Ultra Processed Foods News and Research

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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrially manufactured goods that contain additives like colors, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives, as well as materials that have been extracted from food, such as oils, fats, sugars, starches, and protein isolates. These goods, which include packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant noodles, and prepared meals, are made to be shelf-stable, convenient, and extremely palatable. Despite the fact that they are frequently high in energy and low in nutrients, their consumption has grown significantly worldwide. There are calls for public health policies to limit the use of UPFs due to mounting evidence that they are linked to negative health outcomes, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

Half of your kid’s food might be ultra-processed and that’s a problem

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contributed nearly half of daily energy intake among 8–12-year-old Australian children. In older children (10–12), higher UPF intake by weight was linked to increased abdominal obesity and higher BMI z-scores.

19 Jun 2025

What 300 grams of ultra-processed food a day does to your diabetes risk

A dose-response meta-analysis of 12 cohort studies finds that higher intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The association remains even after adjusting for BMI, diet quality, and energy intake, with a steeper risk increase above 300 g/day.

17 Jun 2025

Mycotoxin exposure during pregnancy linked to lower birthweight

Exposure to mycotoxins – a broad group of harmful substances produced by mold – during pregnancy may impact placental function, which could result in lower birthweight in humans, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

16 Jun 2025

Cardiovascular deaths surge among less educated Americans

About 525,000 more deaths occurred among US adults in 2023 than would be expected had pre-2010 mortality trends continued. More than 90 percent of these deaths occurred among individuals without a Bachelor's degree and were largely caused by cardiovascular diseases, underscoring how educational attainment can influence individuals' health opportunities and outcomes.

14 Jun 2025

What researchers found when they compared food labels in 17 countries

New research uncovers how hyper-palatable foods saturate the US food supply and highlights urgent public health challenges posed by engineered foods worldwide.

9 Jun 2025

Back-to-basics, 'not fad' diets beat heart disease and diabetes

This review examines dietary interventions that can improve cardiometabolic health, highlighting the role of whole foods in reducing heart disease and diabetes.

4 Jun 2025

Scientists develop new system for classifying processed foods

Recent years have seen growing scrutiny and debate around processed foods, but researchers have struggled to pin down what aspects of food processing are most relevant to health.

3 Jun 2025

Blood and urine tests reveal how much ultra-processed food you really eat, study finds

Researchers developed and validated blood and urine metabolite scores that objectively measure ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in adults. These biomarker profiles accurately distinguished between high- and low-UPF diets and may transform nutrition research and public health monitoring.

21 May 2025

Microplastics in ultra-processed foods may fuel mental health risks, experts warn

New research highlights a possible link between microplastics in ultra-processed foods and rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Experts call for urgent investigation as microplastic accumulation in the human brain increases alongside ultra-processed food intake.

21 May 2025

NIH researchers develop poly-metabolite score to measure ultra-processed food intake

For the first time, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) identified patterns of metabolites in blood and urine that can be used as an objective measure of an individual's consumption of energy from ultra-processed foods.

20 May 2025

Public health impact of synthetic chemicals in food is underestimated

Scientists highlight the evidence of increasing public health impacts from exposure to synthetic chemicals in food.

16 May 2025

Ultra-processed food boosts addiction and worsens mood, study finds

A cross-sectional study of 3,997 adults in Türkiye found that ultra-processed food (UPF) intake is strongly linked to food addiction and negative mood. Surprisingly, no association was found between UPF consumption and hedonic hunger.

11 May 2025

Vegetarians may need to watch thyroid health, especially with low iodine intake

Vegetarians had a modestly higher risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to high meat-eaters, but only after adjusting for BMI. No increased risk was seen for vegans or pescatarians in incident cases, though pescatarians showed a slight increase in baseline prevalence.

11 May 2025

FDA and NIH launch joint effort to tackle diet-related chronic disease

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new, joint innovative research initiative that will serve as a key element in fulfilling U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s commitment to Make America Healthy Again.

9 May 2025

High intake of ultra processed foods linked to early signs of Parkinson's

People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a study published in the May 7, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 May 2025

Canadian study links ultra processed foods to poor health outcomes

A landmark study exploring Canadians' consumption of chips, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals and other ultra-processed foods typically loaded with fat, sugar and additives has confirmed these foods are directly and significantly linked to poor health outcomes.

7 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods increase risk of anxiety and depression, study shows

A large UK Biobank study linked ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption to increased risks of anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and other mental health outcomes. A metabolomic signature associated with UPF intake partially mediated these relationships, especially in adults under 60.

5 May 2025

Want to eat slower? Pick meals that need chopsticks, not hands

A new study from Japan reveals that eating meals like bento boxes—rather than pizza—can slow down eating and boost chewing, regardless of whether vegetables come first or last. It's not the order, but the kind of food, that matters.

5 May 2025

Women face higher depression risk from unhealthy food

A cross-sectional study of over 15,000 adults across multiple countries found that ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption was linked to higher odds of depression, especially in women across all age groups. Healthy dietary patterns were protective in women aged 18–54, but showed no benefit for men.

5 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher psoriasis risk

A large UK Biobank study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis. Each 10% increase in UPF intake raised psoriasis risk by 6%, with obesity and inflammation partially mediating this effect.

4 May 2025