Are ultra-processed foods a public health hazard?

Ultra-processed foods are under intense scrutiny — I'll pull the latest evidence on whether they pose a public health hazard.

Yes - the current scientific consensus is that high consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is a public health hazard, although experts debate how to define and regulate them.

What are ultra-processed foods?

As defined using the NOVA food classification system, ultra-processed foods encompass ready to eat products, including packaged snacks, carbonated soft drinks, instant noodles, and ready-made meals. These products are characterised as industrial formulations primarily composed of chemically modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal to no inclusion of whole foods.

Such foods include alterations to food matrices, potential contaminants from packaging and processing, and presence of food additives as well as nutrient poor profiles, for example higher energy, salt, sugar and saturated fat with lower dietary fibre.

How widespread is exposure?

Analyses indicate a shift towards an increasingly ultra-processed global diet. Across high income countries, the share of dietary energy derived from ultra-processed foods ranges from 42% and 58% in Australia and the United States.

According to the FDA, around 70% of packaged food products in the United States are considered ultra-processed, and 60% of calories consumed by children are from these foods.

What does the evidence show?

The largest synthesis to date is an umbrella review published Feb. 28, 2024 in The BMJ, reviewing 45 analyses published in the last three years, involving about 10 million people in total.

Overall, direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 (71%) health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.

When scientists graded the evidence, they found the most convincing or highly suggestive evidence linked diets rich in ultra-processed foods with increased risks for premature death, cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders, diabetes, obesity, and sleep problems.

More specifically:

Other studies support this:

Nearly 100 observational studies and three different randomized controlled trials have linked overconsumption of ultra-processed foods to a host of health harms — including increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and even depression.

The FDA also notes that "dozens" of studies have shown links between foods considered ultra-processed and adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, and neurological disorders.

On that basis, the review authors concluded: Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes. These findings provide a rationale to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of using population based and public health measures to target and reduce dietary exposure.

Federal agencies agree. The FDA Commissioner said: "The threats posed to our health by foods often considered ultra-processed are clear and convincing", and in July 2025 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, USDA and FDA issued a joint Request for Information to establish a federally recognized uniform definition of ultra-processed foods to provide increased transparency and consistency in research and policy.

Important nuance and debate

The evidence is largely observational epidemiological, not randomized trials for long-term hard endpoints. Using the GRADE framework, 22 pooled analyses were rated as low quality, with 19 rated as very low quality and four rated as moderate quality. Associations do not prove causation, and effects may be driven by nutrient profiles (high sodium, sugar, unhealthy fats), food additives, processing itself, or displacement of healthier foods.

Not all foods that fit the definition of ultra-processed are unhealthy. Packaged whole grain breads, plant-based milks and some yogurts are considered ultra-processed, but they can be beneficial for health. For example, studies have noted yogurts were linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer, even if they had added sugar, and ultra-processed whole grain breads are linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

For this reason, experts caution: "They're not all junk foods," so any health policy or regulation shouldn't treat them all the same. "It's important to identify foods that are of most concern for health, and not just treat all ultra-processed foods with the same broad brush".

Some researchers argue focus should be on overall nutritional quality — high salt, sugar, fat — not degree of processing alone, while others argue processing itself alters food structure, digestion, gut microbiome and calorie absorption in ways nutrients alone do not explain.

Bottom line

Mounting epidemiological evidence consistently links high UPF diets, particularly sugary drinks, processed meats, and packaged snacks, to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality, leading major public health bodies to treat high UPF consumption as a modifiable risk factor and public health priority. Reducing intake — especially of nutrient-poor UPFs — while emphasizing minimally processed whole foods, and reading ingredient lists rather than assuming all UPFs are equally harmful, is the approach most experts currently recommend.

This information is for education and does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about diet and health risks, consult a healthcare professional.