- Researchers from the University of Navarra, IBSAL, and the University of Salamanca are contributing to an international series of articles published in *The Lancet* that calls for the development of coordinated policies to reduce the production, marketing, and consumption of these products and to promote healthier and more sustainable food systems.
- Evidence from these studies shows that the consumption of these foods is replacing fresh foods, lowering the quality of the diet, and increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, depression, and premature death.
- In Spain, the proportion of calories these foods contribute to the total diet has tripled over the past three decades, rising from 11% to 32%
A new series of three scientific articles published in the journal *The Lancet* warns that the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is replacing fresh and minimally processed foods, worsening diet quality and increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases.
This series in *The Lancet*, titled “Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health,” brings together 43 international experts in public health and nutrition. Among the authors are Maira Bes-Rastrollo, professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Navarra, researcher at the Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA) and CIBEROBN; and Renata Bertazzi Levy, a researcher in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) and currently a member of the Salamanca Primary Care Unit (APISAL) and a visiting professor at the Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL) and the University of Salamanca.
“The scientific evidence from these studies confirms that ultra-processed foods are changing the way we eat and affecting the health of the population,” explains Bes-Rastrollo.“The data show that consumption of these foods in Spain has tripled over the past three decades. We need to promote policies that encourage the consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods so that we can follow a healthy dietary pattern based on the traditional Mediterranean diet.”
Along the same lines, Bertazzi Levy notes that the series of articles presents “solid evidence that the global rise of ultra-processed foods is transforming and eroding traditional food cultures, compromising the quality of diets, and consistently contributing to the rise in chronic diseases worldwide.”
Scientific evidence calls for immediate action
Ultra-processed foods are industrial products designed to replace fresh and minimally processed foods, as well as traditional meals. They are made with inexpensive ingredients—such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, and glucose or fructose syrups—and cosmetic additives—such as colorings, flavorings, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers. Their marketing aims to maximize corporate profits rather than nutritional value.
In fact, Bertazzi Levy is one of the members of the group that developed the NOVA food classification system, which coined the term “ultra-processed.” Since then, she has been working to “consolidate the scientific evidence demonstrating the harmful effects of consuming these products on human health worldwide.”
The first article in the series, co-authored by Bes-Rastrollo and Bertazzi Levy, reviews more than 100 longitudinal studies and shows consistent associations between high consumption of AUP and an increased risk of obesity and overweight, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, kidney and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as premature mortality.
In this regard, at the University of Salamanca and IBSAL, Bertazzi Levy is promoting research on ultra-processed foods in Spain and is part of a project that aims to analyze “the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the health of the gut and oral microbiota, with the aim of understanding how this could act as a mediator in the onset of chronic diseases already described in the article in *The Lancet*,” she reports.
Meanwhile, at the University of Navarra, Bes-Rastrollo led one of the first follow-up studies conducted worldwide to highlight the harmful effects of these foods on health. He is currently continuing to study the relationship between AUP consumption and chronic diseases, using data from the SUN cohort and the European studies VEGANScreener and BETTER4U.
In Spain, the proportion of calories provided by AUPs in the total diet has tripled over the past three decades, rising from 11% to 32%. According to the researchers, “reducing the population’s exposure to PUFs requires coordinated measures that go beyond individual choice; it is necessary to strengthen public health policies and promote more sustainable food systems.”
Policies to curb the consumption of ultra-processed foods and improve access to healthy foods
The second article proposes a set of coordinated policies to regulate and reduce the production, marketing, and consumption of AUP and emphasizes the need to hold large corporations accountable for their role in promoting unhealthy diets.
Notable among the proposed measures are the implementation of front-of-package labeling that clearly identifies the additives characteristic of AUPs and the establishment of restrictions on their advertising, particularly that aimed at minors and in digital environments. In addition, the authors propose removing these products from school cafeterias and hospitals, limiting their availability in supermarkets, and imposing selective taxes to fund programs that facilitate access to fruits, vegetables, and fresh foods for low-income households.
These actions, as highlighted in The Lancet series, complement existing strategies to reduce excess fat, sugar, and salt in the diet and are aligned with policies promoted by international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the FAO, which advocate for healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food systems.
A Call to Global Action
The third article warns that the rise of AUPs is driven by large companies in the sector, which use cheap industrial ingredients, large-scale production, and aggressive marketing to generate annual sales exceeding $1.9 trillion. According to the researchers, their high profits reinforce their ability to exert influence by funding advertising campaigns, corporate mergers, and political lobbying that hinder the adoption of effective regulations. The authors compare this situation to that of the tobacco industry and call for a coordinated global response to protect public policies from corporate interference and promote food systems centered on health, equity, and sustainability.
In addition to the participation of the University of Navarra and the University of Salamanca, this international series has featured contributions from experts at leading universities and research centers around the world. Among them are: Deakin University; Imperial College London; INSERM—French Institute of Health and Medical Research; INRAE; CNAM; Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile; IRCCS Neuromed; Mahidol University; NAPI / IBFAN; the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP); New York University; Oslo University College; UNICEF; the University of Montreal; Paris Cité University; Sorbonne University Paris North; the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP); University College London; University of Auckland; University of Ghana; University of Melbourne; University of Michigan; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of São Paulo; University of Sydney; University of the Witwatersrand; and Wageningen University. Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported the development of the series.
Contact:
| University of Navarra María Salanova Borda Communications Service Tel: 679059021 / 948425753 press@unav.es https://www.unav.edu/web/servicio-de-comunicacion | University of Salamanca María Suárez USAL Communication – Rectorate Tel: 923294412, ext. 1018 communication@usal.es https://saladeprensa.usal.es/ |
