Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a dominant part of the global food industry. UPFs are energy-dense, nutritionally unbalanced foods that contain ultra-processed markers that would not typically be found in a wholefood diet.
The addition of these markers, such as glucose and native starches, creates highly palatable and typically low-cost foods, making them a convenient element of the average consumer’s dietary pattern, despite their high levels of fat, sugar and salt. UPFs exceed 50% of the average daily calorie intake in the UK and US, and this figure is typically higher in those with a lower socioeconomic status. According to the World Health Organization, UPF consumption is linked to a higher risk of adverse health outcomes – specifically obesity, cardiometabolic disorders, mental disorders and some types of cancer. As adherence to a UPF-high diet has increased globally, there is increasing concern as to how this modern diet will impact premature morbidity and mortality.
Go deeper with GlobalData
According to GlobalData epidemiologists, the diagnosed prevalent cases of obesity in the US are set to increase from 91 million diagnosed prevalent cases in 2025 to 96 million cases in 2031 – but if UPFs continue to be predominant in people’s diets, diagnosed prevalent cases could increase significantly more than anticipated.
Intake varies significantly across age and socioeconomic status
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in April 2025 by Eduardo Nilson and colleagues reported that there was an association between UPF intake and all-cause mortality. Diet and mortality data from national surveys across eight countries was collected and analysed, and each country included was categorised according to its consumption of UPFs: Australia, Canada, the UK and the US (high consumption), Chile and Mexico (intermediate consumption), and Colombia and Brazil (low consumption). The results of the study suggested that in the UK and the US, 14% of early deaths could be linked to UPFs, whereas only 4% could be linked in the same way in countries with intermediate UPF consumption.
The results are inconclusive, as they cannot definitively prove that UPF caused the premature deaths: UPF consumption is also linked to factors such as overall diet, exercise levels and other lifestyle elements, which would also contribute to the individual’s relative risk of early mortality.
Considering the cost and accessibility of UPFs is vital for public policy
The results of the study by Nilson and colleagues suggest that UPF consumption is higher in high income countries. However, the UK government said that among those consuming UPFs in high income countries, intake varies significantly across age and socioeconomic status, with the highest consumption seen among children, urban residents and those from a lower socioeconomic background.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataNilson and colleagues say that governments should update their dietary advice to urge people to cut back on these foods. However, the UK government’s expert panel on nutrition recently stated there was no strong evidence of a link between the way food is processed and poor health – but that there is a significant link between diets high in fat, sugar and salt and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic conditions.
It is important to educate the public on how to reduce consumption of UPFs that are high in fats, sugars and salt that may contribute towards premature mortality, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, people living in urban areas and those of a low socioeconomic status. Keeping the cost and accessibility of UPFs in mind when establishing policy is crucial to reducing the number of preventable deaths.
