One in seven deaths linked to ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods, according to the World Health Organisation, are foods formulated mostly from substances derived from food additives.
What you need to know:
- One in seven early deaths in some countries is linked to ultra-processed foods like sugary drinks, packaged snacks, and ready meals.
- Kenya struggles with rising diabetes and obesity as processed foods flood its market.
- Researchers urge governments to implement warning labels, marketing restrictions, and taxes on ultra-processed foods.
Your morning might start with a quick breakfast cereal, followed by a packaged snack at 10am, and perhaps a ready-to-eat meal for dinner. Convenient? Yes. But these ultra-processed foods could be cutting years off your life.
A ground-breaking new study has revealed that one in seven premature deaths in some countries can be directly linked to the consumption of ultra-processed foods – a sobering statistic that health experts say demands urgent action.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs), as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), are formulated mostly from substances derived from food additives. These include sugary beverages, processed snacks, ready-to-eat packaged meals, and many commercial breakfast cereals.
What makes these foods particularly concerning is their composition: energy-dense, nutritionally poor, and engineered to trigger overconsumption. They're manufactured using industrial ingredients rarely found in home kitchens – think high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, flavour enhancers, and various preservatives.
"For many consumers, especially in urban areas, these products have become dietary staples rather than occasional indulgences," the study notes, highlighting how deeply embedded these foods have become in modern diets.
The international research team analysed data from multiple countries, including high-income nations like the United States and the United Kingdom, alongside middle-income countries such as Brazil and Colombia. Their comprehensive meta-analysis of existing studies revealed a disturbing trend: for every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed foods in a person's diet, the risk of premature death rose by three per cent.
While this percentage might seem small, it translates to devastating public health consequences when considering the widespread consumption of these products globally.
Concerning figures
The researchers estimated the proportion of premature deaths (between ages 30 and 69) attributable to ultra-processed food consumption in eight selected countries. The results were alarming.
Countries with lower UPF consumption, like Colombia, saw approximately four per cent of premature deaths linked to these products.
In countries with intermediate consumption, such as Mexico and Chile, the figure rose to around six per cent. High-consumption countries recorded even more concerning figures: The United States registered 124,107 early deaths per year, while the United Kingdom saw 17,781 annual deaths due to these foods.
"Premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultra-processed foods increase significantly according to their share in individuals' total energy intake. A high amount of UPF intake can significantly affect health," the researchers explained.
The study highlights that the danger of ultra-processed foods extends beyond their high content of sodium, trans fats, and sugar.
"Ultra-processed foods affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of critical nutrients—sodium, trans fats, and sugar—because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavours and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids, so assessing deaths from all causes associated with UPF consumption allows an overall estimate of the effect of industrial food processing on health," the researchers noted.
The findings have particular relevance for Kenya, where diets are increasingly characterised by processed foods high in sugars, salt, and fat.
Gideon Ogutu, a nutrition scientist at the International Institute of Legislative Affairs, points to the urgent need for evidence-based solutions.
"In Kenya, front-of-pack nutritional labelling has yet to be implemented, with regulations governing the same currently in development at the preliminary stages. However, we have experienced a number of challenges in bringing this to fruition. These include arguments on whether the labelling should be voluntary or mandatory and potential pushback on the regulations by ultra-processed food manufacturers."
The regulations are anchored on the Food, Drugs, and Chemical Substances Act. Prerequisite documents for regulation development have been drafted and submitted to the Health CS for approval, Ogutu explains.
He emphasises that diets in the African region are increasingly characterised by consumption of processed foods high in sugars, salt, and fat.
Overweight
"This contributes to the growing burden of overweight and obesity. Calls for action to promote healthy diets and limit excessive intake of energy, sodium, unhealthy fats, and free sugars have been issued by the World Health Assembly and the Second International Conference on Nutrition."
Ogutu explains that ultra-processed foods have flooded the food market, thus exposing the Kenyan population to high levels of nutrients of concern, leading to diseases such as diabetes. "The deaths and hospital admissions of children with obesity and diabetes is a reason enough for us to care," he says.
Data from WHO shows that non-communicable diseases account for a substantial proportion of all hospital admissions and deaths in Kenya. WHO also reports that risk factors including tobacco use, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity contribute significantly to this burden.
The study calls for urgent interventions to reshape food systems, encouraging the consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods while discouraging ultra-processed options.
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The researchers suggest developing clear food-based dietary guidelines that consider the extent of industrial processing and regulating the marketing and sales of unhealthy foods, especially to children. They also recommend introducing front-of-package nutritional labelling to help consumers make informed choices, providing subsidies for the production and sale of fresh, local foods, and considering taxation on ultra-processed foods.
According to Ogutu, the adoption of an evidence-based mandatory front-of-pack warning label will help reduce demand for unhealthy ultra-processed foods and beverages.
A front-of-pack warning label is a visual indicator placed on the front of food and beverage packaging to alert consumers about the potential health risks of a product, particularly those high in unhealthy nutrients like sugar, fat, or sodium. These labels aim to make it easier for consumers to quickly assess the nutritional content and make more informed choices when purchasing.
