Not Just What Ultra-Processed Foods Contain, But How They Are Made: Under Scrutiny

A new study has suggested that the way ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are manufactured may itself be contributing to rising health risks such as diabetes, heart disease and premature death, adding fresh concern to the global debate on diet and lifestyle diseases.

The peer-reviewed research from scientists at Tufts University, published in the American Journal of Public Health, comes at a time when non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are surging worldwide, including in India.

Concerns around UPFs have steadily increased in recent years, with earlier studies linking them to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early mortality. However, scientists have continued to debate whether the harm is driven mainly by poor nutritional content—high salt, sugar and fat—or by industrial processing itself.

Researchers found that people consuming higher amounts of UPFs had significantly worse health outcomes, even after adjusting for overall diet quality and nutrient content. This suggests that factors beyond calories and nutrients may be playing a role.

According to the study, ultra-processed foods undergo extensive industrial modification, often containing additives, emulsifiers and packaging-related chemicals. These processes may alter food structure and biological effects in ways that traditional nutrition assessments do not fully capture.

The senior author of the study, cardiologist and public health expert Dariush Mozaffarian, said the findings point to deeper risks.

"The findings suggest ultra-processed-food factors beyond nutrients—such as changes to foods’ cellular structure, loss of beneficial chemical compounds, additives, and chemicals from packaging—may create health risks not addressed by traditional nutrition metrics or policies," he said.

The study analysed dietary and health data from large national surveys conducted over nearly two decades, tracking links between food consumption patterns and long-term health outcomes.

Results showed a consistent pattern. For every 10 per cent increase in calorie intake from ultra-processed foods, there was a measurable worsening of health indicators. These included higher body weight, poor blood sugar control, elevated blood pressure and unfavourable cholesterol levels.

Researchers also found associations with higher risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer and increased mortality during the study period.

Importantly, these associations remained even after accounting for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium levels, indicating that nutritional composition alone does not explain the observed risks.

The findings carry particular significance for countries like India, where rapid urbanisation, changing food habits and rising dependence on packaged foods are coinciding with a sharp increase in NCDs.

India is already witnessing a growing burden of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity, increasingly affecting younger populations. Public health experts warn that dietary shifts towards packaged snacks, instant meals and sugary beverages could further accelerate this trend.

The study also highlights the scale of exposure. In some populations, ultra-processed foods now account for more than half of total daily calorie intake, raising serious public health concerns.

Dr. Arun Gupta, a paediatrician and founder of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), who has been strongly voicing discussions around ultra-processed foods and their growing impact on child and population health, said the challenge is no longer limited to individual dietary choices but extends to food systems, affordability, accessibility and policy regulation.

He emphasised that improving access to fresh and minimally processed foods, strengthening food-labelling systems and regulating industrial additives may be essential steps in addressing the growing health burden.

As India confronts a rising wave of NCDs, the study serves as a stark reminder that what is increasingly being consumed daily is not just a matter of taste or convenience—but a determinant of long-term public health outcomes.