On November 19, 2025, the Lancet launched a series of three articles on the consumption of so-called ultra-processed foods and their associations with chronic diseases. This series brings together evidence regarding the growth of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide and highlights their association with numerous non-communicable chronic diseases. A group of scientists is calling on policymakers to take action to reduce the accessibility of these products.
It was shown in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study that higher consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) was associated with an increased risk of cancer and cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Furthermore, the relationships were different according to the subgroups of UPFs suggesting that various types of UPFs contribute differently to the risk of developing a first non-communicable disease and multimorbidity.
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