People who try to keep ultra-processed foods (UPFs) out of their diet could be pushed to eat even less healthily, researchers have warned.
According to experts at the Universities of Aberdeen and Liverpool, research into UPFs is still very new and should be explored further before people are encouraged to stop eating the potentially dangerous foods.
UPFs, such as ice cream, ready meals, and mass-produced bread, often contain large quantities of saturated fat, salt, and sugar, along with complex additives like emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial colouring. They have also recently been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and even early death.
But despite the growing concerns about UPFs, researchers admit that it remains unclear exactly why they are linked to poor health. They suggest this could be due to the impact of excessive processing, or simply because filling up on UPFs leaves less room in people’s diets for nutritious foods.
Now, academics have warned that blanket health warnings about UPFs still lack robust scientific evidence – and will disproportionately harm people on lower incomes.
Professor Eric Robinson of the University of Liverpool, wrote: “We should be thinking very carefully about what advice is being given to the public, as opposed to providing simplified and potentially misleading messages that grab headlines.”
The experts caution that the current guidance to avoid the entire food category fails to acknowledge that some UPFs do not actually contain dangerous quantities of fat, salt, or sugar. They say that this blanket warning could in fact lead people to choose alternatives that contain even more dangerous ingredients.
Even more concerningly, the new research stresses that ruling out these convenient food options will further restrict the diets of poorer people, who already struggle to eat healthily on limited means. The scientists added that scaremongering about UPFs could also negatively impact the mental health of “those who worry about their health or live with eating disorders, particularly if social circumstances make avoiding UPFs difficult”.
The University of Aberdeen’s Professor Alexandra Johnstone explained: “We must guard against the possibility that the people in our society who are already most at risk of not being able to afford to eat healthily are not put in an even worse position as we continue to investigate the links between some ultra-processed foods and poor health.”
Instead, the academics stressed that public health guidance should focus on eating a diet that is rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, while cutting down on foods high in sugar, fat, and salt.
The experts concluded: “We know with certainty that foods which are energy dense and/or high in saturated fat, salt or sugar are detrimental to health and we should continue to advise consumers to limit consumption of these foods.
“Likewise, we should be encouraging consumption of health-promoting foods, like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.”
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