New Lancet Series Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Rising Rates of Chronic Disease Worldwide
A new three-part Series published in The Lancet is drawing international attention to the growing health impacts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the corporate forces shaping what people eat.
The papers, released November 18, 2025, review several decades of global evidence and conclude that UPFs are now a major driver of diet-related chronic disease.
UPFs include packaged snacks, sweetened beverages, reconstituted meat products, many ready-to-heat meals, and a wide range of manufactured food products containing additives, industrial ingredients, or formulations that cannot be made at home.
Global Shift Toward UPFs
The first paper reports that UPFs are increasingly replacing traditional diets based on fresh and minimally processed foods. Using national food intake surveys, global sales data and multiple cohort studies, the authors found that higher UPF consumption is consistently associated with poorer diet quality, disrupted appetite regulation, and increased exposure to food additives and processing contaminants.
More than 100 prospective studies and controlled trials examined in the Series link high UPF intake to elevated risks across multiple organ systems. Reported associations include metabolic conditions, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, depression, gastrointestinal disorders and other chronic conditions.
What this means for families: Diets high in ultra-processed foods aren’t just empty calories. Children who regularly consume UPFs may be at higher risk for obesity, heart problems, diabetes, digestive issues, and even mood disorders. Minimally processed foods — fruits, vegetables, whole grains and home-prepared meals — remain the best choice for supporting long-term health.
Policy Gaps Leave Families at Risk
The second paper focuses on government policy and the wider food system. According to the authors, current nutrition policies—largely centred on reducing sugar, sodium and saturated fat—do not fully address the structural drivers behind UPF production, availability and marketing.
The paper outlines possible policy measures in four areas: product regulation, food environments, corporate practices, and food supply chains. Suggested options include restrictions on certain additives or processing methods, clearer front-of-package labelling, limits on marketing to children, and support for improving access to fresh and minimally processed foods, particularly for low-income households.
The authors note that countries will need different approaches depending on consumption patterns and levels of corporate influence in their food systems.
For Canadian parents, this means that common snacks, drinks, and ready-to-eat meals in grocery stores and school cafeterias may be contributing to long-term health risks in children, highlighting the importance of prioritizing organic, minimally processed foods at home whenever possible.
Corporate Influence on the Food Supply
The third paper examines what the authors describe as the “commercial determinants” of UPF expansion. The analysis argues that the profitability of ultra-processed products has driven widespread restructuring of food systems in favour of mass-manufactured, highly marketed foods.
The authors report that resistance to regulation has been reinforced through lobbying, industry-funded research, partnerships with global institutions, and public-relations strategies that frame UPF consumption as a matter of personal responsibility rather than structural factors. They compare the current stage of UPF policy development to early tobacco-control efforts, suggesting that stronger international coordination will be required.
Canadian Context and Regulatory Gaps
UPFs make up a substantial share of the Canadian diet, particularly among children and teenagers, according to previous national dietary surveys. Public-health experts have raised concerns about affordability, marketing practices, and the dominance of large multinational food manufacturers in the domestic market.
Regulatory context in Canada: While Health Canada regulates sugar, sodium, and saturated fat and has introduced some front-of-package labelling, the agency does not currently regulate ultra-processed foods as a category. Ingredients such as synthetic food dyes, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and pesticide residues do not require labelling, and novel foods, including cloned meat, have been reviewed without mandatory consumer notification. How or whether federal policy will address the broader health risks highlighted in The Lancet Series remains unclear.
Food additives are one clear example of regulatory gaps: in the United States, the FDA recently banned Red Dye No. 3 over cancer concerns, while Health Canada continues to permit its use. Many synthetic dyes remain in Canadian foods, demonstrating the differences in regulatory approaches and the persistence of potentially harmful additives in the food supply.
What Families Can Do
The Lancet Series underscores that ultra-processed foods are a systemic health concern, not just an individual choice. For Canadian families, this means being mindful of the types of foods you and your children consume daily. Prioritizing fresh and minimally processed foods, cooking at home when possible, and reading labels carefully remain the most reliable ways to protect long-term health.
Make your voice heard –> Contact your MPs and urge them to advocate for stronger policies on ultra-processed foods, additives and ALL food labelling.
Sources:
The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods (2025)
Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health (Paper 1)
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