By Jennifer Rigby

Bags of chips and other snack foods are displayed on shelves at a store in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) – Ultra-processed foods are a major public health threat that must be urgently addressed, according to a new series of papers authored by 43 global experts in the Lancet medical journal. , opens new tab

The scientists, including the Brazilian professor who coined the term with colleagues around 15 years ago, argue that UPFs are now increasingly common worldwide and linked to a decline in diet quality and a number of diseases, from obesity to cancer.

“It’s about the evidence we have today about … ultra-processed foods and human health,” Carlos Monteiro, professor at the University of Sao Paulo, said at an online briefing on Tuesday. “What we know right now justifies global public action.”

Read More