THE PROCESSED FOOD TIMEBOMB

Factory-made meals can knock years off our lives – but they make up half of what we eat

EATING ‘ultra-processed’ food significantly raises the risk of an early death, research suggests.

A major study has found that those who eat a lot of industrially-produced food – such as ready meals, sugary cereals and fizzy drinks – could be cutting years from their lives.

Ultra-processed food, defined as anything involving an industrial procedure which could not be made in a home kitchen, now makes up half of the food bought in the UK. Such meals are often packed with chemicals with little resemblance to the ingredients that are the basis of a homecooked meal.

The major French study of nearly 45,000 people published last night concludes the more ultra-processed food someone eats, the higher their risk of an early death.

Experts here said the case was mounting against heavily processed food – a risk that is ignored ‘at public health’s peril’.

Scientists believe the problem with these foods – which include some breakfast cereals, sweets, crisps and ready meals – lies partly in the fact they tend to be higher in fat, salt and sugar. They also have less of the fibre which protects against cancer and other diseases.

But the processes and high heat used to make the food, and the artificial chemicals and additives that boost flavours and shelf-life, are also thought to contribute to the problem.

The research, led by the Sorbonne University, used food diaries to track the diet of 44,551 French over-45s. They were then monitored for seven years. Some 602 people died in that period – including 219 from cancer and 34 from cardiovascular disease – 1.4 per cent of all participants.

But the scientists, whose findings are published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal, found those whose diets were heavily reliant on processed food were at the greatest risk, even after taking into account smoking, obesity and exercise.

For every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food, they found the risk of death over the next seven years went up 14 per cent. The Sorbonne team have already shown that heavily processed food increases the risk of cancer but this is the first study to show it increases the risk of death from all causes.

The study suggests British people are even more at risk – because French consumption of ultra-processed food is much lower than in the UK.

A study of 19 European countries published last year found 50.7 per cent of food sold in the UK is ultra-processed, compared to 46.2 per cent in Germany, 45.9 per cent in Ireland and 14.2 per cent in France.

The researchers wrote: ‘Ultraprocessed foods are usually ready to heat and eat, affordable, and hyper palatable.’

They found that every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food pushed up someone’s intake of saturated fat by an average of 3 per cent, sugar by 3.6 per cent and salt by 2 per cent – while fibre fell 5 per cent, vitamin C by 11 per cent and vitamin D by 3 per cent.

The researchers said this is likely to be a major cause of the additional deaths.

But they said the additional chemicals and the high heat involved in the manufacturing process could also be to blame, pointing out that other studies had documented the cancer link to chemicals formed when ‘foods that have undergone high-temperature processing’.

‘Similarly, meat processing can produce carcinogens.

‘In addition, ultra-processed foods are characterised by the frequent use of additives … and some studies have raised concerns about the health consequences of food additives.’

Experts last night greeted the findings with concern. Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said: ‘We’ve known for years of the health consequences and deaths caused by these foods, yet millions continue to ignore, or fail to understand, the labels clearly listing their content.

‘Even worse, for some the foods are their staple diet. The Government is still only “considering” action to limit such foods being the mainstay of supermarket deals.’

Professor Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge, said: ‘The case against highly processed foods is mounting up. We would ignore these findings at public health’s peril.’

But Professor Kevin McConway of the Open University said: ‘In the UK we eat far more in the way of foods classified as ultra-processed, but we also probably eat different types of ultra- processed foods, and indeed different types of foods that aren’t ultra-processed.’

‘Millions ignore the labels’