According to a major multinational study published in The Lancet, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are contributing to "a global rise in poor health", while strong food businesses oppose government efforts to control them. The three-part series, led by 43 experts including researchers from the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, and the University of Sydney, advocates for immediate public health action to combat the spread of UPFs and make healthy diets more available to all. 

UPFs include everyday convenience items such as chips, sweets, and ready meals. They are formulated using industrial chemicals, additives, fake flavours, and preservatives. These items are often heavy in sugar, salt, and saturated fat yet deficient in important nutrients. Because they are inexpensive, widely advertised, and designed to taste good, they are gradually replacing fresh and minimally processed foods in diets around the world. 

Gyorgy Scrinis, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and co-leader of the series, stated that tackling the rapid expansion of ultra-processing needed coordinated worldwide effort. "Only by combining stricter regulation of poor-quality food products with realistic support for more nutritious choices can we truly promote better diets for all," said Mr Trump. 

Paper one, co-authored by Dr Priscila Machado of Deakin University, examines empirical evidence demonstrating that UPFs are pushing out conventional eating patterns and raising the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. "There is well-established evidence that ultra-processed foods are displacing healthy diets and harming health globally," Dr Machado told reporters. "In the face of vested interests, we must be bold and address the issue to protect our collective health." 

The second study describes how tougher policies can limit the development, marketing, and sale of UPFs. Front-of-pack warning labels, stronger advertising limits, particularly for youngsters, and restrictions on the sale of UPF in schools, hospitals, and public institutions are among the recommended measures. "Policies must ensure that healthy, whole and minimally processed foods are accessible and affordable to all – not just those with time to cook, but for busy families and individuals who rely on convenient options," said Scrinis, an associate professor. Professor Mark Lawrence of Deakin University added, "Governments should be considering policies like restricting UPF marketing directed at children, placing front-of-pack warning labels on products, and getting UPFs out of hospitals and schools." 

The last piece, led by University of Sydney scholar Dr Phillip Baker, focuses on how global food firms fuel UPF consumption through low-cost production, aggressive promotion, and political influence. "As their global annual sales top $1.9 trillion, big food companies are making giant profits by replacing whole and minimally processed foods in diets with unhealthy ultra-processed foods," Dr Baker stated. He went on to say that a global public health response must "stand up to corporate power, safeguard policy decisions from political lobbying, and build powerful coalitions that advocate for healthy, fair, and sustainable food systems."