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INTERVIEW | Ultra-processed foods a threat to public health

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as noodles, sugar-sweetened beverages, chips, and biscuits, etc., are rapidly entering Indian diets and threatening public health, said Dr Arun Gupta, Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi). Speaking with TNIE , the paediatrician and nutritionist, who is among over 40 global experts to contribute to the latest Lancet series on UPFs and human health, said India needs three urgent actions: mandatory front-of-pack warning labels (FOPL); restricting advertising and marketing of UPFs; and protecting policy-development from industry influence. Excerpts: The latest Lancet Series says ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a global health threat. Please elaborate. Yes. The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health concludes that UPFs now pose a global public-health threat. The three papers bring together evidence on health harms, policy action, and the food industry strategies driving the rapid growth of UPFs. UPFs are displacing traditional diets and reshaping food systems across continents. Their share in diets has doubled or tripled in several countries over the past decades. In India, UPF sales grew 40-fold between 2006 and 2019. As these products are becoming daily staples, e.g., having noodles and sugar-sweetened beverages is a common practice. Chips and biscuits are also UPF making their way into every home, especially targeting children. Across more than 100 high-quality longitudinal studies and experimental trials, high UPF intake is linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney di ease, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, and higher all-cause mortality. Evidence suggests that UPFs are associated with these diseases independent of nutrient content. UPFs are industrial formulations designed to create hyper-palatable products that promote overeating. Exposure to harmful additives and intake of toxic compounds add to harm. The Lancet says the UPF industry is a key driver of the problem, blocking regulation. Please explain. The Series documents how UPF corporations have adopted a political playbook similar to the tobacco industry to protect profits. This includes lobbying to delay or weaken regulations, presenting themselves as partners in government policy, casting doubt on scientific evidence on UPFs, resisting consensus definitions of UPFs, opposing front-of-pack warning labels, and pushing for voluntary codes rather than binding regulations. All this to facilitate aggressive marketing and saturate the market. Corporate interference is thus a major barrier to effective public-health policy globally, including in India. Is UPF consumption driven by aggressive marketing and celebrity influence? Absolutely. It is engineered through an environment of relentless promotion. Children and adolescents are targetted through TV, OTT platforms, YouTube, sports sponsorships, influencer marketing, celebrity endorsements and cartoon characters and mascots. Moreover, there are low-budget packets costing `5 and `10 and Buy One Get One (BOGO) free offers. Such schemes make UPFs accessible across incomes and geographies. UPFs are now deeply embedded in urban and rural markets. Marketing makes them appear modern, convenient, and aspirational, even though they are nutritionally poor. Given the rising NCD burden in India, what immediate steps are recommended? Policy must protect and promote diets based on whole foods and their preparation as dishes and meals. The Lancet emphasises that dietary improvement cannot be achieved solely through consumer education; structural policy measures are required. India needs three urgent actions, including mandatory front-of-pack warning labels (FOPL) that warn when products contain high levels of fat, sugar, salt, or UPF markers such as emulsifiers/sweeteners. Evidence shows that only warning labels can reduce the purchase and consumption of unhealthy foods. Secondly, India must restrict UPF advertising and marketing. Indias National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (201722) and Economic Survey 2024-25 recommended prohibiting advertisements and marketing to halt obesity. Thirdly and most critically, India must protect policy development from industry influence.