Fears about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) should not stop people enjoying them in moderation, experts have said.
The term describes a broad category of foods made using industrial processes that could not be made in a domestic kitchen.
A report in The British Medical Journal found that consuming too much sugary cereal, ready meals and fizzy drinks may increase risk of 32 serious health problems.
People who ate the most UPFs could be up to 50 percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 48-53 percent more likely to experience anxiety and mental health disorders, according to Australian academics.
However, one expert has warned that some of the study’s claims were “irresponsible” and based on low quality evidence.
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Gunter Kuhnle, a professor in nutrition and food science at the University of Reading, told the Daily Express the definition of a UPF was “incredibly vague” and inconsistent.
He said: “Ultra-processed food is such a huge category, so it’s incredibly difficult. Some of them, like bread, are unlikely really to cause an adverse impact.
“If you make soup at home and you use a stock cube, does that make it ultra-processed or not? The fringes are really difficult.
“A lot of people confuse ultra-processed food with junk food and it’s often portrayed in that way. But it’s not linked to food composition.”
The quality of evidence suggesting a link between UPFs and health problems was weak, Prof Kuhnle said.
People who eat more UPFs also typically have less healthy lifestyles, are more likely to smoke, less likely to exercise and have lower incomes – all factors which are hard to account for in research.
Prof Kuhnle added: “Is it really eating processed food that makes you depressed or anxious? Or is it the other way around? It’s very difficult to take it apart.
“A better approach would promote eating more fresh food, trying to cook more from scratch and finding a food system that helps to do that.
“Think more about what you eat from a composition point of view – sugar, fat and salt – than worrying about processing.”
In a BMJ editorial linked to the study, Brazilian academics also called on the United Nations to develop a convention on UPFs.
Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “Calling for the UN to create a global treaty to regulate ultra-processed food like tobacco is frankly deranged.
“Ultra-processed foods include sliced bread, baked beans and yoghurt. Even infant formula and vegan sausages are ultra-processed.
“We are being led by hypochondriacs and junk scientists towards some absurd beliefs and it’s time people got a grip.”