Ultra-processed foods in research and policy.

# Ultra-processed foods in research and policy *The Lancet 2026* Correspondence 7 Ludwig DS, Willett WC, Putt ME. Wash-in and trustworthy only when the community Although the authors suggest that washout effects: mitigating bias in short term embraces openness, plurality, and misclassification does not appear to dietary and other trials. BMJ 2025; 389: e082963. the courage to engage with all peer- affect conclusions, this assumption reviewed scientific evidence, regardless remains empirically untested at scale The Lancet’s Series on ultra-processed of where it originates. and the study4 does not address the foods and human health raises We remain committed to core limitation of misclassification at important questions about diet constructive dialogue on addressing the individual level. Furthermore, the and disease. We share the desire to the burden of non-communicable instruments developed specifically for improve public health; however, our diseases and improving dietary health. UPF intake referred to in the paper1 views diverge where scientific inquiry were not available for most studies DJ is Director General and RS is Senior Manager at gives way to a campaigning platform FoodDrinkEurope—a trade association that includes, included in the review. Given that this that looks to shut down criticism and as due-paying members, European-based Series will inform global policy, a fuller manufacturers of food and drink products and other reject sources of expertise out of hand. and more critical discussion of exposure national or sectoral food and drink trade Phillip Baker and colleagues1 associations. assessment is essential, including proposed that universities should the constraints, error structures, Dirk Jacobs, *Rafael Sampson cast out researchers who have drawn and opportunities for validation. r.sampson@fooddrinkeurope.eu on funding or expertise from food Strengthening this foundation is FoodDrinkEurope, Brussels 1040, Belgium (DJ, RS) and drink makers; journals should crucial for ensuring that public health 1 Baker P, Slater S, White M, et al. Towards refuse the work of these researchers; recommendations are based on robust unified global action on ultra-processed foods: multistakeholder initiatives should understanding commercial determinants, and reproducible evidence. countering corporate power, and mobilising a not engage with them or with food public health response. Lancet 2025; GGCK is a former member of the UK Committee on and drink experts; and such experts 406: 2703–26. Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, be excluded from public policy and and the Environment; is a current member of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes; civil discourse entirely. Carlos Monteiro and colleagues1 is Director of the Chemical Analysis Facility at the We believe such proposals are present an extensive review arguing University of Reading, which provides analytical narrowing science, not protecting that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are services to academic and commercial clients; has received research funding from Mars for work on it. The Lancet’s mission aims to displacing traditional dietary patterns flavanols (2010–20) and the Biotechnology and make science widely available. These and driving chronic disease risk. Biological Sciences Research Council; and has proposals would guarantee the Although the synthesis is ambitious, received consultancy payments from RSM UK and EQT, paid to the University of Reading. opposite, leading to manufactured the paper gives insufficient attention debates from a single approved to the central methodological Gunter G C Kuhnle viewpoint, leaving policy makers challenge of this field: the assessment g.g.kuhnle@reading.ac.uk to navigate food systems without of UPF intake itself. This topic is Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, guidance or on-the-ground expertise especially relevant as most of the Chemical Analysis Facility, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6DZ, UK of those who understand how food evidence against UPF relies on is grown, processed, distributed, and observational data. 1 Monteiro CA, Louzada MLC, Steele-Martinez E, et al. Ultra-processed foods and human health: made safe. Most observational studies2 the main thesis and the evidence. Lancet 2025; Science requires intellectual investigating the association between 406: 2667–84. 2 Lane M M, Gamage E, Du S, et al. Ultra- openness, robust evidence, and the UPF intake and chronic disease risk processed food exposure and adverse health willingness to engage with counter- were conducted using methods outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological arguments. Although we share the not designed to capture processing meta-analyses. BMJ 2024; 28: 3077310. 3 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. view that funding and conflicts of level. Food frequency questionnaires Nutrition questionnaire service centre. https:// interest should be transparently and 24 h recalls typically do not hsph.harvard.edu/department/nutrition/ nutrition-questionnaire-service-center/ communicated, excluding researchers have ingredient-level detail, forcing (accessed Feb 24, 2026). for their funding sources or banning researchers to assign UPF status 4 Kliemann N, Rauber F, Bertazzi Levy R, et al. entire sectors from public fora is not on the basis of assumptions about Food processing and cancer risk in Europe: results from the prospective EPIC cohort study. only unscientific, but contrary to good recipes, brands, or processing steps. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7: e219–32. public health policy. Doing so would For example, the Harvard food narrow the knowledge base, precisely frequency questionnaires3—used in On behalf of the International Fruit and when it is needed. many studies set in the US—records Vegetable Juice Association, we write in On the prevention of non- limited information about bread and reference to the ultra-processed foods communicable diseases, we seek to breakfast cereals, which are foods and human health Lancet Series paper widen the conversation rather than where processed and ultra-processed by Carlos Monteiro and colleagues.1 We police its limits. Scientific discourse is versions exist. note that reconstituted fruit juices are --- [PDF原文](https://sci-net.xyz/storage/7932541/c09e22d3bc3167e1762f6e9c7160381594ad7223361a0681544790a4abc6c35f/Ultra-processed-foods-in-research-and-policy.pdf) DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00106-6