Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association With Cardiometabolic Health: Evidence, Gaps, and Opportunities
Published: August 08, 2025
- Growing concerns about the health risks of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are compounded by the absence of a universal classification system, limited understanding of underlying mechanisms, and inconsistent public reporting of industrial processing and additive use.
- The science advisory provides current information on UPFs as categorized by the Nova Food Classification System, summarizes the benefits and risks of food processing and ultra-processing, and their distinction from the nutritional value of foods, reviews current data on association between UPFs and cardiometabolic health, and presents the knowledge gaps and opportunities for research, systemic interventions, and policy improvements.
- The advisory proposes four substantive changes to impact public health that include funding critical research priorities, implementing multi-level approaches in health promotion for individuals, food manufacturers, and the retail industry; executing multipronged policy and systems-change strategies; and modernizing the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food additive science and regulation of food additives.
Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Health
Christopher D. Gardner, PhD, FAHA, vice chair of the advisory, discusses the context for this new science advisory on ultraprocessed foods, explaining what they are, why many of them are unhealthy, and how to consider them within the context of a healthy diet.