UK’s Shocking Dependence on Ultra-Processed Food Exposes a Dangerous System

 More than half of the calories purchased by UK households are from ultra-processed food. That’s not a simple dietary statistic, but a structural signal: the country’s position at the extreme end of ultra-processed food consumption in Europe is not the result of individual choice. Instead, it’s the predictable outcome of a food environment optimised for efficiency, scalability, and profit – often at the expense of long-term health and resilience. It exposes how the modern food system is designed, who it serves, and what gets sacrificed along the way.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are defined by the NOVA classification system as industrial formulations made largely from substances extracted or refined from foods, and combined with additives designed to enhance flavour, texture, and shelf life. 

They are not designed to just be convenient. They are durable, uniform, and cheap to produce relative to their caloric yield. Ultimately, they are engineered to perform well in large-scale supply chains. 

When a population derives the majority of its dietary energy from these products, it signals a massive shift in the food system from agriculture to manufacturing. Food essentially becomes an industrial input rather than a biological one. ...<<<Read More>>>...