Ultra-processed foods dominate American household diets

A new analysis led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that more than half of the calories consumed by American adults at home come from ultra-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods contain substances with little or no nutritional value, such as colorants, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and sweeteners. Examples cover a wide range of products, from potato chips and hot dogs to prepackaged foods. Researchers have long understood that a significant portion of the U.S. diet comes from ultra-processed foods, but it was not clearly understood where those calories were being consumed.

Eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods has been linked to chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and colorectal cancer. New findings suggest additional measures are needed to promote healthier alternatives to preparing meals at home.

The study was published online on December 5th. nutrition journal.

“There may be a perception that 'junk food' and ultra-processed foods are equivalent,” says Julia Wolfson, Ph.D., associate professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Global Health and lead author of the study.

But ultra-processed foods include a lot more products than just junk food and fast food, including most foods found in grocery stores. The explosion and ubiquity of ultra-processed foods on grocery store shelves is changing what we eat when we cook meals at home. ”

Julia Wolfson, Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

For their analysis, researchers used data from the 2003-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative annual survey of more than 34,000 adults aged 20 and older. .

On two separate days, NHANES participants were asked about the food they ate in the past 24 hours and where they ate that food, either at home or away. Using the Nova food group classification (a well-established framework for grouping foods by level of processing), foods were assigned to one of four categories: 1) unprocessed or minimally processed; , 2) processed cooking ingredients, 3) processed, 4) ultra-processed.

Researchers compared the intake of ultra-processed and minimally processed foods. Foods with artificial ingredients or colors, including many fast foods and prepared foods available in grocery stores, were classified as ultra-processed foods. Fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods (including frozen and dried foods without added salt or other ingredients) are considered minimally processed foods.

Overall, ultra-processed foods account for more than half of all calories consumed in households, rising from 51% in 2003 to 54% in 2018. Researchers found only small differences in household ultra-processed food consumption trends by gender, age, and race/ethnicity. Income and education during school. Household intake of ultra-processed foods fell just below 50% in the years from 2003 to 2018 for two groups: Hispanics and high-income households. The share of household calories from ultra-processed foods never fell below 49% for high-income groups and 47% for Hispanics.

Approximately one-third of all calories come from food eaten away from home. For people with less than a high school diploma, ultra-processed food consumption outside the home increased from 59.2% in 2003 to 67.1% of total calories consumed outside the home in 2018. It rose by nearly a percentage point. The percentage remained unchanged. Approximately 60% of those with a high school diploma or above.

Overall, the share of total calories from minimally processed foods fell nearly 5 percentage points, from 33.2% in 2003 to 28.5% in 2018, with most groups eating minimally processed foods both at home and on the go. Reduced intake of processed foods. These results speak to the many challenges in sourcing and preparing minimally processed, intact ingredients such as fresh vegetables, meat, and fish, the authors say. Ultra-processed foods tend to be easier and faster to prepare, and are often cheaper and more shelf-stable than whole ingredients.

“We need strategies to help people choose less processed foods and avoid unhealthy ultra-processed foods when it comes to the food they buy for consumption at home and on the go,” Wolfson said. added. “Additionally, stronger nutrition labels warning of the high content of ultra-processed foods may be warranted.”

The authors note limitations to the study, including possible reporting bias. People may underreport eating foods they believe are bad for them. The authors also note that the study period predates the pandemic and does not reflect changes in household food consumption during this period.

This research was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (#K01DK119166) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL153178 and T32 HL007024).