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Ultra-Processed Foods and Food System Sustainability: What Are the Links?

Author

Listed:
  • Anthony Fardet

    (Unité de Nutrition Humaine, INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, CRNH Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France)

  • Edmond Rock

    (Unité de Nutrition Humaine, INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, CRNH Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France)

Abstract

Global food systems are no longer sustainable for health, the environment, animal biodiversity and wellbeing, culinary traditions, socioeconomics, or small farmers. The increasing massive consumption of animal foods has been identified as a major determinant of unsustainability. However, today, the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is also questioned. The main objective of this review is therefore to check the validity of this new hypothesis. We first identified the main ingredients/additives present in UPFs and the agricultural practices involved in their provision to agro-industrials. Overall, UPF production is analysed regarding its impacts on the environment, biodiversity, animal wellbeing, and cultural and socio-economic dimensions. Our main conclusion is that UPFs are associated with intensive agriculture/livestock and threaten all dimensions of food system sustainability due to the combination of low-cost ingredients at purchase and increased consumption worldwide. However, low-animal-calorie UPFs do not produce the highest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) compared to conventional meat and dairy products. In addition, only reducing energy dense UPF intake, without substitution, might substantially reduce GHGEs. Therefore, significant improvement in food system sustainability requires urgently encouraging limiting UPF consumption to the benefit of mildly processed foods, preferably seasonal, organic, and local products.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony Fardet & Edmond Rock, 2020. "Ultra-Processed Foods and Food System Sustainability: What Are the Links?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6280-:d:394364
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    Cited by:

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    2. Sayed Abdul Majid Gilani & Abigail Copiaco & Liza Gernal & Naveed Yasin & Gayatri Nair & Imran Anwar, 2023. "Savior or Distraction for Survival: Examining the Applicability of Machine Learning for Rural Family Farms in the United Arab Emirates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-23, February.
    3. Anthony Fardet & David Thivel & Laurent Gerbaud & Edmond Rock, 2021. "A Sustainable and Global Health Perspective of the Dietary Pattern of French Population during the 1998–2015 Period from INCA Surveys," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Khondoker Abdul Mottaleb & Ashok K. Mishra, 2023. "Income, urbanisation and consumption of processed foods: Implications for nutrition and health policies for India," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 688-715, July.
    5. Tanita Northcott & Mark Lawrence & Christine Parker & Phillip Baker, 2023. "Ecological regulation for healthy and sustainable food systems: responding to the global rise of ultra-processed foods," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1333-1358, September.
    6. Yu, Mengyan & Umair, Muhammad & Oskenbayev, Yessengali & Karabayeva, Zhаnsaya, 2023. "Exploring the nexus between monetary uncertainty and volatility in global crude oil: A contemporary approach of regime-switching," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    7. María Dolores Huete-Morales & Juan Antonio Marmolejo-Martín, 2020. "The Waring Distribution as a Low-Frequency Prediction Model: A Study of Organic Livestock Farms in Andalusia," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-11, November.

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