Government guidance indicates 95% of processed foods are unhealthy

New research from the University College London (UCL) reveals that over 95% of processed or ultra-processed food products in the UK would be classified as unhealthy according to government dietary guidelines. The study, published in BMJ Medicine, compared three different labeling and regulation systems used in the UK and found significant inconsistencies in their ability to identify unhealthy foods.

The official public health definitions, known as the Eatwell Guide, classified 95% of processed and 98% of ultra-processed foods as unhealthy, while the traffic light labeling system only identified 48.2% of them as unhealthy. The Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model identified 57.6% of the same foods as unhealthy. The researchers argue that these inconsistencies may lead consumers to unknowingly consume unhealthy foods, particularly high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar.

Professor Chris van Tulleken, senior author of the study, stated that the UK food environment is saturated with products that make it difficult for consumers to follow government dietary advice. Lead author Sam Dicken emphasized the inconsistencies in the current regulatory tools, with traffic light labels failing to identify more than half of the unhealthy packaged foods, and the HFSS definition hidden from consumers.

The study calls for a unified system for categorizing food and drink products based on existing UK dietary guidance, independent of industry influence, to help consumers make informed choices about their diet.