How unhealthy ultra-processed foods are designed, marketed to make us crave them | Food-wine News
Consumption of ultra-processed foods including soft drinks, snacks and ready meals is growing worldwide, despite evidence they are unhealthy. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up about 70% of packaged food products on supermarket shelves, and even more in convenience stores. In our new research, we explore how companies that produce these foods play on human nature to make such products seem the easiest, most rewarding and compelling option.We show that UPFs are designed to make us crave them and eat more. They are marketed to all groups, particularly children, in a way that makes them seem the most delicious and convenient option, giving the best value-for-money, despite many health harms.Our attraction to UPFs is no coincidence. UPF companies combine a range of tactics to drive up consumption. Many of these tactics exploit the ways we think, feel and behave. Why do we keep eating UPFs———————————–UPFs are the most processed foods on the market. According to the medical journal The Lancet, they are commercial formulations made from cheap ingredients extracted or derived from whole foods, combined with …
