20 Feb 2024 --- Research links diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to various health concerns, but experts are unclear whether this results from their processing level or high sugar, salt, calories and fat content. Scientists question whether adding processing levels to food labels can address consumer confusion about UPFs and their impact on health, as a new study supports that UPFs have unhealthier food labeling scores. “Consumer skepticism about high levels of processing can aid consumers in selecting healthy food. But it can also prevent consumers from making sustainable choices. This is a dilemma the food sector needs to work with,” Klaus Grunert, professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, and director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food Consumer Observatory, tells Nutrition Insight.
