From sweetened breakfast cereals, cookies to deep fried chicken, packaged pastries, and flavoured yogurts, ultra processed foods (UPFs) have undeniably marked their formidable presence in everyday diet. NOVA Food classification system , categorises UPFs broadly as ready-to-eat products characterised as industrial formulations composed of substances extracted from food, along with additives for taste enhancing.
These foods are generally energy rich with high levels of sugar, salt and unsaturated fats and are nutrient deficit as they are made from ingredients derived from a limited variety of crops such as wheat or soy. Also, presence of ingredients like synthetic additives, flavour enhancers, emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners make UPFs easier to identify. High levels of carbohydrates, sugar, salt, and fats trigger the hypothalamus, and stimulate the release of appetite and stress hormones, generating pleasure and leading to habitual desire for these foods.
Convenience, hyper palatability, affordability, longer shelf-life and vigorous advertising and marketing strategies have made a conducive environment for the thriving business of UPFs in India. The value of retail sales in the UPF segment in India grew at a CAGR of 13.7 per cent between 2011 and 2021. Though there was a YoY growth rate decline from 12.7 per cent to 5.5 per cent during 2020 the very next year, it was 11.29 per cent. The forecasted trend of UPFs during 2023-2032 depict a constant upward trend in their consumption. According to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23 of NSSO, almost 9.62 per cent of the food budget in rural areas and 10.64 per cent in urban areas is spent on beverages, refreshments, and processed food.
UPF and health implications
The shift in dietary practices from unprocessed to semi-processed and to UPF items has a significant bearing in health outcomes. Frequent intake of UPF items in one’s diet exposes the person to a wide range of adverse health outcomes ranging from obesity, chronic inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and even mortal outcomes. Researches add to the piling evidence about adverse health impacts of UPF including risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Excessive intake of energy-dense and nutrient-deficit diets has been identified as one of the major factors that increase the risk of development of diseases like obesity and other diet related non-communicable diseases.
Studies from across countries show direct association between exposure to UPFs and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes. They also indicate that greater exposure to UPFs leads to anxiety outcomes, mental disorder outcomes, prevalent adverse sleep related outcomes, heart disease related mortality, type 2 diabetes, depressive outcomes, wheezing, obesity, cancer and higher risks of mortality.
Studies observe that increased frequency of intake of junk food/UPF impacts mental health function including cognition, adaptability, and resilience, and can lead to depression, anxiety, and long-term psychological distress. A 2023 study reveals that increased intake of UPFs, especially those containing artificial sweeteners increases the risk of depression. Another study also adds to the growing evidence of adverse outcomes of UPFs on mental health like depression and anxiety.
Existing policy response
India has made strides in addressing its growing disease burden through notable interventions such as Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018, School Children Regulation, 2020; and the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. The Food Safety Act 2006 provides that there will be no misleading advertisement but does not define it. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 addresses definition of misleading advertisement and prescribes fines for misleading advertising of unhealthy food products. These regulations provide for ‘claims’ and ‘prohibitions’, use of ‘low’ or ‘free’ from sugar, etc., description of some additives that may perform technological functions, and disease reduction claims.
To date, much of the policy and public messaging about ‘unhealthy food’ or the regulations have focused on specific nutrients — saturated fats, sodium, and sugar (HFSS). The existing regulations of FSSAI do not define UPFs or restrict their marketing. There is a need for FSSAI to include UPFs in the definitions and regulations or construct a new regulation on similar lines for UPFs.
The way forward
The huge business of UPF segments has been built on hyper palatability of food items and marketing strategies involving misleading advertisements and celebrity endorsements targeting consumer behaviour. Often unhealthy packaged food items are advertised and marketed as healthy products. For example, breakfast cereals, tetra pack juices and chocolate malt drinks, often advertised as healthy and nutritious, come under the category of UPF based on their ingredients. Misleading nutrition claims and information on UPFs need to be tackled and should be brought under the scanner. Setting standards for permissible level of salt, sugar and ensuring checks for UPF brands to adhere to the regulations are also required.
FSSAI could adopt ‘Nova Classification’ of Foods, within existing regulations concerning HFSS or in a new one. A UPF marking in the front-of-pack warning label can be enforced and monitored by FSSAI. FSSAI could advocate for highest GST slab for UPFs. It could also develop new regulations for restricting marketing of UPFs, especially targeted at children and adolescents, and simultaneously address the powerful marketing strategies including celebrity endorsement and incentives on sales. The thresholds, which are under development for HFSS, may also be applied to marketing restrictions.
Many countries including Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Mexico, Israel, Peru, the UK and Uruguay have been implementing Nutrient Profile Model for labelling and restricting marketing as proposed by Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) in 2016. In 2011, Denmark had introduced tax for saturated food products. Mexico has imposed surcharge on carbonated drinks and tax on junk food. Kerala, in 2016, for the first time, imposed fat tax on junk food sold in branded outlets. Similarly, brands selling UPFs with adverse implications on health can be included under the sin tax commodities and a health tax can be imposed on them.
Making consumers conscious about what they eat, its ingredients and associated side effects is important not only to counter the intake of UPF but also to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Understanding ingredients of packaged food, ill-effects of UPF and healthy food choices should be a part of the school curriculum. Since UPF brands often target children and adolescents, massive awareness against the potential risk factors of UPF is utmost necessary. Generating health-conscious consumers can further motivate and incentivise various UPF brands to come up with healthy alternatives or minimise the extent of negative effects of the UPFs. This calls forth for enormous behaviour change campaigns and awareness generating sessions. Efforts also need to be directed to promote local and seasonal fruits and vegetables and facilitate positive subsidies for healthy foods such as whole foods, millets, fruits, and vegetables for improving their availability, affordability, and consumption.
The Government has been making dedicated efforts to promote healthy foods and an active lifestyle by implementing initiatives such as Eat Right India, Fit India Movement, and Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (Poshan) 2.0. POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to convert awareness about healthy and nutritionally diverse diets into a people’s movement or Jan Andolan. By prioritising whole, minimally processed foods rich in nutrients, fibre, and essential vitamins, individuals can lower their consumption of unhealthy additives, excess sugar, and refined grains often found in processed foods. This proactive shift not only enhances physical health but also supports mental clarity and sustained energy.
A multi-pronged approach would be required to address the concerns emerging from the increased inclusion of UPFs in diets in India. The following recommendations are made in this regard:
The food regulator may bring UPFs under regulation with a clear definition and standards including stricter labelling requirements. Improved monitoring of branded products to ensure compliance would help build consumer confidence.
Consumer protection efforts can be strengthened to deal with aggressive marketing and distribution practices; and misleading nutrition claims in advertising specially when they are targeted towards children and youth.
Higher tax rate for UFPs may also be considered as a ‘health tax’ measure, targeted at brands/products that advertise.
Generate awareness on the adverse impact of consumption of UFCs through campaigns targeted for schools and colleges alongside existing health and lifestyle campaigns of the governments. School and college curriculum may be updated to reflect evidence related to adverse health impacts of UFCs.
Bhutani is an Economics Affairs Officer, Ministry of Finance, and Gopalakrishnan is Distinguished Fellow, Pahle India Foundation. Views are personal
Published on April 9, 2025