Staff from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with leading nutrition experts, have presented a series of three scientific publications. In these works, the researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of the negative consequences associated with the consumption of industrially manufactured processed foods and called on the global community to initiate coordinated action against the spread of this food category. Information about this was disseminated by the scientific journal *The Lancet*. “The ubiquitous growth of consumption of these products leads to changes in dietary habits and the displacement of raw and minimally processed foods on a global scale. These transformations are actively promoted by large corporations that derive colossal income from the sale of such goods, the harm of which is exacerbated by the political influence and aggressive marketing of processed foods,” the press service of the journal quoted Professor Carlos Monteiro of the University of São Paulo (Brazil). Professor Monteiro and his colleagues have been systematically studying the impact of so-called “ultra-processed foods” on the global food market since 2009. This is how nutritionists characterize industrially produced foods containing hydrogenated fats, corn or sugar syrups, as well as other inexpensive but high-calorie components that have an attractive appearance and taste. Nutritionists, as well as representatives from WHO and UNICEF, after analyzing all available statistics concerning the consumption of these products in UN member states, concluded that such trends now encompass the vast majority of countries. Scientists note that national dietary traditions in these countries are rapidly being replaced by products manufactured by major transnational corporations, which annually earn over $1.9 trillion USD from the sale of these goods. Specifically, over the last three decades, the share of such ready-made meals in the diets of people in Spain has increased from 11% to 32%, in China – from 4% to 10%, and in Brazil and Mexico – from 10% to 23%. Their consumption in all analyzed jurisdictions correlated with instances of overeating, an imbalance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as an increased risk of developing twelve chronic illnesses, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and depressive states. Based on these findings, experts put forward a number of proposals: to introduce special labeling for identified processed foods, to ban their sale and advertising in educational and medical institutions (schools, kindergartens, hospitals), and to introduce tax mechanisms that would incentivize food service businesses to offer minimally processed food options to consumers. Furthermore, the scientists strongly recommended developing an equivalent of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for the effective implementation of the proposed measures to counteract “ultra-processed foods” at both the global and national levels. Examples of “ultra-processed foods” This category includes various breakfast cereals, instant food products (such as noodles), frozen pizzas, chips, and other unhealthy, high-calorie products, which account for up to 60% of the calories consumed in the diets of US citizens, several other developed countries, and many states with transforming economies. According to medical professionals, the emergence and widespread distribution of this food category has been one of the key factors that provoked the current global obesity epidemic.
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