UK regulatory systems for food and drink identify only around half of processed/ultraprocessed products as unhealthy

AI Summary

A study published in BMJ Medicine finds that current UK food and drink regulatory systems identify only about half of processed and ultra-processed products with excessive fat, salt, sugar, or energy density as unhealthy. A nutrient-profiling approach aligned with official dietary guidance classified more than 90% as unhealthy, and researchers call for a unified regulatory system.

Current U.K. regulatory systems for food and drink identify only around half of processed and ultraprocessed products as unhealthy—in other words, those that contain excess fat, salt, sugar and energy density—finds research published in BMJ Medicine. But new nutrient profiling, based on official U.K. dietary guidance, classifies more than 90% of these products as unhealthy. A single unified regulatory system, using agreed definitions, that is aligned with this guidance may offer the best way forward, say the researchers.