The DOI matches its Crossref record; 83 of the 83 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Ultra-Processed Foods and Food System Sustainability: What Are the Links?
Open accessAbstract
Global food systems are no longer sustainable for health, the environment, animal biodiversity and wellbeing, culinary traditions, socioeconomics, or small farmers. The increasing massive consumption of animal foods has been identified as a major determinant of unsustainability. However, today, the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is also questioned. The main objective of this review is therefore to check the validity of this new hypothesis. We first identified the main ingredients/additives present in UPFs and the agricultural practices involved in their provision to agro-industrials. Overall, UPF production is analysed regarding its impacts on the environment, biodiversity, animal wellbeing, and cultural and socio-economic dimensions. Our main conclusion is that UPFs are associated with intensive agriculture/livestock and threaten all dimensions of food system sustainability due to the combination of low-cost ingredients at purchase and increased consumption worldwide. However, low-animal-calorie UPFs do not produce the highest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) compared to conventional meat and dairy products. In addition, only reducing energy dense UPF intake, without substitution, might substantially reduce GHGEs. Therefore, significant improvement in food system sustainability requires urgently encouraging limiting UPF consumption to the benefit of mildly processed foods, preferably seasonal, organic, and local products.
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Cited by
Popkin, B. M., Barquera, S., Corvalan, C., Hofman, K. J., Monteiro, C., Ng, S. W., Swart, E. C., & Taillie, L. S. (2021) · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(21)00078-4 · Cited by 328
Are all ultra-processed foods bad? A critical review of the NOVA classification system
Louie, J. C. Y. (2026) · Proceedings of the Nutrition Society · doi:10.1017/s0029665125100645 · Cited by 71
Wood, B., Williams, O., Baker, P., & Sacks, G. (2023) · Journal of Agrarian Change · doi:10.1111/joac.12545 · Cited by 47
Slater, S., Lawrence, M., Wood, B., Serodio, P., & Baker, P. (2024) · Globalization and Health · doi:10.1186/s12992-024-01020-4 · Cited by 42
Huse, O., Reeve, E., Bell, C., Sacks, G., Baker, P., Wood, B., & Backholer, K. (2022) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010386 · Cited by 36
Metadata
- Authors
- Fardet, A., & Rock, E.
- Venue
- Sustainability
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2020-08-04
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 6280
- ISSN
- 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3046952504
- Cited by
- 282
- References
- 83
- FWCI
- 18.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
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