Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.2
4.8
Journals
Nutrients
Special Issues
Ultra-Processed Foods, Dietary Quality and Human Health
nutrients-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Ultra-Processed Foods, Dietary Quality and Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 15095

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Martin Smollich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Nutritional Medicine, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
Interests: pharmaconutrition; dietary supplements; functional food; food fortification; plant-based dairy and meat alternatives

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A plethora of epidemiological studies demonstrate associations between the high consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) and the risk of almost any non-communicable disease (NCD), disease-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality. Observational studies have notable limitations, as have the different food classification systems, and proof of causality and its distinct mechanisms is still lacking. Although intuitive and apparently plausible, the concept of UPF is intricate and has been challenged by mechanistic studies. Moreover, calls for a regulatory restriction of UPF marketing and consumption would have an impact not only on food safety, nutrient supply, and dietary habits, but also on sustainability, food fortification, resource efficiency, food waste, planetary health goals, and socio-economic perspectives. Therefore, different dimensions have to be taken into account when assessing the consequences of dietary recommendations that are not based on nutrients, but on the degree of food processing.

Prof. Dr. Martin Smollich
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ultra-processed food
  • NOVA classification
  • non-communicable diseases
  • food systems

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 3189 KiB  
Article
Ultra-Processed Foods in the Food Supply: Prevalence, Nutritional Composition and Use of Voluntary Labelling Schemes
by Edvina Hafner, Maša Hribar and Igor Pravst
Nutrients 2025, 17(10), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17101731 - 20 May 2025
Abstract
Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represent a substantial part of modern diets, with a growing prevalence in food environments worldwide. Their unfavourable nutritional composition and adverse health effects present growing public health concerns. Methods: This study examines the prevalence of UPFs in the Slovenian [...] Read more.
Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represent a substantial part of modern diets, with a growing prevalence in food environments worldwide. Their unfavourable nutritional composition and adverse health effects present growing public health concerns. Methods: This study examines the prevalence of UPFs in the Slovenian food supply, their nutritional quality and the use of different food symbols and labelling schemes on food packaging. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the representative Slovenian branded foods database. A total of 23,173 prepacked foods and beverages were categorised into levels of processing according to the NOVA classification system. The nutritional composition of UPFs was compared to less processed products within 16 narrow subcategories. Additionally, the prevalence in the use of front-of-package nutrition labelling (FOPNL) and subjectively nutrition-related elements (SNREs) (such as EU Organic, Vegan labels etc.) were assessed across different food categories and processing levels. Results: Results show that UPFs represent 54.5% of the available products in the Slovenian food supply, with the highest prevalence in Confectionery (93%), Bread and bakery products (83%), Meat, meat products and alternatives (77%) and Convenience foods (74%). Comparison of nutritional composition indicated that UPFs had significantly poorer nutritional composition compared to less processed counterparts, including higher levels of sugar, salt and saturated fats, and a lower protein content. Breakfast cereals, Snack foods, Meat alternatives and Pre-prepared salads and sandwiches showed the most significant differences between UPFs and less processed counterparts. Analysis of the prevalence of symbols and labelling schemes revealed that 33.8% of products carried at least one FOPNL (15.0%) or SNRE (19.1%), with SNREs being more prevalent on less processed products and FOPNL predominantly used on UPFs (p < 0.05). The most prevalent SNRE was the EU Organic logo (12.7%), followed by the Vegan (4.7%) and Non-GMO (3.1%) logos, whereas the most frequent FOPNL was Reference Intakes (RI), presenting only energy value RI-Energy (12.5%), followed by nutrient-specific RI (1.6%), while other FOPNL were scarce and limited to certain categories. An additional comparison of visual presentation highlighted the potentially selective use of voluntary FOPNL to improve product framing. This raises concerns about their role in guiding consumer choices versus serving as marketing tools, especially when it comes to UPFs. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for monitoring UPFs in the food supply together with harmonised, mandatory labelling regulations to ensure transparency and empower consumers to make healthier choices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultra-Processed Foods, Dietary Quality and Human Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3577 KiB  
Article
Associations of Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Its Circulating Metabolomic Signature with Mental Disorders in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
by Shenghao Yuan, Tengfei Zhu, Jiawei Gu, Li Hua, Jinli Sun, Xiaobei Deng and Jinjun Ran
Nutrients 2025, 17(9), 1582; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091582 - 4 May 2025
Viewed by 678
Abstract
Background: The global rise in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and the persistent burden of mental disorders have raised growing public health concerns. Emerging evidence suggests that unfavorable dietary patterns, particularly with high UPF intake, contribute to the development of mental disorders. Objective: To [...] Read more.
Background: The global rise in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and the persistent burden of mental disorders have raised growing public health concerns. Emerging evidence suggests that unfavorable dietary patterns, particularly with high UPF intake, contribute to the development of mental disorders. Objective: To assess the associations of UPF-related metabolic signatures and mental disorders. Methods: In this population-based cohort study of 30,059 participants from the UK Biobank, we first identified a plasma metabolic signature associated with UPF intake leveraging nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics. We then applied Cox and logistic regression models to investigate the associations of both UPF consumption and its metabolic signature with incident mental disorders and specific psychological symptoms, respectively. Results: Higher UPF intake was significantly associated with increased risks of overall mental disorder (hazard ratio per 10% increment [95% confidence interval]: 1.04 [1.02, 1.06]), depressive disorder (1.14 [1.08, 1.20]), anxiety disorder (1.12 [1.06, 1.18]), and substance use disorder (1.06 [1.01, 1.11]), as well as several psychological symptoms including suicidal ideation (odds ratios [95% confidence interval]: 1.12 [1.03, 1.16]) and anxiety feeling (1.05 [1.01, 1.09]). Similarly, the UPF-related metabolic signature was independently associated with elevated risks of these mental health outcomes and partially mediated the associations between UPF intake and mental disorders. Conclusions: These findings highlighted the potential metabolic pathways underlying the neuropsychiatric risks of UPF consumption and underscored the importance of dietary quality in mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultra-Processed Foods, Dietary Quality and Human Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Relationship Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Academic Performance in the Adolescent Population: The EHDLA Study
by José Francisco López-Gil, Emily Cisneros-Vásquez, Jorge Olivares-Arancibia, Rodrigo Yañéz-Sepúlveda and Héctor Gutiérrez-Espinoza
Nutrients 2025, 17(3), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030524 - 31 Jan 2025
Viewed by 13904
Abstract
Background: Previous studies have tested the link between diet quality and academic performance in the young population. However, no study has analyzed the specific relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and academic performance in adolescents. The aim of the present study was to [...] Read more.
Background: Previous studies have tested the link between diet quality and academic performance in the young population. However, no study has analyzed the specific relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and academic performance in adolescents. The aim of the present study was to test the link of UPF consumption with academic performance in a sample of adolescents from Spain. Methods: This secondary cross-sectional analysis utilized information from 788 youths aged 12–17 participating in the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities study. The sample comprised 44.7% boys and 55.3% girls, with a median age of 14.0 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 13.0 to 15.0). The UPF consumption was measured through a self-completed food frequency survey. Academic performance was determined using end-of-year academic records provided by each educational institution. To examine the relationships between these variables, generalized linear models were employed. The models were adjusted for factors including sex, age, socioeconomic status, conduct, physical activity, sleep duration, body mass index, and sedentary behavior. Results: Significant dose–response associations between UPF consumption and all the different academic performance indicators, showing that higher UPF consumption is consistently associated with poorer academic performance (p < 0.001 for all). Higher daily UPF servings were associated with lower adjusted marginal means for grade point average, language, maths, and English. Furthermore, adolescents in the highest UPF tertile had a grade point average of 5.6 compared to 6.6 in the lowest tertile, with similar patterns being observed for language (6.0 vs. 7.0), maths (5.2 vs. 6.2), and English (5.7 vs. 6.6). Conclusions: Our study identifies a negative association between UPF consumption and academic performance in adolescents, highlighting it as a modifiable factor that could impact academic outcomes. Adolescents with higher UPF consumption exhibited consistently lower grades across various academic indicators, emphasizing the importance of dietary quality during this critical developmental period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultra-Processed Foods, Dietary Quality and Human Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop