Ultra-processed foods just as addictive as alcohol and nicotine, scientists warn

Ultra-processed foods make up more than half the average diet in developed and most developing nations. [iStockphoto]

Eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) could lead to an addiction disorder, a new study suggests, prompting calls for some products to be labelled as addictive.

UPFs are now simply part of the flavour of everyday life. These foods are readily available, heavily flavoured, affordable, highly profitable for their producers, attractively packaged, aggressively marketed, and sold in supermarkets and shops worldwide.