Ultra-processed Foods and Your Health

At the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research, scientists are uncovering how everyday exposure to chemicals in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) impacts our health, especially the health of children.

What are ultra-processed foods? 

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up the vast majority of foods on grocery shelves.  Many UPFs are nutrient-poor, lacking proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are part of a healthy diet. UPFs are manufactured food products with chemicals added to extend shelf life or enhance flavor, color, or texture. They are industrial formulations typically made entirely from substances extracted from foods (e.g., oils, fats, sugars, starch, protein isolates) or derived from food constituents (e.g., hydrogenated oils, modified starches, hydrolyzed proteins). 

Manufacturing involves industrial techniques such as extrusion, molding, hydrogenation, interesterification, and pre-frying. The processing itself can alter a food’s composition, and concerns also exist about potential contaminants migrating from packaging materials, such as bisphenols, phthalates, and microplastics.  

UPFs are typically identified by their long ingredient lists (often five or more) and the inclusion of “cosmetic” additives (flavors, colors, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners, etc.) that may be used to imitate the sensory qualities of freshly prepared foods, or to mask undesirable qualities.    

Scientists use the NOVA scale to better characterize the extent to which foods are processed. The scale classifies foods into four groups depending on their degree of processing. 

Examples of common foods categorized by the NOVA scale  

Food additives and UPFs 

Food additives are substances added to food during production, processing, or storage to achieve specific effects. While additives like salt, sugar, and vinegar have been used for centuries for preservation, modern food technology employs a vast array of synthetic and naturally derived additives to preserve freshness, prevent spoilage, enhance color, modify flavor, improve texture, and ensure stability.   

One study reported that 60% of packaged food and beverages sold in the US contained food additives. UPFs, such as ready-to-eat grain-based snacks, may contain an average of seven additives per product. Key additive categories that signal ultra-processing include artificial colors and flavors, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, thickeners, and non-nutritive sweeteners.  

Reading labels to identify food additives found in UPFs 

Additives are typically listed on food labels by their common name or sometimes by a designated code (e.g., E numbers in Europe, INS numbers internationally). The US FDA maintains inventories, such as the “Substances Added to Food” list (formerly EAFUS), cataloging additives and their approved uses. The main categories of food additives frequently found in UPFs included are shown in the below table.

What are the health risks associated with eating UPFs?  

Research shows that diets high in UPFs are linked to an increased risk of health conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and irritable bowel disease.  Some studies have found an association between the consumption of UPFs and an increased risk of certain cancers, especially breast and colorectal cancer. 

Pollution and emissions from the manufacture of UPFs can also impact health. Compared to whole foods, UPFs often have higher levels of food contact chemicals (FCCs) such as microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), and chemicals that migrate out of plastics, due to contamination from packaging and manufacturing equipment. Lastly, UPFs are often sold in single-use plastic or non-biodegradable packaging, further contributing to environmental pollution.  

Who is most vulnerable to UPFs?  

UPFs are of particular concern for children, who consume more food for their body weight than adults do and often have a less varied diet consisting of more packaged foods and snacks. In addition, children’s rapidly developing bodily systems make them more susceptible to harm and they have more future years of life over which chronic diseases associated with UPF consumption may develop.  

How to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods 

• Choose whole foods: Opt for fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (e.g. beans, peas, and lentils), and lean proteins (e.g. chicken, fish, low-fat dairy). These provide essential nutrients without the added sugars, fats, and preservatives found in UPFs. 

• Cook at home: Preparing meals from scratch allows you to control the ingredients and avoid unnecessary additives. 

• Limit sugary beverages: Replace sodas and energy drinks with tap water, herbal teas, and sparkling water. 

• Read food labels: Pay attention to ingredient lists and avoid products with long lists of unfamiliar additives and preservatives. Ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavorings are often indicators that a food is processed. 

• Choose healthier snacks: Opt for whole foods such as nuts, seeds, yogurt, or fresh fruit instead of packaged snacks that are high in salt and sugar. 

• Advocate for increased availability and affordability of whole, fresh foods. 

How are UPFs generally studied? 

Understanding the potential health risks of UPF consumption requires accurate assessment of human exposure levels to these foods and their ingredients.  To do this, researchers use human biomonitoring (HBM) to measure food additives and food contact chemicals (FCCs) or their break-down products (metabolites) in biological samples (e.g. urine, blood, stool, hair, breastmilk, fat tissue). Some studies may also use questionnaires to ask participants about their dietary habits.  

Traditional exposure modeling relies on external data (e.g., food consumption, chemical concentrations in food), while human biomonitoring (HBM) provides direct measures of internal dose. HBM involves the direct measurement of environmental chemicals, their metabolites, or specific reaction products in human biological specimens. It provides a measure of the internal dose resulting from all routes of exposure, integrating variations in uptake and metabolism across individuals. Large-scale HBM programs are crucial for establishing population reference ranges, tracking exposure trends over time, identifying highly exposed subgroups, and providing data for epidemiological studies linking exposures to health outcomes. 

How we’re studying UPFs at the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research 

Our Institute labs are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and analytical expertise to assess the chemical signature of UPFs in blood and urine, including dyes, additives, sugars, and artificial sweeteners. In addition, we have developed precise and sensitive methods to measure synthetic chemicals often found in UPFs, such as PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals. In collaboration with researchers in the United States, Latin America, and Europe, we are conducting studies to better understand the adverse health effects from exposures to chemicals and additives in UPFs. 

Child health  

Dania Valvi, PhD and Youssef Oulhote, PhD, both Associate Professors in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, are advancing research on how environmental chemical exposures associated with ultra-processed foods (UPFs)—including PFAS, heavy metals, and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals—impact child health and development. Dr. Valvi focuses on metabolic outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and liver disease, while Dr. Oulhote investigates neurodevelopmental effects, including autism spectrum disorders. Their collaborative work leverages multi-cohort data and innovative biomarker approaches to understand how early-life exposure to these widespread contaminants and their interplay with nutrients may contribute to the growing burden of chronic diseases in children. 
 
What our teeth can tell us about UPFs 

Mauro Martinez, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine, has been working on developing novel approaches to understand how exposure to ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may affect human health. UPFs can serve as sources of harmful metals and synthetic organic compounds, including arsenic (As), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), and PFAS, which may disrupt development and contribute to chronic disease. Dr. Martinez’s laboratory uses shed deciduous teeth as time-resolved biological archives, capturing prenatal and postnatal exposures with near-weekly resolution. As teeth grow, they incorporate environmental and dietary chemicals into the dentine and protein structures —similar to the way trees form rings—providing a permanent record of early-life exposures. By measuring the presence of UPF-related contaminants in teeth, this research aims to identify critical windows of susceptibility and clarify the long-term health consequences of early dietary exposures. 

Gut microbiome health 
 
Ryan Walker, PhD, MS, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine, is studying the effects of high dietary fructose exposure on the human gut microbiome and obesity and type 2 diabetes risk in humans. High Fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is one of the most widely consumed UPFs. One quarter of all adolescents and young adults consume up to 3 sodas per day, the main source of fructose exposure, which contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes risk. This work aims to clarify the role of fructose in altering the structure and function of the gut microbiome and determine if these UPF-induced changes increase risk for complex metabolic disease. 

Building the blood exposome database 

Dinesh Barupal, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is advancing the field of exposomics through his development of the Blood Exposome Database. Created and maintained by his Integrated Data Science Laboratory for Metabolomics and Exposomics, this pioneering resource catalogs the wide array of chemicals found in human blood—from both internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) sources. By leveraging high-resolution mass spectrometry, computational methods, and other cutting-edge analytical techniques, Dr. Barupal’s work is central to the broader effort to map the human exposome and to understand how everyday chemical exposures—from diet, packaging, and the environment—accumulate in the body and may influence health. 

The Blood Exposome Database is a primary source for the Database on Food Contact Chemicals Monitored in Humans (FCChumon) which represents a targeted effort by the Switzerland-based Food Packaging Forum and other collaborators to identify which known food contact chemicals, or FCCs (a group that includes many food additives) have been detected in human samples. This was achieved by systematically comparing a comprehensive list of over 14,000 FCCs against data from five major HBM programs (including NHANES) and three metabolome/exposome databases (including Dr. Barupal’s Blood Exposome Database). The FCChumon project found evidence indicating the presence of 3,601 FCCs (approximately 25% of those known) in human samples. Of these, 194 were detected via established HBM programs, and 3,528 were identified in metabolome/exposome databases. The confirmation by FCChumon and related databases that thousands of chemicals associated with food packaging and processing are found within human bodies underscores the reality of widespread exposure. 

Supporting policies for healthier food choices 

Our scientists lead efforts to educate the public and support policies that promote healthier food choices. Given the widespread nature of UPFs, reducing consumption can be difficult and burdensome for families. For this reason, stronger regulations to limit the prevalence of UPFs while also increasing the availability and affordability of whole, fresh foods are critical to protecting public health.  

Advocacy efforts that support policies to reduce the availability of UPFs in school settings in favor of whole, fresh foods are also critical to protecting children’s health.  

Lastly, a greater investment in funding for nutrition research is needed to increase understanding of how our diets contribute to health and disease.  

References 

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