Nov 28th, 2025
2 mins
Food Drink Europe (FDE), the body representing Europe’s food and drink industry, have published a position paper on ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
More than half of the European adult population and a third of children are overweight or obese, while malnutrition remains a major challenge. Major environmental issues also exist, including the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.
The paper states that in the search for effective solutions, the use of ‘ultra-processed food’ terminology, and associated classifications, will hamper EU efforts to improve public health and environmental outcomes.
The paper can be accessed here and discusses each of the following points:
- ‘More processed’ does not mean ‘less healthy’ or ‘less sustainable’
- Ultra-processed food classifications are flawed
- Ultra-processed food terminology confuses everyone, from experts to consumers
- There are many unintended consequences to targeting ultra-processed foods
- Food safety at the heart of public policy
- There are better solutions to improve health and sustainability
