Ultra-processed Food Makes up Almost Two-thirds of Calorie Intake of UK Adolescents

Research led by scientists from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol has found that adolescents consume around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed food consumption and the figure was highest among those living in deprived backgrounds, those of white ethnicity, and younger adolescents.

Processed foods, burgers, crisps etc

New analysis of data from UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey finds that adolescents consume around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

To look at trends within the UK, researchers from Cambridge and Bristol analysed data from four-day food diaries of almost 3,000 adolescents in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2008/09 and 2018/19.

In research published recently in the European Journal of Nutrition, the researchers found that a mean of 66% of adolescents’ energy intake came from UPF consumption during this period, though there was a slight fall from 68% to 63% between 2008/09 and 2018/2019.

Parents’ occupation, ethnic group and UK region all influenced the proportion of calorie intake from UPFs: