4000% Increase in Sale of Ultra-Processed Foods in India Between 2006-19, Finds Study
New Delhi: A new study in The Lancet has recommended immediate action to curb the concerning rise of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in India. Foods like instant noodles, ready-to-eat meals, processed meats and mass-produced breads, among others, are considered UPFs.
A three-paper series authored by 43 global experts argues that traditional meals are rapidly being replaced by UPFs in India, impacting nutrition and causing an increase in chronic diseases.
The papers recommend “immediate and decisive public health action” to curb UPF consumption. The study said that individual choices alone cannot improve diet and availability and marketing of UPFs needs to be addressed.
Rapid shift
Retail sales of UPFs in India rose to Rs 3.3 lakh crore in 2019 from Rs 7,996 crore in 2006. In the same period, obesity among men and women doubled, the study noted.
According to recent estimates, nearly 30% or one in four Indians are obese, one in ten have diabetes and one in three have abdominal diabetes. Childhood obesity too has increased from 2.1% to 3.4% between 2016 and 2019-21.
"The UPF industry is a key driver of the problem, as its leading corporations and co-dependent actors have expanded and restructured food systems almost everywhere, in favour of ultra-processed diets. The higher profitability of UPFs compared with other types of food fuels this growth, by financially incentivising the ultra-processed business model over alternatives, and generating resources for continued expansion," the study said.
Legal loopholes, aggressive marketing
The study warns that corporate control, marketing, lobbying and attempts to weaken regulations are a major concern while India’s current regulation of such food is weak.
"The main barrier to advancing policy responses is the industry's corporate political activities, coordinated transnationally through a global network of front groups, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and research partners, to counter opposition and block regulation. These activities include direct lobbying, infiltrating government agencies, and litigation; promoting corporate-friendly governance models, forms of regulation, and civil societies; and framing debate, generating favourable evidence, and manufacturing scientific doubt," the study notes.
Legally defining UPFs and High in Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) foods, banning UPF advertisements during peak viewing hours, warning labels on the front of the packaging and restricting sale of UPFs in schools are some of the suggestions made in the study.
“UPF are advertised addictions. A ban on their advertising and sponsorship is needed,” Prof Srinath Reddy, Chancellor of PHFI University of Public Health Sciences, told the Tribune, adding that India needs strong regulatory measures on production and marketing of such food.
Long-term impact
The papers argue that the impact of UPF consumption is wide-ranging and extends beyond nutrition loss. Industrial processes used in the production of such food, like fractioning whole foods, chemical modification, extrusion and the addition of industrial-use-only ingredients, alter food structures in ways that negatively affect metabolism, immunity and long-term health, the Tribune reported.
These foods also lead to a higher risk of obesity, Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and premature death, the study found.
“The Lancet Series highlights the danger to human health posed by the denaturing production processes of ultra-processed foods and their worldwide marketing, Dr. Reddy told the paper.
These foods contribute to “diminished immunity, aggravated inflammation, a cluster of life-threatening chronic diseases and an unprecedented rise in overweight and obesity,” he added.
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