Ultra-processed food: researchers sound the alarm
Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease - according to the latest scientific findings, the consumption of ultra-processed foods significantly increases the risk of such diseases. In a series of three papers published in the medical journal The Lancet, scientists call on politicians and society to do more to promote a diet based on fresh and minimally processed foods. Commentators discuss ways to achieve this.
Restrict the power of the food industry
The authors of the Lancet paper made a crucial point, Die Zeit explains:
“To weaken the oligopolistic structure of the food industry, political measures must be taken. ... Politicians in Germany are unaccustomed to putting pressure on the food industry. Other countries are far more advanced in this respect: Denmark and the UK have long since introduced a sugar tax, while in Brazil food products with high levels of saturated fat, sugar or salt have warning labels. The Lancet's intentions are therefore warranted and important, and they apply to Germany in particular: we need a food policy that is independent of the food industry.”
Prevent a health crisis
Measures taken by individual countries can only be the beginning, El País insists:
“Spain has banned highly processed foods in school canteens. In Mexico, where one in three children is overweight and 16 percent of adults have diabetes, the government has banned the sale of junk food in educational institutions. In Chile, companies are obliged to include warnings in their advertising and advise against consuming these products. ... But if we want to prevent this public health risk from turning into a crisis, further measures are needed. And both manufacturers, who spend millions on advertising and want to prevent regulations, and governments, which monitor sales and distribution, must assume responsibility for this.”
Take the fight against the tobacco industry as an example
In view of the immense costs to society, politicians need to take tough action, Le Monde argues:
“The solution lies first and foremost in improving access to healthy foods, coupled with higher taxes on junk food. In addition, advertising and marketing for food products with poor nutritional profiles, particularly if it targets children, must be more strictly regulated. So far such solutions have met with strong opposition in France. It's an uphill battle given the enormous resources available to multinational food companies. They use the same methods that the tobacco industry used for decades, discrediting scientific discourse and not hesitating to produce its own blatantly biased studies.”