UK Government Calls For , Classification System to Define, Ultra-Processed Foods.<br />According to government scientists, evidence <br />linking ultra-processed foods to a number of health <br />issues "needs to be treated with caution.".<br />'The Independent' reports that the U.K. Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) say there are, “uncertainties around the quality of evidence available.”.<br />The evidence base for adverse effects<br />is based on a small number of observational <br />studies that have known limitations: <br />ultra-processed foods might be an <br />indicator of an overall unhealthy lifestyle, Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of nutrition and food science <br />at the University of Reading, via 'The Independent'.<br />The evidence base for adverse effects<br />is based on a small number of observational <br />studies that have known limitations: <br />ultra-processed foods might be an <br />indicator of an overall unhealthy lifestyle, Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of nutrition and food science <br />at the University of Reading, via 'The Independent'.<br />Previously, research linked ultra-processed <br />foods to health concerns that include <br />cancer, weight gain and heart disease.<br />According to U.K. government scientists, while the suggested links are "concerning," further studies need to be conducted to investigate any possible connections.<br />The systematic reviews identified have <br />consistently reported that increased <br />consumption of (ultra-)processed foods <br />was associated with increased risks <br />of adverse health outcomes. However, <br />there are uncertainties around <br />the quality of evidence available, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, via 'The Independent'.<br />According to the scientists, it is difficult to define <br />what is considered an ultra-processed food.<br />Studies are almost exclusively observational <br />and confounding factors or key variables <br />such as energy intake, body mass index, <br />smoking and socioeconomic status <br />may not be adequately accounted for, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, via 'The Independent'.<br />'The Independent' reports that experts have <br />called for a food classification system to assess <br />which foods are considered ultra-processed.<br />The scientific committee called for the , “development of an ultra-processed foods <br />classification system that can reliably be applied to <br />estimate consumption of processed foods in the UK”
