Ultra-processed food consumption in adults across Europe
Mertens E, Colizzi C, Peñalvo JL
European journal of nutrition · 111 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Food diaries or recalls
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Government
- FWO
- Grants
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (G0C2520N)
Based on 2 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2021-12-03 · Eur J Nutr · vol. 61 · issue 3 · pp. 1521–1539
- Publisher
- Springer Science+Business Media
- Cited
- 152 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 13.5× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 38 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Culinary Culture and Tourism
- Keywords
- Consumption (sociology), Environmental health, Added sugar, Sugar, Food consumption, Population, Medicine, Food group, Geography, Food science, Demography, Agricultural economics, Biology, Economics
- MeSH
- humans, diet, energy intake, food handling, adult, europe, female, male, fast foods
3 authors
From BE
- Elly Mertens · correspondingInstituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
- Chiara ColizziInstituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
- José Luis PeñalvoInstituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe ultra-processed food and drinks (UPFDs) consumption, and associations with intake of total sugar and dietary fibre, and high BMI in adults across Europe.
Methods
Using food consumption data collected by food records or 24-h dietary recalls available from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database, the foods consumed were classified by the level of processing using the NOVA classification. Diet quality was assessed by data linkage to the Dutch food composition tables (NEVO) and years lived with disability for high BMI from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Bivariate groupings were carried out to explore associations of UPFDs consumption with population intake of sugar and dietary fibre, and BMI burden, visualised by scatterplots.
Results
The energy share from UPFDs varied markedly across the 22 European countries included, ranging from 14 to 44%, being the lowest in Italy and Romania, while the highest in the UK and Sweden. An overall modest decrease (2-15%) in UPFDs consumption is observed over time, except for Finland, Spain and the UK reporting increases (3-9%). Fine bakery wares and soft drinks were most frequently ranked as the main contributor. Countries with a higher sugar intake reported also a higher energy share from UPFDs, as most clearly observed for UPF (r = 0.57, p value = 0.032 for men; and r = 0.53, p value = 0.061 for women). No associations with fibre intake or high BMI were observed.
Conclusion
Population-level UPFDs consumption substantially varied across Europe, although main contributors are similar. UPFDs consumption was not observed to be associated with country-level burden of high BMI, despite being related to a higher total sugar intake.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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