Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

While associations of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with adverse health outcomes are accruing, its environmental and food biodiversity impacts remain underexplored. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), land use and food biodiversity.

Design

Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (g/d and kcal/d) and GHGe (kg CO₂-equivalents/day), land use (m²/d) and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPF with unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Participants

368 733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

Setting

Eu

SUBMITTER: Berden J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12722073 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature