Journal Article

DKFZ-2025-01892

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Quantifying the Environmental and Food Biodiversity Impacts of Ultra-Processed Foods - Evidence from the EPIC Study.

Berden, J. ; Hanley-Cook, G. T. ; Chimera, B. ; Aune, D. ; Pinho, M. G. M. ; Nicolas, G. ; Srour, B. ; Millett, C. J. ; Koc Cakmak, E. ; Kesse-Guyot, E. ; González-Gil, E. M. ; Vamos, E. P. ; Blanco Lopez, J. ; Baudry, J. ; Berlivet, J. ; Chang, K. ; Touvier, M. ; Le Cornet, C.DKFZ* ; Marques, C. ; Dahm, C. C. ; Ibsen, D. B. ; Jannasch, F. ; Skeie, G. ; Sanchez, M.-J. ; Schulze, M. B. ; Grioni, S. ; van der Schouw, Y. T. ; Jimenez Zabala, A. M. ; Winkvist, A. ; Tjønneland, A. ; Sacerdote, C. ; Kyrø, C. ; Weiderpass, E. ; Guevara, M. ; Frenoy, P. ; Tumino, R. ; Panico, S. ; Katzke, V.DKFZ* ; Ren, X. ; Vineis, P. ; Ferrari, P. ; Lachat, C. ; Huybrechts, I.

2025
Cambridge University Press Cambridge

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:DOI:10.1017/S1368980025101067  doi: DOI:10.1017/S1368980025101067

Abstract: 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.Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (grams/day and kcal/day) and GHGe (kg CO₂-equivalents/day), land use (m2/day), and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods.368,733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.Europe.Stronger associations were found for UPF consumption in relation with GHGe and land use compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with lower GHGe (8.9%; 95%CI: -9.0; -8.9) and land use (9.3%; -9.5; -9.2) when considering consumption by gram per day and higher GHGe (2.6%; 95% CI: 2.5: 2.6) and land use (1.2%; 1.0; 1.3) when considering consumption in kilocalories per day. Substituting UPF by unprocessed or minimally processed foods led to negligible differences in DSR, both for consumption in grams (-0.1%; -0.2; -0.1) and kilocalories (1.0%; 1.0; 1.1).UPF consumption was strongly associated with GHGe and land use as compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption, while associations with food biodiversity were marginal. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods resulted in differing directions of associations with environmental impacts, depending on whether substitutions were weight- or calorie-based.

Keyword(s): environmental impact ; food biodiversity ; food processing ; ultra-processed foods

Note: epub

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Krebsepidemiologie (C180)
2. Epidemiologie von Krebs (C020)

Research Program(s):

1. 313 - Krebsrisikofaktoren und Prävention (POF4-313) (POF4-313)

Appears in the scientific report 2025

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Database coverage:
; ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; DOAJ Seal ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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