Global Launch Event – The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health
On 19 November 2025, the global launch of the new Lancet series dedicated to ultra-processed foods (UPF) and their impacts on human health was held in London. Organized at the Royal College of Physicians, the event brought together international experts in public health, nutrition, and epidemiology to present the key findings of this landmark scientific series.
The articles published in The Lancet provide an especially comprehensive overview of current knowledge. They confirm that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality and numerous chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The series, which brings together 43 authors from around the world under the leadership of Brazilian researcher Carlos Monteiro, also highlights the industrial, economic, and marketing mechanisms that promote the global expansion of these products at the expense of minimally processed or unprocessed foods.
Within this international initiative, the work of Mathilde Touvier, director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN, CRESS), and her collaborator Bernard Srour, plays a central role. Their research—particularly through the NutriNet-Santé cohort—constitutes one of the main bodies of evidence documenting the links between exposure to ultra-processed foods, food additives, and health. Their contributions are widely cited in the series for the robustness of their findings and their relevance for public health.
Mathilde Touvier’s participation in the launch event illustrates the international recognition of CRESS’s expertise in nutritional epidemiology. It also underscores the important role of French research in producing scientific evidence that guides international recommendations.
The authors of this Lancet series now call for the implementation of ambitious public policies: improved nutrition labelling (in Europe: wider adoption and development of the Nutri-Score to incorporate the degree of ultra-processing), regulation of marketing, reduced accessibility to ultra-processed products, and strengthened support for sustainable food systems. The goal is to contribute, globally, to healthier diets and the prevention of chronic diseases.
Video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM3KCfqbtxc
By Mathilde Touvier
