Environmental impacts along the value chain from the consumption of ultra-processed foods

Our recognition of the environmental pressures associated with dietary patterns has grown considerably over the past decade. However, few studies have analysed the impacts associated with the consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) and which steps in the food chain contribute the most. Here, using a representative sample of French adults (2,121 enrolled in the Third French Individual and National Food Consumption survey), we investigate the environmental pressures of diets according to UPF consumption. Food intakes were analysed to define the %UPF by weight in the diet according to the NOVA food-classification system. Using detailed environmental data from Agribalyse, we assessed the contribution of UPF to 14 environmental pressure indicators and the contributions of the different food chain stages to these impacts: production, processing, storage, packaging, transport and retailing. The data were described according to quintiles of %UPF in the diet and analysed using crude and energy-adjusted models. Overall, UPF represented 19% of the diet yet contributed 24% to the diet's greenhouse gas emissions, 23% to water use, 23% to land use and 26% to energy demand. Compared with low consumers of UPF (quintile 1; median UPF, 7%), high consumers (quintile 5; median UPF, 35%) consumed more caloric energy (+22%). Caloric intake partially explained the higher environmental pressures from high-UPF consumers. After we adjusted for calories consumed, the associations with greenhouse gas emissions and land use vanished, and the associations with water use and energy demand became negative. However, the processing and packaging stages contributed significantly to energy demand. Post-farm stages, such as final-product creation and packaging, contributed greater environmental impacts of UPF-rich diets.

Automated summary

Our understanding of the environmental pressures associated with dietary patterns has grown in the last decade, but little research has focused on the impacts of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and the specific stages in the food chain that contribute the most. This study examined the environmental pressures of diets based on UPF consumption using data from a representative sample of French adults. The results showed that UPF accounted for 19% of the diet, but contributed significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, and energy demand. The processing and packaging stages were found to have substantial environmental impacts in UPF-rich diets.