Healthy eating is not straightforward for consumers, who need to weigh up mixed messaging from health warnings in the media and from persuasive food marketing campaigns. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have found themselves at the center of a growing storm, with the mainstream media regularly highlighting increased health risks of consuming UPFs. In this Editorial on behalf of the PLOS Medicine Editors, Alexandra Tosun discusses why UPFs are now a topic of increasing attention, from the attention-grabbing headlines to the underlying nutritional debates. The piece explores the complexities of nutrition research, the influence of the media, and the need for stakeholders across sectors to be held to more rigorous standards.
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Editorial
Manufactured meals: The challenges of ultraprocessed foods
PLOS Medicine: published October 15, 2024 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004477
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