This warning came in a report published by The Lancet medical journal, signed by 43 scientists and researchers from around the world.
The report indicated that food companies prioritize profit, leading to the spread of ultra-processed foods at the expense of fresh options, which contributes to the deterioration of food quality and increases rates of chronic diseases.
These foods include products such as ice cream, processed meats, potato chips, and mass-produced bread, as well as some breakfast cereals, biscuits, ready meals, and soft drinks.
Experts pointed out that these products usually contain high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar, in addition to preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial colors and flavors that are not usually used in home cooking.
They also warned that increased consumption of these foods is linked to multiple health risks, including obesity, heart disease, cancer and premature death.
On the other hand, the report highlighted the large disparity in the rates of consumption of these foods around the world, where the percentage does not exceed 25% in countries such as Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and some Asian countries, while it reaches 50% in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
In mixed reactions, industry representatives defended companies' efforts to improve their products, while independent researchers called for more high-quality studies to understand the precise relationship between industrial food processing and health.
There remains agreement on the need for urgent action to address this growing problem that threatens global public health.