Big Food’s Ultraprocessed Fear of Cancer

Big Food is fighting a PR war against those warning about health hazards of wolfing down their “ultraprocessed” products while the Mayo Clinic warns there’s growing evidence they aren’t just unhealthy but increase one’s cancer risk.

The famed clinic’s Dr. Dawn Mussallem doesn’t beat around the Lazy Suzanne in a Mayo Clinic Minute post: “The average American … consumes at least 63% ultraprocessed foods” while vegetables only account for 12% of [their] diet – and half of those vegetables consumed are processed. “We know that ultraprocessed foods are linked directly to premature mortality or deaths” and “studies are showing us … that not only do the ultraprocessed foods increase the risk of cancer, but that after a cancer diagnosis such foods increase the risk of dying.”

Naturally (no pun intended), the ultraprocessed food industry is defending its broad sugar daddy product lines from frozen pizzas to potato chips by telling the WSJ such research warnings “could infiltrate US food policy and scare off consumers.” Behind the scenes, we’re told, food-industry proponents have “begun pressing for more oversight of government-funded research” on their junk, er, processed foods, using their lobbyists to play the “price hike” card in warning less processing “could lead to more food waste, higher prices & problems for consumers who might struggle to store more fresh foods.” Got it. BUT CAN YOU TAKE YOUR UTZ CHIPS TO THE GRAVE WITH YOU?

Davd Soul