Chris van Tulleken news and analysis
Chris van Tulleken is the author of Ultra-Processed People (2023), which sparked widespread debate about ultra-processed foods. He is also a doctor, media personality and food health commentator.
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Category ReportHow will Joe’s ‘Killer’ blow affect protein?
Joe Wicks has branded many protein bars UPFs, claiming some are linked to cancer and stroke. How much damage could it do?
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Comment & OpinionJoe Wicks’ UPF crusade: well-meaning but woefully misguided
Joe Wicks and Dr Chris van Tulleken are spreading confusion and fear, rather than helping consumers make informed choices, says Mike Coppen-Gardner of SPQR
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Comment & OpinionThe real problem with UPFs isn’t the ingredients, it’s the incentives
As the man behind Joe Wicks’ headline-grabbing Killer protein bar, Amir Mousavi, founder and food consultant, Good Food Studio, gets real about food development, UPFs and what needs to change
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Comment & OpinionWhat the UPF? Why there are so few dissenting voices on the topic
The reaction to Joe Wicks and Chris van Tulleken’s shockumentary shows how bizarre the UPF debate has become, says Anthony Warner, development chef at New Food Innovation
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Comment & OpinionIs Joe Wicks’ Killer protein bar really ‘full of shit’?
Nutrition experts and health advocates have spoken out to criticise the Licensed to Kill show’s complete lack of nuance, and fearmongering
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Comment & OpinionBirthday cake sandwich? Viral UPFs distract from health concerns
Novelty products designed to create social media buzz can overshadow the bigger conversation about what is unhealthy for us, says Jack Scott, co-founder of Dash Water
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NewsLess processed diet may be more beneficial for weight loss: study
When given nutritionally matched diets, participants lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods compared to ultra-processed foods, a new clinical trial has found
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Comment & OpinionThe Food Strategy is ambitious… but we still need profits
Amid many sections on economic growth, I could not find a single reference in the Strategy to the need for the industry to make a profit, says Ian Wright, partner at Acuti Associates
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Analysis & FeaturesHow the ultra-processed food narrative has splintered and why
In the absence of a single, agreed-upon definition of what constitutes a UPF, individual definitions, scoring systems and frameworks are emerging
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Comment & OpinionM&S one-ingredient corn flakes show folly of HFSS ad ban
Rather than being celebrated as a major step toward ingredient simplicity, critics dismissed the innovation as a marketing gimmick, says Craig Ralph, client services director at SPQR
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Analysis & FeaturesFood Strategy board: who’s on it and what will they do?
Defra has named 13 food ‘big hitters’ who will form the group. But some sources fear the lineup is ‘imbalanced’ toward intervention
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Comment & OpinionCharlie Bigham’s doesn’t make UPFs – or ready meals
I am proud we have spent the past 28 years making food consistent with our founding philosophy, says Charlie Bigham, founder of Charlie Bigham’s
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Comment & OpinionUltra-processed opinion: what the public think about UPFs is entirely irrelevant
What should we make of a government-funded ‘dialogue’ to include consumer views on UPFs when developing the new National Food Strategy?
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NewsWaitrose kicks off major push on ‘non-ultra processed’ products
Waitrose is ’ramping up’ its focus on ’non’ UPFs throughout 2025, and has invited suppliers to help
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NewsDitch AHDB’s Lets Eat Balanced campaign, campaigners urge
Campaigners led by Feedback have called on the government to step in and end the campaign
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Comment & OpinionIrresistible: Chris van Tulleken assembles solid anti-UPF argument
The documentary groans with contributions from food technicians, academics, psychologists, marketers, researchers and penitent former industry bods
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Analysis & FeaturesWill Labour act on damning obesity report proposals?
A House of Lords committee has urged the government to revisit Henry Dimbleby’s ideas on taxation and advertising restrictions
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Comment & OpinionLords’ recommendations are draconian, but unlikely to see the light of day
Wes Streeting will be pondering how far a new Labour public health strategy can go down the road of intervention and regulation
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NewsLords’ inquiry demands new taxes ‘hold industry to account’ for obesity crisis
The committee calls for prime minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves to take personal charge of a new obesity strategy
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Comment & OpinionWes Streeting cannot just ‘follow the science’ in UPF debate
The health secretary faces a tough decision in an argument that has merit – and scientific evidence – on both sides