Ultra-processed food fears biggest factor in diet changes, finds FSA survey

Eating less processed food is a higher priority for consumers than reducing sugar consumption or eating more fruit & veg, according to a major new survey by the Food  Standards Agency.

The food watchdog asked nearly 6,000 adults from more than 4,000 households across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to report from a list of options on what health changes they had made to their diets in the previous 12 months.

Carried out between May and August last year, the report found three-quarters of the population had made at least one change.

The most common changes reported by respondents were that they had eaten less processed food (49%), eaten less sugar or food/drinks high in sugar (48%) and eaten more fruit and/or vegetables (46%). 

The FSA stressed that the changes were “self reported” and that other studies, such as Defra’s 2024 Family Food Survey showed a “more mixed picture” .

Meanwhile, over half of the population (55%) self-reported they had made a change to their diet for sustainability reasons in the past 12 months. When asked what, if any, changes they had made to their diet in the past 12 months were due to sustainability reasons specifically, the most common changes reported by respondents were that they started to minimise food waste (36%), started buying foods with minimal or no packaging (25%) and started buying locally produced food or food that is in season (21%).

While the FSA does not currently have regulatory control over nutritional advice in England and Wales, it said it was keeping close watch on the extensive and growing body of literature supporting associations between intakes of ultra-processed foods and a wide range of adverse health outcomes.

“It remains unclear to what extent these associations are a consequence of the high saturated fat, salt and sugars content of many ultra-processed foods, adverse effects of various additives or contaminants which may be present in such foods, or characteristics such as palatability,” said a report to the upcoming FSA board meeting.

However, the agency, which does have responsibility for nutritional health in Northern Ireland, said it was considering using the country as a “testbed for implementation” of advice on UPFs.

“Purely from a scientific perspective, it would be possible in the future for NI to act as a testbed for implementation and evaluation of evidence-based advice, in relation to ultra-processed foods or other issues,” the report said.