Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of deaths in the UK linked to the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Scientific risk assessment and the United Kingdom’s dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

No specific assessment has been made of the number of deaths in the UK linked to the consumption of ultra-processed foods. However, the SACN has considered the impact of processed foods on health more generally in position statements published in 2023 and 2025.

The SACN has concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed and ultra processed foods and adverse health outcomes, including morbidity and mortality, are concerning.

The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. This is based on the nutrient content of many ultra processed foods and concerns raised in relation to health.

The SACN will continue to keep the topic under review.