Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Jeroen Berden; Giles T Hanley-Cook; Bernadette Chimera; Dagfinn Aune; Maria Gabriela M Pinho; Geneviève Nicolas; Bernard Srour; Christopher J Millett; Emine Koc Cakmak; Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot; Esther M González-Gil; Eszter P Vamos; Jessica Blanco Lopez; Julia Baudry; Justine Berlivet; Kiara Chang; Mathilde Touvier; Charlotte Le Cornet; Chloé Marques; Christina C Dahm; Daniel B Ibsen; Franziska Jannasch; Guri Skeie; Maria-José Sanchez; Matthias B Schulze; Sara Grioni; Yvonne T van der Schouw; Ana M Jimenez Zabala; Anna Winkvist; Anne Tjønneland; Carlotta Sacerdote; Cecilie Kyrø; Elisabette Weiderpass; Marcela Guevara; Pauline Frenoy; Rosario Tumino; Salvatore Panico; Verena Katzke; Xuan Ren; Paolo Vineis; Pietro Ferrari; Carl Lachat; Inge Huybrechts

doi:10.1017/S1368980025101067

Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Jeroen Berden^*
, Giles T Hanley-Cook
, Bernadette Chimera
, Dagfinn Aune
, Maria Gabriela M Pinho
, Geneviève Nicolas
, Bernard Srour
, Christopher J Millett
, Emine Koc Cakmak
, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
, Esther M González-Gil
, Eszter P Vamos
, Jessica Blanco Lopez
, Julia Baudry
, Justine Berlivet
, Kiara Chang
, Mathilde Touvier
, Charlotte Le Cornet
, Chloé Marques
, Christina C Dahm

Daniel B Ibsen, Franziska Jannasch, Guri Skeie, Maria-José Sanchez, Matthias B Schulze, Sara Grioni, Yvonne T van der Schouw, Ana M Jimenez Zabala, Anna Winkvist, Anne Tjønneland, Carlotta Sacerdote, Cecilie Kyrø, Elisabette Weiderpass, Marcela Guevara, Pauline Frenoy, Rosario Tumino, Salvatore Panico, Verena Katzke, Xuan Ren, Paolo Vineis, Pietro Ferrari, Carl Lachat, Inge Huybrechts

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sustainability Science and Education

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Objective: While associations of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with adverse health outcomes are accruing, its environmental and food biodiversity impacts remain underexplored. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), land use, and food biodiversity. Design: Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (grams/day and kcal/day) and GHGe (kg CO₂-equivalents/day), land use (m^2/day), and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Participants: 368,733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Setting: Europe Results: Stronger associations were found for UPF consumption in relation with GHGe and land use compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with lower GHGe (8.9%; 95%CI: - 9.0; -8.9) and land use (9.3%; -9.5; -9.2) when considering consumption by gram per day and higher GHGe (2.6%; 95% CI: 2.5: 2.6) and land use (1.2%; 1.0; 1.3) when considering consumption in kilocalories per day. Substituting UPF by unprocessed or minimally processed foods led to negligible differences in DSR, both for consumption in grams (-0.1%; -0.2; -0.1) and kilocalories (1.0%; 1.0; 1.1). Conclusion: UPF consumption was strongly associated with GHGe and land use as compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption, while associations with food biodiversity were marginal. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods resulted in differing directions of associations with environmental impacts, depending on whether substitutions were weight- or calorie-based.

Original language	English
Number of pages	7
Journal	Public Health Nutrition
Volume	28
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101067
Publication status	Published - 11 Sept 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society.

Funding

The coordination of EPIC is financially supported by the IARC and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London which has additional infrastructure support provided by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). The national cohorts are supported by: Danish Cancer Society (Denmark); Ligue Contre le Cancer, Institut Gustave Roussy, Mutuelle Generale de l'Education Nationale, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) (France); German Cancer Aid, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Germany); Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro-AIRC-Italy, Compagnia di SanPaolo and National Research Council (Italy); Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS), Dutch Prevention Funds, Dutch ZON (Zorg Onderzoek Nederland), World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) (The Netherlands); Health Research Fund (FIS)-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Regional Governments of Andalucia, Asturias, Basque Country, Murcia and Navarra and the Catalan Institute of Oncology-ICO (Spain); Swedish Cancer Society, Swedish Research Council and County Councils of Skane and Vaesterbotten (Sweden); Cancer Research UK (14136 to EPIC-Norfolk; C8221/A29017 to EPIC-Oxford), Medical Research Council (1000143 to EPIC-Norfolk; MR/M012190/1 to EPIC-Oxford). (United Kingdom), UiT The Arctic University of Norway. EKC was supported by the Ministry of National Education, Turkiye, through the YLSY International Graduate Education Scholarship Programme. Funding for grant number IIG_FULL_2020_034 was obtained from Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds (WKOF), as part of the World Cancer Research Fund International grant programme. Funding for grant IIG_FULL_2020_033 was obtained from World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK), as part of the World Cancer Research Fund International grant programme. Researchers were independent from the funders. Funders had no role in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit the article for publication. PV and CJM are supported by the NIHR GHRC on NCD and Environmental Change (NIHR203247) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. Researchers were independent from the funders. Funders had no role in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit the article for publication.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

environmental impact
food biodiversity
food processing
ultra-processed foods

Access to Document

10.1017/S1368980025101067Licence: CC BY

quantifying-the-environmental-and-food-biodiversity-impacts-of-ultra-processed-foods-evidence-from-the-european-prospective-investigation-into-cancer-and-nutrition-epic-studyFinal published version, 432 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Berden, J., Hanley-Cook, G. T., Chimera, B., Aune, D., Pinho, M. G. M., Nicolas, G., Srour, B., Millett, C. J., Koc Cakmak, E., Kesse-Guyot, E., González-Gil, E. M., Vamos, E. P., Blanco Lopez, J., Baudry, J., Berlivet, J., Chang, K., Touvier, M., Le Cornet, C., Marques, C., ... Huybrechts, I. (2025). Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Public Health Nutrition, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101067

@article{574346efcd914faa8b7d526fb59753b7,

title = "Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study",

abstract = "Objective: While associations of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with adverse health outcomes are accruing, its environmental and food biodiversity impacts remain underexplored. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), land use, and food biodiversity. Design: Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (grams/day and kcal/day) and GHGe (kg CO2-equivalents/day), land use (m2/day), and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Participants: 368,733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Setting: Europe Results: Stronger associations were found for UPF consumption in relation with GHGe and land use compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with lower GHGe (8.9\%; 95\%CI: - 9.0; -8.9) and land use (9.3\%; -9.5; -9.2) when considering consumption by gram per day and higher GHGe (2.6\%; 95\% CI: 2.5: 2.6) and land use (1.2\%; 1.0; 1.3) when considering consumption in kilocalories per day. Substituting UPF by unprocessed or minimally processed foods led to negligible differences in DSR, both for consumption in grams (-0.1\%; -0.2; -0.1) and kilocalories (1.0\%; 1.0; 1.1). Conclusion: UPF consumption was strongly associated with GHGe and land use as compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption, while associations with food biodiversity were marginal. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods resulted in differing directions of associations with environmental impacts, depending on whether substitutions were weight- or calorie-based.",

keywords = "environmental impact, food biodiversity, food processing, ultra-processed foods",

author = "Jeroen Berden and Hanley-Cook, \{Giles T\} and Bernadette Chimera and Dagfinn Aune and Pinho, \{Maria Gabriela M\} and Genevi{\`e}ve Nicolas and Bernard Srour and Millett, \{Christopher J\} and \{Koc Cakmak\}, Emine and Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot and Gonz{\'a}lez-Gil, \{Esther M\} and Vamos, \{Eszter P\} and \{Blanco Lopez\}, Jessica and Julia Baudry and Justine Berlivet and Kiara Chang and Mathilde Touvier and \{Le Cornet\}, Charlotte and Chlo{\'e} Marques and Dahm, \{Christina C\} and Ibsen, \{Daniel B\} and Franziska Jannasch and Guri Skeie and Maria-Jos{\'e} Sanchez and Schulze, \{Matthias B\} and Sara Grioni and \{van der Schouw\}, \{Yvonne T\} and \{Jimenez Zabala\}, \{Ana M\} and Anna Winkvist and Anne Tj{\o}nneland and Carlotta Sacerdote and Cecilie Kyr{\o} and Elisabette Weiderpass and Marcela Guevara and Pauline Frenoy and Rosario Tumino and Salvatore Panico and Verena Katzke and Xuan Ren and Paolo Vineis and Pietro Ferrari and Carl Lachat and Inge Huybrechts",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society.",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1017/S1368980025101067",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

journal = "Public Health Nutrition",

issn = "1368-9800",

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Berden, J, Hanley-Cook, GT, Chimera, B, Aune, D, Pinho, MGM, Nicolas, G, Srour, B, Millett, CJ, Koc Cakmak, E, Kesse-Guyot, E, González-Gil, EM, Vamos, EP, Blanco Lopez, J, Baudry, J, Berlivet, J, Chang, K, Touvier, M, Le Cornet, C, Marques, C, Dahm, CC, Ibsen, DB, Jannasch, F, Skeie, G, Sanchez, M-J, Schulze, MB, Grioni, S, van der Schouw, YT, Jimenez Zabala, AM, Winkvist, A, Tjønneland, A, Sacerdote, C, Kyrø, C, Weiderpass, E, Guevara, M, Frenoy, P, Tumino, R, Panico, S, Katzke, V, Ren, X, Vineis, P, Ferrari, P, Lachat, C & Huybrechts, I 2025, 'Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study', Public Health Nutrition, vol. 28, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101067

Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. / Berden, Jeroen; Hanley-Cook, Giles T; Chimera, Bernadette et al.
In: Public Health Nutrition, Vol. 28, No. 1, 11.09.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods

T2 - evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

AU - Berden, Jeroen

AU - Hanley-Cook, Giles T

AU - Chimera, Bernadette

AU - Aune, Dagfinn

AU - Pinho, Maria Gabriela M

AU - Nicolas, Geneviève

AU - Srour, Bernard

AU - Millett, Christopher J

AU - Koc Cakmak, Emine

AU - Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle

AU - González-Gil, Esther M

AU - Vamos, Eszter P

AU - Blanco Lopez, Jessica

AU - Baudry, Julia

AU - Berlivet, Justine

AU - Chang, Kiara

AU - Touvier, Mathilde

AU - Le Cornet, Charlotte

AU - Marques, Chloé

AU - Dahm, Christina C

AU - Ibsen, Daniel B

AU - Jannasch, Franziska

AU - Skeie, Guri

AU - Sanchez, Maria-José

AU - Schulze, Matthias B

AU - Grioni, Sara

AU - van der Schouw, Yvonne T

AU - Jimenez Zabala, Ana M

AU - Winkvist, Anna

AU - Tjønneland, Anne

AU - Sacerdote, Carlotta

AU - Kyrø, Cecilie

AU - Weiderpass, Elisabette

AU - Guevara, Marcela

AU - Frenoy, Pauline

AU - Tumino, Rosario

AU - Panico, Salvatore

AU - Katzke, Verena

AU - Ren, Xuan

AU - Vineis, Paolo

AU - Ferrari, Pietro

AU - Lachat, Carl

AU - Huybrechts, Inge

PY - 2025/9/11

Y1 - 2025/9/11

N2 - Objective: While associations of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with adverse health outcomes are accruing, its environmental and food biodiversity impacts remain underexplored. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), land use, and food biodiversity. Design: Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (grams/day and kcal/day) and GHGe (kg CO2-equivalents/day), land use (m2/day), and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Participants: 368,733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Setting: Europe Results: Stronger associations were found for UPF consumption in relation with GHGe and land use compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with lower GHGe (8.9%; 95%CI: - 9.0; -8.9) and land use (9.3%; -9.5; -9.2) when considering consumption by gram per day and higher GHGe (2.6%; 95% CI: 2.5: 2.6) and land use (1.2%; 1.0; 1.3) when considering consumption in kilocalories per day. Substituting UPF by unprocessed or minimally processed foods led to negligible differences in DSR, both for consumption in grams (-0.1%; -0.2; -0.1) and kilocalories (1.0%; 1.0; 1.1). Conclusion: UPF consumption was strongly associated with GHGe and land use as compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption, while associations with food biodiversity were marginal. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods resulted in differing directions of associations with environmental impacts, depending on whether substitutions were weight- or calorie-based.

AB - Objective: While associations of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with adverse health outcomes are accruing, its environmental and food biodiversity impacts remain underexplored. This study examines associations between UPF consumption and dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), land use, and food biodiversity. Design: Prospective cohort study. Linear mixed models estimated associations between UPF intake (grams/day and kcal/day) and GHGe (kg CO2-equivalents/day), land use (m2/day), and dietary species richness (DSR). Substitution analyses assessed the impact of replacing UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Participants: 368,733 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Setting: Europe Results: Stronger associations were found for UPF consumption in relation with GHGe and land use compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with lower GHGe (8.9%; 95%CI: - 9.0; -8.9) and land use (9.3%; -9.5; -9.2) when considering consumption by gram per day and higher GHGe (2.6%; 95% CI: 2.5: 2.6) and land use (1.2%; 1.0; 1.3) when considering consumption in kilocalories per day. Substituting UPF by unprocessed or minimally processed foods led to negligible differences in DSR, both for consumption in grams (-0.1%; -0.2; -0.1) and kilocalories (1.0%; 1.0; 1.1). Conclusion: UPF consumption was strongly associated with GHGe and land use as compared to unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption, while associations with food biodiversity were marginal. Substituting UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods resulted in differing directions of associations with environmental impacts, depending on whether substitutions were weight- or calorie-based.

KW - environmental impact

KW - food biodiversity

KW - food processing

KW - ultra-processed foods

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015890584

U2 - 10.1017/S1368980025101067

DO - 10.1017/S1368980025101067

M3 - Article

C2 - 40931427

SN - 1368-9800

VL - 28

JO - Public Health Nutrition

JF - Public Health Nutrition

IS - 1

ER -

Quantifying the environmental and food biodiversity impacts of ultra-processed foods: evidence from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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