Health and Me

Ishita Roy

India Sees a 4000% Increase In Sale Of Ultra Processed Food, Finds Lancet Study

The latest <span>Lancet Study</span> warns that India is experiencing a rapid and worrying rise in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The UPF includes food like instant noodles, packaged snacks, ready-to-eat meals, sugary beverages, mass-produced breads, processed meats, and other industrially formulated products. 

The paper was authored by 43 global experts who noted that traditional Indian meals are increasingly being replaced by convenient but nutritionally poor foods, which are not contributing to a rise in chronic diseases. 

The Series calls for “immediate and decisive public health action”, stressing that individual willpower alone cannot fix dietary patterns. Instead, the availability, affordability, marketing, and widespread promotion of UPFs must be addressed at the policy level.

<h2>The Rate Of UPFs Growth In India</h2>

The shift has been dramatic. The retail sales of UPFs in India jumped from ₹7,996 crore in 2006 to ₹3.3 lakh crore in 2019. In other words, the initial value for the same products in 2006 was less than $ 0.9 Billion and by 2019, it reached the value of $ 38 Billion, leading to a forty-fold rise, or an increase around 4000%. This reflects a massive surge of how deeply these products have entered the Indian household. 

During the same period, obesity rates among both men and women have doubled. Today, nearly one in four Indians is obese, one in ten has diabetes, and one in three has abdominal obesity. Childhood obesity has also risen, increasing from 2.1% to 3.4% between 2016 and 2019–21. The authors warn that this pattern mirrors global trends where UPF consumption is strongly linked to weight gain and metabolic disorders.

According to the papers, the UPF industry is a central driver of this shift. Because UPFs are more profitable than minimally processed foods, corporations invest heavily in their production, distribution, and marketing. This profit-focused model encourages continuous expansion, making these foods widely accessible and aggressively promoted.

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/nutrition/after-lancet-links-ultra-processed-foods-to-organ-damage-new-study-ties-them-to-bowel-polyps-in-women-under-50-article-153183151" data-type="tilCustomLink">After Lancet Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Organ Damage, New Study Ties Them to Bowel Polyps in Women Under 50</a>

The Lancet Series highlighted that the major concerns are due to corporate influence and gap in India's food regulation. The marketing network of corporate influence often delay or weaken public health policies. 

They uses strategies like direct lobbying and political pressure, involvement in the government committees, litigation to block regulations, funding research that creates doubt or shifts the blames and influence public opinion through advertising and public relation campaigns. 

“UPFs are advertised addictions. A ban on their advertising and sponsorship is needed,” said Prof. Srinath Reddy, Chancellor of PHFI University of Public Health Sciences to The Tribune.

The authors emphasize that the harm caused by UPFs extends far beyond poor <span>nutrition</span>. Industrial processes, such as chemical modification, extrusion, and the addition of synthetic ingredients, can alter food structure in ways that negatively affect metabolism, immunity, and long-term health.

Regular consumption of UPFs has been linked to higher risks of obesity, Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and premature death. “These foods contribute to diminished immunity, aggravated inflammation, and a rise in life-threatening chronic diseases,” Dr. Reddy said.

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The latest Lancet Study warns that India is experiencing a rapid and worrying rise in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The UPF includes food like instant noodles, packaged snacks, ready-to-eat meals, sugary beverages, mass-produced breads, processed meats, and other industrially formulated products. The paper was authored by 43 global experts who noted that traditional Indian meals are increasingly being replaced by convenient but nutritionally poor foods, which are not contributing to a rise in chronic diseases. The Series calls for “immediate and decisive public health action”, stressing that individual willpower alone cannot fix dietary patterns. Instead, the availability, affordability, marketing, and widespread promotion of UPFs must be addressed at the policy level.The Rate Of UPFs Growth In IndiaThe shift has been dramatic. The retail sales of UPFs in India jumped from ₹7,996 crore in 2006 to ₹3.3 lakh crore in 2019. In other words, the initial value for the same products in 2006 was less than $ 0.9 Billion and by 2019, it reached the value of $ 38 Billion, leading to a forty-fold rise, or an increase around 4000%. This reflects a massive surge of how deeply these products have entered the Indian household. During the same period, obesity rates among both men and women have doubled. Today, nearly one in four Indians is obese, one in ten has diabetes, and one in three has abdominal obesity. Childhood obesity has also risen, increasing from 2.1% to 3.4% between 2016 and 2019–21. The authors warn that this pattern mirrors global trends where UPF consumption is strongly linked to weight gain and metabolic disorders.According to the papers, the UPF industry is a central driver of this shift. Because UPFs are more profitable than minimally processed foods, corporations invest heavily in their production, distribution, and marketing. This profit-focused model encourages continuous expansion, making these foods widely accessible and aggressively promoted.Read: After Lancet Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Organ Damage, New Study Ties Them to Bowel Polyps in Women Under 50why Is This Happening In India?The Lancet Series highlighted that the major concerns are due to corporate influence and gap in India's food regulation. The marketing network of corporate influence often delay or weaken public health policies. They uses strategies like direct lobbying and political pressure, involvement in the government committees, litigation to block regulations, funding research that creates doubt or shifts the blames and influence public opinion through advertising and public relation campaigns. “UPFs are advertised addictions. A ban on their advertising and sponsorship is needed,” said Prof. Srinath Reddy, Chancellor of PHFI University of Public Health Sciences to The Tribune.What Are The Health Impacts?The authors emphasize that the harm caused by UPFs extends far beyond poor nutrition. Industrial processes, such as chemical modification, extrusion, and the addition of synthetic ingredients, can alter food structure in ways that negatively affect metabolism, immunity, and long-term health.Regular consumption of UPFs has been linked to higher risks of obesity, Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and premature death. “These foods contribute to diminished immunity, aggravated inflammation, and a rise in life-threatening chronic diseases,” Dr. Reddy said.