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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

UK toddlers get nearly half their calories from ultra-processed food, study finds

Rows of boxes of brands of breakfast cereal on shelves in supermarket
Cereals, as well as flavoured yoghurts, are the most common UPFs that parents said their children ate. Photograph: Kathy deWitt/Alamy

Toddlers in the UK obtain almost half of their calories from ultra-processed foods, rising to 59% by the age of seven, according to the largest study of its kind.

The first comprehensive review of dietary intake at such an early age comes amid rapidly rising global consumption of UPF such as cereals, protein bars, fizzy drinks, ready meals and fast food. The findings were published in the European Journal of Nutrition.

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