Ultra-Processed Foods in the Spotlight
The 23rd International Congress of Nutrition (IUNS-ICN), held in Paris (24–29 August 2025), brought together thousands of nutrition professionals, scientists, and policymakers under the theme “Sustainable Food for Global Health.” The program spanned everything from molecular biology to planetary food systems, but one issue emerged as a crosscutting focal point across plenaries, symposia, and debates: ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
UPFs: Definitions, Evidence & Controversy
1. Plenary spotlight
Mark Lawrence delivered a high-profile lecture on “Ultra-processed foods and sustainable food systems,”underscoring UPFs’ dual role: as major contributors to obesity and non-communicable diseases, but also as products embedded in modern supply chains and consumer demand.
2. Scientific symposia & adversarial debate
The American Society of Nutrition convened a provocative session framed as an “adversarial collaboration,” where differing camps debated the strength of epidemiological associations, the adequacy of the NOVA classification, and whether causality can yet be claimed.
3. Mechanistic insights – beyond nutrients
The RESTRUCTURE trial was highlighted, exploring how processing features like texture and eating rate drive energy intake, even when nutrient composition is controlled. This reflected a broader move to look past sugar, fat, and sodium content, and toward structural and physiological impacts of UPFs.
4. Equity and context
Several speakers stressed nuance: in low-resource settings, certain UPFs — such as fortified foods or ready-to-use therapeutic foods — are life-saving. Thus, a blanket condemnation risks overlooking public health benefits in specific contexts.
5. Policy implications
UPFs were connected to labeling, taxation, reformulation, and food system sustainability. Concerns were raised about industrial monocultures and loss of dietary biodiversity, but also about reformulation strategies to mitigate harm without losing affordability and access.
In short, UPFs were not a side-note — they were a recurring thread shaping discussions from lab science to global food policy.
Broader Themes at ICN 2025
While UPFs dominated discourse, the Congress’ scope was intentionally broad. Eight major domains framed the scientific program:
- Nutrition recommendations for the future – updating guidelines in light of new science.
- Climate change, sustainability & nutrition – dietary shifts for planetary health.
- Food science, gastronomy & quality of life – cultural and sensory aspects of food.
- Global health & life-course nutrition – maternal, child, and ageing populations.
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
- Precision & clinical nutrition – including emerging interest in GLP-1 and incretin-based therapies.
- Basic nutrition research – molecular, cellular, and mechanistic studies.
Sessions on GLP-1 agonists explored their role in appetite regulation and metabolic disease, though this was more niche compared to the central stage UPF debates. Sustainability, micronutrient deficiencies, and food policy were also repeatedly emphasized.
Conclusion
The Paris ICN 2025 will likely be remembered as the congress where UPFs took centre stage. Far from being treated as a settled issue, UPFs were a site of lively debate, emerging mechanistic evidence, and urgent policy relevance.By contrast, other areas — from GLP-1 to planetary diets — offered breadth and context, but the spotlight remained on the question: what do UPFs mean for health, food systems, and the future of nutrition science?
