- 7 October 2025
- Posted by: Competere
- Categories: highlights, News, Obesity & NCDs
Stop Blaming Ultra-Processed FoodsBY PIETRO PAGANINI
Pietro Paganini was recently interviewed by Euractiv, one of the leading media platforms covering European politics and policy from Brussels. The discussion focused on the ongoing debate around so-called ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the role they are alleged to play in obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Read the full article on Euractiv or a summary below.
The issue is gaining increasing attention in Brussels, where policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders are debating how to respond to the rise of obesity and related health problems. Too often, however, the conversation risks becoming ideological, focusing on simplistic solutions such as identifying a single “enemy“, whether sugar, fat, animal proteins, or processed products. This approach not only ignores the scientific complexity of obesity but also risks misleading citizens and creating ineffective or even harmful policies.
In the interview, Paganini highlighted that obesity and NCDs cannot be blamed solely on HFSS (high in fat, salt, sugar) products or on so-called ultra-processed foods. This is a narrow view that captures only a fraction of the problem while avoiding the deeper issues. Portion size, frequency, and variety are crucial drivers, together with many other individual and social factors that shape our lifestyle and eating habits.
Proposals such as new levies or restrictions could consume years of institutional debate, focusing on contestable definitions of what is “healthy” or “unhealthy.” The risk is that the EU turns into a nanny state, with unintended consequences not only for consumers but also for the economy and for society at large.
Below is the full quote from the interview.
“That view captures only a fraction of the problem and avoids the real issues”, he said, arguing that portion size, frequency and variety are “the real drivers”, together with many other individual and social factors that shape our lifestyle. He warned that introducing such a levy would risk “wasting years on a contestable definition” of what constitutes a healthy diet and would ultimately turn the EU into a “nanny state, with unintended consequences for consumers, the economy and society at large.”
Read From Crisis to Prevention: Building Anticipatory Nutrition Governance in EU >>>