A new series of papers in The Lancet warns that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) pose a serious and growing public health threat.
For retailers around the world, the findings suggest a critical inflection point: business models, shelf space, and product portfolios may need to shift as regulatory and social pressure intensifies.
Ultra-processed foods at the heart of chronic disease risk
The Lancet’s analysis, based on more than 104 long-term studies, finds that diets high in ultra-processed foods are strongly linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular illness and mental-health challenges.
The authors argue that UPFs displace whole and minimally processed foods, contributing to poorer nutrition and higher exposure to harmful additives.
Health risks may stem not only from high sugar, salt and fat content but also from the way food is processed and packaged — including chemical residues and “ultra-processed markers.”
How the food industry’s power is reshaping retail and regulation
The report emphasises the enormous political and economic power of the ultra-processed food industry.
It describes a network of global companies and co-dependent actors that exert influence over food systems, driving consumption of UPFs through aggressive marketing, lobbying and shaping scientific debate.
According to the series, this power is a major barrier to public health regulation: efforts to restrict marketing, label processing markers, or impose taxes on UPFs are being resisted.
Retailers, particularly large supermarket chains and multinational food distributors, may find themselves caught between competing pressures — business growth driven by UPF sales, and mounting calls for regulation from policymakers and public health experts.
Levers for retail to act: reformulation, shelf strategy and consumer information
Retailers have several potential levers to respond. First, they can encourage reformulation: collaborating with suppliers to reduce ultra-processed markers (e.g., artificial flavours, emulsifiers) or to increase the proportion of minimally processed products in their ranges.
The Lancet authors specifically call for reformulation to go beyond just sugar, salt and fat metrics.
Second, retailers could rethink shelf allocation and prominence. The report proposes reducing the visibility and shelf space of ultra-processed items in stores, as part of a broader public-health response.
By curating more fresh or lightly processed alternatives, retailers can help shift purchasing patterns.
Third, better consumer information is crucial. The Lancet series recommends front-of-pack labelling that highlights markers of ultra-processing — not only unhealthy nutrients but also additives and processing indicators.
LBC Such labels could enable consumers to make more informed choices, potentially lowering demand for UPFs.
Preparing for global policy change and reputational risk
Retailers should also anticipate stronger regulation.
The Lancet experts argue that governments need to adopt bold, coordinated policies — including marketing restrictions, taxes, and limits on UPF sales in public institutions like schools and hospitals.
Retail businesses operating across markets can use this moment to engage proactively, to build resilience, and to influence policy in ways that balance commercial viability with long-term consumer health.
There is also reputational risk. As public awareness grows, retailers seen as promoting ultra-processed products without caution could face backlash.
Conversely, those that lead on reformulation, responsible product placement, and transparency may enhance brand trust — particularly among health-conscious shoppers.
In short, the Lancet series frames ultra-processed food not just as a public health crisis, but as a retail system challenge. For global retailers, the path ahead may demand a strategic pivot: aligning commercial interests with social and health responsibility.
