Study flags 12 additives in ultra‑processed foods linked to higher mortality risk

A major analysis of health data has identified a set of food additives found in ultra‑processed foods that are associated with an increased risk of death.

Researchers in Germany examined dietary and health information on more than 180,000 participants and grouped additives used in processed products into five categories: flavouring agents, flavour enhancers, colour agents, sweeteners and varieties of sugars. They then isolated 12 specific markers of ultra‑processed foods (MUPs) that were significantly associated with higher mortality in the study population.

The 12 MUPs cited in the analysis include the flavour enhancers glutamate and ribonucleotides; the sweeteners acesulfame, saccharin and sucralose; processing aids such as caking agents, firming agents, gelling agents and thickeners; and the sugars fructose, inverted sugar and lactose, along with maltodextrin. The study also reported that gelling agents such as gelatine were significantly linked to higher mortality.

The researchers noted that ultra‑processed foods have long been associated with a range of chronic conditions and shortened life span, and their work aimed to break that broad category into constituent additives to determine which may be driving the observed associations. Because the analysis used existing population data, it identifies statistical associations rather than proving causation.

The paper’s approach categorized ingredients often used to change texture, extend shelf life, enhance flavour or increase sweetness, and then tested those categories and individual markers against health outcomes recorded in the data set. The analysis found stronger associations for certain additives than for others, prompting the identification of the 12 MUPs singled out in the report.

Public health researchers have for years warned that diets high in ultra‑processed foods are linked to higher rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses. This study adds detail by highlighting specific additives and groups of additives that merit further investigation in prospective and experimental research settings.

Experts caution that observational findings cannot establish direct cause and effect and that differences in consumption patterns, underlying health conditions and other lifestyle factors can influence results. The researchers recommended follow‑up studies to confirm the associations and to explore the biological mechanisms that might explain how particular additives could influence disease risk and mortality.

The identification of specific additive markers may be used to inform future dietary guidance, regulatory priorities and laboratory research into the health effects of food processing ingredients. Until more definitive evidence is available, nutrition authorities generally advise limiting intake of ultra‑processed foods and emphasise diets based on minimally processed foods, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.

The study’s findings were reported in the context of ongoing international efforts to better define and regulate ultra‑processed products and to provide clearer information to consumers about the ingredients they contain. Further peer‑reviewed publications and analyses will be needed to translate the statistical associations reported in this analysis into concrete public health recommendations.