Ultra-processed foods likened to cigarettes, scientists warn

Scientists have warned that many ultra-processed foods commonly found on supermarket shelves and in households are designed to be addictive, drawing comparisons to tobacco products.

According to a report by researchers from Harvard, Michigan and Duke universities, packaged snacks, sugary drinks and ready-made meals contain chemical combinations that stimulate dependency in ways similar to cigarettes. The study argues that these products are engineered to encourage overconsumption rather than provide nutrition.

Researchers also highlighted how such foods are often marketed as healthy, using labels such as “low-fat” or “sugar-free,” echoing past tobacco industry tactics that promoted filtered cigarettes as safer alternatives. In reality, the report says, ultra-processed foods pose serious public health risks.

Scientists are calling for stricter regulation, including advertising restrictions, warning labels and higher taxes, similar to measures used against tobacco. Ultra-processed foods have been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Ultra-processed foods include soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, fast food, processed meats, instant meals, sweetened dairy products and many breakfast cereals.