Colloque - Nutritional Determinants of Health: Recent Research Discoveries and Translation into Public Health Action : Understanding the Global Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods: the Food Systems and Commercial Determinants

Mathilde Touvier

Santé publique 2022-2023

Collège de France

Colloque - Nutritional Determinants of Health: Recent Research Discoveries and Translation into Public Health Action : Understanding the Global Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods: the Food Systems and Commercial Determinants

Intervenant(s)

Pr Phillip Baker, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University

Résumé

The share of ultra-processed foods in human diets is rising nearly everywhere, raising serious concerns for human and planetary health. Too often, blame is placed on individuals or families, and their dietary choices, stigmatising people living with obesity, and resulting in ineffective policy responses that focus on consumers alone. In this presentation Dr Baker presents an alternative interpretation. His research focuses instead on the role of the food industry, and the market and political practices used by large corporations to shape food systems and ultimately—to grow and sustain ultra-processed food markets on a global scale. Corporations like Coca-Cola, Nestle and McDonalds act as vectors for the spread of ultra-processed foods worldwide, normalising their products through intensive marketing, and displacing the sectors and industries that produce fresh and minimally processed foods. The same corporations fund and coordinate lobby groups, develop self-governing regulations, and promote corporate science to frame societal debates about ultra-processed foods, and to block progressive public health regulation. Responding to this challenge requires comprehensive policy frameworks that counteract the market and political activities of these corporations, and the mobilization of broad coalitions of organizations working for the public health interest.

Phillip Baker

Dr Baker's research focuses on understanding worldwide food systems change, and the implications for human and planetary health. This includes the global rise of ultra-processed foods, the political economy of food systems, and the commercial determinants of infant and child nutrition. He is currently co-leading a new Lancet Series on Ultra-processed Foods and Human Health, including how to mobilize and accelerate a step-change in worldwide policy action. Dr Baker is a member of the WHOLancet Breastfeeding Collaboration, a former member of the Global Nutrition Report, and Lancet Commission on Obesity. He regularly consults to UN agencies on related topics.