Ultra-processed foods are not more appealing, study finds | Health
Ultra-processed foods are viewed as no more appealing than less processed foods, research has found. A University of Bristol study compared the taste perception of different food types to test the theory that calories and level of processing are key factors influencing how much we like and desire food. The study’s lead author, Prof Peter Rogers, said the results “challenge the assumption that ultra-processed foods are ‘hyperpalatable’, and it seems odd that this has not been directly tested before”. Participants in the study, made up of 224 adult volunteers, were presented with colour images of 24 to 32 familiar foods, including avocado, grapes, cashew nuts, king prawns, olives, blueberry muffins, crispbread, pepperoni sausages and ice-cream. The foods all varied in calories, levels of processing (including UPFs) and carbohydrate-to-fat ratio. The volunteers were then asked to rate the foods for taste pleasantness (liking), desire to eat, sweetness and saltiness, while imagining tasting them. Results from the study, published in the journal Appetite, showed that, on average, UPFs were no more liked or desired than processed or …