The threat of ultraprocessed food consumption is in the spotlight amid the U.S. government's plans to phase out artificial food dyes.
New research is supporting this movement, revealing that foods in this category are linked to premature deaths in eight countries.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, focused on the risk of all-cause mortality and the "epidemiologic burden" from ultraprocessed food consumption.
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The meta-analysis of observational cohort studies, conducted from November 2023 to July 2024, looked at people with low consumption of ultraprocessed foods in Colombia and Brazil, intermediate consumption in Chile and Mexico, and high consumptions in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Canada.
The researchers found an association between ultraprocessed foods and all-cause mortality in all eight countries, varying from 4% risk in Colombia to 14% risk in the U.K. and U.S.
"The findings support that ultraprocessed food intake contributes significantly to the overall burden of disease in many countries, and its reduction should be included in national dietary guideline recommendations and addressed in public policies," the researchers concluded.
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In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, study co-author Eduardo A.F. Nilson, a food and nutrition researcher in Brazil, shared how the evidence of health risks connected to ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) has "increased significantly over the last decade."
"UPF consumption has been associated with 32 adverse health outcomes, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even mental health issues," he listed.
"Our estimates show that the magnitude of the impact of UPFs on all-cause mortality is relevant in all countries involved in the analysis, especially in those where they are predominant in the diets, such as the U.S. and the U.K."
The difference between countries with "lower, yet increasing" UPF consumption and those with higher consumption suggests that "large impacts on preventable deaths could be potentially achieved by reducing UPF consumption."
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital in New York City, WebMD Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Whyte shared a word of caution about ultraprocessed food exposure.
As the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has the nation re-evaluating what people are consuming, Whyte agreed that there are "lots of things we need to be doing to make food healthier."
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"There's so much food that we consume that's processed and, even more concerning, ultraprocessed," he said.
"It often seems to be more convenient. It's cheaper, it lasts longer," he went on. "And sometimes, I'm concerned about how long some of these foods last."
The practicing physician questioned, "What's in them that's allowing them to stay in your pantry for a couple of years?"
As an example, Whyte referenced "blue zones," areas of the world where people live to be 100 and have a low incidence of dementia and heart disease.
Residents in blue zones eat primarily plant-based, whole-foods diets, he noted.
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"They're not eating a lot of processed cookies, meats or snacks," he said.
"And that's where I think we need to have this important discussion as to how we have more healthy food. How do we make it more available? How do we make it economical for people?"
In response, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Mary Makary have announced their intent to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.
"For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals," Makary said at a recent press conference.
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"The scientific community has conducted a number of studies raising concerns about the correlation between petroleum-based synthetic dyes and several health conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, genomic disruption and GI issues."
Fox News Digital’s Ashley DiMella contributed to this report.