A new study highlights that manufacturers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) employ development, marketing, and distribution practices strikingly similar to those historically used by the tobacco industry. The authors therefore call on regulators to draw on tobacco control tools when mitigating the health impacts of these products.
Milbank Quarterly, 3 February 2026 | The article’s authors explain that ultra-processed foods are not simply ordinary foods, but in many cases industrially designed products optimised to stimulate taste, rapid consumption, and repeated intake. They are formulated to deliver high doses of sugar and fat, maximise pleasure, and simultaneously minimise unpleasant sensory experiences.
The study further notes that processing these products accelerates nutrient absorption by removing fiber, protein, and water, and sometimes adding enzymes that promote rapid breakdown. The result is a sharp rise in blood glucose followed by a rapid drop, which can encourage additional food intake. Manufacturers also add ingredients to enhance taste, aroma, and texture, increasing the product’s appeal, reducing satiety, and extending shelf life.
According to the authors, habit formation is further reinforced by the widespread availability of these products and their packaging or marketing messages, which may create the impression of a healthier choice, such as “high protein” or “low fat” labels. The analysis draws on insights from addiction studies, nutrition, and public health history, focusing on five areas: dose optimisation, delivery speed, hedonic engineering, environmental omnipresence, and misleading reformulation.
Summary
The study concludes that certain ultra-processed foods share key characteristics with tobacco products that promote overconsumption. Therefore, they should be subject to stricter regulatory policies targeting not only individual behaviour but also product design and marketing.
Source
Gearhardt, A.N., Brownell, K.D. and Brandt, A.M. (2026), From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease. Milbank Quarterly., 104: 76-115. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70066
