Over the past three decades, New Zealand’s imports of “ultra-processed” foods and drinks increased significantly, from 16 kilograms per person in 1990 to 104 kilograms in 2023.

Over the past three decades, New Zealand’s imports of “ultra-processed

Our research shows the share of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in New Zealand’s total food and drink imports rose from 9% in 1990 to 22% in 2023.

The medical journal The Lancet defines UPFs as:

branded, commercial formulations made from cheap ingredients extracted or derived from whole foods, combined with additives, and mostly containing little to no whole food.

These foods include soft drinks, sweet and savoury snacks and ready meals. They are gaining global attention as a major health and environmental concern.

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Diets high in UPFs carry a risk of developing a wide range of serious health conditions – including being overweight or obese, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and depression – and premature death.

Due to their reliance on plastic packaging, and water and energy use in production, they are also environmentally damaging.

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We don’t have a clear picture of how much ultra-processed food New Zealanders are eating because the country has not run a national nutrition survey since 2008.

But if New Zealand is anything like Australia or Canada, it is likely about half the population’s energy intake is represented by UPFs.

The rise in dominance of UPFs observed over three decades in this study highlights the need for policies to counteract these trends in order to protect population nutrition.

Cheap and high in energy

UPFs are are generally made of cheap inputs such as high-yield crops (soy, maize, wheat, sugarcane, palm fruits) or scraps of meat, which are separated into starches, fibre, sugars, proteins and oils and fats.

These components are then chemically modified and combined, using industrial techniques such as extrusion, moulding and pre-frying.

They are typically high in calories as well as sugars, salt and fats. Most contain additives such as flavours, colours and emulsifiers to make the final product look and taste good.

We know about 70% of packaged food in New Zealand supermarkets is ultra-processed. We also know that 18% of premature death and disability is due to unhealthy diets and excess weight; two risk factors linked to high UPF consumption.

History of UPF entry into New Zealand

UPFs have entered the global market during the past 70 years. Initially developed as military rations during the second world war, they have since become ubiquitous.

Research shows US tobacco companies bought UPF manufacturers and applied their knowledge of flavours and child-focused marketing to develop sweetened drink brands and products with purposeful combinations of salt, fats and sugars that trigger a dopamine-like reward response.

Combined with chemical flavourings, these products became “hyper palatable” and designed to be over-eaten.

UPF producers based ma