One in three daily calories for Irish adults are from ultra-processed food – should be we concerned?

The research, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested over-consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked to more than 30 illnesses. Photo: Getty Images

Eilish O'Regan

Around a third of the calories people in Ireland eat daily are from ultra-processed foods, experts have revealed.

The data – which ranks Ireland ninth out of 32 countries for consuming ultra-processed foods, including cakes, sweets, biscuits and some ready-made meals – has been published in a British Medical Journal review, which said ultra-processed foods can raise the risk of illnesses such as heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.