A Scoping Review of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Cancer Risk: Implications for Public Health, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and Other Healthcare Professionals.

Abstract

Foods that are industrially created and/or heavily manipulated in the manufacturing process are conceptualized as ultra processed foods (UPFs), reflecting an emerging dietary target for chronic disease prevention. This scoping review provides updated evidence on associations between UPF consumption and cancer risk and identifies potential carcinogenic properties within UPFs, highlighting implications for food policies, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and other healthcare professionals. Using the PubMed and Scopus databases, a comprehensive search was conducted (2010-2025). Eligible articles were required to be peer reviewed, published in English, observational in design, utilize the NOVA classification system, and examine cancer incidence. A total of 23 articles were included, and 15 reported a positive association between UPF intake and cancer incidence. This appeared more pronounced when cancer was considered one of many chronic diseases, and factoring in subgroup analyses within larger populations. Sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed meats were isolated UPFs associated with higher cancer risk, allowing RDNs and other healthcare practitioners tangible dietary targets to impact cancer risk. Given the collective evidence, significant investment is needed in methodologies to comprehensively and reliably classify UPFs and to integrate UPFs into public health nutrition campaigns, dietary guidelines and food labels promoting a better food environment for all.