A new comprehensive analysis suggests that ultra-processed foods should no longer be viewed simply as food. Instead, a team of researchers argues these products function more like industrially produced addictive substances. The review, published in The Milbank Quarterly, draws parallels between the modern food industry and the tobacco industry of the 20th century. The authors propose that manufacturers use sophisticated engineering to create compulsive consumption patterns.

This perspective challenges the traditional view that overeating is solely a failure of individual willpower. It implies that the products themselves are designed to override the body’s natural signals. The analysis synthesizes evidence from addiction science, nutrition, and public health history. It outlines how ultra-processed foods hijack the brain’s reward systems in ways that mirror the effects of nicotine.

The authors of the review focus on the transformation of raw ingredients into highly potent delivery systems. Tobacco leaves in their natural state are not inherently addictive enough to cause a public health crisis. It was the industrial engineering of the cigarette that turned nicotine into a global epidemic. Similarly, ingredients like corn, wheat, and beets are not addictive in their natural forms.