New Review Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Colorectal, Breast, and Pancreatic Cancer

More than half of the calories the average American consumes each day come from ultra-processed foods. A comprehensive review of 15 years of research now ties that consumption pattern to increased risk of colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancer, and the mechanisms go beyond empty calories.

The Review

Published on October 14, 2025, in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, a scoping review analyzed peer-reviewed studies from 2010 through 2025 examining the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and cancer risk. The review identified consistent associations across multiple cancer types and outlined the biological pathways through which these foods may promote cancer development.

The findings are not an isolated signal. They arrive alongside a three-paper series published in The Lancet in November 2025, written by 43 international experts, which warns that the rapid spread of ultra-processed foods across global diets is creating a serious public health challenge. The scientific consensus is building rapidly, and it points in one direction.

Which Cancers Are Linked

Colorectal cancer shows the strongest and most consistent association with ultra-processed food consumption. Research has found that younger women who eat more ultra-processed products, including highly processed bread, breakfast foods, and soda, may be more likely to develop colorectal cancer. This finding is particularly concerning given the documented rise in early-onset colorectal cancer among adults under 50.

Breast cancer and pancreatic cancer also appear in the evidence, with epidemiological studies showing elevated risk among high consumers of ultra-processed foods. The review noted that while the strength of association varies by cancer type and study design, the direction of the findings is remarkably consistent.

Why Ultra-Processed Foods May Cause Cancer

The cancer risk from ultra-processed foods is not simply about consuming too many calories or too much sugar, though those factors contribute. The review identified several distinct mechanisms.

Harmful additives present in ultra-processed foods include artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and preservatives that have shown carcinogenic or tumor-promoting properties in laboratory studies. Neo-formed contaminants, chemicals that are created during industrial food processing such as acrylamide and acrolein, are generated at high temperatures during frying, baking, and extrusion. These compounds are classified as probable or possible carcinogens by international health agencies.

Packaging-derived substances add another layer of exposure. Ultra-processed foods spend extended periods in plastic packaging, during which chemicals like bisphenols and phthalates can migrate into the food. These endocrine disruptors have been linked to hormone-sensitive cancers.

The displacement effect also matters. Every ultra-processed meal replaces one that could have contained cancer-protective compounds found in whole foods: fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, and other phytochemicals that support immune function and reduce oxidative stress.

The Epigenetic Discovery

A pilot study published in Nutrients in October 2025 added a new dimension to the evidence. Researchers found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with genome-wide DNA methylation differences in women. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that controls how genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence.

This finding suggests that ultra-processed food consumption may alter gene expression patterns in ways that could influence cancer susceptibility. While the study was small and requires replication, it opens a new line of investigation into how dietary patterns can program biological risk at the molecular level.

Understanding NOVA Classification

The research uses the NOVA food classification system, which categorizes foods into four groups based on the degree and purpose of processing.

Group 1 includes unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, and milk. Group 2 covers processed culinary ingredients like olive oil, butter, salt, and sugar. Group 3 encompasses processed foods made by combining Groups 1 and 2, such as canned vegetables, cheese, and freshly baked bread. Group 4 is ultra-processed foods: industrial formulations made mostly from substances derived from foods and additives, with little intact Group 1 food remaining.

Common Group 4 products include soft drinks, packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products, instant noodles, commercial baked goods, and most fast food items. These products typically contain ingredients that would not be found in a home kitchen, including high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, and artificial colors.

Reducing Your Exposure

The evidence points toward a clear strategy: replace ultra-processed foods with whole or minimally processed alternatives wherever practical. This does not require perfection. Even modest reductions in ultra-processed food intake are associated with improved health outcomes in population studies.

Reading ingredient lists is the most accessible tool. Products with long lists of unfamiliar ingredients, particularly those containing emulsifiers, artificial colors, or flavor enhancers, are generally ultra-processed. Cooking from basic ingredients, choosing whole grains over refined alternatives, and replacing packaged snacks with fruits, nuts, or vegetables are practical steps.

Sources

1. Nutrition and Cancer - "A Scoping Review of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Cancer Risk: Implications for Public Health, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and Other Healthcare Professionals" - October 14, 2025. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01635581.2025.2572122
2. Nature Food - "Cumulative evidence on ultra-processed foods and health" - 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-025-01278-w
3. The Lancet - "Ultra-processed foods and human health: the main thesis and the evidence" - November 2025. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01565-X/abstract
4. Environmental Working Group - "New research further highlights the harms of ultra-processed food" - November 2025. https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2025/11/new-research-further-highlights-harms-ultra-processed-food
5. MDPI Nutrients - "High Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Is Associated with Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Differences in Women: A Pilot Study" - October 2025. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/21/3465