In a move to address concerns about the health impact of ultra-processed foods, ministers in the UK are calling for cigarette-style health warnings to be placed on their packaging. Ultra-processed foods are high in fat, salt and sugar and are often marketed aggressively to the detriment of our health. These foods are highly addictive and can have serious health implications, including obesity, heart disease and cancer.

The call for health warnings on ultra-processed foods was raised in Parliament by Conservative former minister Sir Greg Knight. He stated that there is a case for looking again at food-labelling laws and requiring ultra-processed food to carry a health warning, similar to cigarette packets. He also emphasized that the warning should be in a typeface large enough to be read without the use of a magnifying glass so that people know what they are buying before they purchase it.

There are a number of potential benefits to health warnings on ultra-processed foods. First, they could help people make healthier choices by making them aware of the risks associated with these foods. Second, they could help to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which could lead to improvements in public health. Third, they could help to stigmatize ultra-processed foods, which could make it less socially acceptable to consume them.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to health warnings on ultra-processed foods. First, they could stigmatize