CIHR Team Grant : Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods – Full Application

Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery

Deadlines

Academic Unit: Inquire with unit

Memorial Deadline: Thursday 19th, November 2026

External Deadline: Tuesday 24th, November 2026

Description

The NOVA classification system is the most widely studied system to characterize food processing and the most extensively used by researchers around the world to investigate the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on health. According to this system, UPFs are “industrial formulations made mostly or entirely with substances extracted from foods, often chemically modified, and from additives, with little if any whole food added”¹. A US study using nationally represented data found that children and adults consuming higher amounts of UPFs had significantly higher odds of having poor diet quality, as measured by the American Heart Association diet score and the Healthy Eating Index score, with the consumption of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish significantly decreasing as UPF intake increased².

UPFs are increasingly prevalent in the Canadian food supply, with recent estimates suggesting they account for nearly half of all energy consumed³. Among Canadian adults aged 18 and older, UPFs represent approximately 45% of total daily energy intake, with consistently high consumption across all sociodemographic subgroups⁴. In Canadian children and adolescents under 18, UPFs make up an even larger portion, accounting for more than half of their daily energy intake⁵.

A growing body of epidemiological evidence links the consumption of UPFs to multiple adverse health outcomes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), certain cancers, poor mental health, and increased all-cause mortality⁶. A recent report commissioned by Heart & Stroke estimated the burden of CVD attributed to the consumption of UPFs in Canada and found that the high level of UPF consumption was associated with a high burden of CVD, representing 38% of all CVD events in 2019⁷. Importantly, current research suggests that the nutritional profile of UPFs alone (i.e., high sugar, fat and sodium and low fiber and protein) does not fully explain observed links between UPF consumption and health risks, indicating other mechanisms may be involved⁸.

A recent longitudinal study of Canadian children found that among boys, early childhood consumption of UPFs is linked to increased adiposity by age 5⁹. Another study reported that higher UPF consumption was associated with 32% lower odds of healthy aging, including maintaining intact cognitive function, physical function and mental health, living free of chronic diseases, and reaching the age of 70¹⁰. Although UPF consumption is high across the population, certain groups may be disproportionately affected. In Canada, the severity of household food insecurity has been found to be strongly associated with a higher proportion of dietary energy from UPF consumption in both adults and children¹¹.

In June 2024, a Best Brains Exchange (BBE) was held at the request of Health Canada entitled, “Unpacking Ultra-Processed Foods – Identifying Research Priorities”. This BBE brought together researchers, policymakers, and non-governmental organizations, to examine the impact of UPF consumption on health and identify research priorities to fill evidence gaps of relevance to public health, including considerations for heterogeneity and health equity. Participants identified several key research gaps, including the need for improved exposure assessment, a greater number of experimental and mechanistic studies, and a better understanding of the factors that drive UPF consumption including structural and commercial determinants of health. Applicants are highly encouraged to review the summary of this BBE posted on the CIHR website.

Research is needed to address limitations of existing epidemiological evidence and to explore the mechanistic pathways through which UPFs affect health. The Team Grants: Health Effects of UPFs aim to address these research gaps by supporting research that will generate evidence to inform policies and regulations related to UPFs that will improve health equity and the health of Canadians across the lifespan.

See ResearchNet for more information.

Funding Sources

Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)