Review of Ultra-processed people: Why we can’t stop eating food that isn’t food

Given the ubiquity of UPF, this book fills a vital gap in our knowledge. Thankfully, it is easy to read, combining research and interviews with personal anecdotes and amusing glimpses of van Tulleken family life. For those of us involved in food studies, the book adds an extra layer of urgency: van Tulleken proposes that UPF destroys the meaning of food—it becomes a technical substance without cultural or historical meaning. To avoid this outcome, let alone the millions of early deaths caused by poor diets that are increasingly made up of UPF, we need to better understand ultra-processed food and work to change the food system that allows these substances to flourish.