Funding the Future The ultra-processed food crisis
Nov 24, 2025
Ultra-processed foods dominate UK supermarkets, posing a serious public health crisis driven by corporate interests. These engineered products not only undermine appetite control but also contribute to rising obesity and related diseases. The podcast exposes the economic burden on the NHS while highlighting the inequalities that force many into cheap food options. It calls for government intervention through policies like advertising bans and food labeling reforms, advocating for a shift towards healthier, real food alternatives.
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Industrial Foods Built For Profit
- Ultra-processed foods are industrially engineered products prioritising profit over nutrition.
- Richard Murphy argues human health was never a design criterion in their creation.
Engineered Hunger Drives Overconsumption
- Ultra-processed foods are engineered to override appetite control and trigger rapid hunger.
- Murphy explains they make you feel hungry again soon after eating to promote overconsumption.
Corporate Concentration Shapes Diets
- A small set of multinationals dominate ultra-processed food markets and shape what consumers see.
- Murphy names Nestle, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Unilever as driving high-volume, branded outputs.