This is how much ultra-processed food people really eat

The amount of ultra-processed food someone consumes can be traced in their body. U.S. researchers have developed a so-called ‘poly-metabolite score’ that estimates UPF (ultra-processed food) intake based on blood and urine samples. It could mark a significant step forward in nutritional research, and potentially for the food industry as well.

Metabolites as a reflection of your plate

The large-scale IDATA study involved 718 adults aged between 50 and 74. Participants completed multiple dietary surveys and provided both blood and urine samples. Using advanced mass spectrometry, more than a thousand metabolites in blood and urine were analysed. Of these, 191 blood and 293 urine metabolites were found to significantly correlate with UPF intake. Substances like N6-carboxymethyllysine (positive correlation) and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide (negative correlation) stood out.

Score distinguishes ultra-processed from unprocessed

Based on these metabolites, the researchers created a poly-metabolite score—a kind of nutritional fingerprint. They tested this score in an earlier controlled feeding trial, where twenty participants followed a diet with 80% UPF for two weeks, followed by a diet with no UPF. For each individual, the score differed significantly between the two diet phases (p < 0.001).

From self-reporting to an objective benchmark

Until now, most nutritional studies have relied heavily on self-reported data. This new score could provide a more accurate and complementary perspective. Not just for researchers, but also for the food industry—which increasingly faces pressure to be transparent about product composition. Because once this score is further refined, the truth won’t come from a questionnaire, but from a blood tube or a urine sample.

Read the full study