Ready-to-eat meals linked to greater risk of dying

Diets that include "ultra-processed" ready meals can increase the risk of early death, French research suggests.

Scientists who studied more than 44,500 men and women aged 45 and older uncovered a strong link between eating badly and dying.

Every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 14% greater risk of death from any cause.

Ultra-processed food was defined as food manufactured through multiple industrial processes and mostly consumed in the form of snacks, desserts or ready-to-eat or heat meals.

Examples include chicken nuggets, preserved meat products, packaged snacks and instant noodle soup meals.

Study participants provided information about their eating habits, lifestyle, and socioeconomic background before having their progress monitored for seven years.

During the follow-up period, researchers recorded 602 deaths, including 219