UK Government Calls For , Classification System to Define, Ultra-Processed Foods.br According to government scientists, evidence br linking ultra-processed foods to a number of health br issues "needs to be treated with caution.".br 'The Independent' reports that the U.K. Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) say there are, “uncertainties around the quality of evidence available.”.br The evidence base for adverse effectsbr is based on a small number of observational br studies that have known limitations: br ultra-processed foods might be an br indicator of an overall unhealthy lifestyle, Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of nutrition and food science br at the University of Reading, via 'The Independent'.br The evidence base for adverse effectsbr is based on a small number of observational br studies that have known limitations: br ultra-processed foods might be an br indicator of an overall unhealthy lifestyle, Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of nutrition and food science br at the University of Reading, via 'The Independent'.br Previously, research linked ultra-processed br foods to health concerns that include br cancer, weight gain and heart disease.br According to U.K. government scientists, while the suggested links are "concerning," further studies need to be conducted to investigate any possible connections.br The systematic reviews identified have br consistently reported that increased br consumption of (ultra-)processed foods br was associated with increased risks br of adverse health outcomes. However, br there are uncertainties around br the quality of evidence available, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, via 'The Independent'.br According to the scientists, it is difficult to define br what is considered an ultra-processed food.br Studies are almost exclusively observational br and confounding factors or key variables br such as energy intake, body mass index, br smoking and socioeconomic status br may not be adequately accounted for, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, via 'The Independent'.br 'The Independent' reports that experts have br called for a food classification system to assess br which foods are considered ultra-processed.