Towards sustainable diets: addressing saturated fats and environmental impacts of processed foods

Sustainable food production encompasses environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have significantly altered dietary patterns, leading to increased consumption of convenience foods that are often highly processed and rich in saturated fats, sugars, and salt. Diets dominated by ultra-processed foods are associated with serious consequences for public health, global nutrition, and environmental sustainability. In response to these concerns, consumer demand for healthier food options has grown, placing processed foods at the center of attention within the food industry. Although processed foods are commonly recognized as major sources of salt, fat, and sugar, they play an important role in food security by ensuring adequate food availability, as well as in nutritional security by providing foods that meet human dietary requirements. However, prolonged excessive intake of these nutrients is a key contributor to the increased risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. Beyond product formulation, the primary objective of food processing is to ensure a safe, stable, shelf-stable, and affordable food supply. This review primarily focuses on strategies to reduce saturated fat content in foods. Achieving meaningful improvements in food system sustainability requires strong efforts to limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods in favour of minimally processed alternatives, preferably seasonal, organic, and locally produced. The central aim of this review is to summarize the magnitude and types of environmental impacts occurring at each stage of the ultra-processed food supply chain and to propose a conceptual framework to illustrate these impacts.