Ultra-processed food increases mortality in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea

Abstract Ultra-processed food products make up more than half of the total calories consumed by people in some nations, and their sales keep growing. Eating these foods is correlated with human health issues, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity, and also damages non-human mammalian and avian health. However, whether ultra-processed food impacts invertebrates’ health has not been studied. We addressed this shortcoming by evaluating if ultra-processed food consumption increases mortality in lobster cockroaches, Nauphoeta cinera , a species that is well adapted to urban life and is considered a pest. We experimentally fed cockroaches either an ultra-processed, unprocessed, or a mixed diet containing both processed and unprocessed food. We assessed their mortality after two months. Ultra-processed food consumption was linked to a 1.5 times higher mortality rate, in comparison to a non-processed or mixed diet. Our results add evidence to the negative impacts of these food types, even in a species that eats human-derived food and is considered ‘indestructible.’ As global urbanization increasingly shifts food landscapes for human and non-human animals alike, understanding how human-derived foods impact mortality is crucial for our understanding of animal fitness, conservation, and urban adaptation.