Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Ultra-Processed Foods (Ready to Eat + Fast Food): Fatty Acid Composition

Abstract Up to the 60% of the Western diet is characterized by consumption of high amounts of Ultra-processed foods (UPFs). From a nutritional standpoint, the high consumption of UPFs, including Fast-foods and Ready-to-Eat (RTE), emerges as a critical topic for public health linking nutritional quality and food safety. In the present work, we provide a systematic database of fatty acids composition of the most consumed UPFs in the US mid-western region. Saturate (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids were predominant in both FF and RTE, while health-beneficial polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids were abundant only in seafood meals. Nutritional and non-nutritional attributes were correlated, finding positive correlation between caloric and sodium content. The significance of this study relies on providing new quantitative data for the most consumed UPFs, with the opportunity to define priority interventions for more advanced precision nutrition, especially for vulnerable populations.