Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Adverse Breast Cancer Outcomes for Black Women: Study

Researchers found that frequent consumption of processed meats was linked to the strongest association with cancer-related deaths among all foods analyzed.

A new study suggests that Black women with breast cancer who regularly consumed ultra-processed foods (UPF) before diagnosis experienced lower survival rates than those with healthier diets.

The research was published in the January 2026 issue of the journal eClinicalMedicine, examining the association between UPF consumption and mortality among Black breast cancer survivors, who continue to experience disproportionately high breast cancer mortality rates.

Ultra-processed foods are manufactured products that contain a significant amount of additives such as sugars, unhealthy fats and salt, which are used to enhance flavor, extend shelf life or improve texture while providing little to no nutritional value. Examples include sugary beverages, packaged snacks, instant noodles and processed meats.

In recent years, research has highlighted multiple long-term health risks associated with ultra-processed foods, including side effects on male cardiometabolic and reproductive health, childhood prediabetes, increased risks of cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other chronic illnesses.

As a result of these studies and others, processed food lawsuits against major food manufacturers such as Kraft Heinz, Coca Cola, General Mills and Kellogg’s are being investigated. The claims allege that these companies knew or should have known about the long term adverse health effects of ultra-processed foods, yet failed to act, placing profits over human health.

In the new study, researchers from the Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Jersey followed 1,733 Black women diagnosed with breast cancer in New Jersey between 2005 and 2019. Pre-diagnosis food and drink intake was assessed with food-frequency questionnaires and classified by processing level. Women were followed for a median of 9.3 years, with death outcomes determined through the New Jersey State Cancer Registry.

Led by Tengteng Wang, the research team found that Black breast cancer patients who consumed the most UPFs before diagnosis were 36% to 40% more likely to die from their cancer or other causes than those who consumed the fewest.

Women who consumed the most UPFs averaged more than eight servings per day, compared with fewer than three servings daily for those who consumed the least. Those in the highest UPF consumption group were 36% more likely to die from any cause than women in the lowest group.

“These findings offer valuable insights into the role of nutrition during cancer survivorship, emphasizing the importance of considering both the nutritional quality of foods and the potential adverse impact of food processing.”

— Tengteng Wang, Ultra-processed foods consumption and subsequent mortality in a cohort of Black breast cancer survivors

Among foods studied, processed meats were most strongly associated with cancer-related deaths.

Ultra-Processed Foods Litigation

One of the first ultra-processed foods lawsuits to be filed was brought in December 2024 by Bryce Martinez, who alleged that manufacturers such as Kraft Heinz, Coca Cola, General Mills and others knowingly marketed these products to children while concealing their long-term health risks.

Martinez amended his lawsuit in October 2025, after a judge dismissed the original case for insufficient detail to establish liability. He sought to refile, stating that he could provide additional information.

The following month, major manufacturers opposed Martinez’s refiling, arguing it included products consumed more than three years earlier, which they say violates the statute of limitations.

The ruling on whether Martinez’s amended complaint is sufficient to reinstate the lawsuit could set an important precedent for future UPF claims.

Earlier this month, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, on behalf of the people of the state of California, filed an ultra-processed food lawsuit accusing manufacturers of intentionally engineering products to trigger compulsive consumption while downplaying or concealing known health risks. 

The complaint alleges that companies relied on industrial additives and behavioral research, including tactics once used by the tobacco industry, to override natural satiety signals and encourage overconsumption, contributing to rising rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Unlike individual injury claims, the San Francisco lawsuit seeks statewide injunctive relief, civil penalties and funding to address what city officials describe as a public health crisis driven in part by decades of deceptive marketing and product design. Chiu has argued that the outcome of the case could influence how ultra-processed foods are regulated and litigated nationwide, potentially opening the door for additional government-led actions and private lawsuits aimed at holding manufacturers accountable for the long-term health consequences of their products.

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