A National Cancer Institute study published on October 15 in PLOS Medicine found no association between overall processed food intake and colorectal cancer incidence among more than 400,000 adults. The result narrows the question for people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, because the category includes foods that do not appear to affect risk in the same way.
Erikka Loftfield Study
Erikka Loftfield, a former investigator with the National Cancer Institute, said, "We did not observe an association between total ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and colorectal cancer incidence," and added that food groups told a different story. She said, "However, when we looked at food groups, like whole grains, dairy, and meat, by UPF or non-UPF source, we found that associations were in line with current dietary guidance for colorectal cancer prevention."
The study’s design matters because ultra-processed foods are not one product class. Researchers grouped foods by their source and processing level, then compared total intake with colorectal cancer incidence. That approach separated the label from the underlying food type, which is how whole grains and dairy could line up with lower risk while processed meats aligned with higher risk.
Marissa Shams White
Marissa Shams-White, senior principal scientist in population science at the American Cancer Society, said, "While the study did not find that overall ultra-processed food intake was associated with colorectal cancer risk, the findings suggest that simply classifying foods by their level of processing may not tell the whole story," She also said, "One of the challenges with studying ultra-processed foods is that the category includes a very wide range of foods and beverages, and we don’t yet know whether they all relate to colorectal cancer risk in the same way,"
That caution fits the broader record. A 2022 study found that males who consumed high rates of ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, and a 2025 study reported that ultra-processed foods may increase the risk of colorectal cancer in females under 50. The new study did not extend those signals to total intake across more than 400,000 adults.
Ketan Thanki California
Ketan Thanki, a colorectal surgeon at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in California, said, "Just because it is ultra-processed doesn’t mean it is inherently bad or good for you," He said, "The source of the food and the additives like preservatives, flavorings, sugars, and pigments that are added to increase palatability probably play a much larger role in increasing cancer risk."
Thanki gave a blunt example: "A whole grain cereal and a hot dog are both UPF, but they push risk in opposite directions." For readers deciding what the study changes, the answer is simple: the processing label alone is not the useful cutoff, and the food inside the label still matters.
Maeve Hanan says weekly shop with Ultra-processed Foods was not unhealthy and Maeve Hanan says Ultra-processed Food shop was not as bad as expected offer additional perspective on how the category can look different from one shopping basket to the next. The open question left by the new study is whether all ultra-processed foods and beverages relate to colorectal cancer risk in the same way.
