In a written reply in the Lok Sabha in early August 2026, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav stated that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not conducted any study to assess whether ultra-processed foods (UPFs) exhibit addiction-like behavioural characteristics comparable to tobacco products or other habit-forming substances.
At the same time, the Minister noted that, based on available global scientific evidence, ICMR has indicated that higher consumption of UPFs is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders. These conditions are multifactorial in origin, and high UPF intake is considered one of several modifiable risk factors. The available evidence is largely observational and does not, by itself, establish causality.
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