Microbiological assessment of ready-to-eat foods and drinking water sources as a potential vehicle of bacterial pathogens in northern India.

Foodborne illnesses caused by the consumption of contaminated foods have frequent occurrences in developing countries. The incorporation of contaminated water in food processes, preparation, and serving is directly linked to several gastrointestinal infections. Keeping in view, this study was conducted to assess the microbial quality of both drinking water sources and commonly consumed fresh ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in the region. The drinking water samples from water sources and consumer points, as well as food samples from canteens, cafes, hotels, and restaurants, were collected for the microbiological analysis. Fifty-five percent (n = 286) of water samples were found to be positive for total coliforms with MPN counts ranging from 3 to 2600 (100 ml) -1. E. coli was detected in nearly 30% of the total water samples. Overall, 65% tap water samples were found unsatisfactory, followed by submersible (53%), filter (40%), and WTP (30%) sources. Furthermore, the examination of RTE foods (n = 80) found that 60% were of unsatisfactory microbial quality with high aerobic plate counts. The salads were the most contaminated category with highest mean APC 8.3 log CFU/g followed by pani puri, chats, and chutneys. Presence of coliforms and common enteropathogens was observed in both water and food samples. The detected isolates from the samples were identified as Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. Based on these findings, microbiological quality was found compromised and this may pose hazard to public health. This exploratory study in the Punjab region also suggests that poor microbiological quality of water sources can be an important source of contamination for fresh uncooked RTE foods, thus transferring pathogens to the food chain. Therefore, only safe potable drinking water post-treatment should be used at all stages.

Consumption of in natura and ultra-processed foods in adults: an analysis of social, metabolic, and lifestyle determinants.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the social, metabolic, and lifestyle determinants of consumption of fruits, vegetables, and greens (FVG) and ultra-processed food (ULT) in adults from Pernambuco. METHODS: Cross-sectional and analytical study, conducted in 2015/2016. In addition to sociodemographic variables, the determinants of lifestyle were level of physical activity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and metabolic variables were self-reported hypertension, blood glucose, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Consumption was measured by the Food Frequency Questionnaire, then created the Frequency of Consumption Index (SFI) of the mean intake of ULT and FVG foods. The indices of FVG and ULT consumption were transformed into quartiles and these variables were included in the multinomial logistic regression, considering their determinants when p<0.05. RESULTS: The sample was representative of the state, with 1,067 people being interviewed, whose intake of ULT was higher than that of FVG in the lowest and highest quartile of the consumption index. Consumption of fruit and vegetables was higher in higher consumption of alcoholic beverages (p=0.031) and BMI>25 kg/m2 (p=0.047); and lower in the lowest income (p=0.001). ULT intake was higher in young adults (p=0.005), lower income (p=0.044), and controlled blood glucose (p=0.021). Rural areas were 52% less exposed to medium-high ULT consumption (p<0.006). CONCLUSION: Higher rate of ULT consumption in relation to fresh foods, with income as a common determinant, inversely associated with ULT intake and directly related to FVG, which demands structuring policies.

Association of ultra-processed food consumption with all cause and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of ultra-processed food consumption with all cause mortality and cause specific mortality. DESIGN: Population based cohort study. SETTING: Female registered nurses from 11 US states in the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2018) and male health professionals from all 50 US states in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2018). PARTICIPANTS: 74 563 women and 39 501 men with no history of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association of ultra-processed food intake measured by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire every four years with all cause mortality and cause specific mortality due to cancer, cardiovascular, and other causes (including respiratory and neurodegenerative causes). RESULTS: 30 188 deaths of women and 18 005 deaths of men were documented during a median of 34 and 31 years of follow-up, respectively. Compared with those in the lowest quarter of ultra-processed food consumption, participants in the highest quarter had a 4% higher all cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.07) and 9% higher mortality from causes other than cancer or cardiovascular diseases (1.09, 1.05 to 1.13). The all cause mortality rate among participants in the lowest and highest quarter was 1472 and 1536 per 100 000 person years, respectively. No associations were found for cancer or cardiovascular mortality. Meat/poultry/seafood based ready-to-eat products (for example, processed meat) consistently showed strong associations with mortality outcomes (hazard ratios ranged from 1.06 to 1.43). Sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages (1.09, 1.07 to 1.12), dairy based desserts (1.07, 1.04 to 1.10), and ultra-processed breakfast food (1.04, 1.02 to 1.07) were also associated with higher all cause mortality. No consistent associations between ultra-processed foods and mortality were observed within each quarter of dietary quality assessed by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 score, whereas better dietary quality showed an inverse association with mortality within each quarter of ultra-processed foods. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with slightly higher all cause mortality, driven by causes other than cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The associations varied across subgroups of ultra-processed foods, with meat/poultry/seafood based ready-to-eat products showing particularly strong associations with mortality.

Hedonic hunger, ultra-processed food consumption, and the moderating effects of impulsivity in pregnant individuals with body mass index ≥ 25.

Evidence suggests higher hedonic hunger (preoccupation with/desire to consume food for pleasure) is associated with greater ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in non-pregnant individuals with higher, but not lower, self-report impulsivity or delay discounting. The current study tested the association between hedonic hunger and UPF consumption, and the moderating effects of self-report impulsivity and delay discounting, during pregnancy. Individuals (N = 220) with body mass index (BMI)≥25 completed the Power of Food Scale, 24-h dietary recalls, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Version 11 in early-mid pregnancy. A subset enrolled in an ancillary study (n = 143) completed a Delay Discounting Task. Linear regression and moderation models covaried for age, gestational age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and socioeconomic status. The association between hedonic hunger and UPF consumption was nonsignificant (p = 0.47). Self-report impulsivity was not a significant moderator (p = 0.11), but delay discounting was (p = 0.01). Simple slopes analysis revealed a one-unit increase in hedonic hunger was associated with 7% lower UPF intake among participants with lower (M+1SD) delay discounting (p = 0.01) and 1% higher UPF intake among those with higher (M-1SD) delay discounting (p = 0.57). Findings contrast those from research with non-pregnant samples and indicate lower delay discounting may serve as a protective factor, associated with reduced UPF consumption at higher levels of hedonic hunger, during pregnancy.

Development of the modified Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale (mProWS).

The Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale (ProWS) is a 29-item measure that operationalizes physical and psychological indicators of withdrawal symptoms associated with cutting down on the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The current study developed a briefer 7-item version of the ProWS (modified ProWS; mProWS) using the participant sample from the ProWS validation paper (n = 231). Then, in an independent sample recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, 244 participants (55.3% females) completed the mProWS, the ProWS, and measures of eating-related constructs in order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the mProWS, relative to the ProWS. The mProWS and the ProWS performed similarly on indexes of reliability, convergent validity with addictive-like eating behavior (e.g., Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 symptom count), discriminant validity with distinct measures (e.g., cognitive desire to restrict food consumption), and incremental validity evidenced by associations with weight cycling above and beyond body mass index (BMI) and YFAS 2.0 symptoms. The mProWS may be an appropriate choice for studies with higher participant burden (e.g., ecological momentary assessment) to assess withdrawal symptoms in real-time when they occur in response to cutting down on ultra-processed foods.

Metabolic Syndrome and Biotherapeutic Activity of Dairy (Cow and Buffalo) Milk Proteins and Peptides: Fast Food-Induced Obesity Perspective-A Narrative Review.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined by the outcome of interconnected metabolic factors that directly increase the prevalence of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Currently, obesity is considered one of the most relevant topics of discussion because an epidemic heave of the incidence of obesity in both developing and underdeveloped countries has been reached. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2023 report, 38% of the world population are presently either obese or overweight. One of the causes of obesity is an imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure, where nutritional imbalance due to consumption of high-calorie fast foods play a pivotal role. The dynamic interactions among different risk factors of obesity are highly complex; however, the underpinnings of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia for obesity incidence are recognized. Fast foods, primarily composed of soluble carbohydrates, non-nutritive artificial sweeteners, saturated fats, and complexes of macronutrients (protein-carbohydrate, starch-lipid, starch-lipid-protein) provide high metabolic calories. Several experimental studies have pointed out that dairy proteins and peptides may modulate the activities of risk factors of obesity. To justify the results precisely, peptides from dairy milk proteins were synthesized under in vitro conditions and their contributions to biomarkers of obesity were assessed. Comprehensive information about the impact of proteins and peptides from dairy milks on fast food-induced obesity is presented in this narrative review article.

#junkfluenced: the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages by social media influencers popular with Canadian children on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

BACKGROUND: Marketing of unhealthy foods to children on digital media significantly impacts their dietary preferences and contributes to diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Canadian children spend a significant amount of time on digital devices and are frequently exposed to unhealthy food marketing on social media, including by influencers with celebrity status who endorse products. This study aimed to examine the frequency, healthfulness, and power of unhealthy food marketing in posts by influencers popular with Canadian children on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. METHODS: The top 9 influencers popular amongst Canadian children aged 10-12 years were identified from the 2021 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey. A total of 2,232 Instagram, YouTube and TikTok posts made by these influencers between June 1st 2021 and May 31st 2022 were examined for instances of food marketing. Food products/brands were identified and frequencies were calculated for the number of posts promoting food products/brands, posts promoting products/brands classified as less healthy according to Health Canada's Nutrient Profile Model (2018) and marketing techniques utilized. RESULTS: YouTube had the highest average rate of food marketing instances per post, at a rate of 1 food marketing instance every 0.7 posts, while TikTok and Instagram had instances every 10.2 posts and 19.3 posts, respectively. Overall, fast food restaurants was the most promoted food category (21%), followed by regular soft drinks (13%), snacks (11%), candy and chocolate (11%) and water (8%). The most frequently used marketing techniques were appeals to fun/cool (37%), the use of songs or music (28%) and the product being consumed (25%). In terms of healthfulness, 83% of the products/brands (87% of brands and 82% of products) promoted were classified as less healthy. CONCLUSIONS: Social media influencers play a substantial role in promoting unhealthy food products to children, primarily fast food items. Given the significant impact of such marketing on children, there is a need for ongoing government-led monitoring, and it is crucial to include social media and influencer marketing in marketing restrictions targeting children in Canada to safeguard this vulnerable demographic.

Creation and validation of a NOVA scored picture set to evaluate ultra-processed foods.

There has been a rapid shift in the modern food environment towards increased processing in foods consumed in the United States (US) and globally. The NOVA system (not an acronym) for classifying food on degree of processing currently has the most empirical support. Consumption of foods in the NOVA 4 category, ultra-processed foods (UPF), is a risk factor for a host of poor health outcomes including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Despite these poor health outcomes, UPF make up 58% of calories consumed in the US. Methodologies for assessing the reinforcing and rewarding properties of these foods are necessary tools. The Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction paradigm (BDM) is a well validated tool for measuring value and is amenable to neuromonitoring environments. To allow for the testing of hypotheses based on level of food processing, we present a picture set of 14 UPF and 14 minimally-processed foods (MPF) matched on visual properties, food characteristics (fat, carbohydrate, cost, etc.), and rated perceptual properties. Further, we report our scoring of these foods using the NOVA classification system and provide additional data from credentialed nutrition professionals and on inter-rater reliability using NOVA, a critique of the system. Finally, we provide all pictures, data, and code used to create this picture set as a tool for researchers.

Food deserts exposure, density of fast-food restaurants, and park access: Exploring the association of food and recreation environments with obesity and diabetes using global and local regression models.

To prevent obesity and diabetes environmental interventions such as eliminating food deserts, restricting proliferation of food swamps, and improving park access are essential. In the United States, however, studies that examine the food and park access relationship with obesity and diabetes using both global and local regression are lacking. To guide county, state, and federal policy in combating obesity and diabetes, there is a need for cross-scale analyses to identify that relationship at national and local levels. This study applied spatial regression and geographically weighted regression to the 3,108 counties in the contiguous United States. Global regression show food deserts exposure and density of fast-food restaurants have non-significant association with obesity and diabetes while park access has a significant inverse association with both diseases. Geographically weighted regression that takes into account spatial heterogeneity shows that, among southern states that show high prevalence of obesity and diabetes, Alabama and Mississippi stand out as having opportunity to improve park access. Results suggest food deserts exposure are positively associated with obesity and diabetes in counties close to Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee while density of fast-food restaurants show positive association with two diseases in counties of western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. These findings will help policymakers and public health agencies in determining which geographic areas need to be prioritized when implementing public interventions such as promoting healthy food access, limiting unhealthy food options, and increasing park access.

The use of food processing terminology in Australian news media: a content analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine whether ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are being discussed in news media in Australia and whether this terminology, as described in the NOVA system, is being applied accurately. DESIGN: Interpretive content analysis of online and print media articles that mentioned UPFs from 2009 to 2023 in Australia. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Online and print media articles. RESULTS: A total of two hundred ninety-eight Australian media articles were captured. A substantial increase in the number of UPF articles was observed between 2017-2019 and 2021-2023. The UPF concept was inaccurately explained or defined in 32 % of the articles and was frequently used interchangeably with other descriptors, such as 'highly or heavily processed food', 'junk food', 'unhealthy food', 'packaged food' and 'discretionary food'. Most of the articles had a health focus; however, sustainability interest increased, particularly in the past 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: UPFs are increasingly being discussed in news media in Australia; however, the concept is still incorrectly presented in over a third of articles. This highlights the importance of improving the literacy about UPFs to ensure that messages are communicated in a way that is salient, accessible and accurate.

Effects of different high temperature-pressure processing times on the sensory quality, nutrition and allergenicity of ready-to-eat clam meat.

Investigating technologies to control the allergenicity of seafood is particularly important to safeguard consumer health, but there is currently a dearth of research focused on reducing the allergenicity of clam meat. This study aimed to investigate the effects of high temperature-pressure (HTP) processing times (121 °C, 0.14 MPa; 5, 10, 15, 20 min) on the sensory quality, nutrition, and allergenicity of ready-to-eat clam meat. With the extension of HTP time, the hardness of clam meat gradually decreased, the chewiness decreased initially and then increased, and the meat became tender. HTP processing endowed clam meat with abundant esters and aldehydes. Among all the processing groups, the umami and saltiness were better at 15 min, correlating with the highest overall acceptability. Ready-to-eat clam meat contained high-protein nutritional value. Compared with raw clam meat, the tropomyosin allergenicity of clam meat treated with HTP for 15 and 20 min was significantly reduced by 51.9 % and 56.5 %, respectively (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between these two groups. Appropriate HTP processing time might be an efficient condition to reduce the tropomyosin allergenicity of ready-to-eat clam meat and improve its quality, particularly for the time of 15 min. The results of this study could provide a reliable theoretical basis for the development of hypoallergenic clam foods.

Factors That Most Influence the Choice for Fast Food in a Sample of Higher Education Students in Portugal.

The frequency of fast food consumption among higher education students is high, causing worrying implications for public health. This study aims to relate the factors that influence the choice for fast food with social factors, nutritional status, and fast food consumption in a sample of higher education students in Portugal. An online questionnaire was developed and disseminated by social networks among students during the first half of 2023. Two hundred and thirty-seven students participated, mainly female (65.4%), who were attending public higher education institutions (59.1%), with a median of age of 20.0 (19.0; 22.0) years, and about 20% of the sample had overweight. Approximately 80% consumed fast food, and almost 40% consumed it more than once or twice a week. Predominantly (78.0%), they chose hamburger meals, spending EUR 8.0 per meal. The factors that most influenced the choice of fast food were ease or convenience of preparation (59.9%), price (48.5%), and flavor (28.3%). There were also differences between sexes and between those attending public and private higher education institutions regarding whether they usually consume fast food or not. The body mass index was positively associated with age (r: 0.142; p = 0.029) and with fast food spending (r: 0.146; p = 0.024). The results have implications for public health and clinical nutrition, and can support more effective strategies to improve food choices in higher education students.

Association between breast feeding and food consumption according to the degree of processing in Brazil: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of breast feeding may be associated with better formation of eating habits beyond childhood. This study was designed to verify the association between breast feeding and food consumption according to the degree of processing in four Brazilian birth cohorts. METHODS: The duration of exclusive, predominant and total breast feeding was evaluated. The analysis of the energy contribution of fresh or minimally processed foods (FMPF) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the diet was evaluated during childhood (13-36 months), adolescence (11-18 years) and adulthood (22, 23 and 30 years). RESULTS: Those who were predominantly breastfed for less than 4 months had a higher UPF consumption (ß 3.14, 95% CI 0.82 to 5.47) and a lower FMPF consumption (ß -3.47, 95% CI -5.91 to -1.02) at age 22 years in the 1993 cohort. Exclusive breast feeding (EBF) for less than 6 months was associated with increased UPF consumption (ß 1.75, 95% CI 0.25 to 3.24) and reduced FMPF consumption (ß -1.49, 95% CI -2.93 to -0.04) at age 11 years in the 2004 cohort. In this same cohort, total breast feeding for less than 12 months was associated with increased UPF consumption (ß 1.12, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.19) and decreased FMPF consumption (ß -1.13, 95% CI -2 .07 to -0.19). Children who did not receive EBF for 6 months showed an increase in the energy contribution of UPF (ß 2.36, 95% CI 0.53 to 4.18) and a decrease in FMPF (ß -2.33, 95% CI -4 .19 to -0.48) in the diet at 13-36 months in the 2010 cohort. In this cohort, children who were breastfed for less than 12 months in total had higher UPF consumption (ß 2.16, 95% CI 0.81 to 3.51) and lower FMPF consumption (ß -1.79, 95% CI -3.09 to -0.48). CONCLUSION: Exposure to breast feeding is associated with lower UPF consumption and higher FMPF consumption in childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Development of a Database of LanguaLTM and FoodEx2 Codes of 50 Ready-to-Eat Products.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-heat (RTH) dishes are food items that help save time, physical energy, and mental effort in all food-related activities. Convenience of use, variability of supply, and adaptability to different consumption occasions have led to an increase of acceptance among consumers through the years. Specialized databases can help in this context, where food composition databases can provide information and data to create sustainable nutritional models by reducing the now growing number of chronic diseases. This paper aims at developing a database of LanguaLTM and FoodEx2 codes of 50 food preparations and ready-to-eat dishes designed for consumption outside the home. LanguaLTM, as well as FoodEx2, are classification and description systems for indexing, in the sense of a systematic description, of foods based on a hierarchical model (parent-child relationship), thus facilitating the international exchange of data on food composition, consumption, assessing chronic and/or acute exposure to a certain agent, and not least the assessment of nutrient intake. The database, here presented, consists of the codes of fifty ready-to-eat products present on the market in Italy, obtained by using the two mostly commonly used and widely recognized coding systems: LanguaLTM and FoodEx2. This database represents a tool and a guideline for other compilers and users to apply coding systems to ready-to-eat products. Moreover, it can be represented a resource for several applications, such as nutritional cards, nutritional facts, food labels, or booklet and brochures for promotion of food products, to be used at health and food nutrition interface, useful for consumers, dieticians, and food producers.

Ultra Processed Foods: A South Asian culinary perspective.

There is a vast multitude of foodstuffs available, and health care professionals find it challenging to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy offerings. Recent evidence suggests that ultra processed foods should be avoided, as they are associated with harmful effects on health. This communication defines and describes ultra-processed foods, using the internationally accepted NOVA classification. It uses South Asian examples to make the concept easy to understand for South Asian readers.

Adherence to the ultra-processed dietary pattern and risk of depressive outcomes: Findings from the NutriNet Brasil cohort study and an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed to analyze the prospective association between adherence to the ultra-processed dietary pattern and risk of depressive outcomes using original data from the NutriNet Brasil cohort and via a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that have investigated the same association. METHODS: In our original research analysis, we used data from 15,960 adults (≥18 y) participating in the NutriNet Brasil cohort study, free of depression or depressive symptoms during the baseline (77.5% women, 45.8 ± 13.0 y). The mean dietary share of ultra-processed foods (%Kcal/d), calculated from two baseline 24-h dietary recalls, was used to measure the adherence to the ultra-processed dietary pattern. New cases of depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 over the follow-up period (mean: 18.3 months). Cox proportional hazards models were used for the main analyses. In our systematic review and meta-analysis, we incorporated effect estimates from six prospective cohort studies that have examined the same association, including ours. RESULTS: In the adjusted model, each 10% increase in the dietary share of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 10% increase in the hazard of incident cases of depressive symptoms (HR:1.10; 95%CI: 1.07-1.14). This association was slightly attenuated in the models including potential mediators. In our meta-analysis of six prospective studies, high versus low exposure to ultra-processed foods was associated with a summary hazard ratio of depressive outcomes of 1.32; 95%CI: 1.19-1.46; I2: 71%. CONCLUSION: A higher adherence to the ultra-processed dietary pattern was associated with a higher risk of developing depressive outcomes in the NutriNet Brasil cohort and in the meta-analysis.

Consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados en niños entre 6 y 23 meses según la Segunda Encuesta Nacional de Nutrición y Salud de Argentina / Consumption of ultra-processed foods among children aged 6 to 23 months as per the Second National Survey on Nutrition and Health of Argentina

Introducción. Contar con los datos del consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados en los niños resulta importante para planificar políticas públicas. Objetivos. Describir la prevalencia de consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados en menores de 2 años e identificar factores asociados. Describir la proporción que los alimentos ultraprocesados representan del número total de los alimentos consumidos en el día. Métodos. Análisis secundario de los datos de niños entre 6 y 23 meses de edad con al menos un recordatorio de 24 horas de consumo de alimentos de la Segunda Encuesta Nacional de Nutrición y Salud de Argentina del año 2018. Se estudiaron como variables principales: "consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados" (según el sistema NOVA) categorizada en sí/no y la "proporción de ultraprocesados del total de alimentos consumidos". Los factores asociados explorados fueron lactancia materna, sexo, edad y el número de alimentos no ultraprocesados consumidos. Se realizó un modelo de regresión logística multivariable y se aplicó un factor de expansión para ponderar los datos. Resultados. Se incluyeron 4224 niños (ponderado 908 104). La prevalencia de consumo de ultraprocesados fue del 90,8 % (IC95%: 89,5-92) y fue asociado con mayor edad (OR 3,21; IC95% 2,28-4,52) y con el número de alimentos no ultraprocesados consumidos (OR 1,17; IC95% 1,13-1,23). Los ultraprocesados representaron una mediana del 20 % (RIC: 12,5-28,6 %) del total de alimentos consumidos en el día. Conclusiones. Este estudio señala la alta penetración de los alimentos ultraprocesados en la alimentación complementaria.

Introduction. The availability of data on the consumption of ultra-processed foods among children is important for planning public policies. Objectives. To describe the prevalence of consumption of ultra-processed foods in children under 2 years of age and identify associated factors. To describe the proportion that ultra-processed foods represent out of the total number of foods consumed in a day. Methods. Secondary analysis of data from children aged 6­23 months with at least a 24-hour recall of food consumption based on the Second National Survey on Nutrition and Health of Argentina (2018). The following primary variables were studied: "consumption of ultra-processed foods" (according to the NOVA system) categorized into yes/no and "proportion of ultra-processed out of total foods consumed." The following associated factors were studied: breastfeeding, sex, age, and number of non-ultra-processed foods consumed. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed and an expansion factor was applied to weight the data. Results. A total of 4224 children were included (weighed: 908 104). The prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption was 90.8% (95% CI: 89.5­92) and was associated with an older age (OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 2.28­4.52) and the number of non-ultra-processed foods consumed (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.13­1.23). Ultra-processed foods accounted for a median 20% (IQR: 12.5­28.6%) of all foods consumed in a day. Conclusions. This study highlights the high penetration of ultra-processed foods in complementary feeding.