The rise of the ultra-processed foods paradigm: a systematic review of its expansion into nutritional labelling, consumer response and food policy

Purpose – This paper reviews how the ultra-processed foods (UPFs) paradigm has expanded into food quality evaluation, Front-of-Pack Nutritional Label (FOPLs), consumer response and food policy and develops and operationalises a cue-integration framework explaining how processing-based and nutrient-based signals jointly shape food evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was conducted on 297 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus between 2000 and 2026. The review combines bibliometric mapping and interpretive coding across four analytical pillars with a second-stage classification of 27 studies assigned to processing–nutrient interplay stream. Findings – Processing-based and nutrient-based signals interact through four modes: complementarity, substitution, tension and sequential inference. These modes are differentiated by three operational dimensions: cue-valence alignment, relative cue diagnosticity and temporal order. Although recent research increasingly examines combined signals, it has not produced a fully integrated theoretical account, and signal effects remain contingent on consumer characteristics and decision context. Practical implications – The review helps policymakers, food companies and retailers understand when processing-based and nutrient-based signals reinforce each other, when they conflict and when they may generate consumer confusion. Originality/value – The paper integrates previously separate research streams on UPFs, FOPLs, consumer interpretation and food policy and operationalises processing–nutrient interplay. Keywords Ultra-processed foods, NOVA, Food quality evaluation, Nutrient profiling, Front-of-pack labelling, Consumer perception, Food choice Paper type Literature review