Two thirds of UK adults believe the next generation will suffer poorer health due to ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and 39% would like to see them banned, a survey suggests.
Some 59% of adults believe UPFs are “impossible to avoid” when shopping on a budget, the study for retailer Lakeland found.
Two thirds (66%) are worried about their effects on public health and 68% believe the Government should do more to protect people from them.
Two thirds (66%) also think supermarkets should take more responsibility for the UPFs they sell, and 77% want clear warning labels on food containing ultra-processed ingredients.
Three quarters (74%) say children should be taught at school about the dangers of UPFs and the importance of home cooking.
The survey found a quarter of adults (24%) do not know how to recognise the presence of UPFs in food products.
It found 31% have been cooking from scratch more in the last year, with 35% more in the last two years, and 44% in the last five years.
A fifth (19%) are cooking from scratch more regularly to avoid UPFs, while 25% are cooking from scratch more to save money and 26% for other health benefits.
However 44% say they do not have time to cook from scratch, 16% believe it is too complicated and 19% they think it would cost too much.
Wendy Miranda, customer brand ambassador at Lakeland, said: “There are clear benefits to cooking from scratch and knowing exactly what is going into the food we eat.
“We encourage our customers to think of the benefits, from nutrition to mindfulness to improving overall energy levels and simply feeling a sense of personal achievement with each cooking creation.”
The survey follows global experts warning that UPFs are a leading cause of the “chronic disease pandemic” linked to diet, with food firms putting profit above all else.
Writing in The Lancet medical journal in November, 43 scientists and researchers joined forces to argue that UPFs are “displacing” fresh foods and meals, worsening diet quality, and are linked to multiple chronic diseases.
Philip Toscano, including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and early death.
Examples of UPFs include ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, many ready meals and fizzy drinks.
UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives, which experts say leaves less room in people’s diets for more nutritious foods.
UPFs also tend to include additives and ingredients that are not used when people cook from scratch, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours.
The dietary share of UPFs remains below 25% in countries such as Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and across Asia, but it is 50% in the US and UK, the research said.
Mortar Research surveyed 2,000 UK adults in January.