Laar, Amos, Diouf, Adama, Midaye, Koissi, Kabore, Lassane, Lokossou, Virgil K., Agyekum, Percy Adomako, Opoku, Micheal Akurang, Carducci, Bianca, Turner, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8091-1108, Baker, Philip and Bosu, William Kofi (2025) Chapter 5. Ultra-processed foods and children’s diets in developing economies: the case of West Africa. In: D’Aloisio, Julia, (ed.) Ultra-processed Foods and Children: State-of-the-art review. UNICEF Child Nutrition and Development Programme Reports . United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Child Nutrition and Development Programme Group, New York, pp. 55-68.

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Abstract

West Africa is undergoing a rapid nutrition transition. While the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age remains among the highest globally, overweight and obesity are increasing rapidly. Unhealthy diets are a key driver of this transition, fuelled by the widespread availability, affordability, convenience and aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). This chapter examines the drivers and implications of UPF consumption for the nutrition, health and well-being of children and adolescents in West Africa. It uses a state-of-the-art review process, with focused analyses of Cabo Verde, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. UPFs permeate food environments in West Africa, shaping diets, especially among children and adolescents. In Nigeria, UPF sales doubled between 2010 and 2025, increasing from 2.9 to 5.9 billion kilograms of product and from US$2.3 billion to $5.2 billion in sales. By 2024, national soft drinks intake in Nigeria had risen to 53 billion litres of non-alcoholic beverages, including 3.4 billion litres of sodas. In Ghana, per capita consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) was estimated at US$66.5 in 2023, and supermarkets devoted substantially more shelf-space to unhealthy products than to healthy foods, at a ratio of 6:1. In Senegal, consumption of SSB is rising, and 86.6 per cent of households in Dakar use bouillon cubes, which are typically high in salt and contain artificial additives. Early socialization to UPFs, reinforced by marketing and economic incentives, steers consumers towards these products. Global evidence indicates that healthy food environment policies can reduce UPF consumption. Despite data gaps, converging signals – including rapid UPF penetration and powerful marketing – justify the urgency of precautionary, adaptive policies. Regional harmonization of food standards and policies – including marketing, labelling, fiscal policies and school food measures – via the West African Economic and Monetary Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West Africa Health Organization, can limit regulatory loopholes and improve efficiency.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	“© United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2025. Available for free download from UNICEF. Non-commercial use permitted with attribution.” License field: “Open access – no CC license specified” or “UNICEF copyright”. - MP
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ultra processed foods; Children; Food Environments; Food Systems
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Food Systems Research Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Food Systems Research > Food Systems & Nutrition
Last Modified:	19 Dec 2025 11:44
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/52014

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