31 Jul 2026
LISTENBACK 26 - With Dr Phillip Baker on how junk foods junk us & the planet
LISTENBACK to Dr. Phillip Baker on 'unprocessing' your diet and tackling the rise of ultra-processed foods (UPF's). One of Nourishing Matters scene setting episodes from late 2020, our most popular Ep to date, with good reason why as research into and understanding about the dangers of UPF's are better understood.
Phil recently co-led a major Lancet Series on Ultra-processed Foods and Human Health, published late 2025, and has appeared on numerous media [The 7:30 Report and SBS among others] to promote the research findings and implications for public health and policy. See https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/ultra-processed-food (https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/ultra-processed-food)
Phil is currently Associate Professor and an ARC Future Fellow and Horizon Fellow at Sydney University's School of Public Health.
I spoke again with Phil further on the surge of research into UPF's in 2022. Head to Nourishing Matters Series 3, Ep 10, July 14 2022 to listen in to that great conversation.
2026: Some nourishing, nice news - Nourishing Matters has been selected by Feedspot panellists as one of the Top 30 Australian Sustainability Podcasts on the web. Thanks anuj@feedspot.com (mailto:anuj@feedspot.com) Anuj and team - we value your feedback!
https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_sustainability_podcasts/ (https://www.feedspot.com/fs/tk/GEbRwJQf5%2Bwa6OdI2M4W%2FuUUyLGPIentR%2BUUGtrGGNLgRvWxZErjGkbo4RnZyEzP4Q7A9Y9S8PYa5uEe3ccaxdtQ%2BfiiJvMeWSUhWN7EFQkeRvfhoV3hHEoWFVgUBFrHElEBr49eJipXEh1OBQNFDCRVCOGXVxQYTh0aWR30VggTRfXzolzi9UsWFkkD%2FkrW5RnJsmEg6txEJCNI4fsX%2BBVH9fSjWxgaRBYeRg0BEsUjWwTlaykZJVEdIFwZBQ%3D%3D)
SHOWNOTES FROM 2020:
Phil is Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, talks to Anthea Fawcett about the rise of ultra processed foods and their environmental and other impacts
"The ABCs war on waste has been incredibly successful in raising awareness about waste. But what about a war on the waste of what's inside the packaging? are we throwing good food after bad junk foods? We know they're not great for us, for our waistlines, our physical health, and even for our mental health...it makes absolutely no sense to junk the planet for junk food."
Foodswell
Instagram: @nourishing_matters E: nourishingmattersaf@gmail.com (mailto:nourishingmattersaf@gmail.com)
Dr Phillip Baker
Web: https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/phil-baker (https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/phil-baker)
Twitter: @PhilBakerNZ
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Baker, Phillip, Priscila Machado, Thiago Santos, Katherine Sievert, Kathryn Backholer, Michalis Hadjikakou, Cherie Russell et al. "Ultra‐processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers." Obesity Reviews (2020), pp. 1-22.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343478299_Ultra-processed_foods_and_the_nutrition_transition_Global_regional_and_national_trends_food_systems_transformations_and_political_economy_drivers (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343478299_Ultra-processed_foods_and_the_nutrition_transition_Global_regional_and_national_trends_food_systems_transformations_and_political_economy_drivers)
Narrative Review Paper:
Elizabeth, L., Machado, P., Zinöcker, M., Baker, P., & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: a narrative review. Nutrients, 12(7), 1955.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32630022/ (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32630022/)
Conversation article:
The Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods and why they’re really bad for our health
https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-and-why-theyre-really-bad-for-our-health-140537 (https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-and-why-theyre-really-bad-for-our-health-140537)
Rise of Commercial Milk Formulas, the first ultra-processed foods;
Baker, P., Melo, T., Augusto Neves, P., Machado, P., Smith, J., Piwoz, E., ... & McCoy, D. (2020). First‐food systems transformations and the ultra‐processing of infant and young child diets: The determinants, dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption. Maternal & Child Nutrition, e13097.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.13097 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.13097)
https://theconversation.com/sweet-power-the-politics-of-sugar-sugary-drinks-and-poor-nutrition-in-australia-95873 (https://theconversation.com/sweet-power-the-politics-of-sugar-sugary-drinks-and-poor-nutrition-in-australia-95873)
https://theconversation.com/fat-nation-the-rise-and-fall-of-obesity-on-the-political-agenda-72875 (https://theconversation.com/fat-nation-the-rise-and-fall-of-obesity-on-the-political-agenda-72875)
https://theconversation.com/fat-nation-why-so-many-australians-are-obese-and-how-to-fix-it-23783 (https://theconversation.com/fat-nation-why-so-many-australians-are-obese-and-how-to-fix-it-23783)
Credit to @Fredji for the theme music "Happy Life"
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