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Ultraprocessed Foods in Popular Children's Television Series.
Milia Tzoutzou1, Paraskevi Detopoulou2, Antonia-Leda Matalas1
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, Greece.
Preventing Chronic Disease
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) dominate children's TV shows, particularly European cartoons. This study analyzed food content in popular series, finding UPF are frequently shown and consumed, raising public health concerns.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Media Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Children's television programming often features food, but the processing level of these foods is not well understood.
- Previous research indicates a general prevalence of processed foods in media aimed at children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the nutritional quality of foods presented in popular children's television series using the NOVA food classification system.
- To differentiate how foods are presented (e.g., visually, verbally, or consumed by characters).
- To examine if the origin of the television series (Europe, North America, Asia) influences the types of food presented.
Main Methods:
- 100 episodes from 10 popular children's cartoon television series were selected.
- Food items appearing in episodes were recorded and classified using the NOVA system.
- The presentation context (visual, verbal, or eaten) and the continent of origin of the series were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Ultra-processed foods (UPF) constituted over half of all featured foods per episode, with minimally processed foods (MPF) making up one-third.
- UPF and MPF were more frequently presented visually or verbally than consumed.
- UPF comprised 72% of the foods actually eaten by characters in the episodes.
- European cartoons featured more UPF compared to North American series.
Conclusions:
- Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are prevalent in children's television programming, especially in European series.
- The high proportion of UPF, particularly those consumed by characters, presents a significant public health concern, especially for European audiences.
- Further investigation into the impact of food portrayals on children's dietary habits is warranted.
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