WASHINGTON (AFP) - A major French study published Monday (Feb 11) has found for the first time a link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of death, but researchers warned more work was needed to determine which mechanisms were at play.

The study, which involved monitoring the diets of tens of thousands of French people between 2009 and 2017, found a modest link between increased consumption of ultra-processed foods - characterised as ready-to-eat or -heat formulations - and a heightened mortality risk during that period.

The results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine published by the American Medical Association.