In an alarming trend, an international research group has observed that with rising incomes, the global shift from traditional foods and cereals to processed foods is gradually becoming a cause for rise in cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The diseases include diabetes and heart troubles, more so in low and middle income countries. A study by UK-based Institute of Development Studies shows that the shift from consumption of traditional raw or semi-processed foods has led to doubling of global sales of packaged processed foods in the past decade. The sales stand at nearly US $1 trillion in 2014. Citing data from Euromonitor International 2014, the report further shows that sales of such products in Brazil, China and Russia were three to four times higher in 2012 than in 2002.

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