Food addiction has become an important public health concern in today’s food environment, affecting not only what individuals eat but also population health, healthcare costs, and nutrition policies. In particular, ultra-processed foods with high sugar, fat, and salt content, designed to be especially appealing in taste, aroma, and mouthfeel, can strongly stimulate the brain’s reward system and trigger excessive and uncontrolled eating behaviors. Over time, this may lead to addiction-like patterns such as intense cravings, loss of control over eating, the need to consume larger amounts to achieve the same satisfaction, and discomfort or distress when these foods are not consumed.

In addition to biological predispositions, environmental and structural factors such as modern food technologies designed to optimize taste and palatability, extend shelf life, enhance convenience, increasing portion sizes, widespread availability of low-cost energy-dense products, and aggressive marketing strategies also play a determining role in the emergence of food addiction. Children, adolescents, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are particularly exposed to this food environment and therefore face higher risks of addiction-like eating behaviors. These patterns are closely linked to rising rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and psychosocial problems. At the same time, food technology should be viewed not only as part of the problem but also as part of the solution. Product designs that preserve natural food structure, maintain fiber integrity, balance glycemic load, and support satiety responses offer promising approaches to weakening addictive eating cycles. In addition, comprehensive interventions supported by product reformulation, labeling policies, marketing regulations, and consumer education programs represent effective strategies for the prevention and management of food addiction. In this context, food addiction should not be explained solely by a lack of individual willpower but should be addressed as a complex phenomenon with neurobiological, technological, environmental, and sociocultural dimensions, requiring a multidisciplinary approach.