Data and script supporting the paper: <b>Ultra-processed food increases mortality in the cockroach </b><b><i>Nauphoeta cinerea</i></b>

Eating these foods is correlated with human health issues, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity, and also damages non-human mammalian and avian health. However, whether ultra-processed food impacts invertebrates’ health has not been studied.

We addressed this shortcoming by evaluating if ultra-processed food consumption increases mortality in lobster cockroaches, <i>Nauphoeta cinera, </i>a species that is well adapted to urban life and is considered a pest. We experimentally fed cockroaches either an ultra-processed, unprocessed, or a mixed diet containing both processed and unprocessed food. We assessed their mortality after two months.