Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello were joined by 'The Wellness Chef' Sandie Vara on Thursday's Breakfast as the trio delved into the intricate details of processed foods.
With the quality of ingredients getting "worse and worse", Eamonn admitted it "depresses" him to think about what is really being jammed into people's food.
"We know all the problems, why do we allow it to happen?" Eamonn proposed after revealing junk food has been linked to dementia and cancer among other diseases.
Ellie then revealed that ultra-processed foods make up a staggering 57 percent of the nation's diet.
The pair then turned to Vara who explained why big food companies use excessive amounts of chemicals in foods as they attempt to improve shelf lives and make foods cheaper.
"They want to make it as cheap as possible and sell it at a price that's profitable for them, but it's not good for us, simple as that," Vara explained.
Eamonn interjected: "You see this is where I think government fails all the time - why did they allow this to happen?
Sandie Vara delved into the details about processed food on shelves
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"We know we're paying the bill for this at the end of the day in terms of our health or the National Health Service or whatever.
"And it's things now like microwaving packets. So say we're talking about sauces and you open up a packet and you just know, we just have to read the ingredients. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals, chemicals."
Vara then suggested that customers need to become more savvy and read the ingredients on the packaging of their food before buying.
Soon after, he turned his attention towards a particular brand of sausages - and left everyone stunned when he revealed what was really in them.
"If you’re buying for example sausages, perfect example – there’s a particular brand out there, an Irish one, that I used to love when I was a child," he explained.
"If you look at the meat content that’s in there, you’ll be flabbergasted," he admitted.
“In a good way or a bad way?” Eamonn asked to which Vara replied: “In a very bad way.”
"Oh, my word!" Eamonn replied as Vara continued: “We were brought up on these sausages that were containing a horrific amount of chemicals, a horrific amount of bread, and what did we used to do as children? Have it in a butty. Have it in a sandwich.
“So we were just eating bread on bread!”
The revelation led Eamonn to slam the food companies for allowing such ingredients to go into food on the shelves.
He ranted: "What I'm trying to say is why it's not my job to go into a supermarket and look at ingredients and say contains chemical K5.
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Eamonn and Ellie chat to Sandie about the ingredients in junk food
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"I don't know if that's good, bad, or indifferent," Eamonn hit out. "I just say don't sell it to me.
"If this is bad, don't sell it to me. Don't allow it on the shelves."
Vara replied: "Well, unfortunately, those big companies have got something with the government. Who knows? I don't know.
"Jamie Oliver has tried to (improve the quality of food). There are other chefs out there that have tried to change the world.
"But now that it's really, really affecting the NHS and you just need to look at people... Yeah, just look at people.
"There's this thing on social media that has a picture of the beach in the 1970s and it takes a picture of a beach in the present day and it's frightening."
