In this study, the relationship between consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) was explored. Researchers evaluated 20,060 participants (61.5% women) from the SUN project (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) followed-up every 2 years (median follow-up 12 years). They assessed food and drink consumption through a validated 136-item food frequency questionnaire and grouped according to their degree of processing by the NOVA classification. Individuals were classified into tertiles of UPF consumption adjusted for total energy intake. The data illustrated that a higher intake of UPF was independently associated with a higher risk for T2D in a highly-educated Mediterranean cohort with low absolute risk. These outcomes give more evidence to encourage the limitation of UPF consumption to reduce the population burden of T2D.