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NewsRegulatoryFood Safety Five NewsreelFDAUSDA

Food Safety Five Ep. 24: ‘Highly’ vs. ‘Ultra’ Processed Foods—Dietary Guidelines Raise Questions

By Bailee Henderson
January 20, 2026

This episode of Food Safety Five provides a deep dive into the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ novel focus on “highly processed foods,” how the choice in terminology sidesteps ongoing federal consideration about how to define and regulate “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs), potential implications of the guidelines’ advice against “highly processed foods,” and how potentially forthcoming definitions and policy on UPFs may differ.

News Articles:

  • Eat Real Food: New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Name and Shame ‘Highly Processed Foods’
  • Regulating UPFs as a Category May Have Unintended Consequences, Researchers Say
  • Food Industry Stakeholders Share Input on FDA, USDA’s Intent to Define UPFs
  • California Enacts Law Defining Ultra-Processed Foods, Will Ban UPFs in Schools
  • FDA, USDA Issue Joint RFI to Address the Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods

Image credit: realfood.gov

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KEYWORDS: MAHA nutrition data nutrition facts ultra-processed foods

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Bailee Henderson is the Director of Content Strategy for Food Safety Magazine. In the day-to-day, she covers industry-relevant current events, regulatory affairs, and scientific developments. She also produces the Food Safety Five Newsreel, edits the twice-weekly Food Safety Digest newsletter, and manages the brand's social media channels. Notably, Bailee's coverage for Food Safety Magazine has been featured in national televised news segments including CBS Sunday Morning and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show. She can be reached at hendersonb@bnpmedia.com.

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